I am trying hard not to complain about the days of rain we have been having. We need the rain desperately, but I would rather be planing. The SB and I had a very productive couple of days. Though still no duck house, we did a great deal of yard and garden work. We made a new bed by the orchard and moved the raspberries. This is the first of several and we are talking about having a LOT of raspberries, which suits me just fine thankyouverymuch. We put the garden fencing up, which is critical. We moved the beehive to allow for the chicken run. I still have to clean some of the frames, but it looks like the bees were indeed in residence for a while, but there was a VERY small number and they didn't make it due to cold or starvation (there was food above them, but probably too far above.... ) [Aside: I will tell you that dead bees don't smell very good. I think the next hive is coming next week - stay tuned.] The SB added horse manure and creek mud to the beds and we set our final garden bed (in the rain on Saturday before he left). The setting of beds is to make them level and look all pretty. It does look nice. It also takes about 2 hours. I try to look at it as an investment. With luck, we won't ever have to do it again - at least on the ones we have already placed. I am holding out hope that we will set additional beds this fall and on into the future as we continue with our garden expansion.
I am getting the potatoes ready to plant. You set them out in filtered light where it is warm so that they can sprout. I was hoping to have them in by now, but I didn't get to it before the rain. Now we will definitely need a few days of warms and sunshine. I have lettuce and chard and beets ready to go into the ground. Also onions and parsley. I would really like to get things moving, but again, it is going to have to wait for some sunshine and perhaps some breeziness. I am chomping at the bit. I don't have any room to plant new seeds and I can't move the others out.... The agony.
Showing posts with label chickens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chickens. Show all posts
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
SB at Work
So while the SB was home over the holidays, we had much discussion over chickens and ducks. He sent me this "sketch up" model of a chicken coop. It is planned for the bank above the upper lawn near the bees. And although it is a long walk on a cold morning, it is the best place for warmth and lack of dampness.....
And is that not the cutest chicken coop you have ever seen? The bees will live right by that tree. I say "will live" because I was out there the other day to take them a snack and I am now sure that if they were there, they are not any longer. I opened the hive and poked around and they are not there. They may have been, but the bees I saw earlier may also have been from another hive just coming over for a snack since there wasn't anyone home. I e-chatted with my bee mentor (who rocks) and he said that he has lost half of his hives this winter. Makes me feel not so bad about losing my one in the first year. I am planning to reinstall in the spring. This crew should have it a little easier as the last bees left behind a lot of pre-made comb, so the next ones won't have to work so hard - they can get right to the brood rearing and honey making. In the meantime, I am going to try to process the rest of the honey that I had saved out in the event that the bees needed it.
The weather was spectacular today. Amazing. I went out back and started hacking at my frozen bale of potting soil and eventually chipped off enough for another seedling flat. I planted Scarlet Charlotte chard, Italian Silver Rib chard, Baby Ball beets, a rainbow mix of beets, and Marveille de Quatre Saisons lettuce. In the past I have just gone out in the middle of March and sprinkled seeds in the garden. I find thought that things tend to sprout unevenly, so I will have a few plants very close together and then spaces without any.... This year I am envisioning cute little well spaced rows/checkerboards so as to maximize the use of the spaces. I am hoping to be able to put things out earlier with the row covers for protection. The sooner this party starts the better as far as I am concerned. And on that note, the early leeks and bunching onions are cooperating. Sprouting already! Since I expect I may have more seedlings (of all sorts) than I can actually put in my garden, I will be happy to share. Leave a comment and let me know what you are interested. Even if I don't know you. Happy to share. Really.
I also checked out the stuff under the row covers. The spinach is snapping back from the blistering cold nicely, and the Italian Silver Rib chard is making a comeback as well. The jury is out on the Scarlet Charlotte chard, and the arugula. I also ordered more potatoes today. I saved some from last year, but I want to try a few new things... So I ordered an early season, a late season and some Jerusalem artichokes and another variety of onion (thinking I can put them in later in the summer for fall harvest.) The SB gets frustrated with me for buying too much for the garden, but I figure, If I get one pound of onions per pack of seed I will (financially) break even. I only need 3-4 lbs of potatoes.... At least if you compare with the prices of organic produce at the local spots - $2/lb for organic onions and potatoes. Seems like a lot to me..... But I am not trying to make a living at it either.
There is much to do tomorrow. I want to get some newspaper down in the paths between the new beds to start killing out the grass. I also have to re-paper the old paths since the newspaper and grass clippings we were using to smother grass and weeds have broken down. We have a giant pile of horse poop that needs to be moved down to the old gardens and a bunch of strawberries that need to be moved. We are going to experiment by nestling them under the blueberries. At least until we come up with a long term strawberry bed. I need to check all the new trees and re-spray with Deer Off and add some fencing tubes to keep the nibbling creatures from eating away the bark at the bottoms of the trees. We lost a couple early on that way. Ground hogs or rabbits. But we need to get that taken care of before everyone comes out of hibernation.
Soon, it will be time to order the ducks....um, EEEEEEP. OMG! DUCKLINGS!
The SB and our friend D will be coming to town over the weekend. Nothing like a few strapping boys around to get some real work done. I'll be providing the food and the cash to keep the ball rolling.
And is that not the cutest chicken coop you have ever seen? The bees will live right by that tree. I say "will live" because I was out there the other day to take them a snack and I am now sure that if they were there, they are not any longer. I opened the hive and poked around and they are not there. They may have been, but the bees I saw earlier may also have been from another hive just coming over for a snack since there wasn't anyone home. I e-chatted with my bee mentor (who rocks) and he said that he has lost half of his hives this winter. Makes me feel not so bad about losing my one in the first year. I am planning to reinstall in the spring. This crew should have it a little easier as the last bees left behind a lot of pre-made comb, so the next ones won't have to work so hard - they can get right to the brood rearing and honey making. In the meantime, I am going to try to process the rest of the honey that I had saved out in the event that the bees needed it. The weather was spectacular today. Amazing. I went out back and started hacking at my frozen bale of potting soil and eventually chipped off enough for another seedling flat. I planted Scarlet Charlotte chard, Italian Silver Rib chard, Baby Ball beets, a rainbow mix of beets, and Marveille de Quatre Saisons lettuce. In the past I have just gone out in the middle of March and sprinkled seeds in the garden. I find thought that things tend to sprout unevenly, so I will have a few plants very close together and then spaces without any.... This year I am envisioning cute little well spaced rows/checkerboards so as to maximize the use of the spaces. I am hoping to be able to put things out earlier with the row covers for protection. The sooner this party starts the better as far as I am concerned. And on that note, the early leeks and bunching onions are cooperating. Sprouting already! Since I expect I may have more seedlings (of all sorts) than I can actually put in my garden, I will be happy to share. Leave a comment and let me know what you are interested. Even if I don't know you. Happy to share. Really.
I also checked out the stuff under the row covers. The spinach is snapping back from the blistering cold nicely, and the Italian Silver Rib chard is making a comeback as well. The jury is out on the Scarlet Charlotte chard, and the arugula. I also ordered more potatoes today. I saved some from last year, but I want to try a few new things... So I ordered an early season, a late season and some Jerusalem artichokes and another variety of onion (thinking I can put them in later in the summer for fall harvest.) The SB gets frustrated with me for buying too much for the garden, but I figure, If I get one pound of onions per pack of seed I will (financially) break even. I only need 3-4 lbs of potatoes.... At least if you compare with the prices of organic produce at the local spots - $2/lb for organic onions and potatoes. Seems like a lot to me..... But I am not trying to make a living at it either.
There is much to do tomorrow. I want to get some newspaper down in the paths between the new beds to start killing out the grass. I also have to re-paper the old paths since the newspaper and grass clippings we were using to smother grass and weeds have broken down. We have a giant pile of horse poop that needs to be moved down to the old gardens and a bunch of strawberries that need to be moved. We are going to experiment by nestling them under the blueberries. At least until we come up with a long term strawberry bed. I need to check all the new trees and re-spray with Deer Off and add some fencing tubes to keep the nibbling creatures from eating away the bark at the bottoms of the trees. We lost a couple early on that way. Ground hogs or rabbits. But we need to get that taken care of before everyone comes out of hibernation.
Soon, it will be time to order the ducks....um, EEEEEEP. OMG! DUCKLINGS!
