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!