Much to report today!

Rex trying to do some back-filling. Ground was too wet.

(Click on photos to enlarge.)

Tote that barge! Lift that bale! Get that concrete in the bucket!

Success! Good-bye concrete and thank-you Rex!

Kathy's favorite grapevine at bud break - the Marquette.

Denny's ancient vine!

Barbara and Denny's gazebo.

Denny's raised beds.

Where does the rocket fuel go?
(Denny's design for his climbing veggie plants.)

Bonnie trying to control some wayward black raspberries.

3 eggs in the adobe robins' nest.

Much going on at the farm today.

First - the news that all of you have been waiting for - the turkey vulture is FREE to eat carrion another day! Barbara told Kathy that the bird wasted no time making it's escape from the corn crib after Kathy removed the door. She also assured Kathy that SHE would not have let the bird die in captivity.

Kathy and Bonnie took a tour of the cottage when they arrived at the farm late this morning. Rex was there and is finishing up. There is water to all the sinks and the dishwasher and, most importantly, the toilets! Hurray! The hot water heater was ready to go and we had hot water by the time we left this afternoon. The dishwasher is in place as is the kitchen sink. All faucets are on and working. There does not appear to be much left for Rex to do. There are a couple of lights that need to be installed on the outside of the house - one by the kitchen door and a motion light on the west side of the house. The gas line needs to be run to where the stove will be and to the vent-free gas fireplace. The reverse-osmosis needs to be hooked up and a water line from it run to both a spigot at the kitchen sink and to our ice maker and through-the-door water on our fridge. Rex will need to come back when our appliances are delivered next month and hook them up for us.

In the meantime, Rex also brought over his tractor and attempted to do some back-fill around the house. The soil on top was dry but underneath it was still too wet to move. He will come back with a Bobcat which he says will allow him easier movement and a better view of what he is moving and where it needs to go. He did remove a huge piece of concrete at the edge of the driveway that everyone was afraid they were going to hit. For some reason the company who poured our foundation, basement floor, retaining walls, etc., just emptied any extra concrete wherever they pleased. We had little piles everywhere. Kathy and Denny broke up and removed all but the large one by the driveway. Both tried sledgehammers and couldn't so much as crack it. It is gone now, and any company who does concrete work for us in the future will NOT be allowed to just dump leftover concrete on the property. It was in the garden, by the driveway, at the walkout basement, at the side of the house. Not cool!

Bonnie decided where she wants to put a portable carport on the north side of the house and discussed with Rex the grading that would need to be done in order to have it placed there.

We checked on our vines and it looks like they are doing well. The Marquette seem to thrive on our land and we have more of them than any other vine. The leaves are the most beautiful we have ever seen. Hope the grapes make good wine!

We ate lunch with Denny and Barb at Wings, etc. Kathy had eaten there before and liked the food. Bonnie got barbecue chicken, Denny ate Hogzilla (pulled pork), Barbara got a burger, and Kathy got a prime rib sandwich and some Amber Bock. We all enjoyed our food and would return there to eat. As always, we had such fun together. There are so many stories and laughs to share!

Before we left for lunch we tried Bonnie's laptop and air card in Denny and Barbara's house but the reception was poor. Don't know what the solution is for better Internet service for them.

Bonnie dug up some wayward black raspberry vines and Denny took some of her extras to plant. He brought over his Mantis tiller for Kathy to try, offering to let her use it instead of her buying one. She came close to buying an electric Mantis this past week but didn't. She practiced on a couple of vines we think are dead and she could probably get the hang of it. She is hoping to use it around all 80 vines to get rid of the grass and weeds, and she also needs to fertilize and add more soil up around the vines but below the grafts. That will be an undertaking! Camille Cupa will be back to help and advise us this year and has already been in touch with Bonnie. Kathy needs to ask her when she should be applying nematodes. The Japanese Beetles will be making their appearance in June.

Kathy reversed the dead bolt on the kitchen door per directions to disable it so it will pass inspection on Thursday without steps. She also moved a few rocks today from various areas of the property to where we started our pet cemetery.

Bonnie's orchard grass is peeking through now. She is hoping it lives up to its reputation for only needing to be mowed a few times each summer. She put it on with a heavy hand. It is supposed to choke out other grass.

Lots of photos today. A few of Rex's efforts with his tractor. A few of Barbara and Denny's homestead including, as promised, a photo of Denny's contraption for his vining plants like his cukes and pole beans. There will be strings running from holes at the top of the device to holes at the bottom. We know that our readers will be eagerly following the progress of this creation, so we will keep you updated.