March didn't exactly go out like a lamb, here.  Well, it wasn't windy on the last day, so if that's out like a lamb, then maybe I'm wrong.  Don't think so, though.    Today was windy, and on the weekend, we had horrible winds, very harsh.  Yesterday's break allowed us to complete a task that gets us a step closer to a green house.  DH had dug a footing the previous week, and last night the concrete was poured and a layer of block layed.  We're looking at a good sized green house taking up my former tomato and pepper area.  Recently, we measured a bit, and calculated an approximation of 5,000 square feet of garden space.  Approximately.  The Green house area is perhaps 20 X 20, give or take.  Hubby measured, and I'm sure he told me, but I didn't retain.  I'm good at math, but not at remembering random numbers. 


 Tuesday morning, of course, reminded me why we don't need to plant yet.  31 degrees when DH left for work.  I spoke with a worker at Home Depot this afternoon, who said she lost the couple of tomato plants she had planted because of the drop in temperature.  Even in Vegas, the date for last frost is mid-April.  And I'm reminded that my late planting last year, first week of June, did not keep me from having a fantastic garden! 


In other ranchy matters, I believe my 4 young ducklings are beginning to lay, as we have had some small duck eggs this week.  Actually, probably 3 are hens, one seems to be a male mallard.  He has a defective beak, but he survived, so far so good.  These are the younguns we hatched last fall after the geese killed our male mallard. 


I'm rather disappointed that I am not getting any dark chocolate colored eggs.  DS is certain that all the remaining youngsters are roos, which is very frustrating.  I was looking forward to the pretty eggs, really.  As for my cute little araucanas, we set a hatch of eggs Monday.  42 cute little blue eggs, due to hatch around the 19th.  Hoping that turns out well. 


Baseball season is in full swing, and ds is hoping to get to play catcher.  He finished the first game, playing 3 of 5 innings.  However, there are 3 catchers on the team, so he's going to have to work hard.  The catcher for the high school baseball team (and his father, who is a great coach) have been helping our lad, but he's gonna have to earn the right to play the position.  His sisters love helping him train, throwing balls for him to block, and having him do crunches when he misses.  They are far harsher taskmasters than I. 


Desert wildlife is interesting, and the bunny population seems to be up.  The salt cedar are leafing out, and blooms will not be far behind.  Haven't seen any coyotes lately, but with all the bunnies around, I suspect they'll be around as well.  The kids are antsy for the weather to get to swimming temperatures, and have been trying to get the dirt from all these windstorms out of the pool. 

That's life on the ranch these days, as the temperatures and air currents fluctuate, and likewise, temperaments of toddlers and teens.  Summer can wait, but I wouldn't mind the low 80's at all.  The dust, I do mind, but I'll deal with it for the sake of a beautiful mountain view.  Even now, I can type and look through my front window, watching the changing colors of sunset upon the range just East of us.  From the back, a different view, entirely.  God's creation is amazing.

Blessings!