May…so much to do, so much to enjoy!

Welcome May! Time to kick off our shoes and walk barefoot on the cool grass, open our windows and take in the fresh air, then gently let the memory of icy winter days & nights fade. Mother Nature is still betwixt and between seasons; not having made up her mind just yet. Some days the heat rises like a mid-summer day, and then others, like today, will have nighttime temperatures below freezing. Oh well, not to worry…it’s all a part of nature’s wonders.

May is a grand time for sprucing up, cleaning out, and digging in. Around here, this time of year is spent collecting fallen branches, raking leaves from flowerbeds, and cutting back perennials. Oh, and of course: mowing, mowing, mowing. This is the beginning of a new cycle, a busy cycle…planting, tending, harvesting.

Today I’ll take you through a spring day on the farm…I have my work apron on, I’m rolling up my sleeves, and I’ve decided to clean the chicken coop. After this past winter, it definitely needs a spruce up. As much as I love those quiet snowy days, it just seems that when the cheery light of spring comes along, the sunshine highlights all of the grunge that was hidden during those long days.

Right now we have one little lady in residence who is at least 10 years old. I decided not to put youngsters in with Lucy to make sure she avoided the noisy “chicken races” that happen with oodles of new chicks…I think sometimes we all need a quiet little Hen Den of our own,

I keep it simple…after sweeping out all the bedding, I take a wire brush to the roost, and wipe down the walls with a mixture of 1:10 bleach and water in a spray bottle. Ages ago I added a remnant of vinyl flooring over the coop’s wooden floor…terrific for keeping the wood underneath dry. I just give it a good scrubbing and it’s done in no time. (Vinyl flooring is for adult hens only and not a good choice for young chicks…they can easily slip on it.) I toss in pine shavings, scrub and refill feeders and waterers, and yay…something off the to-do list until Fall! Once everything was done, the fun began:

Colorful dishtowels are curtains,

an old ladder is a popular roost,

while a vintage screen door found in the barn lets a cool breeze inside.

Next; off to tidy up the garden. I always get a little anxious waiting for the official “last freeze” day of mid-May…it seems forever until we’re given the all-clear that temperatures should be warm enough for safe planting. And because there’s a forecast for light snow next week (I can’t believe it!) I just had to buy a rosemary plant to hold me over until the garden is in. Ahhh, the fragrance.

Planting a garden, no matter the size, and watching it change and grow is one of those simple pleasures just too good to miss. Whether it’s small pots of fragrant herbs on a patio, sprawling tomato plants on a backyard deck, or a large homestead garden (rototiller required!), the feeling is the same…garden puttering brings happiness and peace of mind.

“All my hurts my garden spade can heal.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

One of the things I added to the center of the garden is an old water trough. I found it for next to nothing because it was rusty. Yes, rusty: exactly why I love it!

Because the trough is large, I didn’t want to fill it with dirt making it so heavy it couldn’t be easily moved. So I found some items destined for the recycling bin and gave them a new purpose.

-first, I drilled holes in the bottom for drainage

-then, I arranged upside-down foam coolers inside

-next, I topped the coolers with upside-down plastic flower pots

-and on top of those, I added an old cloth to keep the soil in place, but also let the water drain through

-lastly, I added potting soil

-and the best part…planted flowers!

This could be done with any large container you think you may want to move…a galvanized wash tub, new stock tank, rustic wooden half-barrel, or vintage wheelbarrow…they’d all look terrific!

Before I knew it, the day had slipped by as I spent time scrubbing and sweeping, then wrangling the green, wild weeds growing in what will soon be the garden, I really needed chocolate! One of my favorite sweet treats is called Charlie Brownies. Our family first discovered them at a Christmas party when the kids were little (I actually had the hostess write the recipe down for me before we left…the kids insisted!) Ever since then, these brownies have become a family favorite.

Charlie Brownies

2/3 c. butter, melted
1 lb. brown sugar
2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2-1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 T. water
1 t. vanilla extract
12-oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine melted butter and brown sugar; let cool for 10 minutes. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Beat eggs into brown sugar mixture; add water and vanilla. Stir in reserved flour mixture, add chocolate chips.

Spread brownie mixture in a well-oiled or parchment paper lined 15″ x 9″ baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until golden and tests done. Don’t over-bake. Remove the pan from oven, cut the brownies into squares while they’re still warm, then let cool. Makes approx. 4 dozen (depending on how large you cut the squares!)

So friends, how are you spending your May? Are there heaps of colorful blooms where you are, or are the cold north winds and icy rains still blowing? Do you have plans for a garden…maybe you’re setting a raised garden bed on the porch, or adding some potted herbs on a sunny kitchen windowsill?

“Dirty hands, iced tea, garden fragrances thick in the air,
and a blanket of color before me, who could ask for more?”
-Bev Adams

A thought…while you’re scattering those flower or veggie seeds this spring, don’t forget to hold on tight to your dreams. Those dreams are like seeds; if we nurture them, we just never know what might happen. Like weeds in a garden, dreams can be met with obstacles…but don’t let that stop you: chase those dreams!

Happy May to you…a month of sunny, warm afternoons we wish would never end. And sending sweet Mother’s Day wishes as well! I’ll see you next month, with more “tails” from the farm.