The SB and our friend D will be coming to town over the weekend. Nothing like a few strapping boys around to get some real work done. I'll be providing the food and the cash to keep the ball rolling.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Winter
It being all cold, and the SB being gone back to the big city, I can see me getting a little more time to blog in the next couple of weeks. Don't get me wrong, I have places to be, but a little more evening time is a nice respite. The SB is sort of on turbo charge when he is home, so there is a lot of work in his vacations. Which is good. For him. Not so much for someone who already feels like one full time job is enough. That said, we did get lots done. Figured out, again, where the ducks are going. Figured out, again, where chickens are going. Put together, leveled and planted two new garden beds and got blueberries planted in one. The other awaits the potatoes in March. Received our first seed order from Southern Exposure. Set up the lights in the basement so that I can start the leeks and onions. Moved in our new old free freezer (thanks Craigslist!). Rearranged the basement, again. The SB rearranged all the stuff in the kitchen cabinets. He also replaced the under cabinet light which has been out since about 3 hours after he left for school, 3.5 years ago. Under cabinet light is an amazing thing when you haven't had it for a while. I also mended the SBs sweaters. I am learning how to pick up stitches and actually replace missing fabric. Thrashing through it right now, but it is coming along. Like most things when you really sit down with them, it isn't rocket science and you can make good progress by just winging it, tearing it out and doing it again.
I'll post some photos soon. Right now I am still reeling with the transitions.
I'll post some photos soon. Right now I am still reeling with the transitions.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Eat your heart out.
This is a shot of the garden. Today. That would be DECEMBER people. Spinach in December. Outside. Without a greenhouse. Just row covers.... BooYA. I am almost too astonished to harvest. Almost. I may wait to share it with the SB upon his return next weekend. It is supposed to be warm-ish until then so I think we will be ok.
This is the garlic coming up through the straw. You can see the hard frosts nipped the tops off. But they seem to be fine. These are the Broadleaf Czech. The parsley are still struggling along and there is arugula and some other greens still happening. I must say using this stuff gets tricky when it is dark. Sorting out what is baby greens and what are weeds is tough. I'll have to fire up the battery recharger and find the headlamps. The headlamp came to the SB for the holidays one year. My family is often stumped by the prospect of purchasing gifts for the SB. He is quite particular about the things he likes. And the things he doesn't care about he doesn't want anyway. The headlamp was given after hearing me tell the story of him being in the yard until well past dark. Often still mowing. In the dark. He is a multi-talented person that SB. Anywhoo, it will come in handy for winter gardening and duck/chicken raising and goat milking.
This afternoon I stopped by my across the street neighbors to borrow my ladder back temporarily. They are building a chicken house. I spied on it. It looks REALLY nice. Still needs the exterior put on, but boy howdy, that is a good lookin' chicken house. I'll take the SB over there while he is home to give him some ideas...
I have a lot of projects for the SB during his winter break. I suspect they will not all be accomplished, but I will hold out hope for some.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Homesteading
So you have all been letting me get away with being remarkably dull. No pictures. No links. In fact, nothing interesting here on the blog lately. So I will try to beef up the content here and get things rolling. I have been reading this book called the Four Season Harvest, which is excellent. They refer to this time of the year as the Persephone months and describe it as the time when things really aren't doing much in the way of growing, at least in the garden. I think I am definitely there. Nothing going on, especially with the long cold spells we have been having. I certainly have hopes that some of my plants will rebound when this is over, sometime in mid Feb. The last of the leeks were harvested over Thanksgiving and are now languishing in the produce drawer of the fridge.
In direct response to the lack of garden stuff happening, I purchased two additional books. Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning and Root Cellaring. The first is a collection of "recipes" from old time French gardeners who have learned the art of low impact preservation from their families and mentors - I think Amazon has it as an electronic file for cheap. The second is how to store veggies in root cellar like conditions even if you don't have a cellar. It goes through what you can store and how and what varieties you should plant if you want to store for the colder months. All good reading for the many MANY dark hours of the current days.
I also made a new bread recipe from a website called A Year in Bread.
I can't wait to try more. I have been making the NYT No Knead Recipe (also known in my house as Magic Bread) so kneading was something I had to recall from many years past. It was good though. I love the feel of the bread when it is near done and it is smooth and elastic and quits sticking to everything in site. Little bit of a work out too, since the recipe makes three large loaves and in all it requires quite a bit of stirring and kneading. I have also been interested in this phenomenon... I have heard about it in a couple of places and really wanted to give it a try... Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Basically, you make a big batch of wet dough and keep it in the fridge and whack of a hunk and let it rise whenever you want. My papa bought the book and I was waiting for the review before proceeding, then Bang!, my issue of Mother Earth News shows up on the doorstep with the basic recipe and instructions in it. Lucky me! When I get through the loaves of sandwich bread, I'll give it a try. (I think they have even posted it on the website so go check it out.)
Also on the doorstep this week was Backyard Poultry. From there and from here, I found this website on homesteading. I can't wait to spend more time with it. They have some great info on chickens.
In direct response to the lack of garden stuff happening, I purchased two additional books. Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning and Root Cellaring. The first is a collection of "recipes" from old time French gardeners who have learned the art of low impact preservation from their families and mentors - I think Amazon has it as an electronic file for cheap. The second is how to store veggies in root cellar like conditions even if you don't have a cellar. It goes through what you can store and how and what varieties you should plant if you want to store for the colder months. All good reading for the many MANY dark hours of the current days.
I also made a new bread recipe from a website called A Year in Bread.
I can't wait to try more. I have been making the NYT No Knead Recipe (also known in my house as Magic Bread) so kneading was something I had to recall from many years past. It was good though. I love the feel of the bread when it is near done and it is smooth and elastic and quits sticking to everything in site. Little bit of a work out too, since the recipe makes three large loaves and in all it requires quite a bit of stirring and kneading. I have also been interested in this phenomenon... I have heard about it in a couple of places and really wanted to give it a try... Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Basically, you make a big batch of wet dough and keep it in the fridge and whack of a hunk and let it rise whenever you want. My papa bought the book and I was waiting for the review before proceeding, then Bang!, my issue of Mother Earth News shows up on the doorstep with the basic recipe and instructions in it. Lucky me! When I get through the loaves of sandwich bread, I'll give it a try. (I think they have even posted it on the website so go check it out.)
Also on the doorstep this week was Backyard Poultry. From there and from here, I found this website on homesteading. I can't wait to spend more time with it. They have some great info on chickens.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Fine, Fine Weather
It is so totally fall today. So spectacularly fall in C'ville. I went to the market with Mama this morning. Stocked up on apples and squash. And bacon. Came home and took a bath which is a real treat. Then made some cottage cheese dill bread and while it was rising I went to the garden and planted my three types of garlic. Because I planned ahead, the bed was ready and I just needed to rake out the tiny weeds and plant, then I layered cut grass and straw on top. I probably need a few more layers, but I got distracted and dug the rest of the potatoes. I did some general garden maintenance and planned for the duck house. I need to have a couple of options for the SB to see. I was also trying to plan next year's garden to some extent. Where are the raspberries going to go? They need to be able to spread because there is no such thing as too many raspberries.
We have what I think is a red shouldered hawk hanging around the yard today. He is lovely and quite large. I have also seen a LOT of bees out today. I have no idea what that means. I am going in tomorrow to see if anything needs to be rearranged before it gets too cold to mess around in there.
And I found an ad for this in my inbox this morning. The irony of spending $500 to disguise your chicken house as a trash can is not lost on me....
We have what I think is a red shouldered hawk hanging around the yard today. He is lovely and quite large. I have also seen a LOT of bees out today. I have no idea what that means. I am going in tomorrow to see if anything needs to be rearranged before it gets too cold to mess around in there.
And I found an ad for this in my inbox this morning. The irony of spending $500 to disguise your chicken house as a trash can is not lost on me....
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Patience
Because you were so patient, I decided to go ahead and load up my riveting photos of yesterday.
These are the spinaches coming up outside the door. In the other pot, I planted a lettuce mix from Burpee.
This is the granola I made. Yummy! 4 cups oats, 2 cups puffed rice, 1/2 cup sliced almonds, 1/4 oat bran and 2T brown sugar. Pour over that a mixture of 3/4 cup pineapple juice, 1/4 cup apple juice that has been reduced to 2/3 cup and then 1/4 cup of honey dissolved in it. Pour the liquid over the dry stuff and mix well. Put on a jelly roll pan (with a little oil or non stick spray on it) in a 325 oven and stir every 5 or so minutes for 25-30 minutes or until things look like they are toasting. Don't let it go too far or it will burn pretty easily. Add the raisins after it cools. Store in an airtight container. I'll be having this with homemade whole milk yogurt and some of the last raspberries of the season for breakfast.
Cho, turn away and don't look. Or at least prepare yourself.
This is a garden spider. I have one in this same spot every year. Normally I see her on the first of September or thereabouts. I don't know if spiders live more than a year. I suspect not, but it is uncanny how it is always there this time of year. It was a good day for this spider because she was munching on something. If things go as usual, we will have an egg case somewhere about before the really cold weather sets in.
