These guys personify beauty and joy,
wrapped up in a lovely furry package
that will run around your house and destroy all your stuff :)
Garden Update - Almost October
I did come cleaning up in the garden today. The recent rains and cold snap have finished off the poor tomato plants. They really didn't have a chance. What tried to ripen ended up just rotting on the vine. So today I started pulling them out and putting the vines in the compost pile.
So sad, all those tomatoes that could have been spaghetti sauce, or salsa...
With the tomatoes gone, the giant fennel plant looks lonely. I still haven't decided what to do with it. I planted it on a whim. I've never used fennel before.
There are carrots growing in the raised bed. It's the only place where the soil is soft enough for them to stretch down without getting all stunty.
The wax beans are done, and I collected some beans to plant next year from them. But the Blue Lake pole beans are crazy, and were tipping the trellis over!
I picked this huge bucket full of green beans! I'm going to pickle some, and freeze the rest.
UPDATE: Last night I pickled & canned 8 pints of green beans - four HOT, four regular, blanched and froze 4 packages of beans for later, and had fresh beans sauted in garlic & bacon for dinner. Yum!
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So sad, all those tomatoes that could have been spaghetti sauce, or salsa...
The wax beans are done, and I collected some beans to plant next year from them. But the Blue Lake pole beans are crazy, and were tipping the trellis over!
UPDATE: Last night I pickled & canned 8 pints of green beans - four HOT, four regular, blanched and froze 4 packages of beans for later, and had fresh beans sauted in garlic & bacon for dinner. Yum!
_
The chick's first night in the big coop
Night before last I moved the chicks to the big coop, sneaking them in at night and putting them on the roosts with the big hens. The next morning when I checked on them the big hens were all out in the yard, and the babies were still in the coop. By afternoon they had gotten brave enough to go out in the yard too, and I saw them running around enjoying the grass and their new freedom. It's so nice to see them out of the tractor finally!
So last night I went out to check on them around 11pm, and there were no babies in the coop, just the big hens. I got a flashlight and went out in teh yard and found them all hunkered down next to the fence. So I picked them up two at a time and gently put them in through the chicken door to the coop. I had left a light on in the coop, and they slowly made their way in and found a spot on the roost.
When I had all seven in there, I went back around to the other side of the coop and watched until everyone was on a roost. Some of them went all the way to the top roost and squeezed in with the big chickens, and got a few pecks on the head for their trouble. But pretty soon everyone was settled in together, big and little all on the same roosts. So I turned off the light and went to bed.
This morning first thing I saw was the chicks back out in the yard, running around, flapping, and chasing each other. What fun! I love to see happy chickens!
So last night I went out to check on them around 11pm, and there were no babies in the coop, just the big hens. I got a flashlight and went out in teh yard and found them all hunkered down next to the fence. So I picked them up two at a time and gently put them in through the chicken door to the coop. I had left a light on in the coop, and they slowly made their way in and found a spot on the roost.
When I had all seven in there, I went back around to the other side of the coop and watched until everyone was on a roost. Some of them went all the way to the top roost and squeezed in with the big chickens, and got a few pecks on the head for their trouble. But pretty soon everyone was settled in together, big and little all on the same roosts. So I turned off the light and went to bed.
This morning first thing I saw was the chicks back out in the yard, running around, flapping, and chasing each other. What fun! I love to see happy chickens!
Chick season is over
The batch of chicks before that (of which there are only two left - three of the six were roosters, and one hen I gave away in place of a hen I sold this spring that turned out to be a rooster) are almost all grown up.
They should start laying any time now. Aren't they lovely? I'm going to pair the blue/buff girls together with their blue/buff brother and see what next year's chicks look like. I'd better get busy on that incubator!
Saving Seeds
I think summer is officially over. I turned on the tv this morning, and the weather report described the next three days as 'a good soaking'. Oh well. I went out to the garden and found a few ripe but rotten tomatoes off of each of my heirloom tomato plants and brought them inside. The tomatoes have been rotting before they can ripen, so there haven't really been any for eating. Time to think about next year.
They are neat looking tomatoes, would be even better if I'd got to eat some! These are Snow White (yellow cherry), Black Cherry, Striped Roman, Brandywine (the big red one), and Azoychka (medium yellow).
So I crack them open and dig around with a spoon looking for the goopy part with seeds in it. I put all the seeds I can into the cup.
The goo needs to soak in water for about a week to let the seeds go. Then I can dry them off and save them for next year.
Hopefully next year will be a better year for tomatoes!
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