Lilacs are Blooming; Fun Laundry Soap Making Class and Look Who's Coming To Tour The Farm

Finally, rain, rain and some more rain.  Can't complain although there is so much to be done in the gardens. But ohhh, the lilacs are blooming, so is the lavender and purple iris.  I see the snowball bushes are starting to turn yellow so soon those big white snow balls will be showing off in the yard.  Spring is such a magical time.

We had our Bring In the Spring-Learn To Make Your Own Laundry Soap Class and; Make a Gardener's Hand Scrub and Scented Hand Soap using all natural products-Oh and save money too!!!  It was a great class, I know I had lots of fun.  My friend Jackie makes her own Laundry Soap using dry ingredients, I make my soap using a liquid laundry soap.  So we demonstrated both ways to the class, gave them the recipes and they all got to take home some of the finished products to try out themselves.

The Gardener's Hand Scrub is great to make, works wonderful and it makes up nicely in pretty jars and a ribbon as gifts.  Check out the Internet, Pinterest for recipes or if interested, contact me and I will be glad to email you my recipes.  I don't know if anyone in the class noticed, but I put a red checked tablecloth over my big kitchen island and used a laundry basket to hold supplies AND had a jar of clothespins to create the theme of the class. Nothing like having a theme!

The farm will be having visitors to tour it on April 3rd.  A wonderful Northern California Airstream Travel Trailer group will be staying at our local Gridley Fairgrounds and asked to see a small local farm.  We were contacted and asked if interested.  As the date gets closer I am getting a little nervous to have around 40 people come as really not the best time of year to see our vegetable gardens.  But at least I can explain to them what it is like running a Community Supportive Agriculture farm; using careful and sustainable practices; show them our hedgerow in the back which allows natural habitat for wildlife; show them our owl and bird boxes that encourages rodent and insect control; show them our chickens and new chicks.  We are having our neighbor bring over their goats to eat down some of the front ivy and weeds so maybe they will find that interesting.  Our neighbors have a very creative son named Jessie, who has been interested in blacksmithing and forging for years.  He and Frank have spent many hours working on building a forge and Frank gives him scraps of iron from around our place.  Jessie in turn brings to us a completed iron items every now and again, he has made out of the scraps.  Jessie is going to set up his forge and demonstrate it and I am hoping some men will find that an interesting long, lost skill. 

I will show some photos and let you know how it all goes after next week.  Bye the way, our local fairgrounds have a beautiful area in the back part of it that has full trailer hookups.  It is located under very large trees, all grass and clean area a great spot to come visit and stay.  Close to restaurants and downtown Gridley, yet a bit out in the country and a very reasonable price.

Here at Windmill Farm hope your yards are bursting with spring flowers.