Bring the Spring! (Austin)

I really like winter. A beautiful snow fall, great time with family for Christmas, snuggling up next to a fire, and now having gotten engaged to a wonderful lady in the midst of falling snow really endears the season to my heart :)
But I am so glad this winter is finally leaving. I've developed quite a cabin fever since I'm off school this semester and it's been far too cold to enjoy normal winter activities at length. So I had lots of time to begin planning the homestead's agenda for Spring, and I am very excited that now is the time to begin preparing for the pending projects.
Firstly, I'll pitch the idea of a worm hive. I came across this vermicompost receptacle concept just a few days ago and I very much like it more than the plastic tote that started this whole homesteading adventure (If you missed that story, click here: We Started with Worms). Here is the basic concept explained for you better than I could:

 

Next, I'm working on gathering materials to build a mobile rabbit trailer. If that term doesn't make sense to you, think of it like a series of caged enclosures with wheels and a shelter to hide so the rabbits are safe from predators and can graze naturally just as the Creator made rabbits to do, all without being able to dig their way out and escape. Here is my preliminary sketch:

Please try to see past my lack of artistic skill and flawed dimensions. This is not the final blueprint. Now imagine several of these connected side-by-side to make a two-level rectangular facility. If you still can't picture it, hopefully it'll come out looking like I picture it in my head (which is always a toss-up).

Additionally, Lauren just made a nice post detailing plans for this year's garden (read all about it in Partaking in Seedy Behavior) so I won't double-tap that dead horse here.
Wow. I think I just mixed up redundant metaphors right there, but it seems very fitting for what I was trying to say so I'm gonna stick with it. I'll have to remember that one....
I digress. These are the main three homesteading items we're immediately looking forward to plus one more:

Georgia and Jane are probably very pregnant! Within a 24 hour period this week, Fabio had successfully paired thrice with Georgia (three pairings has been the case for both of her previous kindlings) before mating with Jane. Remember how frustrated Lauren and I were last summer and fall when Georgia would easily breed with Fabio and Jane wanted none of it? Not so this week! Jane gave Fabio FIVE good pairings within a 20 minute time span. So we're very much looking forward to early April when both girls will be due to kindle. Appa has shown no sexual interest in Fabio at this point but she loves to socialize with him. I think she just condemned him to the friend-zone.
Anyway, I think I've given you enough to read and enthuse about until our next update. Until then, may God bless you and keep you well as you go about your weekend and prepare for the joys of Spring!

Austin