Will has been enjoying haying in the cooler weather. Yesterday it was 67 degrees F, and he raked hay, which this afternoon, he is out baling. He had been planning on cutting more today after baling but now they say rain is coming on Saturday. Oh well, there’s plenty more to do! While he’s out baling, I’m watering the two hoop houses, which have peppers in them, plus weeding the pole beans in the Sand Garden. Will has so much of that garden tilled, weeded, and mulched I want to keep it looking nice. I’d thought we wouldn’t have any Who Gets Kissed sweet corn to save for seed this year as it’s been a terrible corn year and I’d already planted it twice. However, it did finally take, despite the weeds, and is growing nicely. Whew!
One of our cows is getting ready to calf. Will went out and checked on her this morning before he left to hay and he said she was alone and her bag was very big, definite signs of imminent calving. When I get done blogging, I’ll hop on the ATV and go take a look and make sure she isn’t having any trouble. She’s a big cow and it should be uneventful. It does pay to check, however. Our cows aren’t “pets” but they are family, enjoying neck and back scratching plus treats on occasion. We don’t like wild cows!
Our new dog, Gypsy, is doing very well. She’s a happy, rowdy girl at times and I’ve had to don a sweatshirt in the morning when she is very excited, as she hasn’t fully learned manners yet and jumps on me, scratching my arms till they bleed. Hondo used to do that too, and still, on occasion, will do it. She’s learned to trot alongside my solar-powered golf cart, and we go for a mile twice a day and shorter runs several more times, so she gets enough exercise, which she loves. Already, she has learned to fetch her tough Kong tennis ball, to sit on command and (usually) no bite. Dutch Shepherds and Belgian Malinois are very closely related, and both are very mouthy, puppy biting those who they love. I let her hold my hand in her mouth but won’t let her chew on it in play.
She’s getting used to Will much more, finding out he doesn’t yell or hit plus he always has pets and goodies for her. Dogs are like gardens; the more work you put into them, the better they become. — Jackie
It must be hot everywhere
We are under a EXTREME HEAT WARNING until Tuesday at 7: pm. 95° temperature and a heat index of 116°, someplaces went to 119°!
It’s just zapping me, but pretty soon it will be cold ❄️.
To bad we can put some of this heat in canning jars and help with the heating bills this winter! LOL 🤣
Sweet corn $6.00 a dozen! When my Mom passed away in 2002 that summer I went down to the farmers market and went to the same lady that Mom went to and she was selling her green beans 32.00 a bushel.
I sure did not get anything from the farmers market again.
Garden is just beginning to start blooming and I have little tomatoes!
How is Will doing in the heat? Gosh 97° in Northern Minnesota.
Take care ❤️. How are the fires up there? I’m praying too.
Will does better in the heat than I do but I tell him it’s because he’s younger than me. :)
Yep, today sweet corn is .79 an ear!! Mine is slow but it is coming. I sure won’t pay that much for an ear of possibly tough corn. It seems like today’s farmer’s markets are geared more toward high-end folks. A long time ago, it was a place you could get a burlap sack full of sweet corn or a bushel of cucumbers to pickle. Now, it’s by the ear or by the tomato. Whew, what a difference.
The fires are still going in most areas. They did get some of the smaller ones contained or out but the big ones are still roaring away.
Yes never give up! I really needed to ” hear those words. Just little things and then they add up!
Marshmallow ( one of my cats) has a heart murmur left side. Now on Plavix and Beneprolize.
Rebecca cat is on Ampoline because she went blind.
Pumpkin ( Punkin) he died of congestive heart failure.
Then the handyman we hired to do some work for my sister, he just quit – luckily he didn’t get any money.
But then I went out to my little garden and I have 3 green tomatoes 🍅 and all my troubles went away
at for a while.
Gypsy is going to be a fine dog. Her having that ball in her mouth looking at the camera sideways.
Who ever had the peaches 🍑 I’m really sorry.
We all depend on everything.. MAYBE go to Walmart or a grocery store and pick up a few at a time.
I did that once.
Jackie I’m really glad Will is haying, I hope you get a lot up.
Everybody take care in the heat. It’s coming back in tomorrow, cry, cry down here in Southern Illinois
Take care ❤️
It’s going to be 97 today and boy is it humid. I’ve been weeding pole beans and the sweat is just running down my face. I got my peaches from a local Youth for Christ group, figuring I’d be supporting a worthy cause plus getting peaches. I’m sure they thought they were good peaches but boy they weren’t. Nope, I’m not going to Walmart and buying a few at a time. Theirs are hard too and expensive. I’ll just pass on peaches this year and concentrate on our apples as they come in.
