Potato Lady

I'm still working to get ahead of the weather here so not much time for chitty chat. But thanks to everyone who is interested in my "homemade hay" - I'll do a post with pix and how-to very soon. Until then here are few happy snaps for your Friday....

I love that the lady bugs have found the potatoes. Thanks Potato Lady!

Yesterday I gave up when the temperature hit 91.3*. Today is supposed to be a little cooler but it's already hot our there.

A rose by any other name is still "that stupid wild rose."

This has been my nemesis for the last week or so. I've been working on clearing but I just can't get ahead of this wild rose - or the poison ivy. But I'm giving it a heck of a fight. I'm all scratched up tho.  And I'm all scratchy. Ugh!

Soon will become a salad of love.

In the meantime, my broccoli empire is starting to flower - so I'm taking up a bunch of it. I'll use Pickyourown.com's instructions on how to blanch then freeze fresh broccoli. If there is any left. It is a fact that I'm head over heels for that broccoli bacon layer salad. I have a fantastic row of lettuce that is really producing - so it's fun that just about everything in this salad comes from my yard.

Doesn't everyone love catmint?

I'm heading out but first I have to go and check on my pan of bacon for today's salad. I've got my weather radar up tho - we might get some storms firing up later today. The rain will be here in the overnight. If you are in the Mid West be sure to keep a weather eye to the sky!

Happy Friday everyone!

3rd Generation

Here are three generations of goaties...

Grandma Debbie, Momma Dahli, and little Daisy and Darla. The little ones aren't really eating they are just goofin' around. How hilarious are they?

Check out that "homemade hay" - more on that later.  And then the chickens showed up and things just got silly.

Another hot one today - everyone working outside in the heat? I am - but first need to go and scythe down another trolley full of extra long grass and also some thistles.

Happy Thursday everyone!

Fruits of Summer

Even tho we've had a few late frosts - and narrowly avoided a hard freeze that hit the northern part of our state - the fruit trees are going like gangbusters!

Our biggest victory is our Grimes Golden apple tree is fruiting like mad! We got this little tree the first year we got here and it's turn out to be a beauty. Last year I think there was one apple on it but now in its 4th (5th?) summer it's really coming into it's own.

We love Grimes Golden for it's excellent baking and applesauce qualities. Not really a snacking apple but it can be used for just about anything. It's a lovely yellow-green apple with a little bit of a blush. Our Grandpa planted several of these apple trees over at the old farm and 40 (50??) years later they are still going strong.

But can you believe these apples? One year we scored a couple of $5 sale rack fruit trees - and they are doing great now! Including this plum tree. Those trees were a bargain and they are beautiful now.

I'll have to check the new pear trees but our mature pear tree isn't producing as well as it has in past years. It might have the fire blight so I'm going to have to fix it up. Drat.

But we are going to be loaded with peaches this summer! A couple years ago I dumped a bucket of peach pits in a compost pile and never thought of it again....until peach trees grew! And they really grew! Now those little trees are so loaded with peaches that they are flomping over - I'm going to have to find a way to rig them up or they'll be on the ground.

I'd say summer is off to a roaring start!

Happy Wednesday everyone! Whatcha got growing on your fruit trees?

A few more days left!

Did everyone have a great holiday?  As May winds down remember that there are a few more days left to participate in our support a soldier project!

Thanks for all the terrific feedback that I've received. Everyone was universally excited, and touched, to get emails back from buying Joe a coffee drink. It's the best $2 you can spend.

Special thanks for all the purchases thru my Amazon store this month - wow everyone really has done a great job! I don't get a lot of information about the purchases...but one of you - you know who you are (I don't!) really went above and beyond. Thank you so much!

There is still time to get in on the fun. If you didn't already run right out and sign up with HB's for Care Packages or go to AnySoldier.com and find a service member to support... or even got off your wallet and spent $2 to buy a Joe a cuppa Joe then there is still time to do some good for someone else. We have a few more days left for you to help support "my soldier" by making a purchase thru my Amazon store!

