I need to sprinkle.

(Note: not another reference to my day-glo urine)

So, now that we've lived in this house for 5 1/2 years (years that have FLOWN, by the way) and I've had ample opportunity to "remodel" the yard and gardens, I'm finally ready to commit to some automatic irrigation. Because of my back, my energy level, my general love for putting my feet up, and the fact that, you know, summer is hot, I've decided to hang up the hoses and get some quotes for a sprinkler system and drip irrigation. So far I've talked to two contractors with wildly varying ideas of how it should be done and, most likely, how much it should cost.

I'm a little nauseous thinking about how much of a mess everything will be while they pull pipe and install heads and run their equipment all over the place but the idea of reliable irrigation that works even when I don't want to is well worth the sacrifice. Sadly, all of this planning and estimating (and eventual digging up of at least one corner of every vegetable bed) is holding up my planting schedule which is making me nervous for my peas and potatoes. Small sacrifices, I say!

I need to clear out the new garden bed on the east side of the house and take last year's garden refuse to the sheep for a snack but it's so insanely windy here today that I'm afraid I might end up airborne!

In addition to the alpacas across the street (weird pictures to come), our neighbor's 20-something basement dwelling son has decided he needs to start a petting zoo. I'm a little confused by this next twist in his career path but I'm all for it now that I've met his adorable goat, Buster, and his massive rabbit (don't know the name yet). There are rumors of a mini-horse floating around amongst the kids... dare to dream, little pumpkins!

The house is a god-awful mess but I just can't face the task today so I'll be working, blog-reading, and yard-tending as much as possible. How 'bout you?