Okay, these pictures were actually taken the last couple of days of February, but here they are... The strawberry plants are growing like crazy, and my collection of old wine corks is the perfect mulch. I can't wait to taste the first fruit!

I have the best husband in the world. On Saturday, he used a sod-cutter to dig my new culinary garden. We also borrowed his godmother's old tiller (the same one he used to watch, and eventually help, Hannie and Melva use every year). It was a bit rusty, but he remembered all the old tricks and had it running within minutes. He did most of the tilling, but I took a few turns; it was fun/hard work--probably a lot more fun for me than him! We added organic composted cotton burr and mushroom compost, and the soil looks/feels pretty rich. The garden is in the back lot, that is fairly separated from the rest of our yard. It is the only place on The Shady Acre that receives enough summer sun for fruit and veggies.

All the pictures make it look like I wasn't helping! Harper videoed some of my work, but I don't have any photos. Alas.

We recycled the grass by transplanting it closer to the house.

The miniature picket fence is to keep the chickens out. They are quite the little helpers when they see me with a shovel in hand--I guess they know it means fresh worms!

What did we do without the internet? It's hard for me to imagine life without it, despite the fact that it really hasn't been around for very long. Lately (and thanks to the internet), I've reconnected with old friends and made new ones. A few weeks ago, I received an email from Alexandra Marrero, who had found The Shady Acre online. Alexandra, who also happens to be a photographer, is in the beginning stages of transforming an old house into a home with her fiancé. They have created a blog to document their progress, and I'm already hooked! It's called Creando Nuestro Castillito (Creating Our Little Castle), and I can't wait to see what they create. Thanks for the inspiration, Alexandra!