Moments With Ayanna

Ayanna is a big fan of tv watching, particularly animal shows, although she's not opposed to a good cartoon or action film.  Recently however, she has started to hog the remote.



Not cool, Ayanna!

And then when I try to get it away from her, she takes me on a wild goose chase and then hides.

But I always find her!



I don't think I'm the boss around here....

A Moment

This moment is brought to you by ... my heart.

Starting My Garden ... Soon, I Hope

The time is again flying by.  Having the in-laws here has kept me more than busy.  It's been a good but ... er, interesting ... vacation.  See, they like to keep busy.  If she's cleaning my house, then he's cleaning my garage.  If she's making treats, then he's making projects.  And then I have to keep up so I won't be "lazy".  And now I'm into such a routine with it over the last few weeks that when they fly out tomorrow I won't know what to do with myself.

I'm already at that stage also because it's snowed almost a foot today.  With more snow forecasted throughout the coming week.  Mother Nature is cruel.  In unrelated news, I plan to take up drinking.

So I have something I'm super-duper excited about... so excited I don't care how dorky "super-duper" sounds.  If you had what I have you wouldn't care either.  It's this: a cold-frame.  Now you see what I mean?  Of course you do!

I'm way too eager to start my garden.  Even though it's still early in the spring, and I live on Santa's doorstep in the Great White North and the Abominable Snowman keeps cr@pping on my yard, I'm still trying to rein myself in.  I've got seeds planted inside and plans for the outside.

Best thing yet, I've got some new raised beds built, thanks to my father-in-law.  They aren't filled with soil yet, but that will come soon enough.  I'm so inspired by them that I may just build another one to add to my "collection", and in that case will have to shift them around a bit for more room, which is easier when they're empty.

My cold-frame:



Note in the background my extra-deep new planting bed?  Super-duper!!!  Yes, that merited extra exclamation marks – I can grow potatoes and carrots and stuff like that in there.  The shorter bed with the cold-frame is still 12 inches deep, so it's deep enough for everything else, including onions and radishes.

Modeling the usage and functionality of my cold-frame, the builder and his grandson:



Why the cold-frame on only half the planting bed?  Because the bed is 8 feet long, and it's a bit awkward to have a long one.  I won't be starting too many plants outside before it's very warm, and I can always build another beside it if I get carried away and plant lots of spinach and lettuce and such before we're done with overnight frosts.

For the warmer part of the year, such as when the danger of frost or snow is over – yes, we have days like that in Alberta – it is removable and can easily be stored out of the way during warm season.  Simply slip the pin out of the hinges in the back, and it comes right off.

This cold-frame cover will extend my growing season so that I can plant earlier and harvest later.  Which, having gone organic and wanting to grow my own food, is going to be fantastic and a real addition to my healthier lifestyle.