I've got spring on the brain. That mostly means I spend a lot of time daydreaming about spending time in the garden and somehow scoring my own deluxe greenhouse. Mike and I have been planning to turn our kitchen into a seedling factory in the next few weeks - and may experiment with using florescent lights to start seed as well. According to a number of marijuana and urban farming websites - there is no need to buy the expensive bulbs, just plain old florescent will work. Somehow I don't believe it. I'm also worried that if I set up a bunch of bulbs in my home, it will get raided by cops thinking I've started a marijuana farm. (You know how they look into houses using infrared technology from helicopters. Right? Or is that just a myth to scare marijuana growers?) Either way, how disappointed the vice squad would be to find tomato, cucumber, and lettuce plants.

I also would really like to start growing flowers from seed this year - marigolds for certain - but I have limited space and growing edible stuff is top priority. I'm going to give a real go at canning this year and we are going to double the size of our 13 by 13 garden. Yes, that would mean 26 by 26. Or roughly something like that. I hope this will mean the neighborhood varmints will have plenty to eat and still leave my family some to share.

I have not given up the idea of getting goats and chickens either. It's just that starting an urban farm takes a somewhat substantial capital investment, and getting appropriate housing set up for the animals is crucial - not only for their happiness, but to comply with city zoning codes and whatnot.

I have to say though - aside from a greenhouse - nothing would make me happier than a nice privacy fence. I don't really have anything against any of my neighbors - it's just that I'm surrounded by 5 of them, and last year I found out a 6th could see me in the backyard since they knew about my garden and rain barrels and I'd never met them before. Needless to say, that was a bit disconcerting. I don't know how comfortable I am with the whole corner of my neighborhood seeing me and Mike build PVC obstacle courses for our dog either.

I cannot wait for winter to end. That will mean I'm no longer a prisoner to this Michigan winter and I can start riding my bike places again. Although I'm a bit scared of bike riding pregnant. I'm sure it's one of those things that is totally safe - or just as safe as driving a car as long as you are not stupid about it, but being pregnant brings up balance issues. I already have nightmares about falling down the stairs (since it has happened twice in this house already) and I don't know if I want to add bike spills to the list.