March Winds

March tends to be quite blustery around New Mexico so it is a good time to work outside in the morning and inside in afternoon.  We've got the fields level and the first seed is on that field.  We took a trip to Roswell Seed to pick up a forage mix for horses to replant the bottom fields.  The upper fields are cleared of debris and holes for new trees were dug.  We have 7 trees coming, all first year and all fruit.  No pistachios to be had in the area and rumor has it, Almonds won't grow.
There were no new gardens this year, but we expanded the ones we do have.  Because the weather has been so nice, we have stuff growing in almost all of them.  The back garden by the chicken coop has blooms on all the trees we planted 7 years ago, this might be the first year for fruit?  Let's wait and watch.  The greenhouse provided all year and planted a mix of things in there for spring.  The chickens managed to get in there, so will have to start over in some of those areas.  The tomatoes are in the house and ready to start hardening for transplant outdoors.  I've got some sunflower seeds to go with them in the outside the greenhouse garden, so it should help with the height.  Going to also do indeterminate in the greenhouse, hoping that we can keep them cool enough with the shade to keep them growing through the end of the year.
Finally, the pomegranates are leafing out so that transplanting made it.  So did the Stella Cherry from late fall.  Both are leafing out, but no blooms.  I think I'll take it.

We are also taking action on our fence between the house and orchard.  It's reclaiming logs for the uprights.  Unfortunately, we were not able to find enough straight branches with the length we need.  We have piles of sticks, but just too many crooked or broken when they fell.   Others we got a good 8 feet and will look for other projects, like the protection of the new trees.

Visitors for March were varied, but down compared to other years.  Could be that the lower fields being barren could mean they are avoiding us and looking for food elsewhere.  Javalina, Wild Turkeys, Coot and Sandhills have been visiting.  Had only one Coyote siting this month.

While chickens and turkey are laying, no one seems to be brooding for hatch.  Finally put some hay in the pen for the turkey and she's making a nest.  Keep your fingers crossed.  It would be much easier to let them lay and hatch their own eggs.  Introduced three new kittens to the farm today as well.  Went back to the numbering system and they are Uno, Dos, and Tres, named from lightest to darkest.  Long haired kittens, hope they are okay without their mama!

Here come the winds again!