Friday, August 30, 2024

Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome back to Homestead Happenings.
Our Piedmont home and garden is coasting toward autumn.
Here's what's been going on around here.
The zinnias and other beauties keep on comin'
and adding a touch of summer to the indoors.
The container is actually an old pitcher
my momma used to store milk in when I was young.
What a treasure!


The squash vines just keep on-a-sprawlin',
and are invading any bare ground they find.
We haven't had rain in a couple of weeks,
but you'd never know it by these crops.


It looks like we'll have a nice harvest
of red ripper beans.
This variety is always easy to germinate,
has no pest issues,
and provides months of pods to pick.
We let them dry on the vine,
so they are ready for storage for the rest of the year.
The teepee turned out well and will definitely be repeated.


Although we've had a fairly mild summer,
this week's higher temperatures
boosted the growth of the loofah.
We once again have gourds growing on our gazebo frame,
providing much needed shade for the chooks.
Although these can be eaten when picked small,
we will most likely leave them to grow
so that they can be given away as loofah "sponges".


Pumpkins keep showing up,
in various sizes, shapes and patterns.

Seminole pumpkin


Some were planted,
and some are volunteers,
and I have absolutely no idea
what variety they are.
It's the most success I've had with squash,
so I'll gladly give them a home.


The nasturtiums cheerfully fill in
some of the Birdie's beds.
The flowers added to the veggie beds
attract pollinators to work their magic.
Next season, more flowers will be added
around the veg garden.
It's a win-win!


Some time was spent this week
harvesting herbs from the designated bed.
There is no dark room in our home in which to dry them,
so I simply use paper sacks to accomplish the task.
Here, we have oregano, which will be placed in the food processor
so that we have it for the entire year.


The Monarchs butterflies are here!
One was spotted early on in the week,
and we have the milkweed plants to support them.
Here you can see the aphids that are covering the milkweed,
but not to worry.


After some observation,
I noticed that the plants where this lil' mystery guy (gal) resided,
the aphids were gone.
So, I've been moving them from plant to plant
in hopes that they will take care of the aphid problem.
This will create a healthier milkweed plant
whenever the Monarch cats decide to show up.
I choose to use the natural approach to gardening,
and don't spray or otherwise interfere with Mother Nature.
She knows what she's doing.


Once our baby chooks started laying,
they have been cranking out eggs like crazy!
We are getting almost 2 dozen weekly,
although they are smaller than the average size egg.
They will increase in size as the girls get older.
Feeling very rich, indeed!


3 out of 4 of our baby olive eggers

Speaking of the babies,
would you look at this?
There are three nesting boxes in our 
Omlet Pro coop,
and yet, they all want to lay in the same one
at the same time!
They seem to be working this out,
but now we have one broody hen 
who refuses to leave the box all day!
Every two hours, we take her out,
so that she can eat and stretch her legs.
It's always something,
but our lives are richer because of them,
so we will deal with any drama that comes up.


The three older girls, or as they are also known,
the bullies, get free range time at least once daily.
They live in their own run,
as they are merciless with the babies.
They seem to be enjoying their freedom,
and are very good about staying close to home.

Betty eating homemade applesauce

I'm sorry to report that our sweet Betty passed in the last few weeks.
She was a good friend to our beautiful Queenie,
her twin sister Wilma, and dear Ruby. 
I hope they are all together somewhere 
and catching all the crickets they can eat!
With each chook passing, I am getting better
at dealing with it and giving them some comfort.
It's never easy losing a beloved pet,
but I know that they've had a good life with us,
and I send them off with love and peace
(and a boatload of tears).

May September usher in for you
new adventures and a peaceful heart.

11 comments:

  1. Chickens are giving us a schedule as well. I enjoy them so much, with their varied personalities. Your pitcher of flowers is beautiful!

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    1. Yes, the chooks have added so much to our lives. Thank you for visiting.

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  2. I'm so sorry for your loss of sweet Betty. Those are some pretty eggs. Isn't it funny how there's a favorite nest box in a flock? Love your warty pumpkin! Hope you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

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    1. I thank you for your kind words. Hope you have a restful weekend.

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  3. I'm so sorry about Betty. Hugs to you. It's never easy and yes, always tears. I cannot believe how great all of your plants look! Nesting box wars happen here too. We have 7 boxes and there's always 2 that are the favorites. Sometimes they are piled 3-4 high. I don't know how that could be enjoyable in summer. Love that the pitcher was from your childhood. Happy last days of August!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you. I know I am not alone in my heartbreak at the loss of a chook. Enjoy your weekend.

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  4. Look at the color of those eggs! Lovely! So sad to lose Betty though. It's never easy because their personalities are so unique.

    Everything in your garden looks so happy. Good news about the monarchs. It's wonderful that they help with aphid control. Or maybe you help with monarch food. :)

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    Replies
    1. Yes, we are enjoying the color of the eggs too. So unique.
      The caterpillar shown in the photo is not a monarch, but some other critter that is eating the aphids. The Monarch cats haven't yet shown up, but it should be any day!

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  5. I'm sorry about Betty...it is hard, and always teary. I agree...I choose to believe all my best animal friends are running together, healthy, and telling stories about me. I'm sure Azzie has been sending the kittens our way - 5 since we lost him - I hope at least one will be the kind of dog-cat he was (more of a dog personality, than a cat!) I do miss him, and still feel so badly about his passing. It's kind of you to keep the "bulllies" in their own "apartment" not everyone would do that - they are luckier than they know. The garden looks terrific and those eggs - wow!

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  6. I'm so sorry about Betty. I love the sweet picture of her eating her applesauce. There are so many exciting things going on in your garden. The eggs are just gorgeous--and so are your zinnias!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for your kindness. We are looking forward to cooler days, as I'm sure you are.

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