Sunday Walkabout 6-7-15

foggy sunrise after nearly a week of rain

I would like to claim that the past week was highly productive…but, alas, weather and unexpected events conspired against us and many of our plans had to be revised.

However, we did indeed have one major success.

tomato plant

The tomato plants finally got planted, trellised, and mulched!  …and yes, the irrigation tape was placed as well.  It was a long, hot, sweaty job in the blazing sun, complete with sweltering humidity and breezes that felt like furnace blasts.  But, we got it done!  Hooray! 

tilling for tomatoes

putting in posts for trellis

digging holes for plants

installing irrigation tape

color-coding the pots was a BRILLIANT idea (even if it was mine)

setting the plants

delivering the mulch

applying the mulch

the finished job

Now, grow little tomatoes, GROW!

little paste tomatoes

rain arrived right on time

We spent the rest of the week rejoicing that we did this job on Monday rather than our usual “Monday stuff” because it started raining late that night and we didn’t see the sun (or an end of the raindrops) until the end of the week.

Friday morning...just like the rest of the week

Since it was raining, the Boss went on the re-scheduled town run with me so we could haul the feed in the trailer.  He also needed some parts to repair the irrigation system and he wanted to investigate his options when it came to hardwood mulch.

cleaning out the flower bed

Over the weekend we cleared out the side flower bed.  While this was not exactly a FARM job, it had become imperative to my mental health. It was starting to look like a jungle and the beautiful rose bushes we planted earlier in the year were in danger of being overtaken by invasive plants. The side door leads to the kitchen and it’s the most used door in the house, so there’s no way to avoid what was rapidly becoming an eyesore.

Years ago, Blondie and I decided that the side of the house would be a great place for a dyeing garden.  Now, I don’t mean a garden of plants that were withering and dead…we planted all sorts of things with the hopes of one day having a place to gather herbs and such that she could use to dye wool prior to spinning and weaving.  It was actually great for a while.  She lamented over the fact that the madder (the root is used to make anything from vibrant yellow to orange and brilliant red) never seemed to grow very well.

Life moved on…and so did Blondie. 

The madder, however, finally sprang to life.

load of madder

Winding itself over everything else in the garden, it took over like kudzu, its scratchy tendrils covering all the other plants.  Even the dog cave under the porch was even in danger of being overtaken. (pretty sure Gus and Ellie wouldn’t like that!)  Unbelievably, the clear out wasn’t difficult and it was one of the Boss’ “half-hour jobs” that really didn’t take much more than an half hour!  Finding the perfect mulch may prove to be slightly more difficult.  The type we originally used isn’t available anymore, so decisions will have to be made. I reckon we will get to this soon, but mulching isn’t a real good job for a rainy day anyway.

Gus checking out the dog cave

And, rain was becoming the story of the week.  At one point they were predicting 3 inches…and possible flooding.  That’s not the kind of forecast anyone wants to hear, particularly during the growing season. But, that was nothing compared to the totals in Texas and parts of the west. Many disasters have been reported, all due to too much rain. Thankfully, we’re not facing anything like that.

The cold, rainy weather gave us an opportunity to visit with Toughchick and GB#1.  It's amazing to see how much he has changed in just a week or so.

GB#1 thought it was hilarious that it was too cold and wet for his first weeding session

first load of lambs to the processor

Thursday saw us hauling lambs to the processors through what the weather page called “heavy drizzle”, although downpour seemed a bit more accurate.

I'm not a big fan of interstate travel
particularly when it looks like THIS!

It was not a pleasant trip up the interstate, but we made it there and back without any difficulty.  Now, we just have to wait a week or so before we can pick up all those lovely lamb chops, sausage and roasts.

Suddenly, it was time to harvest for Market once again.

While I was picking, I was aware of a great deal of commotion outside.  The hens seemed to be clucking with a different tone than normal and there were lots of crows caw-cawing. I’m fairly certain that the crows have a nest somewhere along the property line and they have become a huge nuisance. Not only did they feast (repeatedly) on the strawberries,   last week I saw a crow dive into the chicken yard and steal a freshly laid egg off the ground!

