April Showers Bring May . . . Showers?

Every spring we renew our attempts to tame our land and direct it toward what we deem to be useful purposes.  Sometimes I wish we had 100 acres, but then the work makes our 10 acres feel like 100 acres anyway, so I don't know why I wish for more. 

The record rainfall of April and May has not assisted; Scott has struggled just to keep this property and all the various apartment lawns mowed. 

Despite the obstacles, we do our best to move forward.  The orchard - or, more appropriately, what we one day hope will be the orchard - was planted.  If you squint, you can see the 12 saplings in the foreground - a mixture of plums, pears and peaches.

We also made a lot of progress toward fencing in approximately 6 acres.  Here you can see one of the man-gates and a corner of the fencing in front of the Ring of Fire (aka "Scott-henge").

Alas, it is not yet complete.  All of the fence posts have been driven into the ground, but if you look carefully in the background you can see that some of the rails are still missing.  We need these before we can graze any livestock, which is the ultimate goal.

We also expanded and planted the garden.  The main garden and its two new flanks for vine plants total approximately 3500 square feet.  Notwithstanding our efforts, I worry that the never-ending rain may have drowned our seeds this year.

Below are the blueberry bushes and raspberry vines.  They are also just getting started following their planting late last fall.  All but one blueberry bush seem to have survived the winter.

Last year we installed a vineyard, as well.  We put in 600 linear feet of Chancellor grapes.  This year each sapling is approximately 3 feet tall and should grow to be nearly 6 feet tall (the height of the post to the right).

Abraham was not always a happy participant in our efforts.  I'm sure he will be even less enthusiastic when he is a teenager.

He enjoyed a break with Daddy, however.

The spring hasn't been all work and no play.  My mom, Abraham and I went to visit Aunt Tanya in Chicago.  She has a lovely condo in Lincoln Park.

This spring also brought Abraham's first Easter.  Grandma Linda Evans bought him a cute sailor outfit to wear to church.

I also celebrated my first Mother's Day with Abraham.  And Abraham hit a major milestone when he learned to crawl.  He is enjoying his new mobility, and the accompanying freedom, which meant we had to add serious baby-proofing efforts to our never-ending to-do list. 

Finally, after nearly nine years with Jones Day (12 if you include summer internships) in Columbus and Hong Kong, I am starting a new job as in-house counsel with a firm client, Red Capital Group.  I look forward to the new challenges and rewards that will accompany this professional opportunity.