I made this wreath for our troops, it'll stay up for a long time!
It's been crazy busy again, but things are getting accomplished! I hand weeded the beans, kale, eggplant, cucumbers, melons and garlic, then we got straw (from a farmer I know) put down on the garden. Wowza was that an itchy job! But hopefully it'll help with weed control and keep the moisture in.
We have a couple of green tomatoes growing (ok, a few!) and the strawberries are going crazy. Those are still green yet, but we'll have plenty to eat and preserve when they ripen. The pumpkins are coming up and the fruit trees have plenty of growing fruit on them. It's going to be a busy summer/fall of preserving food!! :-)
We had another 1/2 inch of rain, but it's getting dry again. The rains keep going around us...I see some have cut hay/baled it already. Fresh hay always smells so good!
Jared called on Memorial Day, he was "bored". But as always it's nice to hear from him. Kyle has called a couple of times, but usually when he needs fuse/vehicle advice. (ha) Chandra and Tracy have been staying with her mom, so things have been quiet here. They'll be back soon enough and Mr. Tracy will get into all kinds of things--but it's nice having them around. :)
All three cow photos were taken the same day. I was trying to get a better photo of Daisy, but she wasn't being very obliging that day.
We have been getting plenty of eggs--so the neighbors are getting blessed with them as well! I put the old bitty hen that isn't laying and got the nasty rooster into a chicken tractor by themselves. Their destiny is the freezer, eventually on my plate!
Two dozen eggs are getting incubated right now, a friend offered to 'hatch' them for me. I thought the old bitty hen was going to set on eggs (I gave her three) but she only sat on them for one morning....so I told her that was her last chance to extend her freedom.
I had an extra milk cow here for awhile, so was milking her twice a day. Her owner had a family emergency and asked if I could milk Glenda, who had just freshened. She was a dream to milk, and of course a Jersey baby is always cute to have around! Daisy was jealous, because she had to wait her turn for the stanchion area. Glenda and baby is back home, and Daisy is Queen again of her little world. So all must be good!! :)
Janene, yes the gardener's shadow has been in the garden plenty of hours this last month. My big garden "Terra Nova Gardens" which is nine miles away gets attention from 5:30am to 7:30am then the Urban Ranch (my backyard where I live) gets worked on throughout the rest of the day. In between all that I'm mowing grass in two places plus Terra Nova Gardens. Oh, yeah, and entertaining Bradley now that school is out. Wow, makes me tired just thinking about it. We are in the final count down for our trip to Las Vegas to attend Sherry's (my oldest daughter) middle daughter, Anna's high school graduation. Sheesh, I can barely remember mine. Everyone thought it would be the great event ever in their lives but in the grand scheme of life not so much. We will be leaving on June 11th and be back in Omaha on June 16th. I really can't be gone much longer than that because of my mother in law. At 86, she still lives in her own apartment but needs help quite often. She's given up driving so a weekly run to the grocery store is in order and trips to Walmart for medication. She has an assortment of doctors to visit at least a couple times a year for each one. With sugar diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol issues, health management is challenging. Now that she has assistance with utilities, that has to be done by me because she just hasn't a clue how to use a debt card. Medicad has been a great help with all her health expenses.
ReplyDeleteBradley will be going to visit his Dad some time in June the exact date hasn't been determined just yet. It will either on the way back from Las Vegas with his Dad picking him up in Denver or later in the month with meeting half way in Oklahoma City. So the summer has become really busy with everyone's schedule.
Have a great day on the homestead.