Sprung!

We've had spring around the Big Cedars for more than a month now. Way earlier than usual, so of course we got premature gardening fever. Bryon planted potatoes, radishes, onions, lettuce, cabbage and broccoli around the first of March and yesterday we enjoyed the first fruits, er, vegetables of that labor.

It was delicious! I finally stopped buying balsamic vinaigrette from the grocery story and just mixing up my own. I figured out the trick is LOTS of honey and half balsamic vinegar and half extra virgin olive oil.

I found a recipe for radish relish I'm going to try, maybe tonight. I've made zucchini relish several times and it's soooo good on hamburgers and hotdogs. I never know what to actually DO with all those radishes but the are just so lovely their too good to waste. I'll report back on how it turns out.

Today we bought tomatoes and pepper plants. Sure it's probably way to early, but hey, if we get tomatoes a month sooner, WooHoo!

We've had some progress on the pool building as well. We have a spot almost leveled out and we'll be putting it up very, very soon. YOU may be on the list of potential pool builders so prepare your strong ropy muscles in advance! It will be all hands on deck for pool raising day! We pay in beer and Aleve. The beer comes AFTER the work is done. That was a lesson learned long ago. Yeah, I'm talking about you brother Mike ;)

Friday night we got another little farm surprise.

She was up by the road in the ditch along our driveway. Bryon found her when he went in the Rhino to pickup Grace off the bus. She followed them home. Grace fed her. Case closed.

She is COVERED in ticks and fleas and has hardly any hair on her belly. Her nipples look like she's had a litter of pups in the recent past. She's thin and pitiful. We are hoping she doesn't have mange. We gave her a flea/tick bath yesterday and Frontlined her. She's very friendly and can't keep her tail still when you peek your  head out at her or talk to her. Of course she's a little skittish but she's warming up.

You can feel every bone along her back and her sternum protrudes. We've all been washing our hands incessantly after handling her but you just can't resist giving her a pet or a scratch or picking yet another tick off of her. Bryon is taking her to the vet tomorrow and Grace can barely wait for a report of no mange so she can cuddle with her.

Grace had a complete meltdown Friday night as we discussed what to do with her. We thought maybe someone in Bryon's dad's apartment complex would enjoy a tiny dog like her. Grace lost it and proclaimed her undying love for her. Bryon told Grace we can't keep every pet that shows up at our house. Grace responded (correctly) that this was the first one in her WHOLE LIFE and that she wanted a dog that was little she could hold that wouldn't ever grow up.

Geez, how can you argue with that?

Besides, how much could it possibly eat? It's tiny.

I'm pretty sure she has worms too. Double fun. Bryon will probably stroke when he has to pay the vet bill tomorrow but she's too cute to turn out. I'm surprised she hadn't already been eaten by a coyote up there by the road and the field.

She's stayed right on the back step on that little bed the past few nights. I'm sure as time goes on she'll get more adventurous but for now, she's pretty damn happy to stay right there safe, sound and fed.

Stay tuned for the vet report. I'll try to let you know before ten days passes again :)

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