Tulips are bloomin'

I knew this blogging thing would take back seat to spring chores. I miss reading about what is going on in my on-line friends lives tho it is grand to be outside working on these glorious days. We really haven't spent all our time working we have done a fair bit of hiking and playing as well. The boys managed to paint the bottom of the greenhouse and were big helps in getting that pile of mulch out of the truck. We have done a goodly amount of cleaning up around the farm. Cleaning up the wood splitting place, getting all the wood stacked for next winter, making trips to the dump. I added strawberries last year and tho many succumbed to various things the survivors sent out shoots and the bed is half full of plants. Both bee hives survived the winter tho we are behind in their care. Guess they didn't like that as our strongest hive left us. Hopefully we can split the second hive.

DH has had success in the bio-diesel department. He ran his first batch through an engine and it started first time. He is also proud of his new toy - a front end loader. I am the saver in the family and any big outlay of savings gives me pause but it was a great deal. A neighbor broke the frame on his tractor and needed to sell the loader to fix the tractor. We could never have afforded even a regularly priced used one so this was a bargain. M went to move some dirt by the pond and discovered the water is spilling over the dam so it has almost paid for itself already.

We heard this week that an apartment has opened up for my father in the assissted living place. We will go get him next Friday. I think about myself at that age (hope I live that long -87) and wonder how I will react to moving off the land. My father doesn't have the same connection to the land tho he has lived in his house for over 40 years. Not surprisingly he doesn't want to move. He seems resigned to it tho. All in all I think it will be good for him. Other men to talk WWII with will be the biggest plus. He is not one for traveling, never was. Hopefully he will agree to at least travel to our farm. G's birthday party the next week seems like a good time to try. We have lived on this farm 10 years and in east TN 15. He is such a non-traveler he has never visited us before. I think coming to the farm will remind him some of his youth growing up in a small farming community in Kentucky. I think once he makes the trip he will be glad he did. After all now we are just a 30 minute trip as opposed to a 5 hour one!