Plant while the sun shines

  It was a beautiful sunny day and 78 degrees today. A pretty consistent wind at 10-15 mph with gusts to 25-30, but it helped dry things out enough to roto-till and plant. More rain expected first of the week so I am glad to get the onions and potatoes in.
  I've heard it said that if you just pile up the right material and wait, you'll have compost. I didn't get fancy with this pile...mostly grass clippings and cow manure layered with some household stuff...vegetable trimmings and coffee grounds. I made the pile in the corral and put some hot wire around it to keep the cattle out, and this is what I found today:

  I put 4 wheelbarrow loads on the 2 beds where I was planting potatoes and onions. I had done the same thing last fall before sowing the crimson clover for the winter.

  I planted 3 rows in the onion bed on the left and 2 rows of potatoes on the right.

  I had 50 sets each of 4 varieties of onions: Walla Walla, Candy, Texas Sweet and Red Grano. Most of the potatoes are Yukon Gold with a few Red Pontiac.
  I bought the seed potatoes at the Co-op 2 weeks ago for 59 cents a pound. I like to pick out the golf ball or slightly larger sized ones so I don't need to cut them. I got a Gardener's catalog in the mail today and they had Yukon Gold seed potatoes for $16.95 / pound! WHAT ??
  I also planted 16 red Canna Lily bulbs today along the back of the calf shed.
  Feels good to get started after a long winter.  But oh my, I can feel it! These 67 year old bones are sore!
  The chickens were out-growing the top of the coop, so with warmer weather, I opened up the doorway so they could descend to the coop and yard below.  But they wanted nothing to do with it. I had to take 2 pieces of cardboard and reach into the back across the nests and force them out the door and down the ramp. Then they huddled together in the corner.

  I'll get another picture one of these days when they get used to it.