Happy New Year Everyone!
I hope 2017 is off to a good start. Tomorrow I will have my 2016 book stats for you. Today, today is garden and chicken and cycling gossip.
It was a beautiful, sunny day with the temperature hovering around freezing. This is good because we had some cleaning and egg door repair to do on the coop. The Dashwoods in their winter boredom figured out how to get through the door cracks to peck at and eat the foam insulation. They love to eat the insulation! Had to fix that. It was also time to freshen the bedding in the coop.
The Dashwoods of course were delighted to be let out into the garden. They don’t like the snow at all so they hang around near the coop where we have cleared away the snow and run up and down the garden path to the deck. We left them a celery surprise on the deck. They have never had celery before but they figured it was food and all of them investigated and pecked at it but then turned their beaks up and left it alone. Even when Bookman offered them a piece from his hand they were not interested. Maybe they prefer it with peanut butter? That’s not going to happen.
We also have cabbage since we know they love that. We didn’t even bother hanging it up since they broke the twine with the last one and we figured they’d do the same again. So we just tossed it into the run and left them go at it.
The garden was empty and quiet for a long time. Then suddenly there came a tapping as of someone gently rapping, rapping at the chamber door. Bookman says, what’s that? Not a raven, but a chicken. Not Lenore but Elinor! And Mrs. Dashwood. They must have either devoured the cabbage or had enough, because they were on the deck and Dickens was watching. Bookman took a little video:
Waldo and Dickens are still curious about the Dashwoods but they have grown used to them being in the garden and at the window and don’t get excited about it anymore. They like to watch them, but the what-the-heck-are-those freak outs have passed. Very glad about that because come summer when one of the Dashwoods ends up on the deck with nothing but a screen door between her and Waldo, I won’t be so alarmed and concerned that Waldo will hurl himself at the screen. But then Waldo also knows he cannot pass through glass or screen as he has tried both with squirrels on the deck.
What an adventure 2016 turned out to be with the Dashwoods! I am so happy to have them and Bookman, who when I initially proposed the idea of having chickens two years ago and he said absolutely not, is glad to have them too. They are a delightful addition to the household and the garden. We are also still pretty amazed that we designed and built the coop and run ourselves without ever having done any kind of building project like it before.
Because last spring and summer was dedicated to the Dashwoods, the garden suffered a bit from neglect. What we did manage though went well. It was a banner year for beans, potatoes, raspberries and arugula. We tried sunchokes for the first time and our honeyberries and bush cherries produced for the first time.
I have already ordered seeds from one of my favorite places, Baker Creek. They were donating the proceeds to help Syrian refugees if I ordered by noon yesterday. Now I have through tomorrow to order from my other favorite place, Pinetree, so I can get free shipping. You wouldn’t think seeds cost so much to ship, but all the seed folks charge based on total dollar amount of your order so, for instance, orders under $10 might cost $3.50 to ship. If you order one packet of seeds for $1.75 it still costs $3.50 to ship. I order more than one seed packet, but it always seems I fall in a weird seed to shipping cost ratio where I feel like I am being screwed. So it will be nice to not have to worry about it.
What I am growing for veg is planned but I am still working on actual garden planning. I am going to change the layout of the garden beds this spring to make them more orderly and consistent instead of the random blobs that developed from making one or two new beds a year until there was no more yard. Plus I am thinking of adding another honeyberry, another black currant, and trying a “new” berry called aronia that is actually related to roses.
2017 should be full of all sorts of new gardening adventures!
Cycling
It was a great year for cycling. Astrid was a trooper venturing out into the world of gravel racing, not the kind of roads she was designed for. But it was great fun. So much fun I decided to get Astrid a sister. Carter is designed for gravel roads and we will be getting to know each other well this year because there will be a number of gravel races to try out. Also, I am thinking about trying cyclocross racing next fall, which means I will be learning some new bike handling skills and getting really dirty in the process. Here’s a short video I found of a beginner’s race so you have some idea what it’s all about:
Fun? I’ll let you know!
