Two Flats on the New Mat

After the initial basement sowing of peppers crapped out, I shelled out for a heat mat with thermostat. Tonight's sowings, by four block row:

Pineapple Ground Cherry - Territorial 2006
Joe's Long Cayenne Pepper - Johnny's 2007
Joe's Long Cayenne Pepper - Johnny's 2007
Joe's Long Cayenne Pepper - Johnny's 2007
Carmen F1 Sweet Pepper - Johnny's 2006
Carmen F1 Sweet Pepper - Johnny's 2006
Carmen F1 Sweet Pepper - Johnny's 2006
Pineapple Ground Cherry - Territorial 2006

Black Cherry Tomato - Fedco 2007
Black Cherry Tomato - Fedco 2007
Peacevine Cherry Tomato - Fedco 2006
Speckled Roman Paste Tomato - Fedco 2006
Hog Heart Paste Tomato - Fedco 2006
Cosmonaut Volkov Slicing Tomato - Fedco 2006
Piriform Slicing Tomato - Johnny's 2007
Piriform Slicing Tomato - Johnny's 2007

My hope is that this yields at least one strong seedling per four block row sown. Thermostat is set to achieve a soil temp of 78 degrees for now.

Bed prep, RIP Olivia

Did final prep on two beds last night. Need to plant greens ASAP as well as tomatoes indoors. Seed potatoes are "chitting" in the kitchen - growing sprouts before planting. Peas are just up, red maples are blooming and lilac leaves are coming out.

One of the Marans laid a deformed egg yesterday, presumably due to the stress of the fox incident. I am afraid that Olivia was one of the victims. Definitely Goldie and Runty. The strange thing about Olivia is that I could never tell which one she was for sure by looking at her - I had to watch her behavior. I have been looking at the combs of the survivors to try to see if any of them look like they could be her, but I don't think so. Chickens' combs change shape over time, and these Marans hens don't have big floppy combs like the RIRs did.

In any case, Goldie, Olivia and the Sussexes were the always the first ones out the coop door and would have been the first fox targets. I imagine that a den of little fox pups ate well on Monday.

Fox attack, return to Maine, Spring IS here

We went away for six days and came back to a different Richmond. When we left on April 17th during the tail end of the big North Easter, there was snow on the ground (not to mention a few roofing shingles.) Upon our return the evening of April 22, it was warm and glorious, and the peepers were out in force! I am told that they started peeping some the night before.

I made a fatal mistake with the chickens yesterday. Since they had been cooped up for a week, and yesterday was predicted to be so nice, I decided to let them before I left for work. I opened the coop door at about 6:15 and got in the shower. At roughly 7:00 I looked out the window and saw a fox in the side yard, quite close to the house, with a Sussex in its mouth!

The fox was not too scared of me, so I got several pictures of it trotting away with the Sussex. I ran around in my work clothes looking for other chickens, caught and returned two to the coop, closed the door and went to work - my first day at the new job. Kavi found two more outside when he got home, leaving our total flock count at 10: nine Marans and one last Sussex. The only traces of the missing ones are a couple of piles of feathers in the yard.

Other animals: Tree sawllows have arrived, loons were heard, bats are flying, mosquitos are biting, a woodcock is back in the swale on this side of the road.

I uncovered the garlic bed. A deer tromped across the pea/fava bed, but nothing is up yet. Kavi did some roof repair last night and is stiff today.

More April Snow

Wednesday was gorgeous and melted the last of the snow, giving us a brief window to enjoy the crocus (croci?) before receiving 4-6" of heavy wet stuff yesterday afternoon and evening. Hope to see significant melting today.

The NEXT storm is predicted for Sunday/Monday/Tuesday. That one may have rain in the mix.

White Easter

After a white Easter, we finally had some snowmelt yesterday. Chickens are outside today doing their thing in the snow-free areas.

Over 1' of snow yesterday

I guess it is not unheard of for mid-April. We woke up yesterday morning to over 1' accumulation of wet snow, and no power. The house being a little chilly and no coffee/tea available, we crossed the road to the Viselli's to find Joe in the driveway, trying to shovel out his Aunt Cindy's Corolla.

Aunt Cindy was determined to be on her way even though the road was a mess and it was still snowing. Kavi had the day off, so he used the snowblower to clear the Viselli's driveway, then joined me inside to enjoy the Viselli's woodstove and company. Electricity came back on about 11am.

I don't know what the robins are doing for food right now. It has been really strange to see and hear the red-winged blackbirds doing their spring thing in a snowy scene.

Spring break

Thirty degrees and snowing, with about 1/2" of snow on the ground from last night. This whole week is going to be a Wintry Mix.

The robins were out looking for worms this morning before the snow picked up again. Crocus are up but not open.