I’m so sorry your cats have had so many health issues. They’re family. Hang in there and look for more tomtoes!!
Yep, those little things do weigh you down after a while. I’m sorry about your cats’ health problems. Hey, I have a heart murmur too! Fortunately, it’s never gotten worse nor bothered me.
I love the side-eye Gypsy was giving me. “Hey Mom, are we still playing fetch??” No, I’m not going to Walmart to pick up a few peaches at a time. While I love peaches, I’m not paying $3 a pound for hard peaches that may rot. Instead, I’m going to concentrate on our apples, plums and wild fruit this year.
This is weird: I wrote a reply to you on Sunday and today it didn’t show up. So I figured it went to internet space. I replied again and when the message showed up, there were two replies!! I didn’t want you to think I was a jerk.
Dear Jackie, Love your new puppy. LOL I bet he will get bigger, too. I am canning cantaloupe today with pineapple for winter enjoyment. I am through with corn, tomatoes, green beans, purple hulls, new potatoes, etc. Whatever I can get my hands on, I put up for winter. We had rain here in southern middle Tennessee for 13 days in a row with some storms. As a result, the peaches got blown off trees and no one much has them and they don’t want to sell them either. I am hoping for my daughter traveling through Alabama to bring some home. It is disheartening to have things dry up but we are not seeing that this year, thank goodness. You and Will are such inspirations to all of us. Please keep your blog going to encourage us all. Thank you for what you do.
Wow, that’s so cool that you’re already done your corn, tomatoes, green beans, etc. Ours are just starting. I did see a few ripe tomatoes though. Yea!!! Yep, I put up everything I can too. I sure hope your daughter can find some nice peaches. The peaches up here are awful. They’ve been picked green in Georgia and sold off trucks for an astounding price. I did buy one “case” only to find out it was only two layers thick in a smallish box. They never did ripen, but dry rotted instead. Boy, was I disappointed! I love peaches. Grandma had a peach tree in her garden and we canned up a bunch every summer.
“Dogs are like gardens; the more work you put into them, the better they become. —”
Jackie, how true! Whether it’s dogs, gardens, children, friendships, or Faith, or anything in life!
Yes, that’s so true!! And when things get tough, don’t quit.
Gypsy is such a beautiful dog! I’m glad she’s settling in well. She deserves the wonderful new home and family she has.
Here in east central Georgia we have finally had a couple of days in the 80’s, a nice break from the 90’s and 100+ heat index! Just spotty rain here and there. Most storms go around us. It’s garden breakdown time with squashes and cukes, pole beans etc being pulled out. Tomatoes are next as they’ve become a diseased mess. Deer have munched down the cow peas but the peppers and eggplant are still making really well.
The fall garden plan is finished. First in are two more rows of cow peas and yesterday I put up a netting enclosure around them. A few new tomato plants are ready to go, more cukes and squash planted, fall bush beans in soon and next week I’ll start the first cabbage and cauliflower plants. New broccoli, kale and collard plants to be started next month.
It must be nice to have two gardens, a spring and fall garden. With our short season, we’re lucky to get one. I’m just not starting to harvest some Provider green beans and a few early tomatoes. Boy are we happy when we go out and see color among the green in the tomato rows!!
To train a dog not to jump on you, you should gently step on his back feet when he jumps on you. Note: I said “gently.” You do not want to hurt them just have them be uncomfortable when they jump on you. To be effective, everyone who interacts with her must do the same thing.
Gypsy certainly looks happy and content. make hay while the sun shines Will. My bean row looks very similar to yours; i too spent the morning weeding. soaked the garden with overhead sprinklers yesterday before the high winds kick in. thought it would hold with all the mulch, but two hours after laying drip hose for tomorrow this morning: squash, corn are wilting in the 90 an climbing heat. still damp ground around them. just 100 + no humidity and everything wilts. Hope an easy healthy calving. enjoy your cooler temps!
Yep, we get wilting squash and pumpkins and corn leaves that curl up tight in the heat. Fortunately, they, like us, recover when evening comes or the weather turns cooler. No calf yet; she was just fooling him.
