Overcast skies and plenty of rain have kept us cooped up and unable to do much gardening the past few days, but today the forecast is saying after a 40% chance of rain again today, it's supposed to start clearing up, with sunshine and highs in the 70s the rest of the week. We are looking forward to getting outdoors again!

Yesterday we took advantage of the rainy weather and got the stone cottage cleaned up, in preparation for Mom and Dad Beecher's visit to celebrate Dad's birthday with dinner and dessert. Dave made us a delicious feast that started with crackers and soft goat cheese - one flavored with horseradish, one with fresh herbs, both of which were grown here on the farm - and a salad from our wash tub lettuce on the deck.

The main course was pork loin topped with a honey/mustard sauce that Dave used our own bees' honey to make, and we finished with dessert of lemon bars, which included eggs from our own hens in the recipe. We enjoyed baked sweet potatoes with the pork loin, and dreamed of when those we planted will be ready to eat. While we're not there yet, we're taking steps closer all the time to eating only what comes from ours, and other local farms. It's a good feeling.

This morning we're being lazy over coffee, but very soon will have to get through morning chores so we can get cleaned up for church, and then this evening, a concert at Pine Knob. Somewhere in between I'm hoping to catch a few rays of much awaited sunshine, and do some tending/weeding in the garden.

Congratulations to the winners of Phase II, including Michigan's own Liz at the Bohemian Garden! Looking forward to learning more from all of you, and making more friends as we tend our way through Phase III.

Pictured: If it uploaded (lol), a short video of our Wellsummer, Barred Rock, Partridge Rock, and White rock chicks, and turkey poults, who just this past week got moved from their "nursery" home in the pole barn, to a very temporary outside home, until they're big enough to be integrated with the rest of the flock in the big coop.