Today at the cattle sale, we found triplets! Born around April 1, these three are the CUTEST babies!! Billy and Nellie are a beautiful off-white/caramel color, and Josie is sandy brown with white and black markings and black "boots."
We put them in the goat fence with Spencer, Mary, Freddie, Carly and Sam and Delilah the dog. They are learning their way around and browsing on anything they can find.
We got a late start today, and I only bought cucumbers and tomatoes, and the goats of course. It is cooler outside today than it was last week, but we dressed smarter, too. Hair up in a ponytail, sleeveless t-shirt and shorts, and flip-flops. MUCH better.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Chicken count for today:
OK let's recap:
13 almost laying hens that are about 20 weeks old now and look full-grown 6 Americaunas, 7 Black Buff Orpingtons.
10 mixed (pullets [females] and cockerels [males] - looks like 3 guys and 7 girls) baby chicks about 5 weeks old, 6 are Japanese black bantams (2 guys, 4 gals), 2 are Americaunas, and 2 ????
103 four-week-old pullets, 52 are Rhode Island Reds, and 51 are Americaunas
12 golden buff orpington pullets - 10 days old
18 barred rock pullets - 5 days old
12 (more) golden buff orpington pullets - 5 days old
12 black australorp pullets - 5 days old
8 silver laced wyandotte pullets - 2-days old
8 New Hampshire pullets - 2 days old
and that total brings us to 196 chickens.
13 almost laying hens that are about 20 weeks old now and look full-grown 6 Americaunas, 7 Black Buff Orpingtons.
10 mixed (pullets [females] and cockerels [males] - looks like 3 guys and 7 girls) baby chicks about 5 weeks old, 6 are Japanese black bantams (2 guys, 4 gals), 2 are Americaunas, and 2 ????
103 four-week-old pullets, 52 are Rhode Island Reds, and 51 are Americaunas
12 golden buff orpington pullets - 10 days old
18 barred rock pullets - 5 days old
12 (more) golden buff orpington pullets - 5 days old
12 black australorp pullets - 5 days old
8 silver laced wyandotte pullets - 2-days old
8 New Hampshire pullets - 2 days old
and that total brings us to 196 chickens.
Yesterday at the Cattle Sale
The plan was: wake at 6:30am, eat something quick, feed animals, leave for cattle sale at 7:30 with all 4 kids in tow.
Yeah. That could happen.
At 8:30, we are all in the car waiting for Daddy to finish with the quails. We arrived at the Cattle Sale at 8:40, and it was already HOT out there. It was the first time for the kids to go there in about a year, and they were all excited to see baby ducks and rabbits.
I didn't really NEED anything, but I had $20 cash and high hopes as we started out. The first booth I came to had a boy selling big peach baskets full of yellow squash for $5. The boy was about Noah's age and I wanted to encourage the boy in the booth for working so hard, and I wanted Noah to start thinking of ways to work and earn money. I told him I would be back and I'd buy a basket of his squash.
Next booth, there was a lady with 9 clean quart-size mason jars for canning - 20 cents each. YAY! Bought those and asked her to hang on to them till I came back.
We saw baby ducks for $1.50 each. CUTE little yellow fuzzballs with little yellow bills, but I wasn't ready to buy because I had questions about how ducks deal with gardens and what space and water they need.
Found another box of mason jars, this time 9 qt jars and 4 jelly jars for $3. Bought 'em, asked them to hold 'em. Moved on.
We were DYING of absolute heat drain and were dragging our tails up and down the rows of vendors of all varieties of junque when I spied the MOTHERLOAD. At the end of a table, a guy had several nice looking pieces of very tarnished silver. Jessica walks up and loudly says, "Hey, Mom, is that silver???" I said, "SHHHHHHZZZZZZ!" in one of those yelling whispers you do to your kids. I looked at the footed silver bowl with lid, the silver teapot, the silver coffee pot with warmer stand, the creamer and the sugar bowl all matching except the first bowl. I casually walked the rest of his table where Noah found an unopened ship model still in the box and Monty found me an unopened Soap-Making Kit with a book of recipes and instructions and supplies. I took those 2 items and asked the guy what he'd take for those silver pieces and those, and he said, "Let's see, that's 1 and 1, and 3 and 5, and 3, and 2 that's $15. I handed him $15 and he handed me an empty box to put it all in. What a HAUL!!!!! I didn't care it is was silver plate or what, it was BEAUTIFUL and would look so pretty at Thanksgiving and Christmas! Or, I could eBay it and see what happens. YAY!
I went to the veggie vendors and bought 2 big ol' baskets of yellow squash (each filling a plastic WalMart sack to weight capacity) knowing I was going to make squash pickles, 5 BIG onions, a small basket of jalapenos, 2 seedless watermelons, a bucket of blueberries, a basket of peaches, 5 humongous rutabegas, and 2 clusters of garlics. WOW!!! We picked up our mason jars and bought ice cold drinks for everyone. We had to get OUT of that heat and rush home to unload our booty and change into dry clothes to continue our day.
Today, my dear friend Rachel responded to my desperate plea for veggies of color that she might have on hand because I forgot that my squash pickles were pretty because of the beet stalks and baby carrots (which I didn't BUY at the cattle sale). She told me to come on over and she'd load me up. She had baby beets (complete with stalks and greens - I've got PLANS for those!!), weird purple carrots with orange insides - only a couple, yellow with green-marbled patty pan squash, and 2 humongous cabbages (not for the pickles, just for fun) and non-veggies including 5 big mangos, cherries, and blueberries!!
The plan: invent a recipe for peach salsa with jalapeno peppers and onions. Market it as a local delicacy. Write down the recipe for these fabulous squash pickles that also have beets, carrots, zukes, onions, and maybe green beans this time. Get ALL those blackberries we picked made into jam before they go bad. Pit and enjoy those cherries - maybe with some homemade yogurt. It's 5:30, though, and I'm still keister-sitting and typing on this blog. I gotta get BUSY!!!!! Later.
Yeah. That could happen.
At 8:30, we are all in the car waiting for Daddy to finish with the quails. We arrived at the Cattle Sale at 8:40, and it was already HOT out there. It was the first time for the kids to go there in about a year, and they were all excited to see baby ducks and rabbits.
I didn't really NEED anything, but I had $20 cash and high hopes as we started out. The first booth I came to had a boy selling big peach baskets full of yellow squash for $5. The boy was about Noah's age and I wanted to encourage the boy in the booth for working so hard, and I wanted Noah to start thinking of ways to work and earn money. I told him I would be back and I'd buy a basket of his squash.
Next booth, there was a lady with 9 clean quart-size mason jars for canning - 20 cents each. YAY! Bought those and asked her to hang on to them till I came back.
We saw baby ducks for $1.50 each. CUTE little yellow fuzzballs with little yellow bills, but I wasn't ready to buy because I had questions about how ducks deal with gardens and what space and water they need.
Found another box of mason jars, this time 9 qt jars and 4 jelly jars for $3. Bought 'em, asked them to hold 'em. Moved on.
