The Rock Salad Garden

With the fabulous weather we've been having, 

Big E and I have been spending spare time doing things in the yard.

The latest task we tackled was cleaning up 

a garden area on the side of the garage.

It's been neglected for a while now,

and I think it is a good spot for a new garden 

for lettuces and kale.

It'll save on the grocery bill for tortoise food.

Not only was it full of weeds and nasty Bermuda grass, 

it also had 5 invasive tree species growing in it.

Apparently, this used to be a rock garden.

Or cement garden.

This is one of 2 piles of cement block that was dug up

and hauled out of the garden.

Once section actually had large pieces of flagstone in it

and resembled a chicken.

Big E wouldn't let me keep it.

 In the end, we got it all dug out, 

and it looks great. 

Again, hard to imagine that there was so much cement

in such a small area.

Not sure if I'm going to make a raised bed, 

or just use it as is.

Either way, I'm glad the area looks better, 

and I'm anxious to get the salad growing

for me and the tortoise.

(Though now we have to clean up the piles of crap we took out of it)

Welcome Igor

This is Igor, a Russian Tortoise and a new addition to my little menagerie I like to refer to as The Zoo.  He doesn't live on the farm with the chickens, of course.  Currently, he's living in our Cub Scout Pack's Scout Room where the scouts are observing him for one of their awards. Once they are done with their observations, Igor comes and lives with me at our place.  The hubby is thrilled.  The son is thrilled.
I have discovered that Russian Tortoises are very entertaining and smart.  Prior to going to live in the scout room, Igor lived in my son's room where he (Igor) enjoyed watching TV. The minute my son turned it on, Igor would make his way down to that end of the terrarium and stand there watching.  He also recognized my voice, and when he would hear me enter the room, he would come to the side of the terrarium, climb on his log and stretch his neck out for a scratch.  He's not cuddly like a dog, but he's pretty cool just the same.