I dug out our old compost pile this morning. Wow. Compost is some good stuff - gorgeous and rich and squirming with all manner of life. I mixed it into the beds where I was planting more spinach, some kale and more of the mixed lettuces. Then I did a half assed job of turning more into the bed that is going to get the garlic along with some of the straw leftover from the potatoes. I also put a bunch on my asparagus bed. The asparagus bed is getting special treatment this year as I didn't get any asparagus last year. I think I haven't been feeding it enough. Apparently it is a heavy feeder. So I didn't harvest any of the spindly spears and left the bed alone, other than weeding and feeding this summer. Well, I watered it a bit. I'll try to continue to be diligent. Maybe it will forgive me an send up big fat tasty spears next April.
I am already starting a list of things I need to grow next year. I think I will try sweet potatoes again. I spent some time today working on planning for ducks. I have decided that they need to be in the garden. Or at least that is what I think right now. I think the chickens will be mobile. We have work for them to do in other areas of the yard and having them on the go will be good. I am hoping we can put them to work cleaning up some of the MASSIVE amounts of chickweed (or whatever it is) that takes over our wooded area like a great tide of pale green slime in the spring. It really does have the look of the pond has receded and left this goopy stuff all over. But if it IS chickweed, then what better to do with it than let the chickens scratch it up and eat it. I am all for it.
These are the spinaches coming up outside the door. In the other pot, I planted a lettuce mix from Burpee.
This is the granola I made. Yummy! 4 cups oats, 2 cups puffed rice, 1/2 cup sliced almonds, 1/4 oat bran and 2T brown sugar. Pour over that a mixture of 3/4 cup pineapple juice, 1/4 cup apple juice that has been reduced to 2/3 cup and then 1/4 cup of honey dissolved in it. Pour the liquid over the dry stuff and mix well. Put on a jelly roll pan (with a little oil or non stick spray on it) in a 325 oven and stir every 5 or so minutes for 25-30 minutes or until things look like they are toasting. Don't let it go too far or it will burn pretty easily. Add the raisins after it cools. Store in an airtight container. I'll be having this with homemade whole milk yogurt and some of the last raspberries of the season for breakfast.Cho, turn away and don't look. Or at least prepare yourself.
This is a garden spider. I have one in this same spot every year. Normally I see her on the first of September or thereabouts. I don't know if spiders live more than a year. I suspect not, but it is uncanny how it is always there this time of year. It was a good day for this spider because she was munching on something. If things go as usual, we will have an egg case somewhere about before the really cold weather sets in.I dug out our old compost pile this morning. Wow. Compost is some good stuff - gorgeous and rich and squirming with all manner of life. I mixed it into the beds where I was planting more spinach, some kale and more of the mixed lettuces. Then I did a half assed job of turning more into the bed that is going to get the garlic along with some of the straw leftover from the potatoes. I also put a bunch on my asparagus bed. The asparagus bed is getting special treatment this year as I didn't get any asparagus last year. I think I haven't been feeding it enough. Apparently it is a heavy feeder. So I didn't harvest any of the spindly spears and left the bed alone, other than weeding and feeding this summer. Well, I watered it a bit. I'll try to continue to be diligent. Maybe it will forgive me an send up big fat tasty spears next April.
I am already starting a list of things I need to grow next year. I think I will try sweet potatoes again. I spent some time today working on planning for ducks. I have decided that they need to be in the garden. Or at least that is what I think right now. I think the chickens will be mobile. We have work for them to do in other areas of the yard and having them on the go will be good. I am hoping we can put them to work cleaning up some of the MASSIVE amounts of chickweed (or whatever it is) that takes over our wooded area like a great tide of pale green slime in the spring. It really does have the look of the pond has receded and left this goopy stuff all over. But if it IS chickweed, then what better to do with it than let the chickens scratch it up and eat it. I am all for it.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
The Market
I feel the end of the market looming. Mama and I went this AM at our usual ungodly hour. I ran into my neighbor V who introduced me to the LARD. Yes, people, real lard. For biscuits, pie crust and other delights. These of course can be made without lard, but why bother? We also ran into SHG for the first time in many weeks. She of course already knew about the lard. Sigh. In my mild panic about the market ending in a month and a half, I bought enough food for about 8 people. So, if you are around this week and hungry, come on by....
Today I am making tomatillo sauce with one of the few success stories from the garden. I still have lots of leeks and parsley, so last night I used many of my teeny potatoes to make potato leek soup with fresh milk. Deelish. I still have potatoes to dig, but I don't think the harvest will be great (very late and half assed job) and since they seem to still be happy out there and because I don't really have a good place to put them, I am leaving them in the garden bed. We will revisit them later. I am also making granola. I haven't made it in ages, but the rising costs at IY is encouraging me to branch out. The granola I bought for the SB before he took off cost $12. Um. That is too much for cereal people.
My bees are not eating. I went out yesterday to refill the feeder, thinking it would be dry, but it was almost full. Don't really know what is up with that, but my theory is that I must have burnt the sugar a bit when I made the syrup. I had a new batch whipped up so I made a new feeder from a Rubbermaid container with holes poked in the lid. I took it out this AM. I felt like I was going to a potluck with my little container. They seemed a little more interested in this, but I'll have to check tomorrow and see for sure.
I am hoping to get some more seeds planted over the weekend. And some general yard and garden work accomplished. Of course, it is supposed to be sweltering. I'll try to follow the shade around the yard. I have spinach coming up in one of the former tomato planters. I am cutting out the other tomato today and replanting there with lettuces or more spinach or chard or something. I also need to do some work on my garden pathways to keep the weed barrier in order. Yesterday I was out puttering and pulled a plant that was covered in bugs. I thought, wouldn't the chickens like this? I really need me some chickens. And some ducks. And since we no longer have the raw milk available (ending the last week in September), I REALLY need me a cow. And the truth is that I need to be a housewife. Actually, I really need to be an urban farmwife. All my work clothes will be black.
Today I am making tomatillo sauce with one of the few success stories from the garden. I still have lots of leeks and parsley, so last night I used many of my teeny potatoes to make potato leek soup with fresh milk. Deelish. I still have potatoes to dig, but I don't think the harvest will be great (very late and half assed job) and since they seem to still be happy out there and because I don't really have a good place to put them, I am leaving them in the garden bed. We will revisit them later. I am also making granola. I haven't made it in ages, but the rising costs at IY is encouraging me to branch out. The granola I bought for the SB before he took off cost $12. Um. That is too much for cereal people.
My bees are not eating. I went out yesterday to refill the feeder, thinking it would be dry, but it was almost full. Don't really know what is up with that, but my theory is that I must have burnt the sugar a bit when I made the syrup. I had a new batch whipped up so I made a new feeder from a Rubbermaid container with holes poked in the lid. I took it out this AM. I felt like I was going to a potluck with my little container. They seemed a little more interested in this, but I'll have to check tomorrow and see for sure.
I am hoping to get some more seeds planted over the weekend. And some general yard and garden work accomplished. Of course, it is supposed to be sweltering. I'll try to follow the shade around the yard. I have spinach coming up in one of the former tomato planters. I am cutting out the other tomato today and replanting there with lettuces or more spinach or chard or something. I also need to do some work on my garden pathways to keep the weed barrier in order. Yesterday I was out puttering and pulled a plant that was covered in bugs. I thought, wouldn't the chickens like this? I really need me some chickens. And some ducks. And since we no longer have the raw milk available (ending the last week in September), I REALLY need me a cow. And the truth is that I need to be a housewife. Actually, I really need to be an urban farmwife. All my work clothes will be black.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
DANG
Wow. Another long break. I hadn't intended it to be so, but alas.... We got the SB off to school in NOVA. Then back for a long weekend, then off again. Give me strength. These transitions just about kill me, so I am hoping against hope that this is the last year of it.
Last evening I harvested the rest of the main crop of potatoes. I didn't mean to, but once I started, it was so darned much fun. The soil was so lovely I pretty much dug them all by hand, without gloves. And what I kept thinking the whole time was "Dang, I need some chickens and/or ducks to come and follow me around because there are some juicy lookin' grubs in here" And there were. Fatties. Nasty grey critters. Maybe Japanese Beetle larvae, but other things too. Large and small. Crickets and grasshoppers were hidden in the straw, there were GIGANTIC worms, teeny little ant like things and all kinds of delicious variety. Chick Collective, beware. I have decided that the best of intentions are getting us all exactly no where in terms of chickens. I am hatching a plan to motivate. Stay tuned.