We were DYING of absolute heat drain and were dragging our tails up and down the rows of vendors of all varieties of junque when I spied the MOTHERLOAD. At the end of a table, a guy had several nice looking pieces of very tarnished silver. Jessica walks up and loudly says, "Hey, Mom, is that silver???" I said, "SHHHHHHZZZZZZ!" in one of those yelling whispers you do to your kids. I looked at the footed silver bowl with lid, the silver teapot, the silver coffee pot with warmer stand, the creamer and the sugar bowl all matching except the first bowl. I casually walked the rest of his table where Noah found an unopened ship model still in the box and Monty found me an unopened Soap-Making Kit with a book of recipes and instructions and supplies. I took those 2 items and asked the guy what he'd take for those silver pieces and those, and he said, "Let's see, that's 1 and 1, and 3 and 5, and 3, and 2 that's $15. I handed him $15 and he handed me an empty box to put it all in. What a HAUL!!!!! I didn't care it is was silver plate or what, it was BEAUTIFUL and would look so pretty at Thanksgiving and Christmas! Or, I could eBay it and see what happens. YAY!
I went to the veggie vendors and bought 2 big ol' baskets of yellow squash (each filling a plastic WalMart sack to weight capacity) knowing I was going to make squash pickles, 5 BIG onions, a small basket of jalapenos, 2 seedless watermelons, a bucket of blueberries, a basket of peaches, 5 humongous rutabegas, and 2 clusters of garlics. WOW!!! We picked up our mason jars and bought ice cold drinks for everyone. We had to get OUT of that heat and rush home to unload our booty and change into dry clothes to continue our day.
Today, my dear friend Rachel responded to my desperate plea for veggies of color that she might have on hand because I forgot that my squash pickles were pretty because of the beet stalks and baby carrots (which I didn't BUY at the cattle sale). She told me to come on over and she'd load me up. She had baby beets (complete with stalks and greens - I've got PLANS for those!!), weird purple carrots with orange insides - only a couple, yellow with green-marbled patty pan squash, and 2 humongous cabbages (not for the pickles, just for fun) and non-veggies including 5 big mangos, cherries, and blueberries!!
The plan: invent a recipe for peach salsa with jalapeno peppers and onions. Market it as a local delicacy. Write down the recipe for these fabulous squash pickles that also have beets, carrots, zukes, onions, and maybe green beans this time. Get ALL those blackberries we picked made into jam before they go bad. Pit and enjoy those cherries - maybe with some homemade yogurt. It's 5:30, though, and I'm still keister-sitting and typing on this blog. I gotta get BUSY!!!!! Later.
*hiccup* . . . .
I jusss wennn in for some goat feed. I dinn ask for anything. *hiccup!*
8 silver lace wyandottes (spelling)
8 new hampshire
all pullets
I'm glad Monty was driving. *hiccup*
8 silver lace wyandottes (spelling)
8 new hampshire
all pullets
I'm glad Monty was driving. *hiccup*
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Stopping to smell the roses . . . .
Antique Roses Print by Danhui NaiYou know, as fast as this world runs, sometimes you have to slam your foot on the brakes and just take a moment to smell the air, listen to the birds. Close your eyes and inhale deeply and let it out really slowly, as if you have all day to do that kind of thing.
When we are running around and caught up in the doing, it's so difficult to really enjoy and appreciate each other. I'm enjoying my husband so much right now, I almost feel guilty! On the one hand, I know we deserve this incredible pocket of happiness after coming through those OH so long very lean years. On the other hand, I keep looking over my shoulder wondering if one or both of us is about to die or something, because it just isn't normal for people to actually like each other at this stage is it? (16 years of marriage this July)
The other day, we visited Mr. Hayes' goat dairy in Thorsby, and we all stood around chatting while he went about the business of milking his goats.It's really odd (for me) to be in a room with 2 men talking about (and using the word) "tits" and having no negative reaction at all. I was watching Monty as he learned more and more about the dairy operation and about the goats. I watched as he petted each goat as she entered her stall and started eating. He just glowed with excitement. I kept thinking as I watched, "Man, he's SO hot! Look how handsome he is!" That's been happening quite a bit lately with us, and it's SO great. It's like a gift.
A similar thing keeps happening with the children. I will catch myself looking at them, not as my children, but as little people. I'll think of them as their teachers might see them, or as friends of mine might see them on their first meeting. And I like them. I LIKE my children. I would like them if they weren't mine. I always tell Jessica, my oldest - 13, "It would be so cool just to be your friend, because I like you, but I'm your mom. I have to say no and I have to say the hard things." Then I'll catch a glimpse of her playing with her sisters by choice, and I just take one of those moments and close my eyes and breathe in deeply and let it out slowly and pray that the camera in my mind will keep that image.
Then I'll watch Noah outside with the baby goat he's bottle-feeding and with the puppy. I take a moment and think about how far this child has come with responsibility and with self-control and I'm just amazed. This is a busy, happy boy. Right now, I'm lying in bed typing and listening to him giggle at a Calvin and Hobbes book. That laughter is music to my ears.
Annie and Lizzy are like conjoined twins. Today, I was watching them. They each got their Nintendo DS games and both sat in one recliner, scrunched together, playing some game that they both have and discussing tricks and tips to "win" the game. They do everything together, and they are each others' best friend! These girls are the reason to have your children close together.
The one positive thing that has come from Dad's long illness and death, is that I think I know better how to live each day as if maybe I won't have another. All throughout each day when I'm faced with accomplishing something on a list vs. listening to my girls sing a song or show me a new piece of art, or my big kids wanting to show me something they've written or read, I'm doing better at choosing those things that MATTER, those things my children will remember over Mom having the laundry washed and folded at all times. I sat with my girls today and ate popsicles with them and laughed and tickled. I spent time with Jessica riding in the car and talking. Noah and I snuggled last night and chatted about the day.
Friends? Those are especially important these days. It's so important to have people who think enough of you to call you or email you, not just because they should, but because it make their lives better to have you in them. At age 44, you don't meet new friends every day that have enough in common with you to want to spend lots of time together, so you need to really TREASURE any friend you have! It's great to be able to help your friends, be needy with your friends, to laugh with them, cry with them, to feed their animals when they have to be away, to taste their special recipes and to share yours, and to just have someone to laugh with over stuff your family's heard a thousand times.
Some other things to stop and notice (that aren't negative things on the news):
*the night sky - have you had time to look lately? still gorgeous!
*a seedling poking up through the dirt - still a miracle no matter how many I see!
*a peeping, fuzzy baby chicken (uh-oh, here we go! see post about my addiction)
*a cardinal
*a rainbow
*lightening in the distance
*drivers who use turn signals (those are especially rare, but they do exist)
*any person doing their job with joy (also rare)
*bees pollinating
*torrential rains watering your garden for you FREE!
*anyone holding a door for you
*any child or teen saying, "yes, ma'am" or "no, sir" and "thank you" and "please"
*any grown-up volunteering to help kids by tutoring or coaching a team
*any married couple together more than 10 years (cause we all know how hard it can be)
Well, I've stopped, and I've smelled the roses, and I've taken deep breaths and I've let them out slowly. I'm glad I took this time to write on what seemed like an uneventful day and wrote so much about things that are around me constantly. Thanks for being with me for that.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Barred Rock Baby Chicks today? Yes, I'll take 18!!
If I were an alcoholic, and baby chicks were beer, Duane Jones would be my bartender and Jones' Feed and Seed would be my favorite bar.
Today, Duane calls and says, "I got some baby chicks in, pullets, Barred Rocks, Black Australorps, Golden Buffs. You interested?"
I had not thought about getting more chickens. 13 almost laying hens and 104 2-week old chicks and 10 3-week old chicks and 12 1-week old chicks is enough for anyone. That's 139 chickens. "Nah, Duane. I'm good." I say it nervously. I know I'm not convincing. I'm lying through my teeth. My insides are screaming, "I WANT MY BABY CHICKENS!!!!" I stifle the inner voices.
Duane says, "Well, you told me to call you when I had chicks I hadn't sold, and I just wanted to give you first dibs."
