Spring

Springtime is finally starting to roll in with a vengance. Our melt started properly in the first week of April and the ground is just about to the point where we can start getting ready for the first crop of the year.

Last weekend we got together with the Odegaards for a sorta 'spring feast'. Thier larder wasn't nearly as deep as ours and they'd been down to jerky and some preserves so they were quite pleased to have a big meal with us - we let them keep the leftovers. We then headed over to church on Sunday for the first spring service. It was good to streach the legs - see people we haven't seen in some time - and make a little joyful noise as Jack calls it.

He tends to lead in hymns - his voice is just that much better and stronger then the rest of ours.

I figured out what I'm going to do this summer. We tend to start our more suseptible plants in doors, but with more people to look after this year, having a proper green house might really help us along and let us get in a few crops that Jack only tries on *really* good years. Probably won't be in rotation this year - but I think I've got a good plan laid out.

Jack is a little questionable on where I'm going to get enough glass and lumber - I want to make this a real permanent structure - especially with the expansion of the livestock barn we're going to have to do - but I've got a plan. I'm going to make my own glass.

I did some looking up on the internet about it and I don't think its going to be easy... but I think with Brock's help I can get it done. Gonna require at least a couple trips to the river though. And a lot of heat. Jack says I need to run it through engineering first. I'm not quite sure what that means.

On a different note, I caught a snipet of Annabell and Jack talking recently. I'm still not sure about what all they're talking about, but Anna really wants to get someone, or someone's out of bottineau. It doesn't sound like Jack is *against* it so much as he's against going up against an armed militia who's been in control of an area for almost as long as he's been up here.

I see his point... but I hope we do something. Bottineau is bad news. I'm not really sure what we *could* do about it, but I think we should do something. We've got to go into Bottineau soon too - once the road gets a little better we'll hitch up one of the horses and go. But that might not be until May.