I filled a 3 gallon nursery pot full of potatoes. They are "curing" in the back of the SB's truck. I need to bring them inside in the morning so that they don't start to turn green. I have been eating some of the earlier harvest. These little things are super. They have a stout little skin that is toothy and insides get soft and creamy when you cook them. I roasted some with a chicken and then made and Indian type dish with them tonight. Boil about 1/2 - 3/4 pound of potato bits until just tender, drain and set aside. Saute one onion and 2 cloves of garlic with a 1 inch chunk of ginger (all chopped). Add about a teaspoon each of ground cumin and coriander, chili powder to taste, a few saffron threads, 1/2 t. turmeric and a teaspoon or two of curry powder or garam masala. Fry briefly then add about one cup chopped tomato and either 2-3 cups of fresh spinach or 10 oz or so of thawed squeezed frozen spinach. Warm through, add potatoes and a little water or broth and stir together. Serve with plain yogurt or cucumber raita.
In other exciting news, over the long weekend, the SB and I went to see some ducks. We had a delightful tour of Split Rock Farm from what turned out to be a neighbor of ours that works there. She showed us their amazing and beautiful chickens, and the ducks that were supposed to be runner ducks but they got shipped the wrong thing. Turned out they got buff ducks instead. They are still cute and they are garden loving critters that hunt slugs and eat rotten tomatoes. And not so rotten tomatoes that have the ill fortune of being low on the vine. I am sure they would love the beetle larvae as well. This new neighbor is interested in having chickens - the collective grows. AND she hooked me up with someone who DOES actually have runner ducks and who has invited moi to come and see the new hatchlings. I am afraid to go. I am afraid that I will accidentally bring some home. They might sneak into my purse or pockets or get under the seats in my car. Or something. They are wiley those little ducklings. They can hide just about anywhere. Like the basement. Or my bedroom. Or in the cab of the truck out back. It is soooo dangerous. I will probably go anyway and just make sure that I don't have any pockets or cash.
Tomorrow I am going to the Central Virginia Beekeepers meeting. I am going to be reminded what I need to do to get my hive ready for the winter. There I will also meet with my bee mentor and talk about times to put my wire strung frames into the hive. Which will be SUPER exciting. My bee mentor pretty much rocks.
AND, AND this weekend, I am going to a Harvest Festival. And I am going to attend workshops. And I am going to learn about winter gardening and growing garlic and onions (my garlic arrives in two weeks), and about growing fruit and no till planting. This is all the more exciting because I thought I was going to have to work this weekend, but the event was canceled thanks to a possibility of a hurricane, which may, if it comes, impact the harvest festival as well, but I am keeping my fingers crossed. Oh, and did I mention that it is free? At least the majority of it and I am not doing any of the parts that cost $.
Cho-girl and I are going to the Fiber Festival the first weekend in October. Tag along if you like.
Last evening I harvested the rest of the main crop of potatoes. I didn't mean to, but once I started, it was so darned much fun. The soil was so lovely I pretty much dug them all by hand, without gloves. And what I kept thinking the whole time was "Dang, I need some chickens and/or ducks to come and follow me around because there are some juicy lookin' grubs in here" And there were. Fatties. Nasty grey critters. Maybe Japanese Beetle larvae, but other things too. Large and small. Crickets and grasshoppers were hidden in the straw, there were GIGANTIC worms, teeny little ant like things and all kinds of delicious variety. Chick Collective, beware. I have decided that the best of intentions are getting us all exactly no where in terms of chickens. I am hatching a plan to motivate. Stay tuned.
I filled a 3 gallon nursery pot full of potatoes. They are "curing" in the back of the SB's truck. I need to bring them inside in the morning so that they don't start to turn green. I have been eating some of the earlier harvest. These little things are super. They have a stout little skin that is toothy and insides get soft and creamy when you cook them. I roasted some with a chicken and then made and Indian type dish with them tonight. Boil about 1/2 - 3/4 pound of potato bits until just tender, drain and set aside. Saute one onion and 2 cloves of garlic with a 1 inch chunk of ginger (all chopped). Add about a teaspoon each of ground cumin and coriander, chili powder to taste, a few saffron threads, 1/2 t. turmeric and a teaspoon or two of curry powder or garam masala. Fry briefly then add about one cup chopped tomato and either 2-3 cups of fresh spinach or 10 oz or so of thawed squeezed frozen spinach. Warm through, add potatoes and a little water or broth and stir together. Serve with plain yogurt or cucumber raita.
In other exciting news, over the long weekend, the SB and I went to see some ducks. We had a delightful tour of Split Rock Farm from what turned out to be a neighbor of ours that works there. She showed us their amazing and beautiful chickens, and the ducks that were supposed to be runner ducks but they got shipped the wrong thing. Turned out they got buff ducks instead. They are still cute and they are garden loving critters that hunt slugs and eat rotten tomatoes. And not so rotten tomatoes that have the ill fortune of being low on the vine. I am sure they would love the beetle larvae as well. This new neighbor is interested in having chickens - the collective grows. AND she hooked me up with someone who DOES actually have runner ducks and who has invited moi to come and see the new hatchlings. I am afraid to go. I am afraid that I will accidentally bring some home. They might sneak into my purse or pockets or get under the seats in my car. Or something. They are wiley those little ducklings. They can hide just about anywhere. Like the basement. Or my bedroom. Or in the cab of the truck out back. It is soooo dangerous. I will probably go anyway and just make sure that I don't have any pockets or cash.
Tomorrow I am going to the Central Virginia Beekeepers meeting. I am going to be reminded what I need to do to get my hive ready for the winter. There I will also meet with my bee mentor and talk about times to put my wire strung frames into the hive. Which will be SUPER exciting. My bee mentor pretty much rocks.
AND, AND this weekend, I am going to a Harvest Festival. And I am going to attend workshops. And I am going to learn about winter gardening and growing garlic and onions (my garlic arrives in two weeks), and about growing fruit and no till planting. This is all the more exciting because I thought I was going to have to work this weekend, but the event was canceled thanks to a possibility of a hurricane, which may, if it comes, impact the harvest festival as well, but I am keeping my fingers crossed. Oh, and did I mention that it is free? At least the majority of it and I am not doing any of the parts that cost $.
Cho-girl and I are going to the Fiber Festival the first weekend in October. Tag along if you like.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Where?
People, where exactly DOES the time go? This is not a rhetorical question so please feel free to chime in. I would really like to find where it goes so that I can go collect it and bring it back. I am hoping it just takes a wheel barrow and a shovel, but if I have to rent some heavy equipment, I am willing to do so.
To revisit... The LB, Cho, and SHG and I all made cheese Oh, about 3 weeks ago. Maybe more. Here are some of the highlights of early in the evening, before SHG went and got her camera.
If you want the play by play of live cheese making, you will have to go here.
The spread. What is the point of getting together if you can't eat, drink and be merry?
The peach auditions. Three different types of peaches, all likely to be grafted onto rootstock by a local farm and on offer for sale as small trees in the spring. We liked the Beekman. As did my friends the following evening. Deee lish.
Heating the milk with citric acid for ricotta. Someone was watching the temperature, I am sure as it is critical. It must have been the LB. She was SERIOUS about the cheese. She did the research, bought the kit, gathered us, and kept us on task.
Here the curds are being ladled gently into the cheese cloth lined strainer per the directions.
Here we give up on gentleness and dump the mothers in there.
The long and the short of it is that we really need a cow. We are all totally in agreement on this.
The following day/evening/day was spent in Warrenton, visiting some of my chick friends from waaaaaay back. Six of the original 7 of my old supper club got together for dinner, in from London, New York, State College and The Ville. It was pretty near heaven, but way too short a visit.
After that, the SB was home again, and we were off on our usual wild ride of gardening, housework, etc. When he is away, I forget how much time this relationship stuff takes ....
Anyway, from the garden, we snuck out one evening and carefully dug under some of the potato plants to see if we had any new potatoes. We never got blossoms on the plants and I read that is the time you can start harvesting new potatoes. Well, apparently you don't need blossoms. Check 'em out!
These are fingerling potatoes of a variety called La Ratte (thanks Barbara Kingsolver). What do you do with a handful of small fingerling potatoes you ask.... Well, you cut them into more or less even chunks and boil them gently. While that is going on, you saute half a pound of Babe in the Woods local hot sausage with an onion and when things have browned nicely you add in potatoes and a big bunch of chard from the front porch and you add a little white wine or chicken stock and let the greens steam in there for a bit. Then at the end you wonder if there is enough starch in it to keep the SB from having to go for a 2am snack, decide no, and throw in a cup and a half of leftover cooked pasta and warm it through. While it is hot, you plop on top several spoonfuls of fresh ricotta (see above). You watch with delight as your dinner partner snarfs down enough food to feed a family of 8.
There is another small success in the garden in this year of very few real successes.
