Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome to Homestead Happenings.

I'm hopeful that your week has been a good one,

allowing you to feel the wonderment of this place we call home.

Summer has bid us farewell,

and we are experiencing cooler temperatures

and the miraculous changes in the natural world.

Big K and I got out yesterday to participate in early voting.

We usually fill out an absentee ballot,

but I felt strongly that I needed to see my vote

register on the machine.

What a privilege it is to have a say in the future of our democracy.

Despite the hurricane affecting their business,

Sow True Seed sent out our garlic for planting this week.

I can't say enough about this company,

and especially their customer service.

Great quality seeds provided by folks who care.

With our final two rectangular Birdie's beds constructed,

we managed to go ahead and fill them with topsoil,

compost and a layer of shredded leaves.

The plan is to grow a cover crop in them this season,

and have them ready for spring planting.

Raven and Scout

Our chooks are keeping us entertained,

that's for sure.

They have taken to climbing up this trellis

to get at the hyacinth bean flowers on the vine

above their run.

They can sometimes be found on the top of the run itself,

where they enjoying munching away on these sweet morsels.

Matilda, who has been our most friendly chook,

has now discovered that she can fly over the fencing at will,

and so we often find her wandering wherever her little heart desires.

I have no way to corral her until a proper fence can be built,

so I just pray that she stays safe.

These black bean sweet potato burgers were made for supper

one night.  I'm happy with the ease of preparation,

but I think I'll add a bit more seasoning to them next time.

The recipe was acquired on Detoxinista,

where many gluten-free, dairy-free goodies can be found.

Check out her autumn/Halloween treats.

We put up a small autumn display.

The Lego head was originally made for

one of C's Halloween costumes.

It was easy to put this together,

with old clothes and straw we had for the chooks.

I hope it brings a smile to neighbors passing by.

The aftermath of Hurricane Helene has truly been

horrific for our neighbors to the west.

At the time of this writing,

there are still 81 people unaccounted for,

three weeks after the storm.

Please keep all of these folks in your heart,

as well as the amazing people who are here to help,

including government workers, linemen and volunteers.

May you be blessed with those you love around you.

Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome to Homestead Happenings,

where we share what's going on 

here on our Piedmont, North Carolina homestead.

I recently made a garland out of these harvested

marigold blooms.

It is featured at the end of this post.

It was an easy and fun way to bring a bit of summer inside.

We were fortunate to have had a minor impact

from the recent Hurricane Helene.

Our neighbors to the west were not so fortunate.

Much of Western North Carolina has been

absolutely devastated.

We were inconvenienced with a few hours of pioneer living,

and a few days without internet,

and about 10" of rain over two days.

Feeling so very fortunate.

It's been over a month since my last post,

how did that happen?

There was a pup sitting job that took me away

from the homestead for a good while.

I am playing catch up on all things gardening,

and relishing the time spent with the chooks.

This week, I took the time to sift through our compost.

This is done every 6 months,

and I get enough to fill about five 5-gallon buckets.

This meets my needs for compost,

so there is no need to purchase it.

Our handy neighbor Joe,

made me a screen that just happens

to fit perfectly over this garden cart.

Works like a charm!

Several Seminole pumpkins were picked earlier this week,

and I look forward to roasting one soon.

Seeds will be saved, as I am very impressed

with their lack of pest issues.

There are still a few that are ripening on the vines.

The sweet potatoes were also harvested.

The results were a bit disappointing,

but I am grateful for what we got.

The last two years have not been the best for spuds.

One crop that never disappoints is 

Red Ripper beans.

They are a drying bean and once they get going,

they produce pods for months.

I allow them to dry on the vine,

and shell them for storage once completely dry.

The herb garden is rockin'!

Periodically, herbs are picked for drying

in paper sacks.

The pollinators have been enjoying the basil.

Some cool weather crops have been transplanted.

In this bed we have cabbage and kale,

and in another bed we have broccoli, lettuce and more kale!

(I am a kale junkie!)

Once all the beds have been topped off or constructed,

(I have Birdie's beds to put together and place in the garden),

more brassicas will be planted,

as well as carrots, onions and turnips.

The fall planting season is my absolute favorite!

These girls love roosting!

Our "baby" chooks are doing well

and laying up a storm.

Since they are so young,

they did not have a first molt yet,

and so their eggs have been coming regularly.

They are all so gentle and seem to get along well.

I'm thinking it is because they were hand raised,

and that makes a world of difference.

Matilda!

Baxter and a friend.

May your week be filled with simple gifts.