this week at the grovestead

At least we're not bored.

Saturday night, after Mara's birthday party I raked out the lilies, while Rory prepped the potatoes. Then he went to the compost center in town and shoveled a truck load and brought it home. While he and Ivar emptied the truck bed, I pruned the raspberry canes. Sunday picked up with a delivery of wood chips, Rory building another raised bed, I sawed branches off of trees in our overgrown grove and Dean came with his tractor to plant our field.

Monday was our first planting day. Lisa, our above-and-beyond sister-in-law brought her mom and pulled Josie from school to come and plant blueberries and potatoes. She worked like a machine. Elsie and I got sick that day, which was unfortunate, and was so grateful for their help. I LOVE that Josie got out of school to help plant a field!

Tuesday Rory woke up at 6 to plant more potatoes and to work until his 11 am meeting in the cities. He came home at 5:30 and got back on the tractor and we worked until the sky was black. I gathered pine needles and put those around our blueberries and Rory moved wood chips around for the pathways.

There is always something to do. It's exciting and exhausting. I have been feeling gross most of the week, which is hard to schedule in. But all in all, we're not bored. And we're having fun. (oh! Elsie's new goal is to ride Vernon. Which is super funny to watch. And Velma caught that mouse! And then she would let it go, giving Thomas and Percy a chance to catch it on their own. It was like a little life-skills lesson, happening right in the garage. It was terrible to watch, and fascinating. And sad. And amazing. And awful. And I took a picture...)