Some of the tomatoes planted on the hillside have produced! The yellow one is Wonder Light, the two directly behind it is a Tigarella (a little stripey) then there are the Black Plum Paste (with the greenish tops) and Grandma Mary's Paste, the sort of blocky shaped ones. Grandma's Paste is amazingly prolific with a minimum (no let's be fair - ZERO) care. I have been enjoying my potted tomatoes... Crimson Carmello (nice, but not the best tomato ever - the consistency is sort of mealy) and Persimmon (lovely yellow peach and very mild but not a great producer). If we had a little more rain, I think I would have been inundated. Which was sort of what I was looking for, but I am happy, I haven't had to buy much in the way of tomatoes lately.
In other news, we (the SB and I) spent and entire day and *almost* decided to build a chicken tractor. We opted out when we went to Lowes and priced it out at over $100. We decided to scrounge more and go for a permanent structure. Now we may be back to the tractor as the SB is questioning my long term commitment to chickens. The nerve.
We have also been talking a lot about ducks. What we hear is that ducks are messy. Apparently they fling water around like crazy when they eat and they poop. A lot. I am undaunted. I am sure that we can find leaves and chips and sawdust and straw to put down. And it gives me a good excuse to get some Wellingtons.
To revisit... The LB, Cho, and SHG and I all made cheese Oh, about 3 weeks ago. Maybe more. Here are some of the highlights of early in the evening, before SHG went and got her camera.
If you want the play by play of live cheese making, you will have to go here.
The spread. What is the point of getting together if you can't eat, drink and be merry?
The peach auditions. Three different types of peaches, all likely to be grafted onto rootstock by a local farm and on offer for sale as small trees in the spring. We liked the Beekman. As did my friends the following evening. Deee lish.
Heating the milk with citric acid for ricotta. Someone was watching the temperature, I am sure as it is critical. It must have been the LB. She was SERIOUS about the cheese. She did the research, bought the kit, gathered us, and kept us on task.
Here the curds are being ladled gently into the cheese cloth lined strainer per the directions.
Here we give up on gentleness and dump the mothers in there. The long and the short of it is that we really need a cow. We are all totally in agreement on this.
The following day/evening/day was spent in Warrenton, visiting some of my chick friends from waaaaaay back. Six of the original 7 of my old supper club got together for dinner, in from London, New York, State College and The Ville. It was pretty near heaven, but way too short a visit.
After that, the SB was home again, and we were off on our usual wild ride of gardening, housework, etc. When he is away, I forget how much time this relationship stuff takes ....
Anyway, from the garden, we snuck out one evening and carefully dug under some of the potato plants to see if we had any new potatoes. We never got blossoms on the plants and I read that is the time you can start harvesting new potatoes. Well, apparently you don't need blossoms. Check 'em out!
These are fingerling potatoes of a variety called La Ratte (thanks Barbara Kingsolver). What do you do with a handful of small fingerling potatoes you ask.... Well, you cut them into more or less even chunks and boil them gently. While that is going on, you saute half a pound of Babe in the Woods local hot sausage with an onion and when things have browned nicely you add in potatoes and a big bunch of chard from the front porch and you add a little white wine or chicken stock and let the greens steam in there for a bit. Then at the end you wonder if there is enough starch in it to keep the SB from having to go for a 2am snack, decide no, and throw in a cup and a half of leftover cooked pasta and warm it through. While it is hot, you plop on top several spoonfuls of fresh ricotta (see above). You watch with delight as your dinner partner snarfs down enough food to feed a family of 8.There is another small success in the garden in this year of very few real successes.
Some of the tomatoes planted on the hillside have produced! The yellow one is Wonder Light, the two directly behind it is a Tigarella (a little stripey) then there are the Black Plum Paste (with the greenish tops) and Grandma Mary's Paste, the sort of blocky shaped ones. Grandma's Paste is amazingly prolific with a minimum (no let's be fair - ZERO) care. I have been enjoying my potted tomatoes... Crimson Carmello (nice, but not the best tomato ever - the consistency is sort of mealy) and Persimmon (lovely yellow peach and very mild but not a great producer). If we had a little more rain, I think I would have been inundated. Which was sort of what I was looking for, but I am happy, I haven't had to buy much in the way of tomatoes lately.In other news, we (the SB and I) spent and entire day and *almost* decided to build a chicken tractor. We opted out when we went to Lowes and priced it out at over $100. We decided to scrounge more and go for a permanent structure. Now we may be back to the tractor as the SB is questioning my long term commitment to chickens. The nerve.
We have also been talking a lot about ducks. What we hear is that ducks are messy. Apparently they fling water around like crazy when they eat and they poop. A lot. I am undaunted. I am sure that we can find leaves and chips and sawdust and straw to put down. And it gives me a good excuse to get some Wellingtons.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Not Dead.
The SB is up in Maryland working on projects with our friend H. The weekend is planned to be 4 guys out at a cabin carving a giant crocodile out of wood and drinking beer. I will not compare this with my more regular like 8-5 government type job, but suffice to say, it ain't like that. I get weekends off, dammit. So there.
In the several weeks he was home he worked like a dog. Unfortunately, that meant I worked like a dog as well. We started his time at home by buying some expensive and useful tools. A chop saw. And a screw gun. Then we went to work on the basement. We crammed stuff into corners and cubbies to reveal wall space and eventually hung two metal cabinets that have been in the way for about 8 years. We then crammed them full of stuff. That took care of about 1/42nd of the junk in the basement. But it is a start.
He also cleared one of the property lines of brush and weeds and has created a new bed for fall planting. The SB, ever vigilant, was able to stop the tree butchers from "trimming" our trees while they were in the 'hood, and even talked them into giving us some of the chopped tree refuse. We now have about 9 cubic yards of mulch piled up. Some of it now spread on the new bed to keep weeds down and add organic matter so the new plantings will have a good go of it.
Next we started to finish the wall around the basement bathroom. Oddly, our basement came with a toilet in it. No sink and no real walls, more like what you would find inside a bathroom... little stall walls with a curtain across the front. Those are all long gone and we found a pedestal sink and put that in. Half of the framing for the wall has been done for about 2 years. The SB put in more framing and hung the door. So now we have an unsheathed wall but we definitely have a door. Which is awesome since it get something else out of the way. More to do on that project, but progress.
Finally, last weekend, we put in half a patio. Under the porch we have always wanted to lay some paving bricks that we bought about 6 years ago. Over the course of 2 days we moved a lot of dirt and 3/4 ton of gravel and about a billion bricks (most of it more than once) and we are the proud owners of about 100 square feet of patio. We ate pizza on it to christen it last Sunday. Now it is covered in junk, but I am sure we will see it again someday.
I have done almost nothing in the weeks the SB has been home but work on the house, cook and babysit. My apologies to the LB, to whom I still owe a dress. Which I am working on today.
In the success column, yeah Mother Nature, who has been providing me with plenty of blackberries to go in my breakfast yogurt.
Thank the heavens that groundhogs are short, because I have managed to pick about 6 or 7 pounds of peaches from our tree this year. Most of them have a small critter in residence, so I definitely have to cut around them, but it is exciting. They are quite tasty and considering that I don't think I sprayed them AT ALL this spring, I think they have done remarkably well. I'll try to do better next year, but I think you don't get good peaches going the completely organic route. I'll have to do more research. I made peach ice cream yesterday. It turned out to be very good vanilla ice cream with chunks of peach in it. Oh well. Maybe next time I will follow the recipe and crush up the peaches. But actually, I think the beauty of a peach is sort of quashed when it is frozen. The flavor is better when they are warm from the sun. Last year I remember having my last summer peaches chopped up and mixed into hot oatmeal on one of the cooler fall mornings and it was pretty much like heaven. I am now considering a chest freezer and an ice cream maker as my next major purchases.
I planted more kale and chard and beets and some beans. The groundhogs don't seem to be in the garden right now. The potatoes are coming along. I have some teeny weeny watermelons. And I harvested quite a few small onions. Like the SB says. Good thing we aren't subsistence farmers. I pickled exactly one quart of okra pickles yesterday. I suspect some of them will be quite woody, but I thought I would give it a go anyway. If they taste good, I'll plant more okra next year. The groundhogs left it completely alone.
I harvested my first two crimson carmello tomatoes yesterday. To find that they really weren't quite done. But they were fine. I used them to make baked eggs. You cut off the top of the tomato and scoop out the inside and then put a little butter inside the tomato and crack a small egg and fill the center. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper and bake in the oven (or in my case the toaster oven) at 400 for about 30 minutes. I cooked mine too long, but they were still edible. I used the innards of the tomato to make a little salsa-y thing with red onion and vinegar and basil and put that on top with some fresh goat cheese from the market.
