July 23, 2009
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Various and Sundry
I would like to say that nothing much is happening around here. That we are having a nice leisurely summer. That days are spent laying around the pool and much refreshment is being consumed by all. That, however, would be a lie.
After all the battling with the varmints and the weather, I am now beginning to see the fruits of my labor, literally. Today I picked the last of the peas. Very labor intensive but well worth the treat of having peas fresh from your garden. The green beans are producing nicely. The first planting has been picked off twice and the pole beans are starting to produce and the second planting of pole beans are almost ready to start their climb. The broccoli has been cut twice now and I am selfishly putting it all into the freezer to be enjoyed later. I dug a few hills of new potatoes today so that we can have them with the peas for supper. The zucchini is coming in nicely too. I think that I shall make some zucchini parmesan on the weekend and perhaps leave a couple on the vine to get over ripe so that I can make and freeze a few loaves of bread.
The chickens are growing and growing. They have outgrown their accomodations twice now and are beginning to escape from their enclosure. The new coop is ready for them but alas they aren’t big enough to keep from tempting a rat yet.
Every other day or so Matthew and Doug help MK move them to a new spot on the lawn and that is making the feed go farther since they eat the grass and any bugs that might come their way.
Doug and Matthew decided to try and salvage the cement blocks from the side and front of the barn before the bulldozer comes tomorrow to level it. They have plans to build a gazebo and root cellar and the blocks will come in handy for that.
I also think that it is an excuse for my husband to “play” in the mud. He surely likes digging with the backhoe and mucking around in the hole that results.
So far Matthew has been able to remove 300 blocks whole and intact. At approximately $2.00 each that will be a big savings when they get to building their root cellar.
More power to them for all that time spent in the sun and the mud. Of course we have been “blessed” with hot humid weather just in time for this project.
Years ago Ian found this bench on someone’s junk pile. He brought it home and refurbished it for me for Christmas. I very much enjoy coming out in the morning to sit on this bench and say my prayers and get a nice peaceful start to the day. Unfortunately the weather hasn’t been kind to the bench. In the last couple of years it has become rickety and worn and just not very nice looking. Then Mary-Kate got the notion to redo the bench again. So she took it all apart and wire bruched the metal parts. Then she gave them a new coat of paint so they look fresh and new. After a trip to the lumber yard for some new slats she cut them to fit, drilled holes for the bolts and sealed them against the weather with a bit of weatherseal. Night before last she put it all together with the help of her father and now I have a new bench to sit on in the mornings.
The biggest battle in my garden has been for my pepper plants. I truly enjoy eating fresh sweet green peppers in the summer. I have several dishes that I make that require fresh pepper. But the chipmunks and the rabbits zeroed in on my pepper plants as something that they craved in their diets. I seem to have prevailed, though. After replanting twice and shooting a bunch of the culprits I have fruit on my pepper plants. Not large and impressive yet but they will grow.
At the last religion class of the year one of my students brought me this little miniature rose plant. I am not a big flower grower but I put it out in the garden and gave it orders to grow or else. While walking down the garden path last night I noticed that it is not only thriving but it now has blooms on it and several more buds coming. Guess the love with which that student presented that plant was just the impetus it needed to grow in my garden.
Comments (8)
All I can think of to say is MAN I HATE CHICKENS! We had them when I was growing up and I hated them then and I don’t much care for them now UNLESS I’m eating them lol.
Truly lovely! And how sweet of MK and the Mr. to put your bench back into shape! What a great way to start your day!
Some friends of ours at my husband’s work gave us a zuc from their garden and it’s a billy club! Huge! My grandmother, but the grace of God, gets them that big in the Colorado foothills. Unreal. May your zucs be billy clubs or bigger!
I look forward to having a yard so we can have a garden!
Just what I could use, a bit of manual labor.
@P_Obrien - come on. have at it. I could use a big appetite.
I am both tired and convicted after reading your blog…thanks for sharing. Praying for you as the healing continues with the removal of the barn and turning it into something good. Blessings to you.
Mmm the veggies look so good!! Wonderful reward for your hard work. The bench is just beautiful – well done MK! What a sweet daughter.
We are certainly eating off the land right now including our own meat. My zucchini aren’t doing all that well and I hate that. We love it! The tomatoes are covered with green ones now it they will only decide to ripen without rotting!