"Did you say you have Golden Buffs? Those cute little yellow fuzzballs that look like the Easter toy chickens that cheep when you make contact with their metal undersides at the WalMart?"
"Yes, that's them. You want me to hold some for you?"
My mind said, "No, Duane. I'm good." However, my mouth broke loose and excitedly said, "I'll need a dozen each, and I'll be there in half an hour."
Then, like some pitiful addict, I DASH over there and start pawing each variety and looking at the chicken poster on the wall because I have NO idea what a grown Barred Rock chicken looks like. Oh, that's a really pretty chicken - dark gray all over with white spots like a guinea hen, punctuated by bright red combs. Gorgeous.
"I'll take all of these Barred Rock chicks. How many do you have?????"
"Eighteen."
"OK, (I'm starting to slur my words now and gesture unusually) and I'll need a dozen golden buffs and a dozen black australorps, too."
I grab the shipping box from the hatchery and nervously count as Miss Mavis counts out each precious little baby. "OK," she says. "That's 42 chickens. Need any starter scratch?"
"No, ma'am."
I pick up the box after paying and stagger out to the van, drunk with the obtaining of more cute, fuzzball baby chicks. I hiccuped.
Fortunately, I brought Monty along to drive. It's 10:22, and the babies are doing great out in the brooder coop with all those other (and bigger) babies. My head's hurting now. Probably a chicken drunk hangover. I guess tomorrow I'll try some "hair of the dog" and see if that helps. I didn't buy all that he had, just all the Barred Rock. ;o)
Today, Duane calls and says, "I got some baby chicks in, pullets, Barred Rocks, Black Australorps, Golden Buffs. You interested?"
I had not thought about getting more chickens. 13 almost laying hens and 104 2-week old chicks and 10 3-week old chicks and 12 1-week old chicks is enough for anyone. That's 139 chickens. "Nah, Duane. I'm good." I say it nervously. I know I'm not convincing. I'm lying through my teeth. My insides are screaming, "I WANT MY BABY CHICKENS!!!!" I stifle the inner voices.
Duane says, "Well, you told me to call you when I had chicks I hadn't sold, and I just wanted to give you first dibs."
"Did you say you have Golden Buffs? Those cute little yellow fuzzballs that look like the Easter toy chickens that cheep when you make contact with their metal undersides at the WalMart?"
"Yes, that's them. You want me to hold some for you?"
My mind said, "No, Duane. I'm good." However, my mouth broke loose and excitedly said, "I'll need a dozen each, and I'll be there in half an hour."
Then, like some pitiful addict, I DASH over there and start pawing each variety and looking at the chicken poster on the wall because I have NO idea what a grown Barred Rock chicken looks like. Oh, that's a really pretty chicken - dark gray all over with white spots like a guinea hen, punctuated by bright red combs. Gorgeous.
"I'll take all of these Barred Rock chicks. How many do you have?????"
"Eighteen."
"OK, (I'm starting to slur my words now and gesture unusually) and I'll need a dozen golden buffs and a dozen black australorps, too."
I grab the shipping box from the hatchery and nervously count as Miss Mavis counts out each precious little baby. "OK," she says. "That's 42 chickens. Need any starter scratch?"
"No, ma'am."
I pick up the box after paying and stagger out to the van, drunk with the obtaining of more cute, fuzzball baby chicks. I hiccuped.
Fortunately, I brought Monty along to drive. It's 10:22, and the babies are doing great out in the brooder coop with all those other (and bigger) babies. My head's hurting now. Probably a chicken drunk hangover. I guess tomorrow I'll try some "hair of the dog" and see if that helps. I didn't buy all that he had, just all the Barred Rock. ;o)
Taste test results on squash pickles are in . . . .
OMG!!! They are the best thing I've ever tasted. The recipe said to chill them for 24 hours. I didn't know if I could make it - they are SOOOOOOO pretty!
I reached in the fridge, unsealed the canned jar, got a fork and pulled out a tiny baby carrot . . .
INCREDIBLE!!!!!
Then I pulled out a slender beet stalk . . . TRES MAGNIFIQUE!!!!
Holy cow! Who can eat pickles of any variety at 9am????? ME! SNARF snarf snarf snarf . . . .
I'll see if I can get permish and post the recipe.
I reached in the fridge, unsealed the canned jar, got a fork and pulled out a tiny baby carrot . . .
INCREDIBLE!!!!!
Then I pulled out a slender beet stalk . . . TRES MAGNIFIQUE!!!!
Holy cow! Who can eat pickles of any variety at 9am????? ME! SNARF snarf snarf snarf . . . .
I'll see if I can get permish and post the recipe.
I have my house back!!
After my morning trip to feed goats, the dog, the baby chicks, and the hens and then to the garden for Contender green beans and squash, I walked back to the house and into the air conditioned wonder of it.
There were no stinky baby chicks in the dining room in plastic tubs, they weren't even in the garage!
There were no kitties fouling the air with their litter box activities. How can creatures so small and cute STANK like that??!! I don't know.
We put the cats into their permanent home area (in the shed with the stacked hay bales so they are safe from dogs) over the weekend, and we gave the house a good cleaning. All the plants the cats had rummaged around in scattering dirt and spanish moss got cleaned up and all the debris vacuumed out of the carpet. All the little shreds of paper they'd make were cleaned, the cat toys, the litter box, and the stinky cat food bowl got moved out.
The house looks great and smells WONDERFUL!!! and feels a little bit lonelier . . . .
There were no stinky baby chicks in the dining room in plastic tubs, they weren't even in the garage!
There were no kitties fouling the air with their litter box activities. How can creatures so small and cute STANK like that??!! I don't know.
We put the cats into their permanent home area (in the shed with the stacked hay bales so they are safe from dogs) over the weekend, and we gave the house a good cleaning. All the plants the cats had rummaged around in scattering dirt and spanish moss got cleaned up and all the debris vacuumed out of the carpet. All the little shreds of paper they'd make were cleaned, the cat toys, the litter box, and the stinky cat food bowl got moved out.
The house looks great and smells WONDERFUL!!! and feels a little bit lonelier . . . .
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Lunch from the Garden
Over the course of the week, I had harvested onions, red potatoes, green beans, and yellow and zucchini squash. I had SO many squash that I made squash pickles yesterday - I'm tasting them chilled later today and I'll report in with a taste-rating. I made watermelon rind pickles, and they taste great, but are mushy. I have some ideas how to make that better.
Monty and I washed all the veggies, and I snapped a pound of beans and peeled red potatoes while he sliced up the 3 pounds of squash I harvested this morning. I had already thinly sliced a vidalia onion from the fridge and began sauteing it in schmaltz adding the potatoes as I peeled and quartered them. When all the potatoes were in and sizzling with onion, I added the snapped green beans and about 3 cups of water. A little kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, and a pound of smoked sausage cut up into half inch medallions and a stewing one-pot meal began to simmer. On the side, I sauteed more onion in more schmaltz and tossed in the yellow and zucchini squash with some kosher salt into the new wok. Sizzling squash on the right, stewing sausage veggies on the left, and we were all getting hungrier by the second. After the squash was finished cooking, I emptied the wok and added butter to sizzle the beets I'd roasted yesterday.
I served green beans cooked with potato chunks and smoked sausage, sauteed squash with onions, and sauteed roasted beets. For dessert, we had watermelon rind pickles. Of all this, only the smoked sausage was bought from the grocery store!! How cool is that!??