I have been dreaming of chickens and ducks lately. I went so far as to go here and fill out an order form for ducks (knowing full well I wouldn't submit it). I have to order 10 ducks though. Which seems like a lot. But, well, I am getting more ambitious. I think I could do 10 ducks - knowing that I would lose a few one way or the other and probably end up with 6. And now I am thinking I need about 6 chickens. I don't want to order chicks though. I just want chickens. Ducklings are another story. I really want me some ducklings. So I may have to wait until spring. The SB hopes to get a chicken house in for me before the end of summer, but I suspect that it will have to wait until winter break for him. He has so much else to do. I already have people lined up to buy eggs from me from chickens I don't even have.
I have lost my battery charger in the current chaos, so no photos. Which stinks, b/c I wanted to show you the patio and the peach tree and the baby watermelons. And I would have loved to show you a picture of the blacksnake we found on Fourth of July. The birds pointed him out as he was trying to climb the tree for the nests, but decided against it when all the attention came down on him. We saw him later crossing the giant field of just laid mulch in the new bed and shooed him into the brush pile to keep him from heading to our neighbors picnic where we didn't expect he would get much of a welcome.
I am going out to check on the bees soon. I haven't seen them in more than a month. I am sure they miss me.
In the several weeks he was home he worked like a dog. Unfortunately, that meant I worked like a dog as well. We started his time at home by buying some expensive and useful tools. A chop saw. And a screw gun. Then we went to work on the basement. We crammed stuff into corners and cubbies to reveal wall space and eventually hung two metal cabinets that have been in the way for about 8 years. We then crammed them full of stuff. That took care of about 1/42nd of the junk in the basement. But it is a start.
He also cleared one of the property lines of brush and weeds and has created a new bed for fall planting. The SB, ever vigilant, was able to stop the tree butchers from "trimming" our trees while they were in the 'hood, and even talked them into giving us some of the chopped tree refuse. We now have about 9 cubic yards of mulch piled up. Some of it now spread on the new bed to keep weeds down and add organic matter so the new plantings will have a good go of it.
Next we started to finish the wall around the basement bathroom. Oddly, our basement came with a toilet in it. No sink and no real walls, more like what you would find inside a bathroom... little stall walls with a curtain across the front. Those are all long gone and we found a pedestal sink and put that in. Half of the framing for the wall has been done for about 2 years. The SB put in more framing and hung the door. So now we have an unsheathed wall but we definitely have a door. Which is awesome since it get something else out of the way. More to do on that project, but progress.
Finally, last weekend, we put in half a patio. Under the porch we have always wanted to lay some paving bricks that we bought about 6 years ago. Over the course of 2 days we moved a lot of dirt and 3/4 ton of gravel and about a billion bricks (most of it more than once) and we are the proud owners of about 100 square feet of patio. We ate pizza on it to christen it last Sunday. Now it is covered in junk, but I am sure we will see it again someday.
I have done almost nothing in the weeks the SB has been home but work on the house, cook and babysit. My apologies to the LB, to whom I still owe a dress. Which I am working on today.
In the success column, yeah Mother Nature, who has been providing me with plenty of blackberries to go in my breakfast yogurt.
Thank the heavens that groundhogs are short, because I have managed to pick about 6 or 7 pounds of peaches from our tree this year. Most of them have a small critter in residence, so I definitely have to cut around them, but it is exciting. They are quite tasty and considering that I don't think I sprayed them AT ALL this spring, I think they have done remarkably well. I'll try to do better next year, but I think you don't get good peaches going the completely organic route. I'll have to do more research. I made peach ice cream yesterday. It turned out to be very good vanilla ice cream with chunks of peach in it. Oh well. Maybe next time I will follow the recipe and crush up the peaches. But actually, I think the beauty of a peach is sort of quashed when it is frozen. The flavor is better when they are warm from the sun. Last year I remember having my last summer peaches chopped up and mixed into hot oatmeal on one of the cooler fall mornings and it was pretty much like heaven. I am now considering a chest freezer and an ice cream maker as my next major purchases.
I planted more kale and chard and beets and some beans. The groundhogs don't seem to be in the garden right now. The potatoes are coming along. I have some teeny weeny watermelons. And I harvested quite a few small onions. Like the SB says. Good thing we aren't subsistence farmers. I pickled exactly one quart of okra pickles yesterday. I suspect some of them will be quite woody, but I thought I would give it a go anyway. If they taste good, I'll plant more okra next year. The groundhogs left it completely alone.
I harvested my first two crimson carmello tomatoes yesterday. To find that they really weren't quite done. But they were fine. I used them to make baked eggs. You cut off the top of the tomato and scoop out the inside and then put a little butter inside the tomato and crack a small egg and fill the center. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper and bake in the oven (or in my case the toaster oven) at 400 for about 30 minutes. I cooked mine too long, but they were still edible. I used the innards of the tomato to make a little salsa-y thing with red onion and vinegar and basil and put that on top with some fresh goat cheese from the market.
I have been dreaming of chickens and ducks lately. I went so far as to go here and fill out an order form for ducks (knowing full well I wouldn't submit it). I have to order 10 ducks though. Which seems like a lot. But, well, I am getting more ambitious. I think I could do 10 ducks - knowing that I would lose a few one way or the other and probably end up with 6. And now I am thinking I need about 6 chickens. I don't want to order chicks though. I just want chickens. Ducklings are another story. I really want me some ducklings. So I may have to wait until spring. The SB hopes to get a chicken house in for me before the end of summer, but I suspect that it will have to wait until winter break for him. He has so much else to do. I already have people lined up to buy eggs from me from chickens I don't even have.
I have lost my battery charger in the current chaos, so no photos. Which stinks, b/c I wanted to show you the patio and the peach tree and the baby watermelons. And I would have loved to show you a picture of the blacksnake we found on Fourth of July. The birds pointed him out as he was trying to climb the tree for the nests, but decided against it when all the attention came down on him. We saw him later crossing the giant field of just laid mulch in the new bed and shooed him into the brush pile to keep him from heading to our neighbors picnic where we didn't expect he would get much of a welcome.
I am going out to check on the bees soon. I haven't seen them in more than a month. I am sure they miss me.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Loooong Weekend
Yes, I have been out of touch for quite a while. First it was a visit from the SB and ensuing (mostly) delightful chaos. Work has been very busy with events, comings and goings and to-ing and fro-ing. All together, it adds up to being super busy.
While the SB was home, we planned out our future garden shed which may include a cistern for water collection under the floor, a shaded area for summering over plants, a place for the mower - hal a freakin' luja! - a sleeping loft, potting bench and running water. Ultimately, it will link to the chicken run and a separate chicken house where we can store straw and chicken feed and any other associated chicken necessities. It is VERY exciting, but means that our chicken house is probably put off somewhat into the future. This is disappointing, but I think there are chickens coming to others in the collective soonish. So I will content myself with that and try to be patient.
The LB and I have been e-chatting about some local flour and how we might get us some. We are scheming and plotting, plotting and scheming. I am excited about Magic Bread made with locally milled wheat. Is that not the coolest? In the search, I came across a place in Roanoke that makes animal feed. So potentially, we could order chicken feed milled locally. If we buy it by the ton, they will "custom blend" it for us.... This opportunity cries out for some kind of excellent chicken feed blend name, but my brain has not yet been able to hit on it.
Other than that, there is little to report. The SB worked his butt off in the garden during his stay so the yard is lovely. But the mower is broken. The old economic stimulus check will be supplying a new mower. And I dread going to buy one at Sears on Memorial Day weekend. And once I get through fighting the crowds, shelling out bucks, wrestling the thing home and (god willing) getting it assembled, my reward is the ability to mow the grass. Woo hoo. I think I might sleep in tomorrow.
While the SB was home, we planned out our future garden shed which may include a cistern for water collection under the floor, a shaded area for summering over plants, a place for the mower - hal a freakin' luja! - a sleeping loft, potting bench and running water. Ultimately, it will link to the chicken run and a separate chicken house where we can store straw and chicken feed and any other associated chicken necessities. It is VERY exciting, but means that our chicken house is probably put off somewhat into the future. This is disappointing, but I think there are chickens coming to others in the collective soonish. So I will content myself with that and try to be patient.
The LB and I have been e-chatting about some local flour and how we might get us some. We are scheming and plotting, plotting and scheming. I am excited about Magic Bread made with locally milled wheat. Is that not the coolest? In the search, I came across a place in Roanoke that makes animal feed. So potentially, we could order chicken feed milled locally. If we buy it by the ton, they will "custom blend" it for us.... This opportunity cries out for some kind of excellent chicken feed blend name, but my brain has not yet been able to hit on it.
