After all the rain we’ve had this spring (not complaining) the weeds of the prairie have exploded.  Today was the first day we’ve had that has been dry enough to mow. Zina got on the weed whacker around the house and I grunted and cussed over our “convenient” drive over tractor mounted mowing deck and got to cutting down 4 acres of grass and weeds all of which were at least a foot deep.  We close the house up completely when we do this because mowing gives off massive amounts of pollen, especially the sage, and Aaron is seriously allergic to grass and weeds.  Don’t think it helps, but at least today (probably because it wasn’t so dusty) he wasn’t lying in bed gasping for air.  A useful feature.

It takes many hours to complete and it feels a lot like riding a horse, but the place always looks nicely groomed when completed.  I try to keep the weeds down around the fences so the electric wires don’t ground out.  Below is a picture of the place from inside the fenced in pasture at the western most end of the farm.  I thought it turned out pretty nicely.

Of course, no sooner did we finish with the mowing,  trimming and watering the gardens, did the dark ominous-ness blow in.  Again wondering if the storm clouds would visit us, one never stops watching the skies here in the spring.  Fortunately, this round went just north of us. We got a nice rain for once… no ice.  It looks like it may have been rather hard on Kansas though.  We later saw that Denver (west of us about 50 minutes) had quarter- sized hail that accumulated up to 3 inches deep.  As usual, spring here is never predictable.  Last year at this time we were in a severe drought.  We had already turned on the AC and the plants were starting to crisp up.  This year…. the exact opposite.  Oh well, at least with each afternoon storm, the gardens get watered and it cuts me some slack in getting the irrigation all set up.

This coming week should see the emergence of the Beans and Carrots.  Then starts the straw mulching of the gardens using some seriously nutrient rich bedding from the goat pen.  That way their stall gets mucked out, the beds get covered to keep down the weeds, and the goat poop feeds the plants.  Nutrient cycle complete.