Showing posts with label Gardening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gardening. Show all posts
Thursday, August 4, 2011
July's Garden
This is a little late:) It's the first week in August and I still have yet to get a red tomato. By the end of July I am usually giving tomatoes away because I can't keep up with them. It has been a cooler summer than past summers. I have been harvesting pickling cucumbers,zucchini, basil, chives, I pulled all my onions except for a few. My peppers are growing nicely. I pulled my carrots last week and a friend came over and helped my can them. I am finally getting some green beans!!! We got 3 apricots off our tree. The prune tree will be ready in September. Is it winter yet?? HaHa
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
We've Been Busy
That seems to be the theme of blogland these days. We are no exception. The garden has been keeping the kids and I busy weeding. So far we have harvested chives, thyme, basil, and onions. The weather has been cooler than normal so the veggies are taking their sweet time ripening.
click on pictures to enlarge.
Rob and the kids went raspberry picking while I helped pick up a goat for a friend, which I made into some yummy jam. One day I will hopefully have enough of my own raspberries to make jam with.
We got a free new to us chicken coop, and 6 new young chickens. We also bought 12 new chicks, all laying. We haven't decided if we are doing meat chickens or not this year.
We also got our annual cherries from our neighbor. We are blessed to have orchards all around us. So we froze 6 gallons of cherries and I made freezer cherry pie filling. I wanted to can it so I could give it for Christmas presents but all the recipes called for something called "clear jel" which I couldn't find in the stores so I had to go the freeze route.
We are also going to the park once a week to spend with friends. The kids have a blast playing and having light saber wars.
Our van is still not fixed, the second goat kid died, and just today our well pump went out:( Our neighbors were sweet and let us get some water for drinking and dishes. We have the pump guys coming out tomorrow. Rob tried to fix it(since he is the fix it man) but the pump is submersible and he has never done it before or has never seen it done.
Now that the goats are doing better I am making cheese again. The first feta I made I used to much rennet. But the second one turned out much better. I have also been making chevre...yummy!!! Ice cream, yogurt, and freezing milk for soap. My first batch of soap should be ready to use this week, so we will see how it turned out.
On Fourth of July we headed to the fairgrounds where they give a free concert. This year it was Chris August. It was put on by our local Christian radio station. First time that we have gone there for the Fourth. This song we dedicate to our daughter Jordan:Candy Wrap
http://youtu.be/LttKbL4sv7E
7x70:
http://youtu.be/Q-Ij_PPI_XU
We probably wouldn't have gone except Jacob was presenting Arms before the fire works.
Jacob also got to help out with crowd control and guiding planes around (flight line marshaling), helping out with cleaning the plane and helping with parking when a B-25 "Maid in the Shade" came to our local flight museum. We have had an unusual busy summer so far and it isn't even half over!
This picture I got off of the web, because I forgot my camera both days...grrrr.
click on pictures to enlarge.
Rob and the kids went raspberry picking while I helped pick up a goat for a friend, which I made into some yummy jam. One day I will hopefully have enough of my own raspberries to make jam with.
We got a free new to us chicken coop, and 6 new young chickens. We also bought 12 new chicks, all laying. We haven't decided if we are doing meat chickens or not this year.
We also got our annual cherries from our neighbor. We are blessed to have orchards all around us. So we froze 6 gallons of cherries and I made freezer cherry pie filling. I wanted to can it so I could give it for Christmas presents but all the recipes called for something called "clear jel" which I couldn't find in the stores so I had to go the freeze route.
We are also going to the park once a week to spend with friends. The kids have a blast playing and having light saber wars.
Our van is still not fixed, the second goat kid died, and just today our well pump went out:( Our neighbors were sweet and let us get some water for drinking and dishes. We have the pump guys coming out tomorrow. Rob tried to fix it(since he is the fix it man) but the pump is submersible and he has never done it before or has never seen it done.
Now that the goats are doing better I am making cheese again. The first feta I made I used to much rennet. But the second one turned out much better. I have also been making chevre...yummy!!! Ice cream, yogurt, and freezing milk for soap. My first batch of soap should be ready to use this week, so we will see how it turned out.
On Fourth of July we headed to the fairgrounds where they give a free concert. This year it was Chris August. It was put on by our local Christian radio station. First time that we have gone there for the Fourth. This song we dedicate to our daughter Jordan:Candy Wrap
http://youtu.be/LttKbL4sv7E
7x70:
http://youtu.be/Q-Ij_PPI_XU
We probably wouldn't have gone except Jacob was presenting Arms before the fire works.
