A Beautiful Day

Today was wonderful. I was off work, and the weather was, in my opinion, perfect. Lots and lots of sun, temps in the mid-60's, and this morning at least, no wind. (The wind picked up this afternoon, I'm sure to thwart my desire to have a fire on the patio, but I have no proof of that.)

I got a lot of yard work done. The first step was to borrow the neighbor's lawn mower. I have a reel mower, and that works great, if I keep up on it. Once the grass gets too long, though, the reel mower can't handle it. (Yes, I'm sure it could use a sharpening, but it seems to work ok if I'm not trying to lop off 4" or 5" at a time.) So, for the first mow of the season, I borrowed hers. Some fresh high-octane gas, a couple of pumps of the primer button, and we're off and running. Side note, here: mowing extra-long grass makes it super easy to find the dog poop!

While getting fresh gas for the lawn mower, I also get two bags of actual "Cowsmo" Compost! Can't believe it, but I saw it at Mississippi Market a couple weeks ago. "Fresh" from Cochrane, WI, organic dairy cow manure. I actually know where this comes from and have used it (on my farm adventures last year)!   

Part way through the mowing the backyard, it's lunch break time. A nice cold tuna salad with farm-fresh spinach and watercress, plus cantaloupe and blueberries, then the yard calls to me again. Mowed around the grapevines (all five survived their second winter!) and turned the stuff in the compost bin. By then, E & the baby have joined me in the gorgeous back yard. E has seedlings to plant and starts mapping out where to put their gardens. I get distracted by things growing through the fence from the other neighbor's yard.

Now I'm looking at the clock. The afternoon is disappearing, but I've gotten so much done, it's alright. A few more minutes, then the focus shifts to dinner. I get parsley and rosemary plants in the bed and a chamomile in a big pot by itself (each with its very own scoop of Cowsmo Compost, of course!).

Then, it's time to wrap up and get working on our big Farmer's Market Dinner! We were at the Farmer's Market in downtown St. Paul on Sunday and were inspired! But.... that is for another post! 

Plantings!

Well, everything finally came together: a day off of work, temp not in the 40's, not committed elsewhere.

Here's what I got in: a lettuce mix (20% each Prizeleaf, Royal Oak Leaf, Salad Bowl, Red Salad Bowl and Ashley), a mesclun salad greens mix (20% each Red Salad Bowl, Mizuna, Green Curled Endive, Red Treviso Radicchio, Rocket Arugula), spinach, radishes and green onion.

I can't wait to start eating salad with every meal, and I'm researching new dressing recipes!

Mmmmore to come!