The Garden 2016

The Garden
Plants have all doubled in size, watermelon plants are big, Squash plants have all at least doubled, few tomatoes are 2" in diameter now.  I believe it was the 95 degree heat we've  had the last few weeks, lawns are mostly brown now, we're losing some shrubs to the drought,  we haven't had any rain until today FINALLY! We're supposed to get a few more showers this evening.  Beans and peas are coming along, turns out I still have a row of Kale the deer didn't get.to, we're keeping the potato beetles at bay so far, I haven't seen any squash bugs or borers yet.



Our Pigs are getting big...

Turkey and Chickens have started laying eggs again.

Spring is here

Spring is here, the yard sales have started showing up, everything is in bloom or just finished, some of the apples have not bloomed yet maybe next week.

We're only a couple weeks from getting the garden in,  I've got 20+ odd tomato plants this year to try out.  We're trying a black cherry tomato this year, and several new ones I've never seen, Whopper, and other, I'll update this later with the list.  Yes sir, we're gonna have some fine eatin' tomatoes this year!

Cleaned out the garden some, ran out of steam, seems a woodchuck has taken up residence, I'll have to deal with him at some point, Rosie sees him running from the shed to the brush pile.

Patched the barn roof for another year.

Oh almost forgot, we picked up the pigs today. We only needed one, Jarrod & Crystal got one too.  Farm had 160 or so, someone picked up 80 just before we got there.  About 80 or so remained when we picked up ours, and we got up early to get the best pick of the lot... I had all I could do not to bring some beef home,  someday...

 Pigs all snug in their bed.  Yes they really will keep it clean.

 Still trying to figure out the pen, they took an afternoon nap in the corner.

8000hp Dragboats in San Angelo,Texas "Raw Sound"

Figures...

Heard the peepers last few nights and we're supposed to get a Nor Easter on Sunday into Monday.

2016 - Spring has sprung!

Happy Daylight Savings Time!

 

Spring is here,  I can tell 'cause I'm sore...

Daffodils are up, crocuses are ready to bloom, hyacinths are coming up too.  While cleaning the beds she noticed the bleeding hearts are coming up too.  The lawn is starting to green up, and the bees are flying about.

Big weekend here on the homestead, the 13+ birdhouses that Rose built are up, a few more to put up in the front yard (most are already full).

The Tree Swallows showed up a month early yesterday. There was a mad dash to get the houses that Rose was saving just for them put up, the sparrows would claim them all if we didn't keep a few until they arrived.

We took down the 12 or so of the old bird houses and cleaned them out, we'll waterproof them and put them up in the fields too.

Field is looking bright with the new bird houses. it's starting to green up now.


James and Jason are here, bikes are out, football and baseball were in play all day on Saturday.


I managed to get one of the lawn tractors running, other needs deck repair and I blew a tire off the rim in the fall, I managed to get the rim and tire off so I can get it fixed.

Pucker-brush (Wild roses, Raspberries, etc.) are getting bad, they're everywhere, mowed some on the side yard, and back field with the DR brush mower.

Yearly dog mess is cleaned up, two dogs is a lot of mess... 

Rose cleaned up a couple of the flowerbeds removing all the chaff and leaves. 

Garden is mulched and ready for tilling, real soon!   We're both excited at the garden prospects this year, the quality of soil in the main garden that we've rested for two years only adding mulch, manure, leaves, is encouraging.

As I drove by the highway looking towards the house I couldn't help but see all the trash that had collected on the highway side of the fence, so we had a roadside trash pickup day on Friday.  Rose the boys and I filled up (3) 35 gallon trash bags, cans, plastic, paper, coffee cups, and political signs were the main culprits, the roadside looks great now. 

Mesmerising Mass Sheep Herding

Mesmerising Mass Sheep Herding