Jacob also got to help out with crowd control and guiding planes around (flight line marshaling), helping out with cleaning the plane and helping with parking when a B-25 "Maid in the Shade" came to our local flight museum. We have had an unusual busy summer so far and it isn't even half over!
This picture I got off of the web, because I forgot my camera both days...grrrr.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
update
It has been a long time since I posted, no excused except life has been pretty busy. Between milking and caring for the goats, the garden went in, BBQ at friends houses, finishing school, chasing chickens out of the gardens, helping out friends, park day, home school activities, add in canning, cheese making...you get the point;) Anyway here is the garden in May and this month.
We had the idea of bringing in truck fulls of compost, since I can't make compost to save my life. But that didn't happen, we bought bags of it instead. It would have been cheaper I am sure if we would have stuck with our original plan. It just never worked out. I lost two tomato plants to our wonderful wind we have here. They were quickly replaced with others. All together we have 34 tomato plants...ummm I think I will be busy;)
I am milking three out of four goats this year. The fourth one has too small of teats to deal with. Hopefully next year they will be a little bit longer. Chevre cheese is my newest addiction, Thanks to my friend Dalyn and her cheese making abilities.
Rob has been busy at work, fishing with the kids, and trying to keep up with all the projects around here. I think we both need about 6 more hours in the day. On top of all he has to do, our van's transmission went out about 6 weeks ago...grr. It will all get done, I know, just hard not having a second car, especially when the vehicle we do have is an Excursion. Can you see $$$$$$??? Needless to say we won't be going to too many places this summer.
Hope you all have a great week!!!
We had the idea of bringing in truck fulls of compost, since I can't make compost to save my life. But that didn't happen, we bought bags of it instead. It would have been cheaper I am sure if we would have stuck with our original plan. It just never worked out. I lost two tomato plants to our wonderful wind we have here. They were quickly replaced with others. All together we have 34 tomato plants...ummm I think I will be busy;)
I am milking three out of four goats this year. The fourth one has too small of teats to deal with. Hopefully next year they will be a little bit longer. Chevre cheese is my newest addiction, Thanks to my friend Dalyn and her cheese making abilities.
Rob has been busy at work, fishing with the kids, and trying to keep up with all the projects around here. I think we both need about 6 more hours in the day. On top of all he has to do, our van's transmission went out about 6 weeks ago...grr. It will all get done, I know, just hard not having a second car, especially when the vehicle we do have is an Excursion. Can you see $$$$$$??? Needless to say we won't be going to too many places this summer.
Hope you all have a great week!!!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Dreaming
planning
scheming
plotting
hoping
waiting
drawing
researching
charting
coloring
reading
dreaming of Spring...but without the wind thank you very much!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Garden, goats, soccer
The kids and I spent most of the morning weeding and transplanting plants today. The weeds have overtaken the garden, we have had so much rain lately they are growing faster than I can pull them.
The newly fence garden. One side needs to be reinforced because of our very strong winds but that will have to wait until July. The chickens are still getting in the garden so I will still have to cover the beds with netting.
We transplanted one bed of Tomatoes, and just as Jacob and I were finishing a hail storm came in. I stood by for the 2-3 minutes it took to pass. The tomatoes didn't get any damage from it.
Strawberry bed. We have already picked some and can't wait until there is more.
Jacob and I weeding the beds.
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Praise is giving me about a quart a day. I put the babies away in the evening and milk in the morning. I then return babies to mama. I can't wait for another month when I wean the kids so I can get double the amount of milk
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Soccer season ends this week. I am always sad to see it end. The kids just love it as do the parents. Upward is such a great program. The kids learn drills, sportsmanship, and scripture all at the same time. Each week they are given scripture to memorize and drills to work on. This will be Jacob's last year:( Not sure what he wants to do next year, he has talked about Martial arts but we will see.
Jocelyn's soccer picture, poor girl was throwing up that morning but made it for pictures.
The newly fence garden. One side needs to be reinforced because of our very strong winds but that will have to wait until July. The chickens are still getting in the garden so I will still have to cover the beds with netting.
We transplanted one bed of Tomatoes, and just as Jacob and I were finishing a hail storm came in. I stood by for the 2-3 minutes it took to pass. The tomatoes didn't get any damage from it.
Strawberry bed. We have already picked some and can't wait until there is more.
