just keep planting

I keep thinking that I need to get my garden completely weeded before I can plant more things, but now I know that I just need to plant something every day or summer will soon be over.  Ruby and I planted basil and dill, and it is so hot that the basil should be "pesto sized" very soon.  Dill tastes like summer to me, and everyone loves Grandmarie's potato salad. I need one big thunderstorm.

june

 I did an unintentional experiment with the chickens this week by running out of the organic feed I usually buy. I picked up a bag of feed at Tractor Supply, the kind they would consider to be their premium brand, but the ladies would not eat it. Egg production went way down, and we even had an egg without a solid shell. They made it through on fruit and veggie scraps, purslane that I pulled from teh garden, and whatever they could forage. They were very happy to get their regular food back yesterday.

One of the Wyandottes is broody and quite mean, so that has added to their angst. She hasn't wanted the other hens in "her" henhouse.

the cherry harvest

Yes, one cherry.

Today is Ruby's sixth birthday, and her brother was up to watch her wake up and give her a gift.

greens

My raised beds are crowded with greens now. Tonight we ate all the broccoli rabe, but there are three kinds of kale, collards, spinach, arugula, lettuce, onions, and cilantro in here. My big garden is weedy, but I have little green tomatoes. Today I'm planting basil and sunflowers.

may {how did that happen}

I'm realizing that everything seems to go better for me if I stay at home. I do like people and enjoy spending time with them, but I need huge amounts of down time to go along with that. Ruby is outside planting dandelions (I know!!!!), and John is playing Legos in his room. Ella and her friend think I don't know they are watching Dr Who in her room, but I'm just letting that slide.

authors' tea time again

more arlo

arlo

spring break in smalltown

This is one of John's pictures, the front of a small train, and the chili peppers are to ward off evil spirits.

seasonal kimchi

4# vegetables, any blend of daikon radish, brussel sprouts, green tomatoes, carrot, napa cabbage, etc
1/2 cup salt


A paste of 1.5 cups water, 1/4 cup sweet rice flour, and 2 tbsp. sugar


6 oz grated daikon radish
2 oz ginger
2 or more grated garlic
1/4 c fish sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar


Ferment until it tastes right to you and then put in the fridge.

science fair

arlo

 We went to visit Arlo yesterday. He lives in a gorgeous rural community on a working farm with sheep, donkeys, horses, chickens, guineas, border collies. and great pyrennes.  He might have the border collie colors and markings, but he certainly doesn't have more than a spoonful of border collie. He is a big dog and barked when we arrived but then was a little shy. He warmed up into a treat loving, ear licking sweet guy. He doesn't move too fast even though is still has some puppy in him. I think he has the calm nature that Ruby needs and the fun loving ball playing nature that the older kids will enjoy. He sits, doesn't pull on the leash, and comes when he is called.  He pays absolutely no attention to free ranging chickens and cats. We'll visit again in two weeks with the kids, but we feel like he is moving to the mountains, and I'm really looking forward to him joining the pack.

the big snow

february skies

We have almost eight inches of snow tonight. This was the sunset a few nights ago. The kids went out sledding just before dark, and we may be looking at up to eighteen inches of snow.

3

missus big daddy to you

Time reveals that Big Daddy is a Buff Brahma hen.

all it takes is a few warm days

a dinner party for chickens

in the woods

in the new year

Things have been pretty quiet around here. A friend of mine closed her blog at the end of the year, and that seemed like a novel idea. Then someone stole a few old pictures from this blog and used them on a CafeMom message board. She used some pictures of John, and then told all the people on her board that her baby had died. She had a huge community of women very upset. Luckily, a few of them were savvy enough to see through some of her story and did some investigating on their own, and they were very happy to learn that that little baby is eight years old now and doing just fine.


Christmas did me in a little.

So I gave it a month.

Here I am, taking pictures this morning of the nearly one hour process to make a cup of coffee. The power went off right after I finished making the kid's lunches. I took them to school, and it was up to five degrees by the time I got home. That fire did not want to get going, and we have been challenged by some gorgeous yet perhaps not seasoned oak. It looks like we are at the tail end of some cold weeks, but we are going to need more wood if we are going to make it through April.

April sounds good.