Friday Surprise!

There was a tiny scheduling mix-up on Friday, but what a pleasant surprise it was! Grandpa R drove up to help us with a special project for Mister J. We needed to till up some space for a garden. You might remember how much Mister J enjoys planting things and watching them grow.
There used to be a wood-bordered bed here that contained an overgrown rosemary bush when we moved in. Grandpa R and Big J removed the rosemary, the wood border, and various rocks and other trash, then expanded the bed a couple more feet to approximately 36 square feet.
They were assisted by Mister J and Miss M, who got a wide berth while they wielded their garden tools of choice. The small rake seemed to be the most popular with the kids, so we had to enforce a strict sharing policy.
(Now you see why she needed her hair pulled back! Admittedly, a bit fancy for gardening....)
We learned about earthworms today! Mister J's look is a little bit "ick, I'm holding and earthworm" and a little bit squinty from the glare of the overcast day. We had an interesting discussion about the good things that earthworms do for the soil. I'm not sure if he's more excited or less excited about those worms now....

Mister J is very excited about picking out what we'll plant, and has a few ideas of his own (watermelon, orange tree, and other ambitious selections). I'll add more photos as we plant the garden, as it grows, and when we achieve our first "harvest."