March Wrap Up

It has been a busy month. With the weather getting warmer I've been working to prep my garden this year. I've been hauling in compost to amend my garden beds, fill them up with dirt, and getting plants in the ground before things get hot. The sooner I can plant trees and bushes the better they will adapt and I won't have the baby them as much during the summer. So far I'e planted three blueberry bushes, a new (and third) cherry bush, and a serviceberry tree. Aside from new additions I need to move an apple tree from where I planted it in the fall, possibly replacing a different apple tree in the chicken area that isn't doing well. (probably dead)

 Here is Apples with a serviceberry tree I later planted in my front yard.

 Alongside gardening I've kept up sketch booking as usual. This wasnt my most sketch heavy month due to the gardening frenzy, but I got a few pages in.

A few pages featuring some art from a friend of mine.
 In other activities I am hatching duck eggs for a friends community garden. I told myself I wouldnt hatch anything this year or deal with babies but it is hard to say no.

Candling one of the duck eggs you can see the embryo surrounded by the vein structures that feed it.

Something else that kept me busy this month was all of my chickens getting sick. They started sneezing, wheezing, and huddling up refusing to move. I even lost one bird, Piper. I was worried they had bird flu, but thankfully antibiotics were able to cure them. Thankfully nobody else died from whatever sickness they had. I'm still vigilant to watch for any sick birds as Bird Flu is an ever present threat, but for now I am resting easier.

Jon Snow was untouched by the illness. Here he is flush with color. Lately he shows off his tail feathers and calls when he sees me, I've become his crush.

Going into April I will continue gardening, but hope to have the major things like new additions, beds, and mulch sorted out. In addition, I want to create more paintings this month and hope to travel soon before the summer sets in. In other news, I may have a small update on the barn renovation soon. Things have been slow for one reason or another. So is life. I leave you with this wonky metal dog I couldn't live without.