Almost

This morning I noticed another change in the sun's angle.  Ever so close to shinning in the kitchen window, just a wee bit more to go.  We even ate supper watching the back field because at 5:45 pm it is still light.  It's the little things that all add up to one big thing, spring.  We enjoy winter but like all seasons when it is about to end the excitement of the next season takes hold.  We discussed the garden while eating supper.  The canned green beans and pickled beets we were enjoying got us to thinking, plant more of what and less of what.  Which we never carry out the plans, we always plant too much of everything but that's a good thing for others.  We give away and that is a great feeling, "Passing it On".  Besides giving extras away the chickens enjoy everything from the garden.  Along with bugs and worms it is what gives the dark yellow/orange yolk to their beautiful eggs.  The eggs are tasty in the winter but just not the same richness as spring, summer and fall.   Patience the sun is doing it's thing and spring will be here in..........8 weeks.  Then the great winter rest of relaxing and outdoor fun will end and the work will begin.  My friend Kim sent me a message the rototiller is serviced and ready to be picked up.  She was reading our minds, spring, garden and tilling.  Kim and Rod own the business just outside of Wellsville, Riverside Sales and Service.  Excellent people to buy from that service and repair on site.  They also know gardening since they have a huge one each year.  If you are in the need for seeds, bulbs or seed potatoes Kim can help you chose what is best.

By April we will let a couple broody hens start a clutch of eggs to set on.  Mrs. Silky was a great mama hen last summer.  We were lucky to get a handsome gray Mr. Silky from Emily Kellogg last fall.  Here's hoping for baby Silkies this summer.

This week we will be trimming the apple trees.  It is not a favorite thing to do for us.  We know they need trimmed way back and branches opened up.  All things we have read say this plus no branches should be touching each other.  Scary, they always look so bare.  Then come late summer we look at them and know they will need trimmed again come winter.  Last year was the first year in the 8 years of their life to have apples.  If we hadn't talked to a man at a Farmer's Market they still wouldn't have apples.   We thought fertilizing them would make big healthy trees with lots of apples...........uhhhhh........NO.  When we told him our trees are big and healthy but never get apples the first thing he asked, do you fertilize them.   Big grin here because we were so proud of giving them the best care.  Shot down, jaw dropping is what we heard from the fruit tree expert.  DO NOT fertilize them.  It makes all tree and no fruit.  He went on to explain they do not need fertilized.  Look at wild apple trees, they produce fruit for years and years.  Granted there are years apples are scarce in the wild but that is usually because of late frosts killing the blossom or sting the young very tiny beginning fruit.  This is the third year without our extra care, we shall see and hope the frosts don't get them.

Looking through my pictures was the crispy deep fried Walleye that our Canadian friends made for us over the holidays.  Larry has the technique down perfectly.  When Larry and Tracy mention Walleye fry we are ready.  The batter is light and very crispy while the fish is white, tender and not wet.  Sound funny considering fish come from water that I say not wet?  For us nothing worse than biting into crispy fried fish and having it wet and slimy, yuck.  Never a doubt with Larry's, perfect every time, anytime.  Fresh fish and seafood has such a clean taste with no smell.  Have you walked by the seafood section in markets and smell fish?  That is not what you are suppose to smell, not fresh, probably frozen and thawed a few times or just displayed past its time.  Good fish should smell clean with an ocean air to it, not a dead fish smell.

The fresh Walleye fish fry!

Big man Smokey and Little Man Rooster waiting for supper ♥

Mr. Gray Silky in the middle, he's a handsome dude!