6/29/18 Farmer Friday

The trumpet vine planted by my grandmother at least 50 years ago is blooming. 

Never a dull moment around here. Little chicken stuck inside a door because the wire came unstapled at the top. 

Picking kale for orders. This bed is getting sad. It's not getting enough water. So having to hand water. Always just one more thing to do. 

Cleaning up the area for a new pen.  I didn't get it all done but close. 

Went back to mom's and ate and cooled off. Watered the chickens and put out oyster shell and grit. 

Then back to my place to pack and load up for my Superior deliveries. Flowers, herbs, eggs and veggies.   I love my customers, they are all so fun. 

6/28/18. Just a Day

 After chores at mom's house this morning I got to my place about 6:00 and mixed a batch of concrete. The water has been undercutting the wall. So I worked on fixing that. 

There is more to do before we get heavy rains but that's a start. 

I put the last coat of paint on the boards to fix another pen. 

I picked kale to deliver to customers. 

It was getting too hot so I spent some time inside cleaning up. This cross stitch pillow was from my great grand parents. They were teachers. Grandpa was also a gardener and bred bearded iris and dahlias. 

I went back to mom's and watered the chickens. I wet their pens down and give them tubs of water to cool off in. 

I went to see mom at the nursing home for a bit then went back to the house and made a batch of prickly pear jelly. 

Then afternoon chores at mom's and my place. Then back to mom's, feed the dogs and I'm done. Good Night. 

6/27/18 Cement, Silkies and Moremixing

mixing cement

After doing chores at mom's this morning I got to my place about 6. First thing I made a batch of cement and slogged it up the hill to reenforce the fence posts.

Buff Orpington and other chicks

Then I fed and watered the birds at my house. Funny how different breeds of chicks show different temperaments even at a young age. This pen with several Buff Orpingtons is much calmer than a younger pen with mostly Ameraucana, those chicks act like they are being attacked every time I even open the door.

spring hatched silkie

Silkies are usually the calmest of all. They make great pets and like to snuggle.

squash on a trellis

The big squash vines are beginning to run, this trellis has spaghetti, red kuri and trombonccino. By August you will see nothing but green here.

The Mail o.o

I spent most of the morning watering and moving hoses around. Then headed for the house. A huge pile of mail to sort out and bills to pay. Then went to visit mom. My daughter and grand daughters came to visit. We sorted out some junk for a yard sale. Later I did regular chores and now as soon as I feed the dogs, I'm headed for bed.

good night world

(Backup) 6/26/18

Good morning Edda. Yes breakfast soon.  Sad this morning to find a dead duck and another one missing. They have been loose in the yard at moms and sleep away from where Edda is cabled. I suspect an owl. Edda is cabled because she is a Houdini and escapes the fence every chance she gets. I will start feeding the ducks in Edda's space so hopefully not to lose any more. 

I got a late start this morning and by the time I finished chores the sun was over the hill. Came on like a blast furnace so I decided to work in the shade. Got my tools out. 

I cut some boards to finish a new pen. 

I typed up the board meeting minutes for the Globe-MiamiFarmers Market while the paint dried. 

While the second coat of paint dried I added some shade cloth to some pens that need it. 

I made up 2 trays of soil blocks and planted green onion seed. 

 I also moved the water hose around a lot. Then went to moms intending to eat, cool off, clean up and go visit mom. But then this happened:

That was my step dad's business (he passed away a few years ago). But still family involved there. Well I left the house which is two hills over to get ice because they cut our lights off due to the fire. Then when I came back there was a barricade and the cop wouldn't let me through. So hung out at the shopping center where I could watch the fire and later went to my place to do chores. Finally sitting down at 7:30. Still have to feed dogs. And then I'm going to bed. Good night world. 

6/25/18 The Days Work

Sunday's Eggs

I have an abundance of eggs right now. I was too tired Sunday to sort and date them so did them this morning. Then out to do chores.

I mixed some concrete and lugged it by the bucket load up the hill to stabilize some of the fence posts. You don't normally cement in T-posts but a lot of this hill is shifty and unstable so I'm cementing some of them in so they don't wash out. I originally wanted a pen 50x100 feet but about 40 feet up the slope it got even steeper. I think it will end up being about 40x80-90 feet. Once done I can move the extra chickens and the dogs home from my mom's place.

Pineapple Sage

I managed to get the Pineapple Sage potted on into bigger pots. They are not always winter hardy here so I keep them potted so I can protect them in the winter. When I raised rabbits I would grind older ones up with fatty pork for sausage and used Pineapple Sage to season them, a light sage flavor with fruity tones.

Pandorino tomato

Some of the cherry size tomatoes are almost ready, much much later than last year!

some of the chicks

I have chicks of all sizes and ages. From hatched yesterday to almost 4 months old.

making jelly

I spent the morning mostly watering and moving hoses around. Then after lunch I made prickly pear jelly which never jelled. So it's just syrup. That's the second time that recipe has not worked. Will try a different recipe tomorrow.

A little Catch Up

Plum Purple Radish from Baker's Creek

I  see I haven't posted in months. No sense trying to catch up, will just go forward. Several beds of large radishes have come and gone. Very popular with many of my customers.

spinach

Spinach is always a big hit. Too bad I can't grow it in the summer time. Spinach is a very cool weather crop. Once we hit 80 degrees it just wants to make flowers and seed. Also the seed won't even sprout at that temperature, it's too hot.

new potatoes

This years potato crop was very poor. We had almot no rain and the ground is dry as dust.

Buff Orpington and Black Copper Marans chicks

I've hatched lots of chicks, some hatching today and one more hatch due July 3.

cactus flowered dahlia

To my surprise some of the dahlias I grew from seed last year survived the winter in the ground and in pots and are blooming now. I see buds on some others.

tomato almost ready

There have been a couple of ripe tomatoes, but not enough to take to market.

elephant garlic

The garlic harvet was also dissapointing. It is probably only half the weight it could have been. Again, lack of winter rain is to blame.

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