Jacob and I weeding the beds.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Praise is giving me about a quart a day. I put the babies away in the evening and milk in the morning. I then return babies to mama. I can't wait for another month when I wean the kids so I can get double the amount of milk
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Soccer season ends this week. I am always sad to see it end. The kids just love it as do the parents. Upward is such a great program. The kids learn drills, sportsmanship, and scripture all at the same time. Each week they are given scripture to memorize and drills to work on. This will be Jacob's last year:( Not sure what he wants to do next year, he has talked about Martial arts but we will see.
Jocelyn's soccer picture, poor girl was throwing up that morning but made it for pictures.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Projects and Kids
There are two projects going on around here. The first I am so excited about! Rob is fencing my garden. It doesn't look much right now but we will be painting it white and it will surround the whole garden. I am thinking I will put roses in front of the fence street side. On the inside will be blueberry bushes. I can't wait. It should be finished being built by the end of this month!
The second project is going on in the pasture. See those white sprinklers, they are going bye bye. In their place there will be pop ups. We aren't having to replace all the white sprinklers because the pop ups we are buying are larger and can spray almost twice as far. It will be nice to have working sprinklers again and green grass for the goats! Jacob and Jordan are in the pasture digging around the sprinklers for Rob so when the sprinklers come in it will go faster.
Here is another picture of the kids. Dot is standing and the boy is being lazy. They are so cute and we are having so much fun with them. On another note we have sold our 3 wethers and they will be picked up this weekend! Money for hay!! yipee!!
The second project is going on in the pasture. See those white sprinklers, they are going bye bye. In their place there will be pop ups. We aren't having to replace all the white sprinklers because the pop ups we are buying are larger and can spray almost twice as far. It will be nice to have working sprinklers again and green grass for the goats! Jacob and Jordan are in the pasture digging around the sprinklers for Rob so when the sprinklers come in it will go faster.
Here is another picture of the kids. Dot is standing and the boy is being lazy. They are so cute and we are having so much fun with them. On another note we have sold our 3 wethers and they will be picked up this weekend! Money for hay!! yipee!!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
NO, I have't dropped off the face of the earth:)
Jordan studying her AWANA book before competition at the AWANA Bible quizzing, where they got 2nd place!
The roses Rob gave me for V~day
I am trying my hand at drying the rose petals in my garage on my dirt sifter Rob made for me.
We've been busy, it is almost spring you know:) We are planning our garden and seeing what needs to be done around the property. Our first project we are working on is our garden. It will be much bigger this year so we can start canning and preserving more, I think we all need to put our basic skills to work because no one knows what the future holds for us. We also just purchased a green house so I can work more:), haha. I ordered my seed from Seeds of Change and Johnny's. I am waiting patiently for Spring to arrive so I can get busy in the garden.
We have signed the kids up for 4H and are excited about adding this to our school curriculum. There is a lot to know going into it, but I think it will only benefit the kids and their academics.
Two of the goats are to kid in mid-May if their meeting with the buck took...we shall see. I assisted Dalyn in cleaning off her goat kids when hers delivered and that was an experience like no other. I can not wait for the kids~they are so fun!
We also will be getting 2 lambs and a beef cow hopefully soon so come fall our freezer will be full!
School is progressing along just fine, the kids can see the light at the end of the tunnel:) Each month we participate in "Country Nights" where there is one country picked and all the kids do a project from that country. The parents bring a meal from that country and after the meal is eaten then the presentations are made. Here is Jocelyn presenting marmots to the group, for the country Austria. This month is the country of Hungary.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Update
Love that catchy title eh? We've been quite busy the last few weeks. The family went Blueberry picking twice, which yielded 9 gallons of berries. I made a batch of strawberry jam, harvested veggies out of the garden, finished the fence, butchered 2 of our roosters. Here are some pictures:
Elvis~a young, but very mean rooster. So off to the pot for him!
Brownie~a very protective rooster but also beating the hens up, so off to the pot he goes!
This is what over half of our hens look like.
Our finally finished pasture fence. This is one project we are glad to have done.
Some of the veggies we harvested out of the garden. This is the second picking of carrots and we are picking tomatoes everyday, but some of them don't make it into the house:)
Elvis~a young, but very mean rooster. So off to the pot for him!
Brownie~a very protective rooster but also beating the hens up, so off to the pot he goes!
This is what over half of our hens look like.
Our finally finished pasture fence. This is one project we are glad to have done.
Some of the veggies we harvested out of the garden. This is the second picking of carrots and we are picking tomatoes everyday, but some of them don't make it into the house:)
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