Same Thing Everyday

Every morning, Brett asks me, “What are you going to do today?”  And every morning I say, “The same thing as yesterday.”  The days are always comprised of morning and evening chores: feeding the animals, cleaning the pastures, checking the fences (Brett), and checking the seedlings (Annette). Other than that, weather pretty much dictates what we do.  Days like today that are overcast, misty wet or raining, and cold keep us inside by the wood stove.  Brett reads a book.  I work on my paint by number canvas, do Master Gardener homework, or bake.  We might clean a bit.  But, when the temperature rises to the 50s and the rain stops, a typical ranch day looks like this.

The horses take turns napping.  Luek has turned out to be a great napper.  He stretches out completely and his lips flop open, showing his teeth.  Against his black face, the white teeth are startling and amusing.  He looks dead but he’s not.

I spend most of the day in my garden.  Brett splits wood or mows or fixes fences.  I weed and tidy the garden beds, spread compost and mulch, and work in the greenhouse.

Sorrel, violas, daffodils, iris, and artichoke all jumbled together.

The pansies are still going strong, the lettuce is looking leggy and tired, and my parsley is coming into its own.

I started extra vegetables for the Master Gardener plant sale which was cancelled.  The plant sale is the annual fund raiser for the demonstration gardens, so the cancellation was a sad, if necessary, thing.  I sent a few seedlings home with our farrier yesterday and have friends and neighbors who will take the rest of the extras.

I also started flowers: zinnia, aster, stock, cosmos, carnations and sunflowers.

Passage and Sage keep me company.  Passage follows me around while Sage comes and goes.  If Passage is getting attention, she comes.  If I’m working, she goes.  Passage is the more reliable companion.

The ranch is pretty green at the moment.  This next photo is taken from the front of the barn, looking towards the donkey pasture.  Their pasture usually also includes Canada geese, a mallard duck pair, and a handful of opinionated killdeer.