a lifelong dream fulfilled

This morning began earlier than usual for me, but since I had my first through the night sleep in ages, I was ready. This handsome fellow was my wakeup alarm. This spot is directly across from the west window in my bedroom...

Then, having a hunch that I should dress right away, I pulled on my overalls before 7. Yep, by 7:30 I heard the lovely sound of a trotting horse and a buggy coming up our road. Eli had come to work early today!
When we found our ridge meadow farm I think I told everyone the first thing I was going to do was plant asparagus. Well, it didn't happen our first spring and that was a disappointment I blame myself for. On Monday when Barb and I were garden shop hopping, we stopped at the local garden center where everyone calls me by my first name. Al himself sorted through his asparagus starts and when I asked for 3 dozen he made sure I had really nice ones.  Today Eli planted them for me. In the end, there were over 40 and since I only wanted 3 rows, and each one was large and beautiful, there were a dozen left over. I asked him if he could use them and he agreed to take the last of them along home.

When Eli finished working here this past Tuesday I sent him home with a bouquet of iris in an over-sized antique blue Ball jar for Lovina's table and told their son Dan to tell his mom that I was being selfish and wanted her to send the jar back when she was done with it. This morning when Eli arrived he handed me the jar...

It's getting close to the end of the fresh asparagus season here, partly due to the early spring, partly to the heavy rains a month ago, and to the prolonged heat recently. Lovina knows I have a few wild pieces here from some long forgotten garden but not enough for more than a meal or two. Possessing an impish sense of humor she knew I would enjoy her little joke: a bouquet from Lovina.
We've not had a speck of rain for nearly 4 weeks now. The temperatures have been above normal and the winds excessive. Today we are under a wind warning and at times I've had to struggle to open the back door or keep on my feet while walking to and from the chicken yard. Dust is blowing off the fields which are just now beginning to show lines of green in neat rows. I've had to put off my outside painting and the planting of my seeds and little seedlings. But I remind myself that it's still just May and I have all summer.
After the asparagus and a little more work on the potting shed, Eli began digging out the raspberry bed. He also has cleared away 85% of the scrap wood that was stacked in the place where my new double compost bins will sit. He's making use of the scrap wood to build them at his farm in his spare time (what Amish farmer and father of 7 has spare time???) He will be out next week again to finish the raspberry bed and prepare the ground and set the compost bins. Today he had his second son Rudy with him. Each of the kids wants to have a turn coming with their dad and they love to go home and tell all their siblings what treats they had at Sharon's house. What a joy they all are for me.
Well, I'm really glad Eli and I agreed he should leave by 3ish this afternoon. We are currently under 4 advisories: tornado watch, excessive wind warning,  severe weather with lightning and hail, and possible downpours. I didn't fancy putting the chickens to bed in a storm, so I've just gotten back into the house after luring them into their snug home with their favorite treat: dried mealworms. Now Dovey and I can just be snug indoors and watch what develops. Hope the weather is a bit calmer where you are.