CHICKEN COOPS, POTATO TOWERS AND CARROT BOXES

May 3, 2026May 2, 2026 / joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

Aside from the burning and the fence building and the lawn mowing I am trying to get too, we have three projects which are time sensitive at the Vicarage and at least one of them is going to have to be a group project.

This is a rendering our new chicken run for the flock once the black austrolorps are ready to be out in the world. It stand about 7 feet tall so it is going to take a couple of us to get the roof up.

I am also thinking of repurposing the original chicken house we had for the old chickens the first year and then adding another small box to the mix.

BUT before that I have to plant the carrots in their boxes and get the potato towers built.

DO YOU HAVE A SPRING PROJECT YOU ARE WORKING ON?

WE MAKE A GOOD TEAM!

April 23, 2026April 23, 2026 / joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

Those of you who have been following along know that as Spring breaks around us in all of its glory, here in New England, the projects are beginning. One of the many projects at the Vicarage is burning up a rather large pile of brush. Actually it is more like four large piles that are connected across the yard into one immense pile.

Anyway my son-in-law, James and I have been whittling away at it for the last couple of weeks. Neither of us ever has a full day we can give to cutting or burning. We each have an hour here or an hour there, so we do what we can when we can.

Yesterday, James was able to spend about an hour cutting up the brush into smaller piles so I could get at it and unburying some of these larger logs for burning.

And this morning I was able to take about an hour and a half and burn up some of the wood that he dug out.

We make a good team!

THE FIRST DAFFODILS OF SPRING 2026

April 16, 2026April 16, 2026 / joseph elon lillie / 6 Comments

It’s officially Spring. This week has been up in the 70’s and even into the 80’s and that has caused everything to begin popping up.

The daffodils along the side of my sister’s driveway in the front garden are up.

The day lilies and even a few irises have started poking their heads through in the front garden, too.

the day lilies and the garlic are both pushing through in the circle garden by my driveway.

All that said our spate of good weather is almost over. By Saturday we are plunging back into the 30’s and 40’s and there is even a possibility of snow overnight, on Sunday, as the temperatures will once again plunge beneath freezing.

SPRING IN NEW ENGLAND!

WHAT’S THE WEATHER LIKE WHERE YOU LIVE?

PROJECT BURN IT UP

April 9, 2026 / joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

Last week I posted about trying to burn brush in the rain and how frustrating that was.

This week, the weather has turned and I have been able to burn two days this week so far.

The three piles I have to burn will probably take me most of the summer to burn, but at least I have gotten a start

Spring cleaning has begun!

BURNING THE RAIN

April 4, 2026 / joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

This week’s project at the Vicarage is burning brush.

Photo by Tanha Tamanna Syed on Pexels.com

Unfortunately the weather has been so rainy all week, getting a fire going has been very difficult and the acrid smoke from last year’s weeds makes my clothes smell soooo bad.

Still it is the beginning of a whole host of other projects. So I will soldier on through the smoke!

PLANNING THE SPRING CLEANING

March 23, 2026 / joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

LATE WINTER PROJECTS AT THE VICARAGE 2026

March 5, 2026March 5, 2026 / joseph elon lillie / 2 Comments

There is no doubt that the end of winter is near. The air has become increasingly unstable. Our temperatures are fluctuating between 3 degrees Fahrenheit and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Our New England atmosphere is full of small snowstorms that finish as bothersome ice storms making the shoveling this time of year rather nasty.

We have had two days of shoveling this week and I am thinking that by tomorrow morning we will have another five to seven inches of snow to shovel from the drive.

This is the time of year when I am itching to get out into the garden and yet all I can manage is to stay somewhat even with the everyday chores: Walking the dogs, feeding the chickens, mucking the chicken runs and coops, feeding the wild birds and wild rabbits.

This is the time of year when winter stores are running out for the forest critters and so bird seed and scraps for the bunnies and squirrels become essential for life.

Even our Cooper’s hawk is seeming a bit more desperate these days.

Still we all know Spring is just around the corner and the outside jobs will soon want doing. I am looking forward to the earth thawing out and getting my hands into garden soil again.

WHAT ABOUT SPRING MAKES EXCITES YOU?

THE BLIZZARD OF 2026

February 23, 2026 / joseph elon lillie / 1 Comment

The snow came again this morning. It wasn’t the biggest storm of the year, but I think it dumped the most snow in the shortest amount of time.

PREPARING FOR SPRING

February 11, 2026 / joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

It’s mid February. I am just getting ready to make cookies for the Library Valentine’s cookie sale. Winter is still releasing its fury over our part of the world, but we are all mindful that its power is coming to an end. Spring is around the corner.

So it’s time to start planning the Spring garden work.

I usually make great plans, but I am not very good about intentionally carrying them out. This year it will be all about the execution. Things are going to begin to shift here at The Vicarage as we come into the Spring.

ARE YOU IN PLANNING FOR THE SPRING AND SUMMER…OR…MAYBE WHERE YOU ARE YOUR PLANNING FOR THE FALL OR WINTER?