I get a small percentage of any sale made thru my Amazon.com store and it doesn't cost you one cent extra. It's a great way to participate and it's easy! Everyone needs to buy something this time of year - have a graduate? A birthday party? Need pool, patio, BBQ, garden, or cheese making supplies? Want to watch something from Amazon's Instant Video store?  Just use this link or the black Amazon search both on the right hand side of this page. You can also check out what is in my Tools and Books Store here.

Can't think of anything you need? EVERYONE needs this - have you seen it?

 I'll use any proceeds I get from the month of May to send a care package to "my" soldier. I actually have a couple people I support but one in particular needs some special tools and gear. Doesn't the military provide everything they need? Nope. Read more about how they aren't even providing 3 cooked meals a day here.

No purchase is too small - it all adds up. That online movie or Kindle book can quickly become a snack pack for a soldier who really just needs some breakfast.  The best part about using my Amazon store for this project is that I do all the work - you just order whatever you already need anyway.

We have just a few days left - what do you need from Amazon this week? Click here to get to Amazon's main page and you'll be helping a soldier!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

This is why we can't have nice things!

You may be wondering why the walls in the dog area are always dirty... this is why...

Zander likes to arrange himself in silly poses - usually with his huge paws on the walls. He does it all the time. None of the other dogs have ever done this. Leave it to The Bubby....

This is why we can't have nice things. We love him so much.

Happy Friday everyone!

Strangers in a strange land

Yesterday we moved the chicks from their big Rubbermaid tub to their new home - a small kiddie pool. They loved it. Well. First they totally panicked, then they loved it.

The little buddies in their new set up - food first, as always.

They are growing really fast! We are under threat of bad weather today or I'd move a little faster to get them set up outside. So they are going to stay in the basement for a couple more days, just in case.

Part of our peep containment - hardware cloth wrapped around the tub.

We really like this set up - we hang a heat lamp from the ceiling, set up the pool just under it, then surround the pool with hardware cloth so they don't jump out.

Directly behind me (in this picture) is the door for this basement room. And directly in back of that door is The Insane Cat Posse - lined up shoulder to shoulder and butt to butt just waiting for one of those little peeps to make a break for it, get a little too close to the door, and then be dragged to their doom by one of the awaiting cats. If we have an especially flippy-flier group we'll even put a towel under the door - just in case. I think Nicholas spent about 4 hours down there yesterday looking under the door and just waiting.

Paper towels - not the best bedding but good enough for now.

Today we'll get some fine pine shavings from the feed store to use as bedding. Those paper towels were just what we had on hand. One key to success with these meat chickens is keeping them as dry as possible. You'd be surprised at how much they splash around in their drinker.

And now I'm heading out for another day of hard labor in the salt mines. I got a lot of planting and clearing done yesterday. We are supposed to get that storm front from Oklahoma this afternoon. Might make for some interesting times.  We shouldn't have such severe storms but I'm going to make it a short day just in case. Then I'm going to batten down the chickens and run inside.

Happy Wednesday everyone - and keep a weather eye to the sky!

Work, work, work.....

I'm pretty sure all my friends have just about given up on me. Almost all of my communiques for the last couple weeks have been "Hands full, can't talk, lots going on here..." Wow - are we getting a lot done! But we have to work while we have the weather.

 Broccoli is coming on.

Pretty much it's been nothing but work work work and more work and additional work after that. Mostly we've been working on garden stuff. And tons of mowing. So much mowing. I hate the mowing.

Look at these potatoes (with rare self portrait).

I can't really complain about this spring. We've had the right mix of warm and sunny, cool and sunny, and some beautiful rains. Everything is growing like mad.

We'll have some sporty weather later so I need to get out there.... so my message today is... hands full, can't talk, lots going on here!

Happy Tuesday! Now get out there and get planting!

Editor's Note: I don't know about you but I'm shocked and saddened at the terrible destruction from yesterday's massive storms in Oklahoma and parts of the Plains. Keep a weather eye on the sky, everyone, stay safe!