Something made me look up.  There…on TOP of the hoophouse…was the outline of a CAT! 

Yes, that is a little kitty behind on TOP of the hoophouse!

Apparently, Tess has decided to take the crow problem into her own paws and was patrolling the area.     Every time the crow would fly by, Tess would lunge at it.  The crow would call out and the chickens would cluck in terror, running for cover.  So much for a quiet life in the country!  Eventually the skirmish subsided and things returned to normal. You just never know what’s going to happen around here.

patrolling the hoophouse

the sentry

the birdhouse is also under surveillance 

Friday afternoon
same view as above

The rains finally began to let up and we actually saw blue sky by the end of the day.  But, the copious amounts of precipitation (we’ve had about 2 ½ inches in less than a week) and the warm temperatures brought a whole new set of “issues”.

MUD is an issue, too

The grass and weeds grew overnight.  Seriously, it is phenomenal.  However, the week was too wet to get into the garden and pull weeds, so we will probably have to haul out machetes to gain some sort of control out there this week. (I exaggerate only slightly) And, you can’t even tell the Boss did any mowing…

mowing...again

The warm, moist weather also brought on a new flush of potato beetles.  If left to their own devices, they will totally destroy the plants.  Without plenty of green matter above the soil line, the tubers will not be able to develop underneath. The battle for garden dominance will continue.

potato beetle larvae 

Good news/bad news
the potatoes are blooming---GOOD
the potato beetles are eating the blossoms---BAD

After a very foggy start, Saturday’s Market was beautiful.

Everyone was SO glad for a bright sunny day and pleasant temperatures. As usual, we had very little left at the end of the day.  Our customers are the greatest!

Salad or stir-fry...
I can't decide what kind of meal the leftovers will be

This week will find us playing catch-up since the rain threw our schedule into disarray. There are all sorts of plants waiting to go into the garden and the hoophouses.  Once those are planted, it will be time to get the fall brassica crop started.  The succession plantings of cucurbits need to be seeded as well. We picked up two bales of potting soil when we were in town and I can only hope that it is enough.

Here’s to a Happy Sunday!

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

Apparently, no one told Flo it's impolite to "talk" with food in your mouth!
But, forage is excellent after all the rain.

Sunday Walkabout 5-31

 Even Gus and Ellie work as a team 

Can you believe it’s already the end of May?

You wouldn’t believe how many times I heard that exclamation at yesterday’s Market.

Tomorrow IS the first of JUNE…and it’s starting to look (and feel) like Summer around here. The planting work is in high gear, and it won’t be too long until we’re harvesting like crazy, too.

With the shearing out of the way, (did you read this?)  it was time to get back to our regular routine…

setting up irrigation in upper gardens

I always feel just a little bit bad when I head off to town for the feed run, leaving the Boss working here on the hill.  But, as he says, somebody’s got to do it. And, since he’s not a big fan of town and/or grocery shopping, the task falls to me. 

Because, TEAMWORK keeps this place going.

I really like seeing what has changed along my route since the last time I was out.

lots and lots of HAY

This week, it was evident that hay season is in full swing.  During the next few weeks, enormous amounts of hay will be carefully harvested and stored for the upcoming winter months. Our “order” has been placed and we will be waiting for that call from our hay guy.

Back home on the hill, the planting continued…

newly transplanted okra

While I was gone to town, the Boss got the okra seedlings transplanted.  We have had so much trouble with corn root maggots eating the seeds in the past that we are trying transplants this year. I know, who would think that a pest with CORN in their name would eat the okra seeds?  Apparently, they’re not too picky and will eat just about any seeds. We have had problems with them in the early plantings of beans, too.

hauling pepper plants to garden

With the threat of thunderstorms looming, we decided to get the peppers planted and get everything mulched before planting the tomatoes. That way, we could protect the tomatoes in case of severe weather. We mulch as many plantings as we can to conserve moisture and keep down the weed pressure, using the aged, waste hay from the sheep’s winter in the barn. And, despite the amazing amounts of waste, there’s never enough.

