Trying to catch up

After being away from home for most of the past month I only have three scheduled days out of town for the next month.  I'm already making lists of all the things I need to take care of around here. 

My main project will be the garden.  I have most of my vegetables in the 4 inch pots.  Some are getting really big and almost ready to transplant, others are just getting started.  A couple weeks ago (I think since I've lost track of time because of all my travels) we had a freeze that killed some of my seedlings.  It also killed some of the new growth on my year old grapevines.  The grapevines are coming back but some of the veggies will need to be replanted. 

I want to get out to the back pasture where I planted the wheat to see if any is coming up.  With the rain we've had over the past month I'm expecting to have inch or two wheat grass.  If not, perhaps I'll throw out more wheat seed. 

The front pasture is growing tall but I don't know how much of the new oats are growing or if it's just the mixture of grasses that come up each year.  It usually gets about three feet tall before it starts to dry out.  Once it starts to dry I usually put the sheep on it to eat.  If I have oat heads growing then I will not put the sheep on as early.  I'll want the oats to produce the grain.  I'd like to harvest some and let some fall to the ground to reseed itself for next year. 

With all the rain we've received lately, 2 1/2 inches this week, I don't have to worry about the trees or plants needing water! 

The trailer has three air vents on its roof.  Two blew off on one of our trips a few years ago and instead of replacing them I've just rigged it with plastic.  This has worked just fine until last night.  The plastic blew off yesterday on our trip home.  When we got home I was so tired I didn't check anything.  We just went in the house and went to bed. 

This morning I went into the trailer and saw that water had leaked into the trailer.  I got some buckets and towels and laid them throughout the trailer but I didn't have time to put a tarp or plastic on the top of the trailer.  In the seven hours I was gone today another 1 1/4 inches of rain fell.  My first task was to clean up the trailer.  It had a full layer of water on the floor and the table.  Fortunately, the sofa and bench cushions at the table didn't get soaked.  I dried everything up and then put a large tarp over the top of the trailer.  Now I have the lids to the vents and the hitch pin to buy.  It's going to be the first thing I purchase next month. 

The duck eggs are supposed to hatch in two weeks.  I have an extra water trough that I'm going to put them in once they hatch.  I need to get this done either this weekend or next since it has to be ready prior to them escaping from their shells.

So much to do.  I'm so happy to be home.