Journey Into Freedom

               Tractor Supply has chicks!  My heart is happy.  We went to two different cities to find a store that still had a few in stock.  Bret knew it was a bad idea, but I NEEDED to go see them.  The kids’ eyes lit up as much as mine did when we walked through the door to hear those little peeps coming from the Chick Days towers.  We wanted to take some home SO BADLY!  Believe it or not, we did not leave with chicks in our cart.  All our chick supplies are still in storage, and this weekend’s project was supposed to be finishing the raised beds – not chicks.  We did, however, buy a chicken house for the chicks that we will hopefully be ready for soon!

               Our closest Dollar Tree has a little of their gardening supplies still in stock, and I found a great purchase last week.  At the Valley House, I grew potatoes in the ground ONE TIME.  I have decided that will not happen again.  Our soil in this area is densely packed clay with rocks sprinkled into the mix.  Not a friend of the root veg.  This is part of why I wanted raised beds near the house.  Our carrots, parsnips, turnips, onions, and beets will all be in the raised beds.  I wanted matching tubs that are moveable for the potatoes, but I did not want to relinquish the money for them after purchasing the raised beds.  I mean, the spending must stop somewhere for our peace of mind!  Growing a homestead can get pricey quickly!  Dollar Tree to the rescue because in their gardening section they have huge green grow bags.  Is the aesthetic exactly what I want?  No.  I was willing to compromise the sleek look this year for the price tag, though.  One bag of seed potatoes has more than I will be able to use, so I will have enough to plant and to share with friends that are also gardeners.  Instead of spending $30 on only the containers for growing, I have spent $8, including the potatoes.  I have soil and will use the leftovers from filling the raised beds for any extra I may need.  Is this a life-changing update?  Not particularly, but I wanted to share how we balance our spending and saving a little bit.

               As I write this, I am eagerly waiting for the rest of the household to awake because today is raised bed day.  I have had my morning coffee, and I am ready to go.  With any luck, we may even start the get ready for chicks’ set-up after the raised beds are completed.  There again, I am thinking about too many projects at once.  But the sunshine demands it!  Maybe I will just keep those plans to myself so as not to stress Bret…

               Here’s hoping I can update with pictures next week!

Bethany