What You Should Be Doing Right Now: April

I am just finishing up the script for the march episode, which means it is time to start looking forward to April. What tasks do you like doing in April and why?

 

April will be the month I put brand new spark plugs in the saws and the splitters, the old ones get cleaned so I can use them for spares.

I also make sure that all the chains are sharp so I'm ready to start cutting or milling.

 

Gardening, observing birds, eating parsnips, getting the house aired, cleaning the yard, enjoying the trilliums, dogtooth violets, spring beauty, wild garlic, claytonia, bloodroot...the list goes on. My woods are blanketed in flowers from thaw til full leaf out.

Hearing the barred owls mating. Amazing an very varied calls...barking, meowing , hooting.

The loons. Oh, the loons. The haunting loons. Nothing else is as hauntingly enjoyable as the call of the loon.

Apple trees in blossom (and the other fruit trees, but mostly apples).

Getting my stacks looking a little healthier.

 

I have to haul lots of small stacks of firewood out of the woods. When there is snow on the ground I cut, split, and stack firewood out in the woods because it is a pain to move it. When the snow melts and the ground stops being so muddy I'll take the wheelbarrow out and get my firewood.

I also plan to do the things Sherwood listed. Except for the parsnips.

 

Catch up on what I should have done in March????
Just too much OT at work this time of year outages and getting power plants ready for summer.
I tilled the garden Sunday to work in the fall mulch pile for a few weeks before getting ready to plant the first week of April - fired the stove up this afternoon 28 overnight....it was 76 when I got home yesterday

 

Split, split, split and stack. Cut more, cut more, cut more and did I already say split.

 

Wait for snow to melt and frost

 

Fill up the shed with next years' wood while its still relatively cool out.

Peas, potatoes & onions if i can't get them in during march.

 

Just get me to April and I'll do anything outside, stacking, gardening, shed building, house repairs, smoking cigars on the porch. Trout fishing! I usually overwinter spinach and lettuce in a covered bed but don't think they would have survived this one. Going to plant greens this weekend, some needed therapy. Actually, this winter I remodeled three storage closets, laundry room, my tools, and the garage. Lots of shelving, organizing, getting rid of crap really makes a difference. Used the heavy duty wire shelving which adds up in cost more than you think but works real well in the end. Just get me to April and at least a hint of a Tulip bud and then I can plan for the tomatoes, beans, and eggplant.