Homestead Happenings

 Welcome to Homestead Happenings,

where we share what's going on here

on our Piedmont, NC homestead.

It's been creeping toward summer

with rising temperatures and the sightings of more bugs.

Maintenance chores are keeping us busy,

but we will slow down as summer draws near.

The heat is just too difficult to deal with.

I may resort to pulling out my jigsaw puzzles

in order to stay inside during the hottest part of the day.

I felt the need to share these gorgeous photos of 

the Piedmont Farmstead,

one of the farms where I get some of my produce.

It's important to me to be able to source nutritious, clean

food from local farms.

Piedmont's produce is superb.

I just couldn't resist taking some shots

of their tidy rows.

Straight lines and I don't really get along,

so my garden will never look like this.

But I sure do admire other folks who create 

such a beautiful vista.

Back on our homestead,

the lettuce and kale just keep on comin'!

It's been wonderful to be able to share

some of this produce with neighbors.

Another full bed of lettuce was sown this week,

as we are expecting several days of rain.

There is our usual planting of red ripper beans,

which store so well and taste delicious.

Our first crop of potatoes is ready for harvest,

with a second crop about halfway through the growing cycle.

Thank goodness the squirrels are leaving something alone!

For the life of me,

I can't figure out what this crop is.

The tag says broccoli, but it doesn't look anything like it.

And it appears to be bolting.

I tasted the tiniest bit of the tips

and it was very spicy.

I may just save this for sister,

as she enjoys a little spice in her diet.

Any ideas about what it could be?

Our babies are about 6 weeks old now,

and have been going out on grass for a 

couple of weeks.

Their color is really starting to come in now,

and they are almost fully feathered.

It won't be long before they are outside full time,

enjoying their own cozy coop.

Once they are similar in size to our 2-year old hens,

we will attempt to integrate them.

Focaccia was made this week,

using fresh-milled flour.

Oh.  My.  Stars.

It was like eating a cloud,

so light and airy.

This is definitely a keeper.

Basil was picked fresh from the garden

to make pesto as a topping.

Real food tastes SO good!

If we are blessed with a good amount of rain,

(which we desparately need),

it should cool things off a bit

before the scorching bite of summer begins.

Spring has barreled past us,

but there can be no spring, fall or winter

without summer.

And so, although it is my least favorite season,

I embrace all the good things that it brings.

Things like:

blueberries

cool, refreshing showers

fireflies

ice cream runs to Kilwin's

lemonade

longer days

watermelon.

What are you most grateful for in summer?