To-do list

So much to do in the yard, so little time when it's not raining (or snowing)...

By Sunday:
1. Level garden and plant peas. —Peas planted, garden not level
2. Move the rest of the sage & chives out of the herb garden. —DONE!
3. Build (or at least start building) arbor. —DONE!

Sooner would be better than later:
4. Excavate under arbor. —DONE!
5. Remove sod from front for tomato bed. —DONE!
6. Put down corn gluten. —DONE!
7. Attack early weeds.
8. Re-edge beds and get the grass out.
9. Make bigger rabbit fences for the fruit trees. —DONE!
10. Plant veggie garden. —Partly done

Can wait a few weeks:
11. Re-paint steps; scrape and paint rest of fence by driveway.
12. Send in acid soil for testing.
13. Lay patio under arbor. —DONE!
14. Bring in loads of mulch for garden beds and to cover bare dirt in front yard.
15. Tile front steps.

...yikes?

Failure to execute plan

So the vegetable garden is smaller this year due to the arbor construction. No big, the tomatoes are moving up front anyway. Figured I'd throw in some peas and more beans than we'll manage to eat anyway and still have space left over.

So why, why, why did I also purchase seed for a bunch of big sprawling vine things that could use up three times as much space as I have?

Anyone want to grow pie pumpkins, butternut squash, zucchini and/or muskmelon this year? I'll have extra seeds...

I was wrong

But that's okay, I'm very used to it. This particular instance is from Landscapalooza: Veggie, I told you Bachman's doesn't carry the corn gluten? They totally do. I just bought a 20-lb bag of it. They confused me by labeling it a Weed & Feed because apparently it counts as a dose of nitrogen too.

Puck & I got the footers for the grape arbor dug out and poured this weekend. Now we just need to excavate, lay gravel, sand & flagstone, and build the actual structure. I need a nap. Also? I am almost but not quite strong enough to adequately help man a 2-person earth auger. My shoulders hurt.

Landscapalooza?

Earlier this week when Syl came over and saved my butt from the IRS (thanks Syl! You're my hero!), we tossed around the idea of April 19 for Landscapalooza. Does that work for everyone who's interested? If not, how about the 20th? The Plant Sale list should be out by then, and I'm going to be in Chicago the weekend of the 26th.

Meanwhile, I've started spring yard cleanup, and I'm bracing myself for the 4-6" of snow that's possible tonight. I hope that's the last of it.

Change is scary

We Can Ride started up again this week. Because of a glut of Monday volunteers, I was moved to Tuesdays.

Whoa.

Tuesdays are one of the days when the kids from the Hennepin Co. Home School come and help out. This means extra people — a couple counselors, one or two security guys, and a handful (maybe six?) of "observer" kids who will rotate in as they complete certification. And there's an instructor-in-training shadowing the instructor. And three barn aides. Also on Tuesdays, none of the horses are used in both sessions. So instead of 8 or 9 horses, there are 12. (Granted, still only 6 in the ring at a time.) And 12 full sets of tack to deal with before and after.

Monday nights, if you include the riders, parents, instructors and volunteers, there were about 35 people in the barn, and that always felt hectic and crowded. Tuesday nights? Closer to 50.

Also, I'm now a sidewalker instead of a horse leader. My first kid is really young, and pretty severely physically disabled. As in, at this point not really able to balance on the horse without assistance, and mostly unable to hang on to anything.

It's a little scary. I'm still really excited to be doing this, don't get me wrong. It's just crowded, chaotic and overwhelming. I'm being pushed outside my comfort zone. I recognize that that's probably a good thing.

New faces

I got to go meet Sunshine's new baby girl over my lunch hour today, and I am happy to report that unlike her older brother, SHE SLEEPS!