Wednesday, our half Jersey heifer, Surprise, had her baby — a pretty heifer we are calling Fern because she’s just the color of dead fern leaves. And we know because that night both she and her mom got out and Surprise hid her baby and we couldn’t find her for two days! We searched and searched but no calf. But we knew that cows did that and weren’t TOO worried. Then out she came, fine as a fiddle and twice as bouncy. Now they’re both back with the other cows and all is well.
I’ve just had another bad bout with diverticulitis, but thank God I haven’t had to go to the doctor and I’m much better today. Nasty stuff and I really do watch what I eat; no popcorn, nuts, seeds, etc.
I’m just glad to be getting over it. There’s so much to do this time of the year. Our first tomatoes, Moravsky Div, a Russian tomato beat the pack in ripening and there are lots and lots of others coming along real fast. The sweet corn is starting to ripen. We’ve eaten our first potatoes. (Boy, do we love the Dakota Pearls!) and the peppers … All I can say is WOW!
Our garden squash is scary it’s so huge. We especially are waiting for our Apache Giant, a rare variety we are trialing. It has yellow blotched leaves that are gorgeous. (No, it is not diseased!)
The peas are all dried down and I’ll be pulling them tomorrow to save seed. We really enjoyed them while they lasted.
Our weather’s cooled down and we sure are glad. Will and I don’t do 90 degree temperatures; it just flattens us. He’s about done doing hay and is hauling big round bales home on our bus frame-turned-hay-transport. It’s going well and we are real happy to have so much hay this year.
How’s everyone’s garden doing? I’m hoping yours is as wonderful as ours! — Jackie
Mobile, bug eating lawn ornaments — love it! And love how confident and cocky mama-raised chicks are. They seem to progress so much quicker than mail-order babies.
Rick Riley,
Ha ha ha. I knew where you were going when you said you threw the rind and guts in the compost! Hopi Pale Grey does NOT want to go extinct!!! It’s adamant about that! And oh so prolific.
I’ll be sure to post photos of the mature Apache Giant squash. I sure hope they do well and taste good too. They’re also supposed to be great storage squash. I’m wondering how they’ll mature here as I believe they were brought from the Sierra Madres by the Apache and Mexico is a whole diffrent ball game than northern Minnesota. But, then, Punta Banda tomatoes always mature here so here’s hoping…. We’ve got tons of vine!
gen,
I’m happy your kids want to raise chickens. We couldn’t get along without ours, both for eggs/meat and fun.
Know that we’re still praying for your grandaughter and your family.
TXCOMT,
Thank you so much. I’m always happy to brighten anyone’s day. And you all brighten mine, as well!
Wow the Apache giant squash vine and leaves are beautiful!!!! PLEASE post a pic when it produces harvestable fruit. I just gotta see them…..My wife said we have so much Hopi pale grey squash in jars that I was forbidden to plant any this spring, But I had used my last one fresh this spring It was 11/2 yre in storage and still fine….. I threw the rind and seed guts in the compost and got lots of volunteer babies which she wanted destroyed….However one missed the tines of the tiller and it is producing and has a big fruit the vine is dying but I’ll still have a fresh on to harvest…..I love the Hopi Pale Grey….If you could report on the uses for and flavor of the Apache squash I would be interested as well….wwho knows it may become a hit like the Hopi grey squash….Rick
I love the ‘lawn ornaments’! My kids want to start raising chickens, especially since the price of eggs went up by half, again. I told them, they had to clean out our windrow of all the fallen limbs, and we would see about using the shed there, as a nice tight chicken coop. I have to make sure there wouldn’t be any ‘widowmakers’ above the run we’d have to build. It would be a nice area here, the trees would provide shade in our 100 plus summers, and also a nice windbreak, from our winter winds, not as bad as your winters but cold enough for me and the dreamed of chickens, lol. There would still be areas of sun throughout the day back there, too.
Sorry to hear you’ve been having a bad time again, I still check in daily to read everything you wish to write about, and to see all your glorious pictures. I hope the beavers aren’t working too hard, I’m not looking forward to the cold weather to start.
JC, you really know how to brighten a day…or, in my case, an evening! Again, to those who don’t know how to read the blogs here on BackwoodsHome.com, please make Jackie’s the last one you visit…I guarantee you’ll leave the site with a spring in your step and a smile on your face.
Keep up the great work, JC!
TXCOMT
I am also glad for the temps to be cooler but the heat did help my hot peppers. The habaneros and ghost peppers are setting fruit finally. First year for sweet potatoes and the heat did them good also. I always know it will get real hot the first week of football practice. Haha.
Lisa,
Glad to hear your garden is doing so well. There’s always something that doesn’t do so well. Oh well, there’s always next year.
Hi Jackie
Well like your squash, our zucchini is going gang buster… some of the stalks are chest high with picking every other day otherwise you end up with baseball bats! Broccoli did finally crown and trying to save some seed for next year (the way you recommended last year) but don’t know if the season will hold. 2nd year carrots are almost ready to pop seeds, and tomatoes and peppers are coming along… my cherry is over my head!! Had a good crop of garlic and potatoes are looking good. Hoping my raspberries produce alot this fall… may those ugly beetles go back to Japan! :-) Only thing not looking good this year are beans… yellow and green. Might have to buy some of those yellow beans from you…those look delicious! Hope you are feeling well and stay well for canning season! And your new baby looks adorable, congrats!
Lisa
Comments are closed.