Sunday Walkabout 8-10

"For every fog in August...there will be a snow in winter."
We've had a foggy start to every day this month...
I certainly hope the old weather adage is NOT true!!

It was a long week here on the hill.  But, it honestly doesn’t seem like a whole lot happened…

Wait a minute…that’s not true.

It was actually an exciting week.  Well, in relative terms…for at least one of the residents.

This week it was all about Waylon. The first of August marks the beginning of breeding season and Waylon's starring role.

This old boy is HOT!

.  

Here come the girls!
The ewe in the lead got her hair "done" for the occasion
by rubbing her head on the new red gate, she certainly is distinctive
Read about her HERE

The ewes were summoned and de-wormed.  

new ram harness

Waylon was outfitted.

The gate between was opened …and well…that was that. 

It’s always pretty anti-climactic.

But, here are some posts from the past about the first of August.

http://homesteadhillfarm.blogspot.com/2013/08/oh-happy-day.html Personally, I like this one that I wrote on Waylon’s behalf.

http://homesteadhillfarm.blogspot.com/2012/08/anticipation-is-makin-me-wait.html

http://homesteadhillfarm.blogspot.com/2011/08/rams-destiny.html

We should see “something” happening soon and five months from that we’ll be back in the lambing shed. I, for one, can’t wait.  I love lambing season, and this year we have six new ewes in the breeder flock.  So…I am anxiously awaiting breeding and delivery to see if I chose wisely. (I’ll keep you posted)

the onions need to be good and dry before further processing

The Boss had hoped to get all the onions trimmed and sorted and stowed in the cooler this week.  However, they weren’t quite ready for further processing, so we’ll have to add that to next week’s list.  That changed our plans and left time for more green bean picking. I am seriously tired of picking green beans…but, “gotta pick green beans while the sun shines”…or something like that. It really won’t be that long until the snow flies and everyone will be wishing for the hot weather and fresh green beans of summer.

teeny, tiny beans mean I'm going to be picking for quite a while yet

The gardens were beginning to look rather bleak due to the lack of rain.  Seriously, National Zucchini Day was August 9…instead of pumping out “zukes” by the carload, the zucchini plants were just sitting there, drying out,.  It was depressing. 

Irrigation is great.  It keeps the plants alive and producing to a certain degree, but there’s nothing like RAIN from above.  However, the fall potato patch had seen little, if any…it was looking rather bleak and just a little wilty.   So, the Boss set up a sprinkler system.  While this is not the most efficient or effective system, it does help.  Not a half an hour after he set up the sprinkler, a thunderstorm popped up and dropped nearly a half inch of rain.  WOOHOO!

It's raining, it's pouring...

On our “regularly scheduled hoophouse day”, the Boss tilled the empty beds for me before doing some more cleaning out of the spent crops.  I went into a planting frenzy and got about half of the transplants out of the greenhouse and into the ground.  

tilling in the hoophouse

transplanting  leads to very dirty jeans and sore knees

While I was working, it rained again.  This is what it sounds like in the hoophouse when it rains. 

  

As time passed, it got louder, and it even thundered (no lightning)!  But, I did indeed get all the transplanting done! (and we got more measurable rainfall)

It is amazing what a little rain will do for the gardens.  In the places where we had given up hope on potatoes sprouting…suddenly there are plants!  There were even zucchinis and cukes…and LOTS of broccoli…and even more green beans for Market.

potato sprouts pushing through the earth

healthy potato plant

look at all those beans!

Picking seemed to take forever on Friday.  I’m not complaining.  A long picking day generally means a good Market day…so it’s all good.

Saturday morning, we crammed all the stuff in the trailer.  The Boss hopped in the truck to head out and the dogs and I walked back to the porch to see him off before starting morning chores.

Suddenly, the truck door opened and the Boss got out. He was mumbling to himself.

WHAT? Did he say something about no brakes?

The brakes in the farm truck were non-existent.

…and there’s a trailer load of stuff.

Oh, great. 

Now what?

So, Boss…what can I do to help?

“Just get your clothes on….and we gotta get outta here!”  ..and he dashed back out the door.

Nothing like going into a tizzy at five o’clock in the morning…knowing that you’ve got to figure this out quick, quick, quick or lose out on your only day to sell that trailer full of stuff.

Fortunately, we did have the foresight when buying our second vehicle to make sure that it was one that could haul the trailer.  …and the Beermeister did a great job installing a trailer hitch.

So, it was a simple matter of changing vehicles. 

…and just a few cross words as we hastened to get on the road in record time. (each of us has a routine for Saturday morning…and melding the two got just a little dicey)  Animal feeding got a little short-changed and I felt entirely frazzled for the entire day, but we made it.  

setting up the Market stand
yes, I know it's out of focus...
that's pretty much how it felt, too!

Off to another amazing day at the Market.

…and for the record…the brake issue is NOT Gus’ fault. Although he was the first suspect, given his propensity for chewing.  No, the Dodge’s problem is more likely age-related. There is a definite down-side to geriatric vehicles.

We capped off the day with a birthday supper for Toughchick.  Actually, her birthday isn’t until next week, but she will be at the Rham County Fair, working the Poultry barn (like she has for the past 7 or so years) on her actual birthday.  It was a much-enjoyed supper, with fried chicken and biscuits…and a chocolate cheesecake cake.

Like chocolate?  Try this RECIPE. There was a lot of laughing and talking…and then most of us fell asleep watching a movie.  Nothing like family.  Good times!  (and thank you TBone for looking at the truck)

The upcoming week promises to be most interesting…with broiler processing...onion cleaning...maybe potato digging…a trip to the fair…and figuring out the logistics of getting the farm truck back on the road. …and that’s just the beginning of the list!

Hope you’re having a

Happy Sunday!

August on the hill
(after the rain)

Thanks for stopping by to visit.  Hope you’ll come back again real soon.