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I promise to start posting again. 

There, it's official. 

I took this in the doorway (the porch) of the 

old henhouse when I went in to clean the water bowl a

bit ago.  There was something coming up from underneath 

the ground, I thought it was something iron, like an old tub. 

Notice my assistants helping me. 

In a house in which my mother and I lived years ago (many years), 

I unearthed an old iron clawfoot bathtub in the back yard, I don't 

know if some one had used it for planting at one time, or what. 

It was completely buried, and no, I didn't dig it all up. 

I thought that is what was happening here. 

But, on closer inspection... I realized what it was. 

We bought this place in 2005.  The very first project 

Keith did was fix up the building that became "The Old Henhouse"... it had been 

used as a baby-sitting place for the kids of people who came to pick at the old strawberry farm here. 

He laid stepping stones across the yard, so I would not get my feet wet.  I had totally forgotten them, 

and most have sunk into the ground at this point.   I think there was one in the doorway of the henhouse, which later became our pony, Beau's, stall.  I suspect that is one of them. 

I'm probably going to have Chris dig it up, so I don't trip over it. 

I ran this bucket from the pump by the Hen spa.  You see the sediment? 

It has been strong since the well froze last month. 

I am not drinking the water currently... and am thinking 

I'll have to start filtering again, I did not have a filter put on 

after I moved in.  I do keep bottled water to drink, but use this 

for everything else.  We did have the well tested before we 

rented the place, and I have never had one qualm about drinking it (always did, Keith 

didn't.)  My sentiments are purely because of the sediment, I am not worried about the purity. I am blessed to have a 120 foot deep well. 

The maple tree is budding out big time, and still looks pretty good. 

I am calling an arborer to come look at it, and at the old walnut. 

I would like to keep it if I can (it is not bearing)... but... 

(and I just realized you can see Troy's house in the above photo... from the front door, I can't see it behind the barn at all!) 

It's trunk is in bad shape.  This does not give the true perspective, it's a massive 

trunk. 

Another view.  If you saw the next side, you would know how hollow the trunk 

really is, our renter poured a bag of cement in there to stabilize it, I believe. 

I suspect it is going to have to come down. 

That's my mulch "pile".  Thanks, girls. 

And speaking of mulch and gardening...

I dug a test hole in the south flower bed just out of curiosity this morning. 

I was actually going to have this bed all torn out, the landscape timbers 

Keith used have all rotted, and this was terribly overgrown the last few years. 

It was never properly planted.   HOWEVER... when I saw how nice the dirt looked 

underneath, I had second thoughts.  I am now planning on either trying to dig it out 

myself, or have it dug out.  In the old days, I would have been out there all afternoon with 

the digging spade, but right now, I am not capable of it.  

You long time readers will remember that Keith and I made these beds according to the "lasagna-gardening" method, we used newspaper, straw, manure, and good topsoil to build them. 

So, then I went over to the north bed... 

It was considerably harder to get the spade in there.  You see, the 

north bed was completely planted, and phlomis grew up in this area and took 

over everything else.  I want it gone, actually.  This clump I finally got up is full of 

roots, so I suspect I am going to have to remove about half this bed, and 

replace the manure and topsoil.  It will take all season, but next year I should have 

a wonderful perennial bed. 

I am guessing I need a little tiller again, though I would like to practice 

no-till.  I just don't know if I'm capable of it at this point. 

There are a lot of nice iris in this bed, and also, some lovely lillies, still. 

Here comes my boy up out of the pasture this morning, he LOVES to go down in the pasture and 'splore... but I usually try to keep an eye on him.  Unlike past years, I have not seen any 

coyotes lurking in the daylight, but I know they are there, I can hear them. 

'Splorin makes you tired

My girl likes to snack on cat food from the critter feeder. 

My "Valentine flowers" from my kitchen windowsill. 

Hope everyone has had a lovely Valentine's Day.