After the spring-like weather a week ago it seems winter has returned! The horses don’t mind because the snow and frozen ground make their paddock much cleaner than the mucky muddy mess we have had some yeas in February. I don’t really mind either, because Ken is itching to start his spring plowing and the winter conditions help keep him focused on the bunkhouse wood working. I am very pleased to report that the stairs are now in place and we are ready to start work on the floor for the upstairs bedroom. The beams look lovely with their final sanding and oiling. We are very hopeful that the bunkhouse will be ready for the apprentices when they arrive the end of March.

Around the edges of the bunkhouse work we will be starting up the greenhouse for the early spring transplants. Lots of garden planning has taken place and we are excited about the coming year’s growing season. CSA garden applications keep arriving daily with the mail. We still have some space available and welcome local folks to join for the season.

Yesterday we had another successful logging workshop here at Orchard Hill Farm. Ken worked hard getting ready the last couple of weeks felling trees to pull out of the woodlot on the big day and getting all the horses shod for the winter conditions. Our son, Grayden, came home for the weekend to help supervise the participants and demonstrated that he hasn’t forgotten his teamster skills while living in the big city of Toronto.

One of our youngest participants ever, 12 year old Chris Collinson, took to driving like a duck to water.

Now it’s time for us to get back to work on the bunkhouse in order to have it finished for our apprentices when they arrive the end of March. Ken has a set of stairs to build and Martha will be doing the finishing work sanding and oiling the woodwork, painting the dry wall and washing down the clay walls.