Other than that, there is little to report. The SB worked his butt off in the garden during his stay so the yard is lovely. But the mower is broken. The old economic stimulus check will be supplying a new mower. And I dread going to buy one at Sears on Memorial Day weekend. And once I get through fighting the crowds, shelling out bucks, wrestling the thing home and (god willing) getting it assembled, my reward is the ability to mow the grass. Woo hoo. I think I might sleep in tomorrow.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Enter Impatience, Stage Right
So this is the time of year that I start to get antsy. The tomatoes are in, but not doing much. They are waiting for night time temperatures to be consistently in the 50s. The spring things are coming slowly. I have lettuce and some radishes now. I don't like radishes. The kale is slllooowww. The strawberries are little green knots of seeds. The broccoli are all leaf. The leeks are leeking. Cukes are just two large oblong leaves. The blueberries are little rock hard green things. The bees are still a year off from honey that I can do anything with.... The grass seems to be the only thing really growing fast enough for me, and it could just go ahead and step off a bit. Just sayin'.
My chickens may be in residence by the end of summer. At least, that is the goal. The Chicken Posse helped build the first chicken house the other day. It was actually more of a reassembly job, but it went well and was followed by pizza and beer, the way all good jobs should be. I am hoping my chickens can camp there until my house and run get built. It is one of the top items on the SB's list when he returns. That and a garden party. Which definitely needs to be first so that we can beat the mosquitoes. Things in the yard become considerably less fun with heat and mosquitoes.
My chickens may be in residence by the end of summer. At least, that is the goal. The Chicken Posse helped build the first chicken house the other day. It was actually more of a reassembly job, but it went well and was followed by pizza and beer, the way all good jobs should be. I am hoping my chickens can camp there until my house and run get built. It is one of the top items on the SB's list when he returns. That and a garden party. Which definitely needs to be first so that we can beat the mosquitoes. Things in the yard become considerably less fun with heat and mosquitoes.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Way behind, as usual
So after all the primping and planning about "fixing" the beehive, turns out, the bees had taken care of the whole thing all by themselves. I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. They are amazing. I can't believe how calm they are when I am out there. There I am, prying the roof off the house and they just keep on keepin' on.
Sunday Cho-girl and I and another friend went Chicken Coop Touring. Comparing how different people solve the chicken run/coop challenge. Then we went to Tractor Supply to "look" at some baby chickens. Luckily, they were fresh outta the little guys. Thank heavens. I expect chicks and ducklings are only a teeny bit more resistible than kittens. Though having a cat actually makes kittens more resistible. Check out Starrhill Girl's recent cat antics.
With luck, tomorrow afternoon we will be doing a coop raising in the next neighborhood over. There are SO many people with chickens. It is remarkable. Cho suggested a float in the next Dogwood Parade. Instead of candy we can throw eggs. Sign me up. I'll start working out my throwing arm.
Sunday Cho-girl and I and another friend went Chicken Coop Touring. Comparing how different people solve the chicken run/coop challenge. Then we went to Tractor Supply to "look" at some baby chickens. Luckily, they were fresh outta the little guys. Thank heavens. I expect chicks and ducklings are only a teeny bit more resistible than kittens. Though having a cat actually makes kittens more resistible. Check out Starrhill Girl's recent cat antics.
With luck, tomorrow afternoon we will be doing a coop raising in the next neighborhood over. There are SO many people with chickens. It is remarkable. Cho suggested a float in the next Dogwood Parade. Instead of candy we can throw eggs. Sign me up. I'll start working out my throwing arm.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Flexibility is the Key to Mental Health
I have a busy weekend. Doing lots of fun things and lots of garden work. It is organized very tightly. Last night I was supposed to babysit, but the engagement was canceled. I didn't wisely get a jump on my projects. noooo. I read a magazine all night.
Today, I have been getting much done in the kitchen and errand-ing. I went to the market with Mama, and was surprised by the first strawberries of the season. I bought two quarts and plan to eat every last one by myself. Maybe next week I will be more reasonable. I SCORED big at a yard sale with a vintage chandelier (maybe from the 20s?) made of concentric rings with billions of glass dangley things.... $5. For that, I might just put it in the chicken house if the SB doesn't love it as much as I do.
I met a friend for coffee and he is lending me a drill so that I can drill holes in my beehive inner cover. (If you remember, the bees have built comb on this that I don't want to destroy, but the cover has one large whole in the center and the bees are going to need better access throughout.) Drill scored, I came home and puttered around. I put a bunch of tomatoes in. In the pots are Crimson Carmello and Persimmon. Then, near the front door is the Yellow Pear, Aunt Lucy's Paste and New Zealand Paste. A little further along the bank are some more, shoe horned in around our rudbekia. I managed to get in Black Krim, Tigerella, Grandma Mary's Paste, Costoluto Genovese, Green Zebra, Wonder Light, Black Plum Paste, Marvel Stripe, Russian Big Roma and San Marzano. I may be able to fit in a few more if I extract some of the Rudbekia. Why, you may ask does one, possibly two and at tops three people need more than 15 tomato plants? Just don't ask. I am willing to bet that there will be no problem with too many tomatoes. They will be stolen by groundhogs or the neighborhood urchins or some other horrible fate will befall them. It is my lot in life. I must battle on.
After this I started winding my way toward the bees by way of some hand washing of winter sweaters, boiling eggs, making tea, and a hundred other little chores. I was all suited up and had just coaxed the smoker into producing huge clouds of cool gray smoke when the rain started. Now the bees are going to be cranky. I may have to check the weather and wait for tomorrow.
In the meantime, there is bread to bake and some hemming to do. I have about 5 pairs of summer pants that need hemming. I am desperately tired of black and ready for a wardrobe infusion. And there are perennials to start, salad greens to oggle a whole lotta weeding to do.
And there is still hope for the bees, though the thunder continues....
Today, I have been getting much done in the kitchen and errand-ing. I went to the market with Mama, and was surprised by the first strawberries of the season. I bought two quarts and plan to eat every last one by myself. Maybe next week I will be more reasonable. I SCORED big at a yard sale with a vintage chandelier (maybe from the 20s?) made of concentric rings with billions of glass dangley things.... $5. For that, I might just put it in the chicken house if the SB doesn't love it as much as I do.
I met a friend for coffee and he is lending me a drill so that I can drill holes in my beehive inner cover. (If you remember, the bees have built comb on this that I don't want to destroy, but the cover has one large whole in the center and the bees are going to need better access throughout.) Drill scored, I came home and puttered around. I put a bunch of tomatoes in. In the pots are Crimson Carmello and Persimmon. Then, near the front door is the Yellow Pear, Aunt Lucy's Paste and New Zealand Paste. A little further along the bank are some more, shoe horned in around our rudbekia. I managed to get in Black Krim, Tigerella, Grandma Mary's Paste, Costoluto Genovese, Green Zebra, Wonder Light, Black Plum Paste, Marvel Stripe, Russian Big Roma and San Marzano. I may be able to fit in a few more if I extract some of the Rudbekia. Why, you may ask does one, possibly two and at tops three people need more than 15 tomato plants? Just don't ask. I am willing to bet that there will be no problem with too many tomatoes. They will be stolen by groundhogs or the neighborhood urchins or some other horrible fate will befall them. It is my lot in life. I must battle on.
After this I started winding my way toward the bees by way of some hand washing of winter sweaters, boiling eggs, making tea, and a hundred other little chores. I was all suited up and had just coaxed the smoker into producing huge clouds of cool gray smoke when the rain started. Now the bees are going to be cranky. I may have to check the weather and wait for tomorrow.
In the meantime, there is bread to bake and some hemming to do. I have about 5 pairs of summer pants that need hemming. I am desperately tired of black and ready for a wardrobe infusion. And there are perennials to start, salad greens to oggle a whole lotta weeding to do.
And there is still hope for the bees, though the thunder continues....
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Nothing Much In Particular
So, not a lot going on. Lots of rain over the weekend, which allowed me to plant lots of zinnias and sunflowers and set them out in the best conditions - damp, misty and overcast - so they had a chance to settle in before the heat of yesterday and today. I am talking relative heat. It was only about 70 today. Gorgeous. Perfect spring weather. I was late getting home from work so didn't get a chance to do much, but I pruned the new apple tree and picked a few flowers and then planted some okra and dill (for okra pickles - should I be so fortunate) and beans along with a few more beets since my success rate on those is low..... I did find out that beets like good soil contact when planted so I tried to work on that a bit in hopes of actually having some beets later in the summer. Fresh beets. Yum. And broccoli. The broccoli is coming along nicely. I'll probably get about 8 heads all at the same time. But, at this point, that hardly seems like a problem. Remind me later when I whine about it.
I am just on the brink of some really nice salad greens and I should probably start harvesting soon so I don't get overwhelmed. There is also kale and chard coming in. And the leeks are still alive. Go figure. My strawberries have blossoms on them (of course the few from last year are more heavily flowered and fewer), but there is hope of a handful or two for my yogurt at some point in the future. I ended up not pulling ALL the blossoms off my new blueberries, so, who knows, I may have a handful of them too before all is said and done.