Astrid will not get lonely though. While Carter and I will have our first gravel race at the end of April, Astrid and I will be riding in a 100 mile/161 km Gran Fondo on May 7th. And then there is the Race Across America Minnesota ride in early August. That one will be 200 miles/ 320 km and lots of long training rides leading up to it. I am already planning out destinations because it is much more fun to have a place to ride to than to wander around aimlessly. Though there is pleasure in that too, and after early August there will be plenty of those kinds of rides.
2016 is only the second year I have been cycling seriously. In 2015 I managed to ride 5,337.6 miles/ 8,590 km. But I upped my game in 2016 and rode a total of 8,721 miles/ 14,035 km! In case you are wondering how many hours that takes, it took me 514. In 2017 I am aiming for 10,000 miles/ 16,093 km. When I told Bookman he said, is that all? Ha!
Gardening and cycling adventures galore! And books, lots of book adventures too. More on that tomorrow.
What sorts of adventures might be in store for you in 2017?
Happy New Year. I can see the daylight getting longer already and I’m at the same gardening stage as you, planning for the growing season.I’m completely with the Dashwoods re celery and completely in awe of your cycling exploits!
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piningforthewest, I’ve gotten myself so excited about gardening and all the things I want to do I am frustrated I can’t go outside and do them! It is nice the daylight is creeping back, only 2 1/2 months until spring! Aw, c’mon, celery is pretty good especially when cooked with other things or used as a peanut butter delivery system 🙂
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Happy New Year Stefanie!! I know 2016 was an exciting year for you and Bookman, with the addition of Dashwoods in the family and I hope 2017 will bring great joy and peace to you both! I think the Dashwood’s display fine taste in refusing Celery!! All the best with your races!!
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cirtnecce, Happy New Year! Thank you for your wonderful wishes! I hope 2017 is full of exciting adventures for you! And what’s with so many people hating on celery? It’s good stuff chopped up and cooked in soup or a lentil loaf or covered in peanut butter!
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Hello Stefanie–and a Happy New Year to you, too. I suppose the Dashwoods are all excited about he upcoming Chinese New Year celebrated on Jan 28th–since it will be
the year of the rooster!! lol.
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oh my goodness booksandbuttons! I didn’t know it was going to be a rooster year! Well then, there will have to be a special celebration! 😀
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You have some grand cycling adventures planned – I bet you are going to have a blast! I’m hoping to get back to crafting as I feel like it’s been a long while. We’ll see!
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Iliana, I do and I plan on having a great time! yes, I noticed you haven’t mentioned crafting much lately, time to unleash some of that pent up creativity of yours! 🙂
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Stefanie, I looked at the Baker Creek website the other day and got completely overwhelmed! I am still a gardening novice, despite puttering in my yard for years!. But I’m going to challenge myself to grow something I’ve never tried before this year. I’m considering watermelon. I adore watermelon. I’ll keep you posted!
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It can totally be overwhelming at first there is so much! But just decide on one or two things you want to grow and choose a variety of watermelon and/or something you want to try. Then give it a go! Mistakes will be made but it will be fun and you will learn a lot and the first time you have a watermelon you grew yourself it will be the best thing you have ever tasted! Good luck and definitely keep me posted!
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They are beautiful birds, and I’m glad you and Bookman got them because we can now enjoy them vicariously.
BTW I bought some garlic scrapes today and cooked some for the first time in my life. Mr Gums was saw them first and asked what they were thinking I wouldn’t know so I was very proud to be able to say I knew all about them! I love trying new vegetables and these were tasty, though I think they are better cooked than raw.
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Thanks! I am glad to share the joy of Dashwoods 🙂
Oh excellent! As I was ordering seeds and have been planning the garden I’ve been thinking about the garlic we planted in the fall and looking forward to the scapes. Glad you liked them! yes, I think they are better cooked. And glad you got to impress Mr. Gums with your knowledge! 😀
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Congratulations on your 2016 cycling, and we will be cheering on the sidelines for the 10000m target! It’s so weird, because I am not a pet person nor a sports person and yet I always enjoy your updates.
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Thanks smithereens! I am glad you enjoy the updates in spite of everything! 🙂
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Happy new year to you, too. I am hoping to get back on track with my reading and blogging. Likely will be more successful with the former than the latter I expect. But good intentions and all that. 😉
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Danielle, the way I see it, as long as we are reading we are on track! 🙂
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