After delivering the mulch to the beds, the Boss headed off to other jobs, leaving me to finish up.  Again, teamwork.  He does the heavy stuff and operates machinery, I get the hand jobs that require some level of finesse. Our division of labor has kept things running on a somewhat even keel for years and years now.

mulching okra

bush-hogging the front paddocks

While the neighbors are haying, the Boss is bush-hogging and mowing.  For the most part, the sheep take care of the grass.  But, during the early flush of Spring/Summer, even the ewes’ endless appetites can’t keep up with the growth.  As prey animals, the sheep do not graze well when the grass is tall (they need to be able to see what’s around them) and they can end up with eye problems from the grass poking them repeatedly. So pasture maintenance is important. Our property is not conducive to hay harvest…too many hills and rocks…(and we don’t have the equipment) so, the Boss mows. He deemed the front flowerbed a lost cause and bushhogged it, too. But, he did pick a pretty bouquet for me first!  It makes me a little sad to give up the flowerbed, but…you just can’t do everything.

the bouquet IS pretty
and I must admit, the front yard looks much better!

Signs of summer are beginning to appear…finally. 

It’s time for garlic scapes! 

one of our customers calls these
"GARLIC CURLS"!

Hardneck garlic sends up a seedstalk just prior to harvest time.  If left to its own devices, this will eventually turn into a flower and make seeds. Since we are looking to harvest the bulb and not seeds, it is important to direct the plant’s growth back into the bulb.  So, the seed stalk is cut off.  However, this is not a waste product.  Not at all!  Garlic scapes can be used like scallions, giving a little crunch and garlic taste to all sorts of dishes.  Years ago, nobody knew what they were, and you couldn’t give the things away.  Now, we have customers requesting them weeks in advance.  They’re only available for a limited time, so they have become a much sought-after late Spring delicacy.  Read more about scapes here. (there even are some recipes)

LOTS of scapes

baby cauliflower

For all my lamenting over the broccoli crop, there are signs of some beautiful crowns out there…and the early cauliflower looks to be the nicest ever.  The leaves are tight around the little heads, protecting them from the harsh sun and will keep them bright white and also prevent “ricing”.  When cauliflower is exposed to harsh weather, the heads will separate (ricing) and get a purple tinge to them. This doesn’t affect the taste in any way, but they won’t well since they aren’t pristine.  But, it doesn’t look like that will be a problem this year.

Now, THAT's what a baby broccoli should look like!

nothin' like fresh puddle water to drink!

Friday afternoon brought a huge, unexpected thunderstorm.  While I’m pretty sure the local hay guys weren’t real happy, we really needed the rain. It was getting a little dusty around here.  We measured 1 ¼ inches of rain in the gauge in just over an hour. We won’t need to irrigate for a couple of days at least. 

one quick shot before sales begin for the day

After the rain, it was a beautiful Market day. (the humidity didn’t build until later in the afternoon) Good music, lots of folks...that makes a good market.  Check out this week's  photos on Facebook.

Those garlic scapes certainly didn’t last long!  I’ll have to head out and harvest the rest real soon.

It was hard to keep the basket full

The upcoming week will see us finally getting the tomatoes in the garden. Even though the bad weather missed us, the tomato plants are still sitting on the trailer. Because…well, there are never enough hours in the day.    Yes, tomato planting is a top priority…otherwise, we might end up harvesting tomatoes from the utility trailer! (nope, not a good idea since we need the trailer for other things)

there are little tomatoes on the plants

The first load of lambs will be heading out to the processor this week, too. That means that we’ll have lamb chops (and all the other cuts) for the Market in about two weeks.  Good timing!  The freezer is just about empty.

…and that was the week on the hill.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hope you have a Happy Sunday!

I know the multi-flora rose is a nuisance plant to farmers everywhere...
but, it's so pretty...and smells so good!

Come back and “visit” us again real soon.