I am letting the asparagus go this year without harvest. I think I have been too hard on it in the past, too much harvesting and not enough feeding. I'll give it the year off in hopes of a beautiful future.
And of course, I have the REALLY hard work. Of the bazillion varieties of tomatoes that I have, I have to pick two to place in my new pots by the door. Yes, my front door will be flanked this year by potted tomatoes, if they choose to participate. Now which kinds? I was thinking a nice salad type and a tiny type. Maybe Tigerella and Yellow Pear? Or a paste type and a salad type - like San Marzano and Marglobe? The infinite choices and combinations. Truly, it is paralyzing.
I'll need to peep in on the bees this weekend. I am sure they will be thrilled. It is remarkable how active they are in the warm weather. Quite a bit of coming and going out there.
There is a move afoot to build a chicken house next Tuesday. Cross your fingers and your toes and hope for good weather, because I think we are at it regardless of what befalls us weather wise. The time of the chicken has come.
I am just on the brink of some really nice salad greens and I should probably start harvesting soon so I don't get overwhelmed. There is also kale and chard coming in. And the leeks are still alive. Go figure. My strawberries have blossoms on them (of course the few from last year are more heavily flowered and fewer), but there is hope of a handful or two for my yogurt at some point in the future. I ended up not pulling ALL the blossoms off my new blueberries, so, who knows, I may have a handful of them too before all is said and done.
I am letting the asparagus go this year without harvest. I think I have been too hard on it in the past, too much harvesting and not enough feeding. I'll give it the year off in hopes of a beautiful future.
And of course, I have the REALLY hard work. Of the bazillion varieties of tomatoes that I have, I have to pick two to place in my new pots by the door. Yes, my front door will be flanked this year by potted tomatoes, if they choose to participate. Now which kinds? I was thinking a nice salad type and a tiny type. Maybe Tigerella and Yellow Pear? Or a paste type and a salad type - like San Marzano and Marglobe? The infinite choices and combinations. Truly, it is paralyzing.
I'll need to peep in on the bees this weekend. I am sure they will be thrilled. It is remarkable how active they are in the warm weather. Quite a bit of coming and going out there.
There is a move afoot to build a chicken house next Tuesday. Cross your fingers and your toes and hope for good weather, because I think we are at it regardless of what befalls us weather wise. The time of the chicken has come.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
New Projects and Old
Wow. Lots has happened. Last weekend the SB was home for a spur of the moment visit. On his very short "break" he mowed the lawn, pruned the apple trees, put up my ground hog fence, hauled a bunch of poop around and generally made himself useful-like. He is a little less than thrilled with the half assed way that I installed the bees (I neglected to level everything up before I set it up) but he is very excited about the prospect of ducks. Yes, ducks. Specifically, this kind of duck. This is an Indian Runner Duck. I love them because they are so upright and I just want to give all of them little baseball caps and have the follow me around in the yard. The are Asian in origin and are used to help weed and keep the rice paddies varmint free. I figure they will fit right in our wetland. A good sturdy fence will be needed, but the SB is working on that - the design of the gate and the duck house.
This will be in addition to the chickens and the wild fantasy of a dairy goat. I think the ducks come after chickens and before the goat. I am not sure what other livestock I might be able to shoehorn into the property, but I am sure I will think of something. There used to be a cow named Inky that lived here in the 1960s. So the property is at least used to livestock.
In garden news, I almost lost my tomatoes to stupidity. Forgetting that our garden swale is a few degrees colder than everything else. I had a few sparkly tomato seedlings the other morning. Frost and tomatoes do not blend. The basil was worst hit though. I may have to start over there. But, seeing how I had about 85 more tomatoes than I actually need - the loss of two or three tender souls, though distressing, was not disastrous. The vast majority of the seedlings I spent my weekend transplanting into larger pots also made it. Which is very rewarding indeed. With luck, I will have Black Prince snapdragons in the fall!
This will be in addition to the chickens and the wild fantasy of a dairy goat. I think the ducks come after chickens and before the goat. I am not sure what other livestock I might be able to shoehorn into the property, but I am sure I will think of something. There used to be a cow named Inky that lived here in the 1960s. So the property is at least used to livestock.
In garden news, I almost lost my tomatoes to stupidity. Forgetting that our garden swale is a few degrees colder than everything else. I had a few sparkly tomato seedlings the other morning. Frost and tomatoes do not blend. The basil was worst hit though. I may have to start over there. But, seeing how I had about 85 more tomatoes than I actually need - the loss of two or three tender souls, though distressing, was not disastrous. The vast majority of the seedlings I spent my weekend transplanting into larger pots also made it. Which is very rewarding indeed. With luck, I will have Black Prince snapdragons in the fall!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
When?
When, dear friend(s), do you find time for:
1. dusting the baseboards
2. cleaning under the furniture
3. organizing the basement
4. putting the second coat of paint on the entry hall (the first coat went on 4 years ago)
5. filing all those papers
6. trying the recipes that you have cut out of magazines
7. knitting those patterns that you found on the internets
8. exercise
9. writing notes to your elderly relatives
10. finishing the above on the off chance that they have been started
I must say that I am feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the prospect of spring cleaning.
And I am getting the sneaking suspicion that I have too many projects. How do you choose from the list of totally cool stuff? The bees vs. the garden, the chick collective from the NeighborWoods tree planting, the lovely green mohair yarn vs. the delicious rose wool fabric, the pasta with peas and parm vs. the pumpkin ravioli with sage brown butter? How o how can you choose?
1. dusting the baseboards
2. cleaning under the furniture
3. organizing the basement
4. putting the second coat of paint on the entry hall (the first coat went on 4 years ago)
5. filing all those papers
6. trying the recipes that you have cut out of magazines
7. knitting those patterns that you found on the internets
8. exercise
9. writing notes to your elderly relatives
10. finishing the above on the off chance that they have been started
I must say that I am feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the prospect of spring cleaning.
And I am getting the sneaking suspicion that I have too many projects. How do you choose from the list of totally cool stuff? The bees vs. the garden, the chick collective from the NeighborWoods tree planting, the lovely green mohair yarn vs. the delicious rose wool fabric, the pasta with peas and parm vs. the pumpkin ravioli with sage brown butter? How o how can you choose?
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Did you know?
So yesterday when it was too cold to go out and I was feeling crappy with a cold (I am sure I got it from one of my very small friends) I started looking at the garden calendar. Did you know that as of Friday January 25, we are only 12 weeks from our last frost date? Do you know what that means? That, people, means that I need to get my butt in gear and start my leeks. Luckily, I ordered some new seed starting products which are currently in route..... The 72 cell wonder. I got, um, several of these. Along with carrying trays for them and a bunch of pots that are a little larger that I can pot things up into when they out grow the tiny cells (for the perennials I am sure that I am going to grow). My basement is a little cold at this point, but I do have heating mats from a former pre-spring splurge. A little plastic covering for the seed starting rack that the SB built me for my birthday one year and I should be in good shape. Since my potting soil is currently frozen. I may need a run to Southern States on Saturday morning.
Next Thursday, I start my beekeeping class. Yup, this is VERY exciting. Apparently, the class fills quickly, so I am glad I got a space. I am going to install a hive in my backyard this spring. I plan to plunder my Dad's garage and get what I can from his supplies and then order the rest. Over the holiday the SB and I picked out a space for them. I think they will be hap there in the upper lawn.
After bees it is chickens. You thought I had forgotten about the Chick Collective, didn't you? Nope. The building talent just had a baby - a new chick as a matter of fact. We are going to be doing some research. I thought this was an interesting price list. You have to get a LOT of eggs to make the henspa worth it. I love how it says "The yard maintenance people can easily move it every 2-3 weeks to refresh the litter." Uh, yeah. Add the staff to the $3500 price tag and the eggs get REALLY expensive. It might be worth it to have a few of these wandering around. It looks like a muppet to me....
Next Thursday, I start my beekeeping class. Yup, this is VERY exciting. Apparently, the class fills quickly, so I am glad I got a space. I am going to install a hive in my backyard this spring. I plan to plunder my Dad's garage and get what I can from his supplies and then order the rest. Over the holiday the SB and I picked out a space for them. I think they will be hap there in the upper lawn.
After bees it is chickens. You thought I had forgotten about the Chick Collective, didn't you? Nope. The building talent just had a baby - a new chick as a matter of fact. We are going to be doing some research. I thought this was an interesting price list. You have to get a LOT of eggs to make the henspa worth it. I love how it says "The yard maintenance people can easily move it every 2-3 weeks to refresh the litter." Uh, yeah. Add the staff to the $3500 price tag and the eggs get REALLY expensive. It might be worth it to have a few of these wandering around. It looks like a muppet to me....
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