![Small garden plan crop 2024.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/goldenoakfarm/23uRG5Hqgej3uiEBEDEv5BcdDAwo661qrCEVyN1YVYFr5c8XXLhkeVd9s2NZ8B3tq9Jdz.jpg)

Small garden plan:
https://gardenplanner.motherearthnews.com/garden-plans/1720120

On Thursday, I cleaned up the kitchen and got chores done, including keeping the fire going in the office. It was VERY windy and cold.

![New Herb garden plan crop 2024.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/goldenoakfarm/23wCNq1S2ya2rZbyLTHTm4ijvRGR8Ntd1o3pjoLKgtzARECEYSLGU6sximEkppdB2Qhvp.jpg)

New Herb Garden plan:
https://gardenplanner.motherearthnews.com/garden-plans/1752987

Then I sat down and updated the 2023 Small garden plan and created this year’s edition. Next was the New Herb garden for last year and then this year’s plan. I finished around noontime.

![Cold windy day crop March 2024.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/goldenoakfarm/EnoJn5ttsg6yUoxdeUueht59jmEGJgcYyZwHdPPaBoo8YVekJejjEmDVoHMVDH84U8Q.jpg)

Mostly clear and sunny, but that wind!

![Magnolia, crabapple, McIntosh crop March 2024.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/goldenoakfarm/EpzxixYrqofRXM4YBteUqwJ17JdBEsoMBCtxX2hRdMcv4hwVVDVTddtHDS7KvAVF9Ko.jpg)

*L – r: magnolia, crabapple, McIntosh trees*

Everything is on hold in this cold.

![Fence gardens - daf buds crop March 2024.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/goldenoakfarm/23vi1YoC1H6iu9xrxgzrx9ppSSL1Jf7hvqSkTty6JfwtzNk7RgvijsqsoFEb4wqAknCUt.jpg)

*First Fence garden: wishing and hoping…*

These fence gardens haven’t been touched since 2019. I’m hoping to get to them this spring before we start the vegetable gardens.

![Chicken stock - nearly done crop March 2024.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/goldenoakfarm/EpJZW2XRAn387UMxpT9JxLj8Hd52cWXSfHCBLfeCL91nMVQ19zpdzshE7n742kxP6gh.jpg)

The chicken stock was done and needed to cool down. It was a perfect day for that!

![Dining room window full crop March 2024.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/goldenoakfarm/EoiUGCzeVxEuCjzgxMHFTFGzhSDARzxe7Q1YeqNZsoxmWuTWxfJ41iYawuoqCNXgqCV.jpg)

But before I could shut the door and open the windows on the back porch, I had to move all the seedlings out. So the dining room window temporarily filled up.

Once I had that done I sat down for a few hours for a change. I had an event in the evening.

![43186586A.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/goldenoakfarm/23tvwCm85aqzT2guiF8ufhCkruwRTFNFqRvfhWQ764jmoDdoM6iaY7AobqvtSdU177tga.jpg)

*[source]( https://www.gazettenet.com/Speaker-at-Hatfield-Historical-Society-to-talk-about-indentured-servant-children-in-town-s-past-54429688)*

I prepared asparagus for our supper. I prefer mine steamed, my brother likes his grilled. Then I heated up the leftover chicken dinner and ate early at 5PM. I was picked up at 5:45PM.

It was an interesting lecture on the 10 children that were indentured to families from 1740’s to the 1840’s in Hatfield. Eight of the children came from the almshouse on the Boston Common. And only 2 of them left a trace after arriving in Hatfield.

One was Thomas Banks. He was a “character” and was mentioned in the 1910 History of Hatfield and again in a later history. His nephew Nathaniel eventually became Governor of Massachusetts, elevating the family to the level of those who had held the indenture contracts in Hatfield. These were mostly the wealthy or politically important.

Thomas eventually became a landowner in the poorest section of town but had not enough wealth to be able to vote.

We were home again by 7:30PM, both ready to stay in our warm houses for the night.

On Friday I have exercise class, stay for the Senior lunch and then watch a TED talk on Laughter. My general helper will be here at 8AM and we will be packaging up the bone stock for the freezer before I leave for class. She will do odd jobs while I am gone.