Warm spring day

We worked outside all afternoon. It was lovely.

C. got the saw running and cut up some wood. She cleaned the oiler yesterday, and that might have fixed it. Fingers crossed. She says it needs a good sharpening now.

I loaded up wheelbarrows five and six of heavy, stinky straw litter from the chicken house, and C. dumped them in the garden where they'll have some months to mellow before we plant. She did loads seven and eight and nine. I loaded it one last time before we came in for the day. I think we've got another five or six loads left. They call it deep litter for a reason!

I fixed the big chainlink gate into the garden – it was dragging and making a horrible racket on the cement walk. Just needed to adjust and tighten up the hinges and bolts.

We tightened up the three big slider windows on the greenhouse, and I stuffed some rope insulation between the panels. I sat down for a break in the greenhouse, and got distracted by cleaning up old pots, the dirt that a couple of pack rats had hauled out of the raised bed, and some shattered plastic from old bags and windows. Cut up some metal roofing and screwed it to the west side down low where the wind was coming in. Will finish the rest tomorrow, and maybe the flats of onions can move out there, freeing windowsill space for tomatoes.

C. dug out a stubborn piece of protruding rebar left over from holding straw bales around the greenhouse. I've been sure I was going to fall on the damn thing and skewer an eyeball or brain or something. It took at while – it was really in there.

C. took the loppers to old dead growth in the flower bed. More still to do.

It felt good to get out in the sun and work.

The guineas are in full spring mode, skulking around in groups, dusting when they find dry ground, chasing each other, hollering from perches on the spinny clothesline.

Three eggs today.