Can't Seem To Settle

The sun is shining and I'm chasing my tail!  My bicycle needs to have some work done... my bike ride with my friend is on hold.  Planned on having a nice visit with her, but her Internet is down and it's a must have in her house, so the repairman is coming and she can't leave: we'll meet tomorrow and head up to the town of Chico, have a nice lunch and I'll get some cheese cultures at the local Natural Foods Store.

I've got a bucket-load of half finished outdoor projects that need done...so Bill brought me one of the employee's to give me a hand.  This gentleman ran a landscaping business in Southern California before the economy took a dump.  Bill has several of his relatives working on the ranch and hired this fellow, too.  So: YEAH!  But, I don't speak much Spanish and he doesn't speak much English...but we both speak GARDENS....he went to work on the roses: we have about 100...next the old apple tree and old peach tree...I wouldn't let him touch the citrus: I like them to be left alone.  I have a huge wisteria and lilac that should be hacked back...but I know they won't bloom this year if I do it now..so I'm on the fence and will decide after I've done some GOOGLE searching on how much damage I'd be doing.  He's going to be building me another 4 to 6 cinder block raised beds and help me put in a nice fence around the orchard.  I have an old very small vineyard: maybe 20 vines and an old raspberry patch under a huge pile of orchard and plant prunings (5 years worth)...they're still there and still alive...so next week we're re-activating the vineyard and berry patch and then putting in 1/2 acre of pasture...fencing...another 1/2 acre of pasture...fencing and another 1/4 acre of pasture...more fencing.   The back of the orchard will be worked up for sweet corn and experimental grains...the front of the orchard will have flint corn and mangle beets for feed.  This poor fellow will be very glad when he's back on the tractor working ground!  I bet he didn't have any idea the things I want done on this small patch of land...it's not just a yard...to me it's my FARM.

I've got 2 dozen eggs in the incubator...I hope I get a good hatch.  Last year it was a bit better than 50%.  I think I've corrected the mistakes I made last year and should be able to raise my percentages this go-round.  I want to increase my layers another 10 to 15 hens and put the rest in the freezer...I plan on running the incubator from now until Fall.  I have egg, chick and pullet orders I'll never be able to fill...but we're going to try.  The egg business is my little granddaughter's and she really takes it seriously.

The First Dozen