More Bird Sightings
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Lots of cool bird sightings around Gallistead this week! Looked up while working in my dining room/home office this week to see these white birds sunning themselves in the cul-de-sac. I think they are cattle egrets. Tonight I was lucky enough to catch a great shot of a cardinal, our birdhouse resident which is a tufted titmouse, and our hummingbird friends. Not sure what bird is in the last picture. He was hiding in the darkness of the trees and I couldn’t get close enough to him for a great picture. I think he may be a wren.
Hugelkultur Bed
No Frost Damage – April 15, 2020
Last week was sunny with the temperature in the 90’s, and 2 days ago a strong cold front came in and this morning at 6:45 am, we got down to 32.0F for a bit.
New Chickens – April 10, 2020
We decided it was a good time to get some new chicks since we are all home and it will be easy for us to take care of them during the day. We bought 7 from the Tractor Supply down the street: 3 production blues, 2 brahmas, 2 golden sex link. I’m working on getting a chicken coop built, as I expect it will be needed in a few weeks.
Spring has Sprung – Part 2
The garden is thriving with all the rain that we have had lately! Everything is growing nicely, and Brian has added some okra and melon seeds in the last couple of days. We had a salad the other night with the lettuce and it was delicious. The bees have been actively coming and going from the hive. The birds continue to be super active as well. Caught some more pics of the hummingbirds and our birdhouse tenant which we think is a Tufted Titmouse.
Tomatoes 
Lettuce in front 
Onions 
Blackberries 
Blackberries 
Spring has Sprung at Gallistead – Part 1
There has been lots of spring activity around Gallistead lately. Brian and Aiden built this birdhouse last winter, and we finally have some tenants this spring. It has been fun to watch the bluebird pair come and go. They have a full house with seven eggs in the nest. Brian put out the hummingbird feeder which has had regular visitors too. I was lucky enough tonight to get some great shots of one guy!
Hugelkultur – Okra, Comfrey, Cowpeas, Melon, Squash – April 8, 2020
I started planting in the hugelkultur bed today, and it was a little strange. Add a little water and you create an avalanche. So I tried a few things that seemed to work ok.
I took out a handful of soil, replaced it with compost, and planted okra in the compost.
Melons and Okra Planted – April 7, 2020
I dug up the huge comfrey (bocking 14) that was in raised bed 3 and split it up into a bucket full of crowns. I planted one at the base of many of the fruit trees, and a bunch of them in the hugelkultur bed. I also planted a few melons (Ice Cream and Kajari), some lima beans, flowers, and 2 varieties of okra.
Baby Fruits – April 5, 2020
Some of my fruit trees are starting to show signs of fruit!