Homestead Happenings

Welcome to Homestead Happenings.

Getting back from a short pup sitting job,

it felt good to get caught up on what

was happening at home.

So grateful for autumn's arrival!

 

The chooks enjoy some exploration time

each morning and evening.

They have plenty of opportunities to capture bugs,

munch on grass and take dirt baths.

These are some of the most peaceful times of my day.

The babies have started cranking out eggs!

We are getting at least 3 a day from the four Wyandottes,

and since no one is molting at the moment,

the Olive Eggers are giving us a few as well.

Egg salad may be on the menu this weekend.

The pumpkins are still flowering,

even with the fluctuating temperatures.

We hope that the newly formed fruit

will have enough time before our first frost

to give us a few more goodies to eat.

I've spied a few of the chooks helping themselves

to the turnip greens.

These were planted just for them,

and I'll be curious how long they last in the cooler weather.

Lettuce is still going strong and was recently reseeded,

to ensure a continuous crop.

There are a variety of lettuces all planted together.

Another bed will be sown in two weeks.

Although a bit overdue,

the compost was sifted and placed into buckets.

After hurting my back a few weeks ago,

this task had to be postponed.

I decided to do it in stages, so as not to

reinjure myself.

I'm about halfway done.

This will be added to our garlic planting bed,

and to any other bed that needs topping off.

It's light, airy and full of good things.

If you've read this blog for any length of time,

you know how much I love my gal, Ginger.

She's the beauty in the middle here,

and her companion (Big K's car) is Kale on the right.

We decided to start a Honda Element Club in our area.

We often see these vehicles in our town,

and I've never talked to anyone who owned one

who didn't absolutely adore it.

Our first meet up took place during

some very unappealing conditions,

but it was a good start.

Our next event is in January,

and I look forward to meeting other Element Fans.

With cooler weather (40's) expected early next week,

my new flannel sheets were taken out.

Oh my...it's not easy getting out of bed these days,

and I am so grateful for these small comforts.

Bring on the frost!

The sunsets have been spectacular lately.

The end of each day is spent on the front porch,

rocking and sharing our favorite parts of the day,

watching the chooks find treasures on the property.

The simple things are all that matter.

Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome to Homestead Happenings,

our feature where we share what's been

going on here on our Piedmont Zone 8A property.

Having been pup sitting for a bit,

there wasn't much chance to garden here at home,

but things are humming along nicely.

Earlier in the week,

I tweaked my lower back,

and recuperation didn't lend itself to anything strenuous.

Things are better now,

and I hope to be back up and in full vigor by the weekend.

It felt triumphant to be able to again 

walk the neighborhood without any discomfort.

Some of the beds are about done,

and some will be replanted with fall crops.

This (lower) bed full of lemon balm

never stopped growing, even through

our severe drought this summer.

Good to know there will be enough tea

to get me through some chilly days!

As vigorous as this pumpkin vine looks,

we have only a few gourds to show for it.

I figured I might as well leave it growing,

and maybe we'll get a handful more before Thanksgiving.

The loofah hasn't done much either,

but we do have a smattering hanging on the trellis.

The drought really made it difficult this season,

but we'll be grateful for whatever we can harvest.

The turmeric seemed unbothered by the heat

and lack of precipitation.

It will be harvested and the roots given away.

I have plenty growing elsewhere in the ground.

The first picking of the new lettuce happened this week.

There's nothing like fresh greens from the garden.

More lettuce has been sown,

along with beets and kale.

These will be succession sown over the next month or two.

This bed was prepped for garlic sowing later this month.

The tarp will keep the sun off of the bed,

which should kill any weeds or other plants from creeping in.

This will be a new location for garlic,

and I'm curious to see how it does.

My garlic harvest over the last 3 years has been less than ideal.

We had a pleasant surprise this week!

The babies (Wyandottes) started laying!

Their eggs are tiny compared to the older girls,

but they will grow in size with time.

