800!

That is the beginning of almost 800 plants for the garden.  Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cabbage, tomatillos and more.  Sugar bug helped me one day and we got these all started.
  Why so many?? Well, one we plan a big garden, two not all of them will survive, and three I like being able to share and trade when we have extra of something. 

 I'm loading up our trays with soil to plant in.  Normally I would use seed starter that you buy but we couldn't find any around here so I made my own using potting soil and soil that we had delivered for the cold frames. (below)

Now I'm sure one of you with more plant expertise can tell me why this was a bad idea.  I must say I don't think it's worked as well but sometimes you work with what you have.  I started all these a couple weeks ago and now I have several small spouts coming up.

Aw there so cute :)
 Now that it's warming up I have all the plants outside sitting in the cold frames we finally finished.

Got the dirt in and a few things planted.  Lots to do still!  I'm starting feel a bit overwhelmed to get it all in and planted. We still need to work on our garden plot.  We wanted it at the old spot we had last year but don't think we can get a way to water it so we'll need to put it closer.  I'm sure we'll get it figured out.  Every little bit counts.  
Things are always coming along around here.
How's your garden growing?

Goodbye...

Rest in Peace Sweet Pea....

 Yes we lost Sweet Pea.  We woke one morning to Sweet Pea mooing incessantly and pacing the fence line, this happens once every month or so.  We thought she was in heat and immediately arranged for a "play date" with a bull.  We loaded her up and took her to the dairy farm down the road. (extended families dairy) We dropped her off in a field with cows and bulls and she looked happy as she went to meet them. 
  Well, we left her for 3 days and couldn't find her when we went to pick her up.  Super D's cousin found her a week and a half later and she was dead.  (sorry to be so blunt but that's life on a farm sometimes)  We don't know how she died as she was half eaten by scavengers when found.  There are several possibilities, but most likely she was sick and we didn't know it. Her bellowing that we interpreted as her being in heat may have been pain.  Only God knows. 
At the end of the day we are out of a milk cow but Thor is doing good.  We plan to sell him soon and will put that money to another cow.