Hey y’all, it’s Megan. In this one we’re soaking up a rare, pretty late-winter evening—no snow on the ground, and the mud’s finally trying to dry up. Andy and I get after some chores we should’ve done back in the fall: cleaning out the raised beds, hauling off the dead pepper plants, and pulling out some worn-out greens for the chickens. It ain’t glamorous, but it sure does feel good to check things off and get the place ready for spring planting. After that we move on to fruit trees—peaches, pears, apples, and even a big fig out front. Andy prunes a little different than some folks, because he likes to “let the tree be a tree.” We’re opening up canopies for airflow, taking out cross branches and broken limbs, and trying to keep limbs from getting overloaded and breaking when the fruit sets heavy. I’m getting pretty anxious for these younger trees to start producing like they ought to, but we’re also watching the weather close—warm spells can push buds too early, and frost will steal your harvest quick. We end the day with a real-life supper: a simple pork loin in cast iron, plus cream corn, black-eyed peas, and leftover sweet potato biscuits—because most nights, we’re just making do.