Ideas

      Tossing around ideas for around here. Lots of them. Not necessarily because it's the new year. But because we as a family have had some good down time these past few weeks for Christmas and New Years. We all had some good time off from work/school and in general being busy. So we were able to talk about our ideas for what we wanted to see done around here.

-Ideas like a walking path from the patio to the clucks coop and then over to the fire pit area.

          -Raising the roof of the clucks run. Our son is nearly as tall as I am now and even he has problems with squatting down to get in the run area to put down the food. Time to raise the roof so the run is more kind to our backs. I think the clucks will like the taller space too. We will be finding some large tree branches to put inside for them to get up on to roost. We will all be much happier.

        -Adding more clucks to our little flock. Husband and Son are both wanting to add some little banty hens to the flock. I would like to add another Easter Egger and a Wyandott or maybe some Faverolle. Not sure but wanting good egg layers. So we'll see what's out there this year in the way of choices from our local farm supply. 

      -We want to plant a garden this year. Since we took last year off. This year something smaller and started from seeds. 

           -I would like to see the porch cover done that Husband has been wanting for several years too. Not sure if we'll manage that but we'll keep it on our list.                -Moving the strawberry patch to a different location.                                       - Planting more trees.       Then there is all the up keep. Trimming up the berry vines, staying up with the

  weeds when the time comes and preparing the garden area to be planted.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Spring Forward!

     Spring forward! This is what I have been waiting for since we fell back in November. The longer days with sunshine until well into the evening. I relish these days. I do not care too much for the short, dark days of winter. Or winter at all really. Spring is on her way and soon Summer will be here. These are the days I like best. But with Spring comes the excitement of adding new clucks to the flock, planting flowers and landscaping. Vegetable gardens begin to happen now too. We are choosing not to plant a vegetable garden this year and focusing our efforts on landscape and home improvement. I will not be able to handle keeping myself from planting something edible. Thinking container garden of sweet peppers and some hot peppers and an herb garden. Picked up roses today! I haven't had roses in a long time. I am so excited to have them again. We will work on getting them in the ground tomorrow. A first for us. We have  never planted roses before. Our past homes have always had exsisting roses. I am eager to get planting lots of flowers and some trees and do landscaping. The Husband and I have been throwing lots of ideas out for what we would like to see happen. Always fun to have ideas and watch them evolve from one thing to another. Can't wait to get started.

Or Not To Garden

     Another day with sunshine and blue sky. Love these extra bonus days. My husband and I were talking about the garden yesterday and some landscape ideas. We have been tossing around first, moving our garden location but also possibly not doing a garden this year. Yes I know you exclaim WHAT?  No garden!!!?? But yes it has crossed our minds more then once. First reason is that last year where we planted the garden, which has always been its spot since we moved here 9 years ago, the crops in that space just didn't do well. We were skeptical when we planted last summer if the crops would do well because counting back - last summer in that space was year number 7. The year that the earth needs to rest to replenish and heal from being used. With that in mind and how badly our garden did brought to mind that we should change its location this year leaving only the berries in that location and making a badly needed parking pad. We would move the location of the vegetables to the back yard next to the clucks coop and near a rain gutter spout that we could use to make rain barrels with and use that water to water the garden. We think it is a good idea. So maybe just a small herb garden. Not sure yet. Not having a garden to tend and take care of would allow us to focus on other things around here that need tending. Some home improvements that desperately need attention and the yard and landscape that need to have attention, as well as the flower gardens and adding more clucks for more eggs. So I wont miss out on playing in the dirt, I will still have that and we are very fortunate to have two farmers markets that we can visit, as well as a market that houses plenty of local fruits and veggies at a very good price. Some of it less then what it would cost for us to grow here. I am fine with that and eager and excited to take care of things that need tending and increase our clucks and eggs.                                                                                                        

