Downhill Rollerblading

The kids' school called an early release today, even though it was 43 degrees and the winter storm heading our way was still in Illinois.  Oh well, what are ya gonna do?  Well, the girls and I, inspired by the Olympics, invented a new sport (well, at least new to us)--Downhill Rollerblading.

Chloe's first run

Essie's first run

Chicken Tracks in the Snow

Chickens in the snow

I took pity on my poor hens who have just had it with all this snow, and threw a bag of leaves down for them in their run. Everyone makes fun of me when I drag home bag after bag of leaves that people throw out (about 100 this fall) but I tell ya, they come in handy! Most of the leaves go right on the garden, but I always throw a dozen of them or so under the deck so that I have them for just such occasions. 

  

 

Roman Numerals

With this crazy, winter weather, our kids have been off of school more than they have attended school. We watched the S*perbowl last week and realized the kids had no idea what Roman Numerals were. Matt was off work Monday because of the weather so he took the opportunity put his teaching degree to use.

UK Hoops

Last weekend, the kids and I got free tickets to see the UK women's basketball team. The women are currently ranked #12 in the nation and LSU was ranked #13.  It was a great game that went down to the wire, but the UK women were victorious!

Jennifer O'Neil at the line

Selfies!

UK Cheerleaders are #1 in the nation.  

We got a special treat at half-time (the girls were of course thrilled!)

The Snow Fort

Can you guess which child created this snow fort?

I'm pretty sure this boy has a future in construction.

Is It Spring?

I had a rare Saturday off of work and temperatures soared to 63 degrees.  Not bad for Feb. 1st.  I took the opportunity to move the blackberry canes that I so obviously planted in the wrong place.  Somehow I missed the part on the planting card that said canes reach 6 ft tall. I put these right against the house so they had no where to grow but all over the bed, which made it practically impossible to plant anything else in the bed. Honestly, I never thought they would amount to much since I bought them at the end of the season 2 years ago from our local L*wes.  Blackberries grow on the 2nd year cane growth and once they are done producing fruit, you cut those canes to the ground.  These canes, came up last year, and will be the ones to bear fruit this year.

I decided to make a new bed along the fence to the garden so the vines could have the fence for support!

Essie helped me line the new bed with reclaimed rock/pieces of cinder block that were on our property from the previous owner.

We needed to fill the bed with soil so I sent the kids into the garden to collect the top layer of compost/leaf litter that the chicken/ducks have been working on this winter.

Many hands make light work. Love putting the neighborhood kids to work!

We put cardboard down to block future grass growth before adding soil, compost, and leaf litter.

It doesn't look like much now, but hopefully come spring, these canes will be loaded with blackberries. I hope to add some T-frame posts & trellis to give the canes more support.

And of course our "ladies" had to do their part to help get the bed ready for whatever we plant next.


Now before you all get jealous of our out-of-season warm day, this is what we woke up to today...