RITES OF SPRING

Yesterday the men finally got to pruning the orchard. It's more than a little late for this but we hope the apples, peaches, pears, plums and apricots will be OK. The blueberry bushes look fine and the monthly fertilizing will begin as soon as it warms up a bit.

Meanwhile, Sr. Mary Catharine and Sr. Greta are busy preparing the area to plant our new vineyard where we used to grow raspberries.

Everyday there are new buds on the trees, bushes and flowers! Two years ago one of the sisters planted 2 pussy willow sticks and now they are big bushes nearly 10 feet tall. One sister remarked, "I guess in the monastery it DOES pay to plant dead sticks!"

Soon we will be tilling the gardens. All winter the sister gardeners have been planning their gardens and recently have had their eyes on prime spots in the greenhouse to start their seedlings.