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Malinda and Adam

Stiff, Sore, and Happy

The new coop. I told him we should just call it a chicken BARN. That is what it looks like to me. My Lovin' Husband does nothing in half measures. He just doesn't always measure... :) I don't encourage him to, either. Then we'd NEVER get done... Things like this amuse me. A bee in the beebalm. That makes me happy. Do you think that when beebalm was first called beebalm it was for this reason? I mean, bees like other flowers, too, right? So why was this plant INPARTICULAR called beebalm? Maybe they liked these flowers more than any other. I don't know. I'll have to look it up.

Peas for next year.

I am going to put a weathervane on the roof and hang a metal windchime from the "predator perch" as Adam calls it. I don't know why. I mean it's not like there is a cat climbing on the new coop as I type or anything... ;)

Squash, corn, sunflowers... and BoJangles. Let us not forget him... The garden is coming along nicely. We have been weeding like fools and have clean beds to show for it. Not pictures, though, because my backside was right next to Adam's and we weeded and weeded. We weeded so much that when I close my eyes I can see them!

We're off to a town far away to teach a boy who is learning to tear up the guitar. It takes both of us and that kid can flat play.. He is going to be a very versatile musician (already is) when he finishes growing up. I've never been so happy to have to leave and go teach. The weeds can just sit there and wait on us til tomorrow while we have fun with the kid and his guitar.

H.O.T.

It has been hot. HOT. Warm. 105 heat index and humidity through the roof kind of hot. We are getting used to the heat and working like crazy, but still. It is notably hot. These turnips were hot - we decided to have mercy on them and pull them up yesterday. Adam ate two of them for lunch today. Pretty, aren't they? The beans are hot... and hungry...and thirsty

Same for the watermelons here...

He so loves his garden.

Mondo says see you tomorrow...

dulce swuenos....sweet dreams

Busy is Good

The peas are but a fond memory... They were good while they lasted, but I tell you I am GLAD to have the room in the garden. Adam took down one trellis and I (yes ME) took down the other. He tilled the beds while I was teaching yesterday. The chickens got the vines...

The little chickies did, too. They are growing like crazy and we are mostly done with the coop. Have to get some shade cloth and chicken wire and that project will be OVER. Thank the good Lord.

Here is the garden from the back. I'm excited about the corn... mmmm....

Adam planted a new kind of cucumber this year called White Wonders. They are groing well and we are excited to try them.

The bee balm by the barn is blooming. It is so pretty.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!

Love,

Malinda

Ramblings

We started another "swimming pool garden". When we put peppers in the ground they die. We've tried and tried and then get no peppers. And we REALLY LIKE peppers at our house. Sweet ones, spicy ones, red ones, yellow ones, heck - we even planted brown ones this year! So... the swimming pool garden was born. The one out back is doing great and I found some really tiny pools in town the other day and brought one home for the jalepenos. (Thanks for the wheel barrow, again, Mom and Dad...you made this post possible...) These are out front so Adam can dote on them. He goes out before he teaches for the day and takes care of his babies out front...

Here is part of the big garden out back. and Bojangles... isn't he pretty? I think he sees something.

That is his "I'm gonna get that cat" look.

Problem is, they can climb trees and he can't...

If Pictures are Worth 1,000 Words, Then Why Do I Still Have Words??

We ordered seeds for this plant three or four years ago. The flowers are so pretty and dainty. The plant is called Marshmallow. If you are interested in learning more about it, here ya go:
http://www.woodlandfairyacres.com/historyofmarshmallows.php It was too much for me to summarize this morning. Just click the link if you want to read about it.
I love the simpleness of the flowers...

And the bees love it. See the one flying off? I think he's shy...

Purple Cone Flower...

This cat followed me everywhere this morning. We had a love fest on the front porch. Funny thing is, this cat has never let me touch it very much at all and actually ended up in my lap trying to groom me. Thing is, I had told Adam to take this very cat (among others) to the pound because we just have too many and due to circumstances beyond our control have had a few more show up.

Scary grooming session, but he wasn't hurting me - just trying to get me to hold still... I don't know what lesson I'm supposed to be learning, but the cat still has to go. Now I just feel worse about it. Sorry cat...

We took a trip together to the yarrow. The pink variety bloomed yesterday. It is so pretty. By now, you probably think I have issues because I have three different kinds of yarrow. Well, I'd have more if I could find it. I have no idea why I think it is so pretty - I just do. It makes me happy to look at...

See? I bet you feel all happy now, too! How can you look at that and not smile, I ask you??