Tonight we'll have a roast with carrots and potatoes (all done together in the roasting pan), and a squash casserole (using sauteed squash from lunch), and yeast rolls for the family (not me, I'm gluten-free). I hope to cut up another watermelon this afternoon between meals for a snack and use the rind for new and crunchy pickles.
Monty and I washed all the veggies, and I snapped a pound of beans and peeled red potatoes while he sliced up the 3 pounds of squash I harvested this morning. I had already thinly sliced a vidalia onion from the fridge and began sauteing it in schmaltz adding the potatoes as I peeled and quartered them. When all the potatoes were in and sizzling with onion, I added the snapped green beans and about 3 cups of water. A little kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, and a pound of smoked sausage cut up into half inch medallions and a stewing one-pot meal began to simmer. On the side, I sauteed more onion in more schmaltz and tossed in the yellow and zucchini squash with some kosher salt into the new wok. Sizzling squash on the right, stewing sausage veggies on the left, and we were all getting hungrier by the second. After the squash was finished cooking, I emptied the wok and added butter to sizzle the beets I'd roasted yesterday.
I served green beans cooked with potato chunks and smoked sausage, sauteed squash with onions, and sauteed roasted beets. For dessert, we had watermelon rind pickles. Of all this, only the smoked sausage was bought from the grocery store!! How cool is that!??
Tonight we'll have a roast with carrots and potatoes (all done together in the roasting pan), and a squash casserole (using sauteed squash from lunch), and yeast rolls for the family (not me, I'm gluten-free). I hope to cut up another watermelon this afternoon between meals for a snack and use the rind for new and crunchy pickles.
Two drunken teens flew their SUV off the road and wrapped it around . . . .
a tree in my front yard. We had just gotten in from taking the kids out to dinner (I'll post more on that later - do you know how rarely this family of six goes out to dinner these days??!!) and were getting ready for bed.
Suddenly, screeching tires and a loud EXPLOSION and crash made our hearts jump into our throats. Monty yells, "Call 911!! Someone just died!" He dashes into the living room putting his shoes on and screaming at me to put on my pants. Jessie's on the cell with 911, Monty's out the door with the flashlight, and he's up there (our house is downhill from the road with a grove of tall trees between us and the road [thank God])checking and talking to these two kids with the crashed vehicle pouring fumes and smoke smelling like it's gonna blow at any second.
One boy is lying on his back beside the car talking to Monty, and the other is sitting on the bank beside the road with his head in his hands rocking back and forth and talking to a girl who'd stopped after seeing the wrecked car. One of the boys said there were two of them in the car, and the other said there were three, so everyone's frantically searching for a possible 3rd person thrown from the car. Amazingly enough, both seem to be shaken and cut up, but not critically injured. My neighbors have walked over and are standing with me asking about the wreck and the boys and shaking their heads. We are all amazed that the kids are alive, and we talk about how we as parents worry about this happening to our kids every time they leave the house no matter who they are with or whether or not they are drinking.
The ambulances gather up the boys and leave one after the other. I hope to get more information on the boys' conditions later today. I know where the ambulances took them, and I'm hoping I can get the families on the phone.
Because no one could see very well last night in the dark, they removed the vehicle from my yard and as much of the strewn debris as they could, but they told us they'd come back today and finish up. Sure enough, by 8 am, they were out in the yard gathering up junk. Aside from the cursory empty beer cans and liquor bottles, we found a styrofoam cooler and full but dented beer can right beside our sidewalk 100 ft from the road! In the flower bed inside that sidewalk was a plastic gas can full of gasoline. There were headlights, broken off car parts, and other items from the car over 100ft where it crashed. It really shook us all up. We are kind of all still shaky today.
Suddenly, screeching tires and a loud EXPLOSION and crash made our hearts jump into our throats. Monty yells, "Call 911!! Someone just died!" He dashes into the living room putting his shoes on and screaming at me to put on my pants. Jessie's on the cell with 911, Monty's out the door with the flashlight, and he's up there (our house is downhill from the road with a grove of tall trees between us and the road [thank God])checking and talking to these two kids with the crashed vehicle pouring fumes and smoke smelling like it's gonna blow at any second.
One boy is lying on his back beside the car talking to Monty, and the other is sitting on the bank beside the road with his head in his hands rocking back and forth and talking to a girl who'd stopped after seeing the wrecked car. One of the boys said there were two of them in the car, and the other said there were three, so everyone's frantically searching for a possible 3rd person thrown from the car. Amazingly enough, both seem to be shaken and cut up, but not critically injured. My neighbors have walked over and are standing with me asking about the wreck and the boys and shaking their heads. We are all amazed that the kids are alive, and we talk about how we as parents worry about this happening to our kids every time they leave the house no matter who they are with or whether or not they are drinking.
The ambulances gather up the boys and leave one after the other. I hope to get more information on the boys' conditions later today. I know where the ambulances took them, and I'm hoping I can get the families on the phone.
Because no one could see very well last night in the dark, they removed the vehicle from my yard and as much of the strewn debris as they could, but they told us they'd come back today and finish up. Sure enough, by 8 am, they were out in the yard gathering up junk. Aside from the cursory empty beer cans and liquor bottles, we found a styrofoam cooler and full but dented beer can right beside our sidewalk 100 ft from the road! In the flower bed inside that sidewalk was a plastic gas can full of gasoline. There were headlights, broken off car parts, and other items from the car over 100ft where it crashed. It really shook us all up. We are kind of all still shaky today.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Die Hard in the Garden . . . .
This morning, while Monty and the kids were feeding the goats and chickens nearby, I made my morning pilgrimage to the garden, bucket and scissors in hand and coated well in Off bug spray.
I always visit the tomatoes first, even though I haven't picked the first ripe fruit yet. I'm a vigorous pruner and vine-trainer, and I always want to be sure my vines are establishing great roots and putting their energies toward fruiting with plenty of proper support for the weight I HOPE they put on in tomatoes.
Today, I really took out much of the "underbrush" - the side limbs that are below the first blossoms or small fruits. I want to keep good air circulation under and around the plants, and this should help. I'm always cutting out suckers, too.
What I noticed today, however, is in addition to the red spider mites that I sprayed for 2 weeks in a row I found a nice colony of white flies! Okay, bugs, it's ONNNNNN! I marched straight to the garage, brought out the sprayer canister, whipped out the measuring spoons, and measured the hopefully lethal dose of malathion. A cruel smirk began to contort my whole face and I channeled one or more of the Ghostbusters to get "the right stuff" into my strut back to the garden. Man, I wish I had thought to rig my sprayer into a backpack-type mechanism to really look the part, but the pumping I have to do to get the spray wouldn't be convenient. Darn!!
I arrived back at the garden anthropomorphizing the plants in my mind, imagining them suffering from their pests, gasping for breath, crying out in weak, little voices for help . . . . "Who you gonna call?" ME!!!!
As I pump air into the sprayer, I jump from one movie character to another. First, I'm Bill Murray as Dr. Vinkman in Ghostbusters sauntering around in Dana's apartment playfully squeezing the trigger of a feaux ghost-detector. Then I shift over to Bill Murray's character in Caddy Shack maniacally plotting destruction of the gopher and any terrain or structures surrounding him. Then I'm Trinity in The Matrix turning no-hands cartwheels as I blow away the cyber enemy harming no real humans so I'm completely methodical, precise, and cold as blue steel in leather and greased-back hair . . . .
The bugs are shrieking and stampeding away in the grip of mortal terror, and the plants are relaxing and looking to the sky, thankful that their rescuer arrived just in the nick of time. They receive the poison liquid like so much anti-venom after a rattlesnake bit and then sigh and rest to allow their bodies to recuperate.
