We have a few warm days but the long-term forecast is for increasing cold and snow. So we’ve been working like beavers, canning, cutting and splitting the last big batch of firewood, hauling manure, and pulling the last things from the garden.
Will has finished the retaining wall under our enclosed porch, beside the walk-out-to-be of our basement. The stonework on the barn is done. And now he’s got Old Yeller, our faithful bulldozer out in the goat pasture, shoving three-year-old leftover hay and manure into huge piles. Then he carries the best of the composted material out onto our garden by the tractor bucket full. Wow, will we ever have GARDEN next year! And a whole lot of leftover rocks will be buried. (He didn’t spread much on the area where our root crops will be planted as they don’t like excessive manure.) Squash, sweet corn, and tomatoes flourish in well-rotted compost.
We moved the goats up to the old goat barn for winter. Next winter, they’ll be in the new barn for winter and the goat cottage and pasture for summer. How spoiled will they be? Hopefully, next summer we’ll dismantle the old goat barn as it’s sure not a thing of beauty. And when our new cordwood chicken coop gets built we’ll be tickled pink.
I pulled the last of our carrots, which I’ve been canning every other day for better than a week. I planted both Nantes and Tendersweet and both grew nice big, sweet carrots. They are so crisp that when I scrape them in the kitchen sink, some actually POP open in my hands. That’s a funny feeling, for sure. I can the big, fat carrots in quarts, in chunks, for stews and to use with roasted meat. The more slender carrots go into pints to use as a side dish. I’ve already pulled and canned a lot of carrots to use in canned mixed vegetables like sweet corn, potatoes, rutabagas, and onions, etc. We had an excellent crop this year of darned near everything.
I also have been seeding our big, fat cukes and drying the seeds. The cucumbers (Homemade Pickles, our favorite for pickles) still taste sweet and I pop a few pieces into my mouth as I scoop out the seeds with a tablespoon.
Gotta run. There’s SO much we want to get done before serious snow falls! — Jackie
Nice to see all your work is getting done before the snow really comes. I haven’t remembered to check up on you lately.
We cleaned up our little garden area and greenhouse today and I’m exhausted. Don’t know how you ever keep up with yours. Also made 15 pints of apple butter from our apples. Homemade biscuits or cornbread and apple butter here I come. Yum!
That’s a lovely pile of compost. My brother, who raised wonderful tomatoes, called it ‘black gold’.
I would like harvest to finish, (still working on corn in the field) so husband can weather proof a few areas.
We did get snow last night about an inch and it is staying, more for today and I heard this weekend. It is coming your way. I live in East Central ND.
Oh how well I know the feeling! It’s been raining here, but we had a break yesterday. I cleaned out our big garden behind the garden shed. Hubby tilled it really good with his tractor and I was able to get half of it covered with straw. Got that finished this morning. Yeah! One garden done, one to go.
Hubby noticed our garden shed had moss on the bottom of it so he got out the pressure washer and cleaned off the moss. Oops! The wood-like material must have rotten some from the moss. So smarty decided to paint the wood to make it look better – used primer first – thought he let it dry long enough – then added a coat of Benjamin Moore Country Red (our favorite color AND the color of our house too). Well, as things seem to be going this year, it poured last night, and I mean POURED! Got up this morning, glanced out at the shed and low and behold, the cement sidewalk was RED – RED and RED. The paint slid right off the front of the shed. Good grief, I had no clue paint would do this.
Hubby immediately got out a bucket of hot, soapy water and a broom to scrub the paint off. There is still a shadow of Red on the cement, but once the weather settles, we will be able to get the rest off. Suppose to have 3 dry days starting Friday. He thinks he’ll try painting it again, IF the wood is dry and he feels the shed will hold the paint.
Remember, we have our house up for sale so this is a BIG DEAL. LOL
Today we pulled the last of the 13 tomato plants in the big garden EXCEPT for one (Early Girl). The plant is still loaded with beautiful tomatoes and for some reason they haven’t cracked or rotted. I’ll go out in the morning and harvest more. Yummy on our lunch sandwiches. I’ve canned all the tomatoes for the year so these are extras.
Your compost looks beautiful! Your goats sound as spoiled (loved) as our English Bulldogs. Nothing but the best for out 4-legged kids, right? LOL
One step at a time, one day at a time and eventually we will get everything done. I can’t wait as I have an afghan to crochet.
Happy Day To You – Bobbie :)
I love the way your joy just pours through all your posts. Thank you so much for sharing your lives in your blog.
Comments are closed.