Let's Get Going

     I am so ready to get going. My mind is full of ideas and things that I am eager to get started on this year. Some are left-overs from last year that we were unable to accomplish due to life happening but I have a whole bunch more of ideas bouncing around in my head that are eager to make their way out and become more then just an idea. From visions of new flowers in the flower garden, coop improvements, adding chickens to the flock, to the Hubs and I throwing out ideas for all of the things we would each like to plant in the vegetable garden along with home maintenance, stripping paint from the kitchen cabinets, fixing up the dog house, planting trees and bushes, a new gas tank for our little VW Beetle (so she can be driven-what a gas saver she is), to new tires for our other vehicle and maintenance on the lawn tractor......I have so many things running  around in my head that want to get out. I am sure I will come up with more - oh, like what kind of roses I want to plant in the yard and doing an arbor for some climbing roses or maybe grapes, and a pathway from the patio to the coop....ok, ok, I'll stop but I think I have painted a pretty good picture here. Ready to get it in gear over here and get things going!

Growing, Growing, Growing

  

Summer has finally hit and we are having the warm temps, blue clear skies and the occasional thunder storm with rain. Some days have been just a bit warm but others are quite nice. Had to pull out the hose and set out to watering regularly. Had a stretch of really hot days all in a row and some of the ferns dried out but everything else has responded with blooming and ripening. We have had a large harvest of berries almost daily and even shared with the birds and critters, tomatoes have been turning red, zucchinis are growing larger, corn is getting taller, sunflowers and daisies are blooming, it keeps going from there. Seems like we have the sprinkler going constantly on some part of the yard or garden. Weeds are doing their fair share of growing too. I have been ignoring the weeds in the flower beds and tending to the ones in the garden, even still I have parts of the garden that have weeds knee tall. I wish all of the plants would grow as well as the weeds do. None the less things are growing and I am very pleased. With warmer dryer temps and no rain the harvest of the wheat has begun and is full throttle to get it cut and to the elevators. The harvest is about 3 weeks late this year due to the cooler temps we had at the beginning of summer. With shorter days and dew setting in the mornings and the mid August thunder and rain storms approaching the rush is on to complete cutting the wheat as soon as possible. Combines are running like mad to beat Mother Nature and Father Time. 

                                                                                                                               

Overnight Berries

I have so much to catch up with here. Over the last week I have been insane busy. Things are looking pretty good around here for receiving our next set of guests. The weather changed over the last week as well. Going from much cooler low 70's, rainy and overcast to bright sunny 80 plus degree's. That is all we needed to get things hopping around here. Everything is growing. The lawn, the garden, the flowers, the berries and the weeds. Need to water too! The garden needs it daily now. As well as the flower beds. We went from berries getting ready on the vine to berries needing to be picked off the vine overnight. Two large bowls full of the sweetest strawberries and raspberries. No sugar needed. Non of these berries held a chance of remaining in the bowl. Rinsed and set out to drain on the counter, a delectable morsel screaming out EAT ME every time any one walked by. Non of us able to keep ourselves from reaching out and grabbing a handful of the sweet, still warm off of the vine piece of summertime heaven. We shared with our neighbors and  the delight they showed in receiving these wonderful treats was priceless. Love sharing the wealth. Even the chickens and the dogs have made sure to get their own berries from the vines. No one can resist. We will need to check for and pick them every day now through summer. An enjoyable, tasty task. 

Huge Harvest to Come

Raspberries taking off.

     We have some minor casualties in our vegetable garden. Some of our seeds that we planted have not made it above ground. Some have and are moving right along. The seeds that have not made it above ground will need to be replaced with plants that are already growing in order to harvest before our summer runs out.   There are established raspberry vines that were growing and had been tied to a trellis that over the last two weeks have doubled in their growth and are now a mass of vines teaming with blossoms. Busy bees are at work all over the blossoms taking special care of each one. This is going to be a fantastic year for the berries. It will soon be time to pull out the canning recipes for making jam and some fruit leather. Among a few losses is a huge harvest awaiting.

Busy bees.

Garden

This weekend was a very busy weekend. Husband had a lot of stuff on his agenda and so did I. So with both of us working in different areas of our yard and the help of my brother-in-law and son we accomplished a lot of things that just needed to get done. From weeding the flower beds, to staining the fences on the chicken run area, to general clean up of the yard, we did it all. 