I mete out the magical liquid carefully but generously to be sure to save EVERY fruiting plant and eradicate every little ugly, plant-sucking, vine-chewing, leaf-eating varmint that might be lurking about my precious garden.
As the last molecule of poison spits out the end of the sprayer wand, I turn and survey all that I've sprayed. As I look around the beautiful, lush blossoming and fruiting plants and garden structures, I remember what Bruce Willis said in "Live Free or Die Hard": Officer McClane said (something to the effect of): When someone needs help, you have to BE "that guy." Today, in my garden, I am "that guy." I walk exhausted to the garage, rinse out my sprayer, and think about all the death and destruction I have wrought. . . . Cool.
Silly music to accompany a silly post:
I always visit the tomatoes first, even though I haven't picked the first ripe fruit yet. I'm a vigorous pruner and vine-trainer, and I always want to be sure my vines are establishing great roots and putting their energies toward fruiting with plenty of proper support for the weight I HOPE they put on in tomatoes.
Today, I really took out much of the "underbrush" - the side limbs that are below the first blossoms or small fruits. I want to keep good air circulation under and around the plants, and this should help. I'm always cutting out suckers, too.
What I noticed today, however, is in addition to the red spider mites that I sprayed for 2 weeks in a row I found a nice colony of white flies! Okay, bugs, it's ONNNNNN! I marched straight to the garage, brought out the sprayer canister, whipped out the measuring spoons, and measured the hopefully lethal dose of malathion. A cruel smirk began to contort my whole face and I channeled one or more of the Ghostbusters to get "the right stuff" into my strut back to the garden. Man, I wish I had thought to rig my sprayer into a backpack-type mechanism to really look the part, but the pumping I have to do to get the spray wouldn't be convenient. Darn!!
I arrived back at the garden anthropomorphizing the plants in my mind, imagining them suffering from their pests, gasping for breath, crying out in weak, little voices for help . . . . "Who you gonna call?" ME!!!!
As I pump air into the sprayer, I jump from one movie character to another. First, I'm Bill Murray as Dr. Vinkman in Ghostbusters sauntering around in Dana's apartment playfully squeezing the trigger of a feaux ghost-detector. Then I shift over to Bill Murray's character in Caddy Shack maniacally plotting destruction of the gopher and any terrain or structures surrounding him. Then I'm Trinity in The Matrix turning no-hands cartwheels as I blow away the cyber enemy harming no real humans so I'm completely methodical, precise, and cold as blue steel in leather and greased-back hair . . . .
The bugs are shrieking and stampeding away in the grip of mortal terror, and the plants are relaxing and looking to the sky, thankful that their rescuer arrived just in the nick of time. They receive the poison liquid like so much anti-venom after a rattlesnake bit and then sigh and rest to allow their bodies to recuperate.
I mete out the magical liquid carefully but generously to be sure to save EVERY fruiting plant and eradicate every little ugly, plant-sucking, vine-chewing, leaf-eating varmint that might be lurking about my precious garden.
As the last molecule of poison spits out the end of the sprayer wand, I turn and survey all that I've sprayed. As I look around the beautiful, lush blossoming and fruiting plants and garden structures, I remember what Bruce Willis said in "Live Free or Die Hard": Officer McClane said (something to the effect of): When someone needs help, you have to BE "that guy." Today, in my garden, I am "that guy." I walk exhausted to the garage, rinse out my sprayer, and think about all the death and destruction I have wrought. . . . Cool.
Silly music to accompany a silly post:
Thursday, June 11, 2009
The Garden Beautiful
The garden is a beautiful sight to see with its lush squash plants with large, vivid orange-yellow blossoms, the bamboo tepees with tomato vines reaching for the tops, and bush bean plants sporting lovely lavender blossoms and baby Contender beans ready to pick by Saturday! The pole beans are vining gracefully up the wire fencing and blossoming nicely. The cucumber plants are loaded with prickly little gherkin-sized cukes and plenty of yellow blossoms. The gorgeous scarlet nasturtiums with their lily-pad shaped leaves punctuate the long row beautifully here and there.
The cabbage plants, however, are worm-chewed, tired, and wishing I would put them out of their misery and just start over! In between those, the dill, chamomile, and clary sage are full of promise and want me to just be CAREFUL if I pull the cabbage.
The tomato vines are finally fruiting and beautifully. There are LOTS of blossoms accompanying the tiny green tomatoes. The basils - purple, red, and green - between the tomatoes are becoming lush and full.
The cabbage plants, however, are worm-chewed, tired, and wishing I would put them out of their misery and just start over! In between those, the dill, chamomile, and clary sage are full of promise and want me to just be CAREFUL if I pull the cabbage.
The tomato vines are finally fruiting and beautifully. There are LOTS of blossoms accompanying the tiny green tomatoes. The basils - purple, red, and green - between the tomatoes are becoming lush and full.
Letting the Chickens "Roam If You Want To"
Today we tried a little experiment with the "almost laying" hens. We let three of them out to scratch around outside their pen. Now that we have a goat fence up that encloses Coop 1 and the Brooder Coop (and future Coop 2), and we have the goats and a dog to help ward off predators, I want the chickens to have free range within that area. However, we haven't clipped their wings and they could fly out to unsafe places. We stood around while they explored for about 15 minutes and then herded them back in the pen.
The next experiment will be when Monty (hubby - Chris Montalbano) makes some bottomless cages for me to put in the walkways of the veggie garden. The cages will keep the chickens from eating my veggies and keep hawks from eating my hens. The hens will be able to forage for bugs, weeds, and other goodies.
The worm bin is coming along nicely, and we added another bin yesterday after Monty cleaned out under the bunny cages. He found HUGE, juicy worms with lots of little baby worms and started another bin (see http://www.make-digital.com/make/vol18/?pg=83) with the contents of that heap! We'll be having black gold (worm poo) for our garden in NO time!
Watermelon Rind Pickles. Yes, watermelon rind. Mom made some of these delicious, cinnamon and clove spiced pickles when I was growing up. I just think it cool to find SOME way to use EVERYTHING!! I cut up a watermelon after lunch and we ate half of it. I cut all the pink and all the dark green off every piece of rind and made half inch wide strips that are soaking in water until I cut up the other half tonight. I'll keep you posted.
Squash Pickles. Well, you've got to find interesting new ways to use the produce of that FANTASTIC garden, and here's one. Squash pickles. I'll be using yellow and zucchini squash and maybe some baby carrots. Rachel (who sent me the recipe) uses peppers, eggplant, or whatever else she has too many of. I wonder if this would work for beets???? Rachel? I don't have quite enough squash for this today, but by tomorrow or Saturday, I will have plenty.
Monty is out right now running our old push mower over some of the leaf mold under the trees and bagging it for use as mulch in the garden. I fertilized earlier with the last box of 9-13-13 I intend to buy this summer. Next month, I'm using chicken poo that will have been in the compost bin for weeks working off the ammonia and rotting into pure, rich, beautiful compost.
The next experiment will be when Monty (hubby - Chris Montalbano) makes some bottomless cages for me to put in the walkways of the veggie garden. The cages will keep the chickens from eating my veggies and keep hawks from eating my hens. The hens will be able to forage for bugs, weeds, and other goodies.
The worm bin is coming along nicely, and we added another bin yesterday after Monty cleaned out under the bunny cages. He found HUGE, juicy worms with lots of little baby worms and started another bin (see http://www.make-digital.com/make/vol18/?pg=83) with the contents of that heap! We'll be having black gold (worm poo) for our garden in NO time!
