May 19

I'm noticing more changes this week. The weather has been the most dramatic. Last week, I was in my winter jacket with wet, frozen fingers and toes most of the days. This week it's shorts and tank tops, a bit of sunburn, and purposely getting my hands wet in the well water because it is so cool. Isn't there something in between 40º and 80º??

Another change is in me. I've gone from the "newbie" on the farm, to the one answering Marty's questions. Even more amazing to me is that I actually know the answers to most things he asks! Why are we doing things this way or that? When will this happen? When do we do that? Etc. Very interesting to feel that shift. Makes me realize that, no matter how much I still have to learn myself, I've already learned a lot, and it's sticking! Woo hoo!

The latest change today was that there is once again peeping, chirping life in the barn room where the "meat" birds were. Yes, we got more! They arrived in today's mail, if you can believe it! We counted 118 as we took them out of their boxes. They are tiny, and look like they just popped out of an Easter basket. They started pecking around at the food we put out for them, and we held some of them to the waterer so they'd get the idea and tell their friends.

On the other meat birds, she said today that the ones she has left are pretty much spoken (and paid) for. The ones that were lost were going to be for her and her family, and to sell to others that inquire. She will now barely break even on the cost of raising them.

Today, besides welcoming the new peeps, we finished putting together the compost bin area for the composting toilets. Carbon/nitrogen, air, water and time. That's all you need!

We also put in about 300 tomato plants (in addition to the 300 or so we did yesterday), weeded some carrots and the herb garden, transplanted about 35-40 basil plants (that was about 1/2 what we have), and the usual miscellany that fills a day, whether you are on a farm, or in the city.