Well, here it is, the official, non-official beaver weather forecast. My furry buddies out on the pond are saying that it is going to be another hot, dry summer. We’ll see how that turns out as the human weather forecasters are calling for a cold, wet summer. Hmm, man or beast?

We’ve been planting tomatoes like crazy! So far, we have 26 different open-pollinated tomatoes in the garden and more looking at me from the greenhouse. I wish I were triplets and that it would drop below seventy and sunny. Sweat drops right off my nose and burns my eyes! Yuck! As hot as it is (days in the 80’s!) I feel a rush to direct seed squash. Sometimes it gets a little overwhelming.

Will’s been working at setting concrete footings for the rock walls of the barn and has 30 feet finished, so far. But he hurt his shoulder (he wouldn’t have over-done it, would he?) so he had to slow down on that. Now he’s building a tub-style chicken plucker (Will’s famous TORNADO CLUCKER PLUCKER) in his “spare” time. And he’s hauling manure. And grading our mile long driveway. And building two 12’x32′ hoop houses … I’ll bet he wishes HE were triplets too.

Clucker-plucker

Hondo is becoming quite a herd dog. He even herds our chickens and turkeys. We have a few escapees and he thinks it’s his job to herd them back into their pen. He gives them the “eye” and walks them right back to the gate of their pen. Pretty smart dog!

Hondo-herding

Our asparagus came up like lightning bolts. One day, tips … the next it seemed to shoot up to 18 inches tall. I picked two big baskets full. We had a huge batch for supper and I canned up six pints. I could eat it every single day!

Asparagus

I hope you all had a great Memorial Day weekend and remembered the men and women who died keeping us free. Remember too, the men and women who died as a result of illnesses and injuries following their service and caused by it, as did my late husband, Bob, who died as a result of Agent Orange in Vietnam. — Jackie

15 COMMENTS

  1. Thanks for explaining about the beavers Jackie. I agree with your summer wishes!

  2. Wendy,

    The beavers are building up their dams again and also damming up small creeks to create even more water holding ability. They need water to survive and deepen the ponds when a hot dry summer is coming. I kind of hope they’re wrong….. I’d like a summer of moderate rains and about 70 degrees, myself…..

  3. Thanks, Jackie. I will try the “mo poo poo” method. Can’t wait to see the seminar photos!

  5. Ellendra,

    There’s a whole lot of love that goes into training those pups. That’s the secret of training. (And we could no more give up a trained dog than one of our kids…. Well, let me think about that…kids can drive you nuts some times!)

  6. Sheryl,

    This fall, put six inches of rotted manure over your asparagus bed. Then in the spring, keep it watered. I guarantee your asparagus will be much bigger and more productive. Like Will says: “Mo poo poo!” We’ll miss you this year. It won’t be the same without you!

  8. arm2008,

    Yeah, I know… Last year we said we’d “grow fewer tomatoes” this year. Ha ha ha. Now with our seed business, we are growing twice as many. You never know. And I’m a sucker for trying new varieties anyhow. You’re right…you never know when you’ll discover your new favorite.

  9. Jan and Miss Iris,

    A lot of folks don’t even realize how many veterans do die each year as a result of their injuries or exposure during their years of service. Those veterans deserve the prayers and recognition just the same as those who died in combat…maybe even more so because of sometimes years of suffering. We fly the flag on our house to remember them all.

  10. Jackie, the next time you’re looking for another source of income, maybe you could raise pups and train them as homestead dogs. I know I wouldn’t mind a dog that carried firewood and guided the chickens back to their pen!

  11. Zelda, I am not familiar with Buff. Where do you buy one?

    Miss Jackie, I envy your asparagus. Mine just does not want to take off and do something.

    Have tons of fun at your seminar. I so wish I was coming to this one, I will miss seeing all the updated stuff. Next year!

  12. Jackie (and anyone else bothered by dripping sweat in your eyes) – get one or more Buff full headband, original, UV or full UV protection headbands. You can wash them at night and they will be ready to wear the next morning. I waited waaaayyyyy to long to buy my first one, live in them now summer and winter.

  13. Wow – what a great basket of asparagus! I’m away from home during the week and have to do all my gardening activities on weekends – my gardens are more limited so I would be ok if I were just a twin. Every year I say I’m not going to do too many tomatoes, but somehow… I have stopped growing the ones I don’t love, but I keep finding new ones that I do love.

  14. Thanks for remembering our troops! My dad died at 55 as a result of earlier injuries from a Japanese destroyer dropping bombs while his sub and its crew lay on the bottom on the Pacific. My husband volunteers at our local VA hospital – he is a SE Asia veteran – and the injuries seen at the VA as people return from the war in the Middle East are beyond sad and devastating. Thanks again!

  15. THANK YOU Jackie, for asking folks to also remember those who died after combat but because of their service, I thought I was the only one who did that – after losing my husband to mesothelioma from boiler work in the US Navy.

    I’m newish to the homesteading life and you are my inspiration – I’ve read everything you’ve done so far and all the BHM anthologies!

    Thanks for sharing all you know, you’ve helped so many!

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