Dreaming of Spring Gardening in the Middle of a Wisconsin winter part 2

[Callender Girl]

Well, Jim, you should be well rested!

Wild weather in Iowa last night. However, I was north of it, and my sister was south of it.

Bomgaars this year has a printed schedule of chick breeds and what week they will arrive. As a (too) frequent shopper, I learned the babies come in on Tuesdays, late in the morning. Two breeds I wanted due in yesterday, and I was ready.

I haven't brooded chicks for a couple of years, so I dug out my stuff and set up a brooder Monday in the same bedroom as Eleanor -- who is as recovered from frostbite as she ever will be. But because she lost half of her toes, she isn't able to hold her own with adult hens, and it's been too cold to send her outdoors, anyway.

My plan is to "grow" some friends for her, letting them all see each other for six weeks or so.

That plan came to a rapid halt when the shipment of chicks didn't arrive. I recently made friends with Bomgaars' new poultry person who said the chicks should arrive today. I will drive back into town with fingers crossed.

On a happy note, grass is peeking up in the yard, and the resurrection lilies are about an inch tall. Time to enclose them in chicken wire so the poultry doesn't nibble them. My first indoor Walla Wallas are still alive (!!!), but the second flat didn't do so well.

 

[Callender Girl]

Empty-handed again! Staked out Bomgaars for most of the morning. Am now good friends with Alex, the poultry guy; turns out, I know his aunt. Only pre-sold goslings and two dozen broilers came in.

I think I will stay home today and take advantage of sunny, warmer weather to do something outside. One of the apple trees I thought had been killed by rabbits appears to be trying to bud up! If so, I should only have bought two new trees. I bought three.

 

[jvls1942]

Empty-handed again! Staked out Bomgaars for most of the morning. Am now good friends with Alex, the poultry guy; turns out, I know his aunt. Only pre-sold goslings and two dozen broilers came in.

I think I will stay home today and take advantage of sunny, warmer weather to do something outside. One of the apple trees I thought had been killed by rabbits appears to be trying to bud up! If so, I should only have bought two new trees. I bought three.

You can never have too many apple trees.

 

[Callender Girl]

I have chicks! I skipped going to Bomgaars Thursday, but when I went in for dog food on Friday, I could hear peeping the second I walked through the door.

Even the guy who places the poultry orders was astounded that they ordered 125 -- and got 600 chicks!!! Most of those were ISA Browns. But, of the 25 ordered Sapphire Splashes, four were left -- and two came home with me.

Looks like we are in for a run of warm, fairly dry weather. So, I may get my apple trees planted today. I've been keeping them in the bed of the pick-up truck to keep bunnies away. I'm tired of climbing into the truck bed to water them.

 

[jvls1942]

Barb, congrats on your restraint for getting
only two chicks. Did you have second thoughts
on your drive home ?
we got about one inch of snow last night. I hope
this is the last of it.
We are planning on having 5 extra people for
dinner on Easter. Annie checked at the market about
the deli meal for that many people, It was
over a hundred dollars for Ham, scalloped potatoes and
a few side dishes. She just went ahead and
bought a small ham. We will make the rest of the
side dishes. I will handle the dressing, candied sweet potatoes,
and mashed potatoes.
for the first time we will attempt to make a glaze for
the ham with some home made plum jelly that I made.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

No snow here. Warmed right up. Congratulations Barb on finding some chicks. I had some hatch under my various bantam hens. Moms are taking good care of them.

Ham is expensive this year. Hope yours turns out delicious Jim. Been decades since I tasted ham. I haven't missed it.

 

[jvls1942]

Yeah, ham is expensive, the one Annie bought
is a spiral cut precooked. $2.88/lb.
we get a lot of mileage out of a ham. first the
main meal, then sandwiches, and then the crowning
glory,,,pea soup..
I finally got the wheels off of table saw.
I had to buy some different no. 2 square
drive bits.

 

[Callender Girl]

Hope that plum jelly glaze is tasty! And, yeah, the deli meal price was crazy, Jim. Good work with the table saw wheels!

Lisa, congrats on the hatches! I love Bantams -- with the exception of my jerky rooster, Billy Boy. Sadly, I lost two of my three Cochin Bantam girls over the winter.

I don't regret only getting two chicks because Bomgaars is supposed to get in another breed that I want this week. Then, the chicken math in my head says I can get two more chicks.

I dug out two rabbit-girdled apple trees yesterday and got the Granny Smith planted. Today, I hope to get the Yellow Delicious in and maybe the Macintosh. My hip prefers that I show some restraint in my digging efforts and spread out the work over a few days. My head disagrees but sometimes has to relent.

Also, I hauled off chunks of the mulberry tree that toppled during the recent high winds. Seems even dead wood is heavy when the chunks are large enough. I'm just grateful that a friend with a chain saw cut down the tree, which was leaning on a fence.

Happy Easter everybody!

 

[jvls1942]

Happy Easter
I have the sweet potatoes and dressing ready to go
into the oven. just have to peel some potatoes and make
some gravy. will heat up some of our home grown corn.
Annie is making a different kind of glaze. something
that came with the ham.. the plum will have to be for a
future ham..

 

[Callender Girl]

Hope dinner went well! I had an unexpected guest and could only offer a buttercrunch lettuce salad topped with every veggie that was in my fridge.

The Yellow Delicious is planted. Only the Macintosh is still waiting in the truck bed.