May Update from the "Homestead"

Good news travels quickly in the "real" world, but you virtual friends may not have heard the latest "homestead updates"...

 - Our garden is growing -- and fast!
We've doubled the size of our raised-bed veggie garden. The asparagus we planted is beginning to poke up out of the soil. The new strawberry plants are blooming, promising at least a few little berries in June. Salad greens are popping up all over the place, and there are plenty of peas and radishes putting out new leaves.

 - We have an orchard!
Last month, we put 9 apple trees into the northern slope of our property. Most trees are semi-dwarfs, which will grow to about 15 feet tall. The 2 full-dwarfs (Granny Smith Apple) will reach about 10 feet. Other varieties we planted include Winecrisp, Fugi, and a few tasty Honeycrisps. Yum!
Now, technically, it takes 10 trees to have an orchard. We planted a few standard-sized cherry and apple trees about a 1/4 acre away. Does this count?

 - And there's more...
We've put plenty of blueberries into the ground. Currants and Jerusalem Artichokes, too! As long as the seeds don't wash away, we'll have a plethora of native wild flowers and a goofy assortment of sunflowers edging our garden. The summer harvest will be beautiful. The rabbits are healthy, the chicken coop is nearly done, and we're about to build our last raised bed - and not a moment too soon! The little tomato plants I started from seed are quickly outgrowing their starter pots.

 - And the BIG NEWS:
This September, we're having a baby! The husband and I decided to "go for it" at New Year's, and by mid-January we were officially expecting. I was a bit shocked by how quickly this came about, and THRILLED!

Baby Info: Our wonderful doctor says that baby and mother are doing well -- "perfect," even. So, that's good. We're due in late September (the 29th). Last week we learned the baby's gender. We're keeping that a secret, for now. It's been an incredibly easy pregnancy for me, so much so that I feel like I'm bragging. So, I won't. Choosing a name is a challenge, but we've narrowed it down to two or three. Now, the real deliberation begins...
Huckleberry is still a strong contender.


So these days, when I'm not working at the bookshop or digging in the garden, I'm rearranging the house (again and again, as my husband will tell you). There's much to do, and so little time in which to do it. My art studio is becoming the nursery, and the library is to serve as a temporary studio, until we convert the guest room into a proper workspace.

We also have a long list of house projects to do this summer, before the little one arrives. It includes some minor carpentry in the nursery (a closet/storage overhaul!), painting the exterior of the house, some interior painting, tiling the basement bathroom, repairing the barn's split roof, finishing that chicken coop, and keeping up with the garden. I won't be able to help much with the painting, which is frustrating. I suspect the bulk of these projects will fall on my more-than-capable husband and a few wonderfully supportive friends.