Potatoes

I planted the potatoes! Up in the old mulch pile there should now be about 50 potato plats preparing to burst from the earth. When there is some green up and it doesn't just look like a big pile of rotting sticks and leaves (beautifully composting into tremendous soil of course) and there are some little green tops showing, I will take a picture.

Next year, perhaps I will spread all that broken down mulch on the other gardens and try out a potato box! This comes from Tim's favorite website,  USpotatoes.com - who knew there was such a thing!

The little kale plants are looking happy up in the garden. My onions are a little yellow on the bottom leaves but otherwise big and strong. I will have to break out my master gardeners diagnostic sheet and see if there is anything I can do to help them out.

Our beautiful hot and sunny weather has finally gave way to some cooler, wetter days, which is nice for the young plants but not so nice for the young chicks who had their outdoor privileges revoked just as they were learning about the great outdoors. I will have to do some more weeding to keep them busy and happy while locked in the coop. Little "Hospital Chicken" is still alive, now living reintegrated with the others despite falling behind to half their size. Amazingly, the others seem to be mostly leaving her alone or mothering her. Every time I go in the coop, all the chicks are running about except one or two who stay with that sickly little one and cuddle in close, often fluffing up and sitting over her like miniature mother hens. I hope this loving, goose-like behavior keeps up.

Tilly had another excellent day at Search and Rescue training on Friday. She's currently working on learning to leave the "victim" and come get me once she's completed the find. Its a little tricky to break through her excitement to the next step, but she'll get there. On the SAR trainer front, I might get sponsored to go to a two-week intensive Wilderness EMT training course this summer! I hope it works out with puppy-sitters and work and such.

With work, I am lining up subbing jobs at the Waldorf school, applying for the 6th grade teaching position for fall, and eagerly anticipating teaching my first Crafts on Whidbey classes, assuming anyone signs up. Joe will be coming up to Whidbey soon with more general maintenance work to be done on the boat. By the way, have you checked out the Kachink Kachink and recommended it to all your friends? Please do! Price recently reduced, delivery negotiable!