I love March. The seed catalog orders are arriving. The sun is actually warm in the afternoon. I’ve been working on prepping the raised beds, and building some new trellises for the beans, cukes, and cantaloupes. It was 62 degrees out there yestereday! I’m so sick of layered clothing I could spit. And yet, with all the promise of Spring, we’re still planning to get a snowshoeing date later this week. We can see the lights of the ski hill from our backyard, and they still call to us.
March is when baby chicks start showing up at the feed stores. I went to “chicken class” at one of the local stores this past Saturday morning. I told you about the Victory Garden classes we’re taking, and how full it was. Well, the chicken class was even bigger. By the time the class started it was standing room only in the stockroom of the feed store. They had around 50 or 60 folding chairs set out, all the wheeled chairs from their office, bales of pine bedding set out, and when they couldn’t get any more in the room (I counted 76 people) they turned away another 25 folks who couldn’t get in (they’re going to schedule another class later). I think this whole backyard garden and backyard chicken thing is going to be big this summer, in ways that it hasn’t in the past. Bing vegetable gardening, square foot gardening, and backyard chickens, and you’ll find a ton of great information from the hardcore folks who do it every year and always have. And of course, newbies join in every year as well. But this year, something is different.
When I sat down, the man next to me asked “how many head are you running in your herd?” Cracked me up. I told him two. He and his wife have 30, but they live on a small acreage and let their flock free-range. The experience range in the class was all over the board. And after the hour long class, the Q & A went another half hour or so. I understand that a large number of the pre-order for chicks at this store is already promised out to customers, and a lot more names went on the list Saturday morning. Chicks may be scarce this spring. The economy and the dark clouds on the horizon have more than the normal number of folks thinking about how they can produce some of their food from their own yards. Our paper had an article about backyard chickens last year, and my Sweetie’s cousin sent us an article last fall from the paper in her large Texas city. How is it in your town?
Another thing I like about March is all the shows coming up at the fairgrounds. This weekend it’s the Sportsman’s Show. I think I need to go to “Mule Deer College”, and I’ll see if they have an archery class as well. I wonder if there’s a turkey hunting class too? Hmmm… I’d better get there early Saturday.
The week after that it’s the biggest indoor car show of the year, the Boise Roadster Show. We never miss it. By the way, it’s been fun around town the last few days with this spate of “warm” weather we’ve been having. Nice toy cars are popping out like crocuses all over. Yesterday, to go with all the Vettes I saw, there was a gorgeous convertible GTO, a sweet first year convertible Malibu, and a very tasty ‘37 Ford driving around. I oughta dust off the ‘56 and see if it still runs, eh? Right. Put it on the list.
That same weekend is the St Paddy’s Day shoot that IAWCA puts on. That’s the first range day of the year and it’s a great way to clear the cobwebs if you haven’t already. What’s the old saying? “Happiness is a warm beltfed”… Let’s see, what’s in the safe that I haven’t shot all winter? (no, I don’t have a beltfed)
Then there’s the Home and Garden Show. Then the flea market. Then it’ll be April. Then the Semi-Auto Match, and the CMP matches start, and then the gun show. And I have to figure out how to get all the plantings done… whew. I love March.
Did I mention Girl Scout Cookies?