Then we went to the chicken coop. I forgot to get the eggs yesterday and my grumpy hens will start eating the eggs if I leave them for very long. So I go to get the eggs and the white chicken that always escapes escaped. The cat there watched me chase it around the yard for five minutes. She is very tricky, that hen. You have to heard her just right or you go in circles for days. Five minutes is about close to my best time with that chicken. I'd have taken a picture, but then it would've taken longer and it has become a personal issue with me. She doesn't do it to Adam... maybe it is because he closes the door to the coop when he gets the eggs... :)

We have eaten and gifted a full bed of potatoes so far. Don't worry. There are more. LOTS more...

We have a whole trellis of peas that we are going to let ripen for seeds for next year. We love sugar snaps and I have decided that next year I am going to plant peas like we planted potatoes this year. I will then be happy with the amount of sugar snap peas in my garden.

We like to plant turnips and kohl rabi in the pea beds. They fit perfectly and feed at different levels in the soil. We take up less room in other beds and also do not waste space in the beds we plant in. See the turnips at the bottom of the picture??

If I had to title this picture it would be, "Really Big Honkin' Turnip". Because that is what that is. Now I have nothing against turnips, but I don't eat them like I do potatoes or chocolate, ok? I'm not afraid to tell you this. Adam does love his turnips better than chocolate because he doesn't really like sweets at all. I could say, "Honey, we are having creamed turnips for dessert." and he would be giddy with excitement. I don't know what is wrong with him, but what is wrong with me is that we don't grow chocolate and I have know idea what I'm going to do with all of the turnips in my keeping. Adam just says, "Well, Baby, they store well..." Thanks, dear. Thanks a lot. :) Now I'll just invent a place to store them... They are pretty, though, aren't they?

The bees were going crazy this morning. They were covered in pollen and buzzing around everywhere. Please ignore my weeds. We are not ignoring them - it is just that there are a LOT of them and two of us!! We're workin' on it - promise!

Mr. Ladybug was covered in pollen. Do you see it on him? You know I can't resist a ladybug picture... Thanks for tolerating my eccentricities!

My first stargazer lily bloomed this morning. All is now well with my soul.

And I hope it is well with yours. If not, go look at some bugs and flowers. You're bound to feel better!

All my love,

Malinda

Friday

Big honkin' cabbage plant... We (and I do mean WE :) ) weeded like fools yesterday. The garden is so big that it doesn't really matter how much you weed because there is always weeding to do. The cabbage and brussel sprout beds were pretty scary. I had started to refer to the crab grass as "living mulch". Really it is choking, take-over plant so we attacked those beds yesterday (among others) with fervor.

All of the "chicken food" in the wheel barrow did not come from one bed, by the way. ;)

Speaking of chickens... they know what he is getting ready to do and they are EXCITED...

I leave the clods of dirt at the rootball on a lot of the plants I pull up so that they can get the worms and bugs down in there... shhhh don't tell Adam I gave the chickens his precious dirt!!!

We put Bad Dog's tie out front. He was very happy...

We moved the little replacement chickens down to the pen. We have to get more netting and shade cloth, so we had to make a makeshift pen for them until we get more, but they still have waaaaay more room than they did.

Watch out!! Flying chicken...

We had let the run in this pen grow up so that when we put chickens in it they could eat it down. These are doing that one section at a time! They are so much happier in the sunshine...

Happy chicken....

Happy, sunny day, my friends!! I'm gonna go weed my garlic now...

Love,

Malinda

the other side...

I would just like to say one thing...

Birds of a feather... how do they KNOW that?? :) We will be eating this very squash today. Mmmmm...

and this lovely zuccini, as well...

We will not be eating Mr. Ladybug.

This is my first bit of echinacea ( I have no clue if I spelled that right) this year. They're fun to watch bloom and I think the middle looks neat. If you stare at the red part long enough, you can see all sorts of designs.

Adam's Dad is a yard-sale-aholic and found this lovely potato (all of the sudden I can't remember the name of it) fork? spade? All I know is that it is supposed to be used to dig up potatoes and it does a dandy job!! (Adam was proud of his pose, here...)

This is where our new deluxe scrapwood chicken coop is going to be. We sunk the posts and are now moving on to the framing out of it. We'll be able to do away with the coop you see, keep the old one that you can't see as a shady place for the chickens in the summer, and integrate our three separate flocks into one once we are finished with the new coop. I'll be able to help feed and water them more then. It has become a really fun project for Adam and I and we're looking forward to it being finished. I can't decide what to paint on it. I will agonize over this for weeks and weeks before we come up with just the right thing!!

The grass...

is always greener....

on the other side....

Happy day, my friends. Hug somebody today and tell them you are happy that they are your friend...

Much love,

Malinda