Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2000 5:03 PM

SPRING CLEANING FARM STYLE   
 
The month of March...I always thought  of it's arrival as a time to prune the rose bushes.  Well, last year the goats and potbellied pigs did a number on my rose bushes, so that won't be necessary.  Boy, it was a real bummer, mainly because they almost "took out" my rose bush that I (uh, Tim)  moved with us. This is its THIRD home since I got it.
 
The rose bush was given to me by a coworker.  Some friend of hers had purchased a house where the previous owner collected any-and-all varieties of roses.  They were "thinning" them out and so I was the proud new owner of about a dozen.  I grew attached to one that had *bright orange* blooms and a fragrance that was unbelievable!  I had given Tim one of these as a gift, which he placed on his boat to dry. That single rose stayed there right-up-to-the-day he sold the boat.  So, I had Tim dig up the bush and move it with us... ahhh... but I digress...
 

About spring cleaning, right? 

Yes, yes.  SPRING CLEANING AT THE FARM.
 
Erin went down for her standard two hour afternoon nap and Preston dozed off in his "Johnny Jump Up", so I grabbed the baby monitor and headed outside to find my big-sloppy-boots.
 
Now, a spring cleaning at the farm is much different than your average home.  I started in the chicken coop by raking out the old nasty straw and replacing it with fresh stuff.  I was joined in the chicken coop briefly by one of the goats -- which I promptly shoved back out the door and into the pasture.  It was munching on the chicken feed and I would guess that "high lay pellets" aren't really a good idea for a goat (being that goats don't lay eggs and all).
 
I moved on to retrieving all the eggs out from under the deck.  The hens always try to hide the eggs from me this time of year, hoping they can hatch them.  Guess that's how the Easter Bunny came up with the idea of an Easter egg hunt, eh?  Well, I crawled up under there and found a couple dozen!
 
Another difference in our spring cleaning involves a garden hose -- to wash away the chicken poop on our covered deck. 

(So, when was the last time you had to do THAT?!) 

It wasn't too bad.  Maggie Doggie has kept the chooks off the wicker furniture and stairs for us (good farm dog)!  I basically just moved around the furniture, but it looks *much* better!  I took a couple pictures to share with you -- I finished up just as the rain began to fall and Preston started to stir. 
 
 
I'm off to "Mommy Land" to change diapers, but I will write again soon!