Each of these mini eggs is about half the size

of a standard egg.

The Wyandottes lay brown eggs,

while the four Olive Eggers lay green.

Fresh milled flour is still being used for 

all of my bread products.

I'm looking forward to Sunday,

when it is supposed to rain all day long.

Rainy days just put me in the mood to bake.

I'm thinking I might try scones next!

All of the following pictures reflect my

utter fascination with Monarch caterpillars.

They are such magical creatures and 
I never tire of watching their magnificent transformation.

There are at least a half a dozen out in our 

front porch bed,

and I find myself checking them each morning

when letting the chooks out.

I hope you have some milkweed growing

so that you can be mesmerized by these captivating creatures!

Two for one!

Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome back to Homestead Happenings,

where we share what's going on 

here on our Piedmont property.

There are still plenty of blooms to cherish,

as we welcome the end of a very dry summer season.

One decision that was fostered by the dry weather 

is that I want to do a refresh on the flower beds

and make the switch to mostly (and eventually all) natives.

I'm researching now, using the wealth of information provided

on the Cooperative Extension websites for our state.

It will be exciting to make the changes,

knowing that we will be feeding more wildlife, obliging pollinators,

and doing our part to support Mother Nature as best we can.

Baxter

I've been taking care of these two (see below) sweeties

for the past week.

They are such a delight and allow me to scratch my 

"dog itch".  We cannot have furry friends at our house,

because of C's allergies, so this is really a treat for me.

Smokey

They keep me company,

and I truly miss them when I go back home.

Thankfully, I still get to see them once a week

when I come back to help with the gardens here.

They will forever have a piece of my heart.

Back at home,

we've had some serious molting!

Two of our olive eggers have lost so many feathers,

and I can't say it bothers me.

I'd certainly rather them go through their molt

in the heat of summer,

when they are surely relieved not to carry so much insulation.

We'll see how the other two do.

In other chook news,

we have combined both flocks together into the large run.

The olive eggers, the Wyandottes and our elder, Henrietta,

are all sharing space.

Each group has their own coop.

Chickens are like us, they don't much like change.

There are pecking order issues,

but we trust that they will work it out.

The spring babies, the Wyandottes,

seem very comfortable around the other girls,

especially if they stick together as a group.

They really enjoy foraging and are very curious.

Unfortunately, because they look so much alike,

their designated names have not been given yet.

They are most often referred to as "the babies" or

"the golden girls".

At 23 weeks, they should start laying anytime.

In our garden, the covers have gone back on the beds,

mostly to keep the chooks from digging in them.

I recently found that some beet and kale seedlings

had been eaten by something.

Our pill bug population is fairly healthy,

so I will probably use the sliced potato method of deterrent

when I reseed them.

I look forward to getting back to fall planting.

The beans I had identified in the last post as Jade green beans,

were, in fact, cowpeas.

I haven't grown them in a few years, so I had forgotten

that they turn purple before harvest time.

Next year I will plant a lot more,

because I find them to be easy to grow

with no pest pressure to speak of.

Overall, I'd like to increase the variety of beans for drying.

The Seminole pumpkin plants have been a bit

disappointing.  With only a few fruits, it

doesn't look like there will be many for winter storage.

Other than the drought conditions,

I don't really know why they are so sparse.

They will be planted again next year,

with the idea of giving them more hydration

to see if that increases our volume.

Of course, we can't do much about critters

who help themselves before they are even ripe.

Big K suggested putting wire cages around them

to deter squirrels, groundhogs, or whatever

creature made a meal of this one.

It's the first time we've had this type of damage

with this particular fruit.

There's always another challenge with gardening.

I'll be home for the weekend, so I can check on the family,

the chooks and the garden.

There is a definite shift in the air,

and I have no doubt that autumn is indeed, on its way.

Enjoy the changes the seasons bring.

25 Years

 

Wordless Wednesday