"The day started out cool and grey - again - with a steady light rain that topped off the ponds and would soak you through if you lingered too long on outside tasks. It would be easy to be glum - if it weren't for a certain troop of extremely happy duckies who came barreling out of the coop at lightning speed, careening around the yard to see who could grab the most worms before they darted back into their underground tunnels. Whenever rainy days dampen my spirits, the duck patrol perks them back up."

I love our runner ducks and Khaki Campbell ducks. The runners have been living up to their name this week, roving all over the 10 acres where they're allowed, and sneaking into the neighbor's property - where they are not allowed.

It's not that the ducks would damage anything in the areas where they're wandered, as one is a hay field and the other is hunting property, but it's not safe for the duckies. One direction is too close to the road, which is a hazard, and the other is wooded (and we know there are predators in the woods).

You'd think that with three different ponds, they'd be content, but runner ducks like to run, especially in spring. Until their wanderlust cools down a bit, we get to check on them more regularly and make sure they don't go too far. (Which is one way to get some more steps into our day.)

I finally spotted some rhubarb and asparagus poking up. Not very far, but it's up. I think I'm going to plant some more rhubarb on the southwest corner of the new workshop, which is a little higher ground and should be warmer than our current patch. The rhubarb pudding cake recipe is still popular on the site, so I know some folks are already enjoying their patches.

I've been working on our in depth guide to eliminating garden pests, with tips to identify the pests (and their damage), companion plants, barriers, sprays, dusts, fertilizers and foliar feeds to make plants more resistant to those specific pests and reduce the pest population. Those should be ready in a couple of weeks. I also submitted another chapter for the preparedness-homesteading book. (I think I can, I think I can...)

We also had someone come over and help us graft material from our neighbor's 70+ year old Bartlett pear tree onto a volunteer Bradford pear that showed up in our orchard. Hopefully the grafts will catch, and we can preserve some of that wonderful old tree for generations to come.

I saw a video this week with an older gal celebrating her 100th birthday by planking for 3 minutes. Talk about inspiring! I have a tough time doing a full minute. It was another good reminder that if you keep moving and keep challenging yourself, you can improve your quality of life.

My challenges for you this week - try some planking, if you can, and get outside more. Make time to listen to some of your favorite music, and talk to a friend. In a world where gloom and doom makes headlines, and people are sadder and more isolated, keeping fit, being happy, and reaching out are some of the best medicines we can give ourselves.

Helping you create resilience and abundance,

Laurie (and August Iv, August V, and Duncan)

This week's featured articles...

If I only had to choose one home remedy, honey would definitely be in the running. It lasts almost forever, is handy in the kitchen, and can help treat everything from dry skin to burns to bee stings. This week we're sharing 12 uses for honey that everyone should know.

Garlic is another item that useful for much more than food. This article shares 6 ways to use garlic in your garden - from treating fungus to pest control.

It's neighborhood rummage sale time again in our area, which means watching for deals on items that could work like new with some TLC. We had some great finds over the years, from garden tools to kitchen gear.

​This article will help you restore cast iron cookware that's in rough shape, and this one one will help you season pieces that just need a little care to get them ready for camping season.

Preparedness pick for this week - emergency wound closure strips. Duncan managed to skewer himself with his bypass pruners this week, and we found out that we didn't have quite the right size of strips on hand, so we're ordering the mixed size pack. (He's fine and it's healing nicely.)