Jackie, Interesting that you’re talking about firewood and cool temperatures. I was on a hike yesterday, elevation, a thousand feet. So not very high or hot, either. Noticed poison oak leaves turning red, and cottonwood leaves turning yellow. Odd. Usually the first sign of fall here where we live. Already? Usually see these colors in October for fall. Is fall coming early? Then I remembered they are probably in need of rain. We aren’t in a so-called drought, but definitely could use rain. I’d love a very early fall here in far north California.
Yes, leaves do color up under stress. I’ve even seen a few red maple leaves in the woods, which usually doesn’t happen until October here. We did get half an inch or rain last evening. That will definitely help us a lot, especially with the wildfires burning.
I love reading your posts, Jackie. Beware gardeners. My row garden soil is generally 20 yrs old. I did amend it every fall with oak leaves, ashes, potting soil, and sand; whatever I could find. I even used bought manure. I had permanent rows because I couldn’t rototill. Then, this spring, my husband insisted on rototilling. Unfortunately there was round up and vinegar in the paths from previous years, to kill weeds. It got mixed in thoroughly and now there is no production. I’m sure it would help to have the soil analyzed for mineral content. But I don’t want to pay for that. Who knows when I’ll garden again.
Hang in there Elizabeth. You can fix it. If you can add wood ash to the soil and till that in, it should help the acidity. Roundup is evil but won’t remain in the soil to the extent that it harms production. Way long ago, before we knew how evil it was, I used it in my gardens for weeds in the paths. Every year, I plowed and tilled the soil and always had a good harvest. The vinegar, coupled with hot weather probably harmed your harvest. One thing I’ve learned in life, if nothing else, is never give up! Be it cancer, family issues, bad gardening years, predators, injuries, whatever.
Thank you so much, Jackie, for your experience. It’s really encouraged me! I’m also pretty sure that my garden needs re-fertilizing with organic cow manure. If I could only find a ranch, or farm here. May have to just purchase at Lowe’s.
Your dog is just beautiful!! Love the coloring!
We do too. She just shines! I can’t imagine anyone being evil enough to just dump her out on the city streets to fend for herself. No wonder she isn’t trusting of anyone but me. Yet. We are working on that.
Yes, we finally enjoyed some boughten sweet corn at $6 a dozen that was pretty good. Not as good as fresh-from-the-garden corn, but good anyway. The last I bought was horrible! Tough and no flavor whatsoever. Not cheap, either! I have to laugh as we used to think getting $2 a dozen was very good. Things have sure gone up.
Firewood is always a good thing to put up. We do it all season long, from spring to winter, just feeling secure in having our big woodshed full plus extra in the two old pig houses (about the size of a three seater outhouse).
I, too, use the word “boughten”, but thought I’d made it up myself. I just looked it up. Merriam-Webster says that it is indeed a word! It means = the opposite of homemade.
I will not eat sweet corn grown anywhere in our vicinity. Had sweet corn from FL one time and one time only – it was barely passable for silage.
Best part of wood from other properties is the wood on our property doesn’t have to be used cut/split now. We have a massive oak tree that is likely on its last legs. I should measure the girth here soon (and send you a picture). We’re probably the only ones in our rural subdivision that burns firewood for heat. So when asked if we want it, we’ll take it. Most is already down or the homeowners had it taken down. Better half doesn’t deal with trees close to structures – even at our place.
Anywhere else in our vicinity.
Geez – not grown in our vicinity.
it is live and learn when you take in a dog or cat(s). You don’t know their background.
We’ll weed the last of the “annual” garden on Saturday. Been getting cucumbers but the three San Marzano that started to ripen had “spots”.
After that, we’ll start tackling the asparagus patch then I will do the strawberry patch. There are some “spent” plants I’m going to remove.
Better half has been hauling oak ready to burn oak from a neighbor’s property. A win-win, we’re getting lots of firewood and neighbor is getting the mess he inherited cleaned up quicker. We’re about of space to store the pieces so have almost filled two face cords over the last couple of days. It is cool here (better half cut and hauled in the mornings only last week during the heat). And same as you, Sunday brings back the heat – Sun/Mon heat index 103 meaning it will be muggy. The corn is so tall they’ve been warning drivers about “corn” intersections. Some don’t/won’t listen, it is the same during harvest when the combines are out.
Local sweet corn is to be had and it is even better than it usually is. Running $5/$6 a baker’s dozen. Michigan blueberries arrived so between eating them, been freezing some too.