Watermelon Rind Pickles. Yes, watermelon rind. Mom made some of these delicious, cinnamon and clove spiced pickles when I was growing up. I just think it cool to find SOME way to use EVERYTHING!! I cut up a watermelon after lunch and we ate half of it. I cut all the pink and all the dark green off every piece of rind and made half inch wide strips that are soaking in water until I cut up the other half tonight. I'll keep you posted.
Squash Pickles. Well, you've got to find interesting new ways to use the produce of that FANTASTIC garden, and here's one. Squash pickles. I'll be using yellow and zucchini squash and maybe some baby carrots. Rachel (who sent me the recipe) uses peppers, eggplant, or whatever else she has too many of. I wonder if this would work for beets???? Rachel? I don't have quite enough squash for this today, but by tomorrow or Saturday, I will have plenty.
Monty is out right now running our old push mower over some of the leaf mold under the trees and bagging it for use as mulch in the garden. I fertilized earlier with the last box of 9-13-13 I intend to buy this summer. Next month, I'm using chicken poo that will have been in the compost bin for weeks working off the ammonia and rotting into pure, rich, beautiful compost.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
How many chickens???
Today I went to the cattle sale with hubby and we got an enamel-metal bowl I plan to use for lye part of soaping (3 or 4 qt size) and a cute little coffee grinder/coffee jar for $5, 2 big seedless watermelons for $5, hubby got 2 WWII metal ammo boxes for $8, and my BIG score was sugar in 25lb bags for $9 (I got 2 – that’s $0.36 per lb when I usually pay almost $0.50). 50 lbs of sugar should make a
Then we went to Jones’ Feed and Seed to get chick starter food, bunny food, and goat food (50 lb each). When we got there, Duane was running bushels of Lima beans through the pea sheller. I asked him what he does with the spent shells and he said some folks get them for their cows. He said I could have ‘em for the compost pile, too. Then he started shelling pink-eye purple hull peas. He said those would be great for the goats. I got 3 bushels worth of spent hulls. Duane said there should be lots of peas still in there because some of them were too green to shell properly.
We fed the hulls to the bunnies who LOVED them, and then to the goats. They loved them, too. Oh, yeah. While I was at Jones’, I met Paula who just started working there. We were chatting when she told me about the baby girl pygmy goat she got at the humane society!!!! It was Spencer’s little sister!!! She has no intention of keeping her, but has become so attached; she is having a hard time THINKING about giving her away. She was so glad to find out about us and what we’re doing with our animals and Spencer. She thinks she wants to let Flossie come live with Spencer!! We are so excited about that possibility!
Also, Duane had 12 little 3-day-old golden buff pullets leftover from an order that wasn’t picked up by the customer. I couldn’t let those little orphans stay at the feed store!!!! They are in my chick brooder now with the week-old babies! Now I have 126 chicks between 3 days and 3 weeks old. YAY!!!!
On the way home, I checked the cell phone which I’d left in the car, and I missed PIANO lessons for the girls!!! YIKES! I called and apologized profusely about my scattered-ness, but I definitely have amends to make.
The afternoon was peaceful and quiet under the shade trees shelling peas with my family and chatting about the animals. The children all remarked about how “fun” it was to shell peas!! They really enjoyed it! Of course it wasn’t the actual shelling of peas, but the sitting with each other, contributing to the family’s enterprise, and having conversation where everyone could speak and be listened to (not just heard.)
The thunder started just about an hour ago, and I rushed out to pick whatever I could in the garden before the monsoon hits again. I got about 8 more squash (es?). Then, the thunder stopped and the sun hasn’t stopped shining yet. Hmmmmmmph!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
My first cat at age 44 . . .
I finally decided to get a cat - O.K. two cats, and they are kittens - just 6 weeks old! They've been here a week now, so I guess they're 7 weeks old, and the kids have really been enjoying them.
Today, I didn't feel well and I slept a LOT. The great thing was, the kittens piled up on me and slept, too! The purring little cuties were just so cuddly and warm! I'm having kitten love!
I remember my whole childhood wanting a cat SO badly, but Mom was allergic and didn't like cats. I'm allergic, too, especially when there are more than one cat in a house. I decided that it would be alright to keep them in the house for a couple of weeks until they were big enough to dodge any predators that might get after them. I'm very wheezy, but I think I have a bit of a cold.
Ok, so I've got a few scratches. I'm loving it though!
Today, I didn't feel well and I slept a LOT. The great thing was, the kittens piled up on me and slept, too! The purring little cuties were just so cuddly and warm! I'm having kitten love!
I remember my whole childhood wanting a cat SO badly, but Mom was allergic and didn't like cats. I'm allergic, too, especially when there are more than one cat in a house. I decided that it would be alright to keep them in the house for a couple of weeks until they were big enough to dodge any predators that might get after them. I'm very wheezy, but I think I have a bit of a cold.
Ok, so I've got a few scratches. I'm loving it though!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
100 Baby Chicks (continued)
Now there are 103 baby chicks. We suspect trampling was the cause of the fuzzball's demise. 1 out of 104 isn't a bad loss, I guess.
They are all just eating, drinking, chirping and crapping away! The storage tubs are getting REALLY crowded. Monty has everything he needs to build the new baby chicken coop with brooder (thingy with warming lamps) to go in it. Now all he needs is a couple more days without rain!
Mamma goats are doing well as is the baby girl and little Spencer. Billy kid however has the scours really BAD.We are medicating him and watching him closely. I have to give him a liquid medicine and an injection today.
They are all just eating, drinking, chirping and crapping away! The storage tubs are getting REALLY crowded. Monty has everything he needs to build the new baby chicken coop with brooder (thingy with warming lamps) to go in it. Now all he needs is a couple more days without rain!
Mamma goats are doing well as is the baby girl and little Spencer. Billy kid however has the scours really BAD.We are medicating him and watching him closely. I have to give him a liquid medicine and an injection today.
Today . . . .
Went to the Cattle Sale this morning and bought a regular size pressure cooker ($12 T-Fal no-stick with the instructions & recipes, almost new!), an old used crock pot for soap-making ($4), and LOTS of fresh veggies including green beans, little yellow squash, tiny red potatoes, a bunch of Bermuda onions, 2 big containers of broccoli, a big fresh rutabaga, 2 small watermelons, and a basket of small, early Chilton County peaches (all those for $18). Here’s what I looked at and did NOT buy:
a Tibetan sword for $15 (yeah, a Tibetan sword!)
a tin “purse” container that I would’ve hung on the wall of my deck with other tin “things” for $2 – no she’d take $1
a HUGE bourbon tom turkey $50
a half-dozen guinea chicks $3 each
a $4 bolt for the tractor
a $10 used crockpot
a $5 used crockpot
a $5 roll of window screen
a chicken-catching net – didn’t ask the price
and many other little critters and junque.
NOW I have everything I can possibly need to make soap. I’m going to use the old used crockpot for melt & pour and for heating the oils for the soaps.
Last week we went to Bham and stopped into the Golden Temple on Southside to get some “exotic” ingredients for soap and cosmetics. I bought 16 oz. of Shea Butter, 2 little cakes of beeswax, some vitamin E oil, a large container of Bentonite clay and two different essential oils – lemongrass and clove. I already had cinnamon. Golden Temple is such an experience, it's a wonder they don't charge a cover to let you in. The sights, smells, and people-watching there are priceless.
