April showers bring flowers, so the saying goes, but mostly in my experience, they bring mud. So much mud. We nearly got stuck in our driveway the other week, because it had dried out enough to drive up, but the it rained quite hard overnight and turned it back to gumbo. We got out but carved ourselves some nice new ruts on the way.

We have decided that before we put down more shells (which we will do once it is dry enough to take the weight of the trucks), we will fill potholes first. Beause shells down in potholes do not crush and are therefore a tire risk. So, we have ‘adopted’ a pothole a week and pour bags of gravel into them. The first two each took 4 bags. Those are some deep holes. The next few shouldn’t take quite as much.

The kiddos and I planted out the cold weather crops a couple weeks ago, but it turned colder again imediately after and nothing has come up, yet.

I have planted the SevenSonFlower and the Japanese Quince in the ground, and the schisandra is not only leafing out beautifully, but actually seems to have flower buds on it.

Of the things I have seeded, those outside (other than the miner’s lettuce) have not done anything yet, but probably 50% of the ones in the greenhouse have sprouted so far.

We had a major windstorm on the weekend. Power outages, trees down, shingles ripped off roofs, etc. Our damage was mild, but we did have some. A tree came down on the shed, but didnt damage the shed much, and one wall of the woven structure we built nearly 3 years ago got shoved over.

Oddly enough, the extremely compromised greenhouse tent recieved no extra damage at all.

Also on the weekend we celebrated a birthday. It wasnt the correct day, but it was when we could arrange it. The BirthdayKid had asked for a garden bed for their gift, with which to create a butterfly garden. We set that up and filled it on Monday, and yesterday we visited two garden centers. The plants we purchased will remain in the greenhouse for at least a few more weeks, until the weather is safe for them.

On Monday, husband and I also began the process of building the kids’ play structure. We bought the wood last fall, but hadnt the time at that juncture with which to assemble it. Monday didnt see a ton of progress, as we found the wood to be quite wet, but we got it sorted and spread out to dry, and once dry got the pieces measured and marked for cutting. (Aside from the few that needed angle cuts as I couldnt find the speed square)

Next, we of course need to find the time to actually cut them, and then all of theholes are to be drilled and counter-bored. So we’ve a ways to go before assembly. Also, somehow when I was ordering the wood, I managed to miss a 1x4x10 on the order list, so I have to repair that omission.