Spring is...

Uh, springing here on the homestead.

We are dry (yahoo!) and temps will be right up there in mid to upper 60's over this weekend. Time to finish the already-started tasks and set about a bit of thought for 2010 here.

I was reading some blogs on my Reader this morning and everyone is starting some "spring cleaning" and planning it seems. Menus, school year thoughts, cleaning and organizing, new animals, homestead plans...you name it, folks are getting busy.

We rolled up the large (bulky, huge, heavy...) room size rugs this morning and out to the barn loft they went. They smell like puppies and fur. Ugh. They need a good airing, a good sound beating, and then some deep cleaning with the steamer.

The spaghetti is drying nicely. Probably dinner Sunday afternoon, with some fresh garlic bread and maybe a peach cobbler.

Out on the range, we were discussing homestead plans. Basic things that we keep saying need done, but keep being pushed backwards on the list because of time available and of course money available.

Things like:
Setting up perimeter fencing around entire property. That awaits an honest, non-kinsman surveyor to map out property lines unbiasly.

Fencing areas within the timber for the goats to enjoy and clear down for us.

Run a water line, as well as piping for electricity, to the barn and small shed out back. Yes, you'd think with an electrician husband, I'd have that sort of thing, right? Nope. Got 2 heavy duty extension cords and some monster splitters for power right now.

Clean out an area in the chicken room for a brooder. I want to get more chicks this year and perhaps enjoy a few fresh eggs again.
I'd also like to rework that coop area. We have to have a covered run because of the owls and such attacking. I'd like to have 3 areas set up for rotating.

Gather wood. Split wood. Stack wood. Lots of wood. Heating and cooking require a decent amount of wood, even here in relatively mild Mississippi. It has to be a regular, year-round project and habit.

Get hay loaded in. Ideally square bales are better when *you* are the mule that moves them, but I do like the ease of feeding a round bale, under cover from weather, once every couple months, too. Either way, get it all year, not stupidly wait.

Clean out and compost the bedding from barns and chicken coop regularly. I'd like to see about getting a couple loads of stockyard manure/bedding as well. I need all I can get, but as mentioned with the hay, *we* are the mules that handle it so I have to pace myself some there.

Decide how to do the farm market this year. Table, awning/tent, any signs and lists, etc. We need a set-in-stone basic plan before it's time to start. We were talking about even laying out the camper and setting up all day at different places with things. That way the younger children can be better 'contained' so to speak.

Rabbitry plans, still. Maybe this year.

The garden. What do you do? I'll pay to have it tilled and prodded at again this year, but I'm not very hopeful of anything, as usual :o( I will start laying out more cinder block beds here and there, but still...I've done the preps and labor so many times just to have it produce nothing. I'm not very excited at the future of the garden, at least not this year. We'll see, though. Could be this is my garden year.

We have more carpet yet to pull and flooring to do inside. Perhaps even a back porch this year.
Then there's always the general remodel work, like rocking and mudding and taping, painting, organizing and all that.
I've curtains to get made for 5 windows in the great room, as well as 4 bedroom windows.
I've quilts to get made by next winter.

And clothing to sew. Always that. No list can be truly complete without that :o)

What are your plans as spring unfolds?