At Whole Foods, I found a LARGE container of grapeseed oil, some palm oil, and coconut oil. The family sampled EVERY flavored olive oil there. We spent about 20-30 minutes in the cheese area sampling and having delightful conversation with the cheese man about mites, goats, sheep, and mold. Wonderful!! The children and hubby all got a single slice of pizza from the deli area. I got gluten-free pretzels (kind of anti-climactic, huh?). We saw, we sampled, and we bought.
At Hobby Lobby, I bought a couple of molds and some lotion containers. Jessica got a block of clay to try sculpting with, Noah bought some models, and the girls got a stuffed animal. I walked through the store with hands cupped around eyes to keep me focused on my list.
I have found great online sources for containers for lip balms and other cosmetics, but I want to do some testing first. ALSO, I am trying to keep track of what each item costs so that I can figure the actual cost of anything I end up making.
If I actually end up making the soap (instead of buying the inexpensive plain melt & pour blocks and rebatching it with my creative stuff added) I want to get the simplest possible ingredients leaning towards stuff I have in my garden, goat’s milk which I hope to be getting from my goats, and stuff I can get at this Wal Mart. Dollar Tree (of all places!!) had a package of beautiful handmade papers that I got to try as wrap for the soap. I hope I can get a couple of days of rain now to give me the excuse to concentrate and really DO this thing!!!
I’ll keep you posted how it goes and the recipes I try. Wish me luck.
a Tibetan sword for $15 (yeah, a Tibetan sword!)
a tin “purse” container that I would’ve hung on the wall of my deck with other tin “things” for $2 – no she’d take $1
a HUGE bourbon tom turkey $50
a half-dozen guinea chicks $3 each
a $4 bolt for the tractor
a $10 used crockpot
a $5 used crockpot
a $5 roll of window screen
a chicken-catching net – didn’t ask the price
and many other little critters and junque.
NOW I have everything I can possibly need to make soap. I’m going to use the old used crockpot for melt & pour and for heating the oils for the soaps.
Last week we went to Bham and stopped into the Golden Temple on Southside to get some “exotic” ingredients for soap and cosmetics. I bought 16 oz. of Shea Butter, 2 little cakes of beeswax, some vitamin E oil, a large container of Bentonite clay and two different essential oils – lemongrass and clove. I already had cinnamon. Golden Temple is such an experience, it's a wonder they don't charge a cover to let you in. The sights, smells, and people-watching there are priceless.
At Whole Foods, I found a LARGE container of grapeseed oil, some palm oil, and coconut oil. The family sampled EVERY flavored olive oil there. We spent about 20-30 minutes in the cheese area sampling and having delightful conversation with the cheese man about mites, goats, sheep, and mold. Wonderful!! The children and hubby all got a single slice of pizza from the deli area. I got gluten-free pretzels (kind of anti-climactic, huh?). We saw, we sampled, and we bought.
At Hobby Lobby, I bought a couple of molds and some lotion containers. Jessica got a block of clay to try sculpting with, Noah bought some models, and the girls got a stuffed animal. I walked through the store with hands cupped around eyes to keep me focused on my list.
I have found great online sources for containers for lip balms and other cosmetics, but I want to do some testing first. ALSO, I am trying to keep track of what each item costs so that I can figure the actual cost of anything I end up making.
If I actually end up making the soap (instead of buying the inexpensive plain melt & pour blocks and rebatching it with my creative stuff added) I want to get the simplest possible ingredients leaning towards stuff I have in my garden, goat’s milk which I hope to be getting from my goats, and stuff I can get at this Wal Mart. Dollar Tree (of all places!!) had a package of beautiful handmade papers that I got to try as wrap for the soap. I hope I can get a couple of days of rain now to give me the excuse to concentrate and really DO this thing!!!
I’ll keep you posted how it goes and the recipes I try. Wish me luck.
Monday, June 1, 2009
We lost a baby chick . . .
This happened last week:
I'm so ANGRY!!! We lost a baby chick tonight.
Today, I moved those week-old nasty buzzards out of my dining room where those warm lamps were making their little chicken smells waft all through the kitchen. I took them and put them in the garage after carefully running an extension cord just right so I could keep their little butts warm. It was great. The garage is about 10 degrees warmer than my house and about 5 degrees hotter than outside.
Well, tonight we got home from Bham and the garage stunk to the high heavens!! So, smart folks that we are, we left the garage door open for a "few minutes" to let it air out a little. Well, about an hour later, we're sitting together in the living room watching old Tom and Jerry cartoons, and Monty hears the chicks all making a ruckus. He jumps up and runs out to the garage where he sees the neighborhood roaming German Shepherd "Baby" toting off a sweet little yellow fuzzball!!!! He scolds her and she drops the chick and slinks off into the night.
Monty grabs the chick and there's no blood, but he has a dangling leg. Awww, crap. We closed the garage door and checked all the other animals just to be sure. Then we had to take the little chick and Monty had to finish him off - he was fading fast anyway. It was AWFUL!!! I felt SO badly that we'd been careless. The good news is that this is the little 11 chicks I got for $20 last week that have taught us many things in preparation for the big shipment that's coming any day now. Oh, well. Such is life on the farm????
I'm so ANGRY!!! We lost a baby chick tonight.
Today, I moved those week-old nasty buzzards out of my dining room where those warm lamps were making their little chicken smells waft all through the kitchen. I took them and put them in the garage after carefully running an extension cord just right so I could keep their little butts warm. It was great. The garage is about 10 degrees warmer than my house and about 5 degrees hotter than outside.
Well, tonight we got home from Bham and the garage stunk to the high heavens!! So, smart folks that we are, we left the garage door open for a "few minutes" to let it air out a little. Well, about an hour later, we're sitting together in the living room watching old Tom and Jerry cartoons, and Monty hears the chicks all making a ruckus. He jumps up and runs out to the garage where he sees the neighborhood roaming German Shepherd "Baby" toting off a sweet little yellow fuzzball!!!! He scolds her and she drops the chick and slinks off into the night.
Monty grabs the chick and there's no blood, but he has a dangling leg. Awww, crap. We closed the garage door and checked all the other animals just to be sure. Then we had to take the little chick and Monty had to finish him off - he was fading fast anyway. It was AWFUL!!! I felt SO badly that we'd been careless. The good news is that this is the little 11 chicks I got for $20 last week that have taught us many things in preparation for the big shipment that's coming any day now. Oh, well. Such is life on the farm????
Describing the Garden
The following post is an email (letter) I wrote to a friend today describing the garden. I'm including it in this blog, because I like it.
Dear Kathleen:
I’ve taken classes at the county extension for gardening and at Petals from the Past, and we have the most humongous garden I’ve ever attempted this year.
I’ve got 3 tomato areas: the main “eating” tomatoes area has 5 bamboo tepees under which there are 5 plants each and the tepees alternate between big slicing tomatoes and grape tomatoes. Between the tepees are planted purple, red, and green basils, and marigolds line the walking path in front of the tomatoes. To play off the height of the tepees, I planted mixed sunflowers between each tepee along the “wall” of the garden. I’m very excited to see this all filling in as the plants continue to grow. The 2nd tomato area is a bed of only roma tomato plants for sauce. I have 17 roma plants out, 9 in the center of those round metal cages, and 8 beside these weird metal poles the previous owner left. That’s going to be pretty, too. I only planted those from seed this past weekend, and I’m going back to interplant green basil with them today. The third tomato area will be heirlooms, and I’m just doing those for fun. They have great flavor, I’m growing them from seed, and they are SO pretty. I’m (hopefully) putting those out today, and interplanting them with onion and parsley.
