Dear Friends and Family,

Everything is so green. Finally. Redbud and dogwood blossoms are fading, while the maples, oaks, and sycamores display the marvelously fresh green of newly opened leaves. Grass is growing like mad. (I've already begun my third cycle of mowing). Makes me think of my first view of Ireland. As the Aer Lingus plane descended through the early morning mist toward Shannon airport I was amazed that it really was as green as my mother claimed it would be. Now I experience that same wonder right here in our fields in Kentucky. As if that were not enough, the old-fashioned peonies across from the laundry room door are just beginning to open their fragrant deep red blossoms. The gorgeous gold iris are in bloom. Early mornings I have the pleasure of the color of cardinals, goldfinches, red-bellied woodpeckers, and blue grosbeaks, with the chickadees and titmice, as I drink my tea.

Paul and Sasha had a close-up view of a bald eagle yesterday. They've been fishing Renick's creek close to where it flows into the Cumberland River, ten miles or so south of here. In the past few weeks they have caught brown trout, white bass, large mouthed bass, striped bass and pan fish (sunfish), usually a mix of 4 or 5 at a time. All this has evolved from the boat-building projects of the past winter. The fun continued while the creek was in flood from all the rain. Paul and Sasha did runs from the "old" place to my place, winding around the A-frame property in between the two. They estimate it is a ten-minute run, if there are no portages or spills in between. Sasha has become a real boatman. When he paddles down the creek he seems a strange creature, human to the waist then wood kayak. The expression on his face is pure joy. Paul continues to have great fun trying out different ballast placement to try to balance his rowboat. Sometimes as the water pours in he gets laughing so hard he just falls out.

Needless to say the wet, cold weather continued right through the middle of April. We had all planned to go to Mammoth Cave for their Wildflower Weekend. The days leading up to it were warm and dry so that by that Saturday Paul and crew knew they just had to start setting plants. As I drove the hour to Mammoth Cave there was a farmer out in every field. Coming into the Park I was shocked to see the damage caused by this winter's ice storms. I had heard about it but there is something about seeing all those acres of broken evergreen trees. Thank God the hardwoods had fared much better. Even so, as we began our wildlife walk the Park Ranger apologized for the condition of the Park, reminding us that the whole area had been without electricity for over 3 weeks. The wildflowers were spectacular: bright yellow celandine poppies, white trillium, lavendar dwarf iris, pink wood sorrel and wild geranium in abundance.

This season's Bourbon Red turkey poults arrived early this month. Paul and crew "improved" their brooding tractor by installing 3 heat lamps as well as a heater under the floor. They have to be kept at a minimum of 90 degrees to survive. Within days of their arrival we got a series of very cold nights and windy days when the heat just didn't stay constant. Then some afternoons got up into the 80's. With the very erratic weather we lost quite a few to cold or heat. The survivors seem to be flourishing although not quite ready to weather the outdoors on their own. (Then we have to beware of racoons and weasels). Turkeys are tough to raise. On the other hand we have a new batch of laying chicks coming along very nicely. They are a mixed crew including Wyandottes, Buff Orpingtons, Black Austerlops, and Barred Rocks. Madeline enjoys finding worms to feed them. She has a special wooden dish, long and narrow, that she fills with twenty or so worms. When she puts it inside the cage the chicks rush to the dish. As soon as one gets a worm it rushes away followed by several others peeping loudly and trying to grab the worm out of his beak. It is quite a noisy show.

We are hoping to start our season by the 3rd or 4th Saturday of May. The strawberries are fruiting up nicely. Lettuces, salad turnips, radishes, spinach, kale, Chinese cabbages, chard are all in the ground to fill out those first baskets. Our 20 week season should end just in time for us to travel to California for John and Denise' mid-October wedding.

Tomorrow we look forward to St Andrew's annual Derby Day Party. In years past, Paul and Robin have come to the party after a Nashville delivery. This wet spring has given them an opportunity to attend, not having left the farm at 4:30 in the morning. Listen for us. We'll be singing "My Old Kentucky Home" with all the folks at Churchill Downs. Love, Louise