Weather woes, project delays

Spring in Vermont is full of unpredictable weather.  In 2010, it snowed on Mother’s Day, almost 10 inches.  In 2007 it snowed on Easter and in 2006 it was over 60 degrees they day after Valentines Day.  17 of the first 22 days in April have had temperatures below normal and 14 of the first 22 have had precipitation.  It has put a damper on the spring projects around here.  I have managed to get seeds started and while slow to sprout with the below normal temperatures, they are finally poking through – definitely need to include some supplemental heat in the plans for expansion later this summer or next spring.

Several of my projects include repair and painting.  My grandparents had two beautiful wood and iron benches.  I don’t know the story behind them, but they are heavy, solid (save for a couple of missing bolts) and both of them unique in the ornate details.  One has been in the garage since before we moved in, in 2006.  As we were cleaning out a spot for the chicken brooder (which I still haven’t started) I decided that I would start with this one.  I started out gung-ho in the latter days of March as temperatures finally rose to the mid-forties; removed all the wood from the iron frame, sanded it all down and applied the first coat of stain.  I have tried once since then to apply polyurethane to the wood portions of the bench only to have it bubble and then dry unevenly.  This project remains in the garage waiting for two or three days of forecasted good weather.

Another project DH has tried to complete remains in pieces.  This is a garden cart we picked up as part of a package deal, final cost of about ten dollars.  It needs some support, some metal patching, a new tire, a good sanding and some fresh paint.  This may seem like a lot of work, but it is a very useful tool.  New tires were ordered, which didn’t fit.  The search is on for a piece of pipe to replace the current axle so that the new tires will fit.  If we are not successful this week, the tires will be returned and new tires purchased from a store a mere 50 miles away.  Weather has also hampered DH’s work on the cart as paint and epoxy sealer do not dry on wet rainy days.

We did purchase an incubator and added the eggs on Wednesday.  Now I have to get the chicken brooder done otherwise I will have no place to put baby chickens in eighteen days.  The chickens are scheduled to arrive at about the same time as this year’s Christmas tree transplants.  Weather permitting, we might have the old pasture prepared in time.