Other than tomatoes, I have a bed with decorative Indian corn interplanted with cantaloupes and honeydews, pumpkins, and decorative gourds including birdhouse gourds. I also have wildly successful pumpkin plants growing in the compost heap!
I have a cabbage patch interplanted with chamomile, clary sage, and dill. Impatient as I am, I’ve decided that only chumps wait for cabbage to head! I just snip the leaves and use them in stir fries and this new recipe for this weird (delicious) patty thing.
I have a 50 ft wire fence inside supporting pole beans called gita – yard-long green beans. I’ve grown them the past three years very successfully, and they are so fine and delicious that you only have to just let them hit the sauté pan for a few seconds and they taste fabulous! At each support pole of that fence is a cucumber plant, and at every foot or so is a buttercrunch lettuce, and all this is interplanted with scarlet nasturtiums.
The squash bed contains zucchini, yellow squash, butternut, and acorn squash. It has red clover between the squash hills to keep weeds down and to nitrify the soil supporting the growth of the squash. Petunias line that bed – mixed colors.
A stubborn old stump has been heaped up with dirt and has become the strawberry hill. It looks GREAT!
The bush beans are planted in 3 rows beside the strawberry hill, and I’ve just planted 3 rows of swiss chard (mixed ruby and neon lights) beside those plants. I’m going to put in some more lettuces in that bed, too, including arugula and some thyme.
I went crazy at Petals from the Past buying seed packets for their gorgeous art, and I ended up with 6 varieties of peppers to plant. Got them in the ground this weekend, too, and there are 6 rows with a wide variety of colors, sweet and heat plants, and shapes.
The last two areas are a garlic/onion bed which is doing GREAT and the long row of potatoes against the fence – white and red – both of which were planted back in February. The white potatoes are doing great, but the foliage came in on the trees and is blocking most of the sun over the red potatoes and they look puny.
There is also a row of purple hull cowpeas coming along nicely. I laid drip hoses for every area of the garden and constructed this series of connectors that I basically have to manually hook up the hose to one receiver to water the entire outside area of the garden, and another one to water all the inside beds. That was quite a bit of engineering for my brain, but I managed. Outside the garden we have blueberries and raspberries and fruit trees planted including peaches, pears, plums, apples, and plums. I just saw a pomegranate tree at a friend’s house with those fiery orange blossoms and HAD to get one. The little fruit tree man that comes to the “cattle sale” every Wednesday morning had them, and I got one. I haven’t planted it yet.
Landscaping? I’ve done nothing. The priority this year is the garden and the animals. We haven’t done nearly enough to the inside of the house yet either, but the plan is to make a 4th bedroom in the basement with a full bath. We moved in August, so I didn’t try to get a teaching job this year, and what I don’t understand is this: How did my family ever have clean clothes to wear or a hot meal to eat when I was working outside the home????? It seems like they need me more now that they’re older than they did when they were babies, but I really like that.
I’d love to meet you in Bham or Alabaster for lunch, or you could have a day in the country down here. We could do lunch and visit Petals from the Past in Jemison (just hide your checkbook and debit card!!!). It is a lovely place to spend HOURS and HOURS gawking at beautiful plants and chatting. Let me know what you’d like to do. Hope to see you soon.
Love, Rebecca
Dear Kathleen:
I’ve taken classes at the county extension for gardening and at Petals from the Past, and we have the most humongous garden I’ve ever attempted this year.
I’ve got 3 tomato areas: the main “eating” tomatoes area has 5 bamboo tepees under which there are 5 plants each and the tepees alternate between big slicing tomatoes and grape tomatoes. Between the tepees are planted purple, red, and green basils, and marigolds line the walking path in front of the tomatoes. To play off the height of the tepees, I planted mixed sunflowers between each tepee along the “wall” of the garden. I’m very excited to see this all filling in as the plants continue to grow. The 2nd tomato area is a bed of only roma tomato plants for sauce. I have 17 roma plants out, 9 in the center of those round metal cages, and 8 beside these weird metal poles the previous owner left. That’s going to be pretty, too. I only planted those from seed this past weekend, and I’m going back to interplant green basil with them today. The third tomato area will be heirlooms, and I’m just doing those for fun. They have great flavor, I’m growing them from seed, and they are SO pretty. I’m (hopefully) putting those out today, and interplanting them with onion and parsley.
Other than tomatoes, I have a bed with decorative Indian corn interplanted with cantaloupes and honeydews, pumpkins, and decorative gourds including birdhouse gourds. I also have wildly successful pumpkin plants growing in the compost heap!
I have a cabbage patch interplanted with chamomile, clary sage, and dill. Impatient as I am, I’ve decided that only chumps wait for cabbage to head! I just snip the leaves and use them in stir fries and this new recipe for this weird (delicious) patty thing.
I have a 50 ft wire fence inside supporting pole beans called gita – yard-long green beans. I’ve grown them the past three years very successfully, and they are so fine and delicious that you only have to just let them hit the sauté pan for a few seconds and they taste fabulous! At each support pole of that fence is a cucumber plant, and at every foot or so is a buttercrunch lettuce, and all this is interplanted with scarlet nasturtiums.
The squash bed contains zucchini, yellow squash, butternut, and acorn squash. It has red clover between the squash hills to keep weeds down and to nitrify the soil supporting the growth of the squash. Petunias line that bed – mixed colors.
A stubborn old stump has been heaped up with dirt and has become the strawberry hill. It looks GREAT!
The bush beans are planted in 3 rows beside the strawberry hill, and I’ve just planted 3 rows of swiss chard (mixed ruby and neon lights) beside those plants. I’m going to put in some more lettuces in that bed, too, including arugula and some thyme.
I went crazy at Petals from the Past buying seed packets for their gorgeous art, and I ended up with 6 varieties of peppers to plant. Got them in the ground this weekend, too, and there are 6 rows with a wide variety of colors, sweet and heat plants, and shapes.
The last two areas are a garlic/onion bed which is doing GREAT and the long row of potatoes against the fence – white and red – both of which were planted back in February. The white potatoes are doing great, but the foliage came in on the trees and is blocking most of the sun over the red potatoes and they look puny.
There is also a row of purple hull cowpeas coming along nicely. I laid drip hoses for every area of the garden and constructed this series of connectors that I basically have to manually hook up the hose to one receiver to water the entire outside area of the garden, and another one to water all the inside beds. That was quite a bit of engineering for my brain, but I managed. Outside the garden we have blueberries and raspberries and fruit trees planted including peaches, pears, plums, apples, and plums. I just saw a pomegranate tree at a friend’s house with those fiery orange blossoms and HAD to get one. The little fruit tree man that comes to the “cattle sale” every Wednesday morning had them, and I got one. I haven’t planted it yet.
Landscaping? I’ve done nothing. The priority this year is the garden and the animals. We haven’t done nearly enough to the inside of the house yet either, but the plan is to make a 4th bedroom in the basement with a full bath. We moved in August, so I didn’t try to get a teaching job this year, and what I don’t understand is this: How did my family ever have clean clothes to wear or a hot meal to eat when I was working outside the home????? It seems like they need me more now that they’re older than they did when they were babies, but I really like that.
I’d love to meet you in Bham or Alabaster for lunch, or you could have a day in the country down here. We could do lunch and visit Petals from the Past in Jemison (just hide your checkbook and debit card!!!). It is a lovely place to spend HOURS and HOURS gawking at beautiful plants and chatting. Let me know what you’d like to do. Hope to see you soon.
Love, Rebecca
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