Most important on Saturday morning the tiller was pulled out so that we could begin tilling the soil for the garden. This tilling took most of the day to get the soil conditioned for planting. After most of the day and a very tired husband the soil is in good condition to receive our seeds and plants.                                                      My son was right in the middle of it all. All that dirt - it was his heaven for the weekend. There was major excavation work being done there in the garden soil. Talk about dirt in motion. This kid and dirt go together like  two peas in a pod. He has always loved playing in the dirt. I have always enjoyed watching him play in it. Getting dirty from head to toe and loving it. Nothing that a little bit of water won't clean up.                                    We increased the size of our garden area by three times what we have had in years past. Can not wait to see this area with things growing in it. Can not wait to start harvesting the fruits and veggies of our labor. I am eager to get our plants and seeds in the ground. I will be working on this through out this next week. Need to rake out some of the weed and grass clods that are in the soil and then the planting begins. Carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, chives, onions, garlic, squash, cucumbers, pumpkins, string beans, watermelon, radishes, corn.........I think you get the picture.                                                                                    

A Great Day

     Saturday was a busy day. A great day to be outside and get stuff done and enjoy doing it. Lots of warm sunshine. My husband couldn't wait to get the girls outside to the run. He wanted to watch them scratch while he drank his coffee. Our neighbors came over and we enjoyed the rest of our coffee by the coop with them. A great way to start the day. 

   I went ahead and got to work finishing the inside of the coop adding the feeder and waterer. Then moved outside to finish up nailing the rest of the livestock wire to the wooden fence pickets. In the process of this I managed to smash the heck out of my thumb with the hammer. Not once but twice. Yes two times! Let me just say that the second time hurt way more then the first. I hate it when I do that.

    Later in the afternoon we took a break and went to a friends house to collect some more reclaimed wood. We used some of it for making a trellis to tie the raspberries to. Some of it, the wood not good for anything, we burned in the fire pit and the rest we hope to use for our sons tree house and other small projects that come up. 

    The birds got to be outside in their run all day, we got the raspberries tied and they look so much better now, some of the garden area got cleaned up and at the end of the day we sat around the fire pit and enjoyed the warmth from the fire and watched the sun set and the chicks scratch in the run. A great day. 

Starting Seeds Steps

Monday was the last day of the our three day weekend.The morning began with some snow falling for a few hours that later turned to rain. A good day to get started on our seed starts. All the items needed were gathered at the kitchen table and my son and I commenced to gardening indoors.     

Potting soil, small 3"pots, seeds and a container for mixing the potting soil with water. Add water to potting soil until the potting soil sticks together but remains spongy feeling.  Place the pots on a cookie sheet or tray. (This will come in handy when you water them later.) Fill pots about 3/4 full of dirt. Place seeds on top of dirt then fill pots rest of the way full of dirt. Don't forger to label your seeds! Then carefully water. Take care to not over water. You can leave the pots on the cookie tray and then place into a plastic bag for the greenhouse effect. I chose to place mine in an extra aquarium that we have. Check soil now and then for moistness, water when needed and soon there will be sprouts.

      This process didn't take long to complete and was quite enjoyable. Especially since we have been itching to get things happening outside. I have more seeds to start but need to wait a bit before doing so.

Starting Seeds

     Looking at getting a jump start on some plant growing. It is much too soon to plant anything in the ground yet but preparations can be started. The garden soil needs to be tilled and more nutrients added for healthy plants. Tossing around a new layout for our garden as well. In the past we have planted our rows east to west. We would like to try north to south this year and increase the size of our garden. We have a nice large area that we have only used half of in years past. In so doing we can plant more of our favorite vegetables and try several new ones.

     Most of the seeds that we can start in doors have been purchased, along with the potting soil and small containers to start them in. I will be using an old aquarium as a terrarium for the "green house" for the seeds while they are inside. I purchased a few different flower seeds as well. I couldn't help my self. I will be starting this very soon as most of the seeds that we have, need approximately 8 weeks indoors before being transplanted outside. The last weekend of April, first weekend of May should be right about the time they need to go in the ground.