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.

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 Was a Busy Day

I will start this post with a shamelesss surely-someone-needs-a-kitten picture... Then I will move on!! Broccoli. Mmmmm. It'll be done soon and I will be in heaven...

Potato flowers. Well, they're almost flowers. and Yes. Potatoes DO make flowers.

My irises are still blooming. This makes me all kinds of happy.

This also makes me all kinds of happy. The Lovin' Husband made our garden(s) about two times bigger. He works so hard! I preciate you, Baby!!! Maggie, of course, is making sure everything all around her beloved Adam is a-ok.

Peas soon!!

These three things fill my heart up. Sage flowers, the red barn, and a beautiful sunset. My favorite time of everyday that I get to be home.

Amen and amen...

Have a great day!!!

So Much to Say!

Last Monday we finally took the baby chicks (not so much babies anymore) down to the pen that they will live in for the rest of their lives. They have GROWN!! We had to make sure that neither their feet nor their little heads got stuck in the kennel while transporting them. As you can see, they are a little freaked out.

Getting them to realize that they needed to come out of the kennel and into the pen was hard work! My Lovin' Husband talked sweet to them, though, and they eventually ended up in the pen. Talk about confused chickens. They had all sorts of room to run around, but didn't know what to do about it...

See? Very confused chickens.

They eventually got the point and figured that the coop (which we have not replaced yet) was nice and shady and full of brand new straw to scratch around in. I of course had the very busy job of taking pictures and making sure Adam knew exactly what to do. :)

Potato bins. They are growing like crazy...

Especially out of the sides that we should have wrapped last week... *bashful*

Those are the potatoes in the garden. Also coming along nicely.

These are Adam's babies. See the fence around them? This is what the chicks were in. Now that they are where they need to be Adam uses it to protect his precious plants from the animals.

I can't wait to eat some homegrown tomatoes. My mouth waters at the thought!

Peas!!

Squash...

Corn!!

My sweet baby takin' care of the broccoli...

And when it is all said and done.... I come in to play the piano.... But I have to share the rug with Maggie. No joke. She doesn't move - EVER. I play - she sleeps and keep my feet warm!!

P.S. While writing this post this morning, I fried our modum with a cup of coffee... I'll try to have things back up and running in a short time!!! Have a good day. Smile and laugh!!!

Love,

Malinda

Update... Gardeny Things.

I have mentioned before that we live in a cedar barren in middle Tennessee. One aspect of living in a cedar barren (other than cedar trees like WEEDS) is all of the rock. Everywhere there are rocks. Little ones, big ones, tiny ones. God didn't discriminate! We have rocks of all kinds and sizes. Lots of limestone, but also these really freaky ones that actually break down and become... claylike. (As in "claylike soil". I'm sure some of you have read those very words on the back of a seed packet and casually waved off the thought of claylike soil. How awful, you think. I'm so glad I don't have claylike soil. Well I DO! So the next time you read that and you don't have claylike soil. THANK YOUR MAKER, PEOPLE!.)..............................I digress.

I couldn't find any of my stakes that I usually use to mark beds so I found yet another use for all of the rocks laying as far as the eye cans see. Check it out... Until the relentless summer sun bakes that permanent Sharpie off of there we're good to go on labels from here on out. I may even challenge myself to never spend money on markers again. God gave me all of these FREE ROCKS. Might as well use 'em! Below we see that Adam and I don't discriminate either. Rocks of all shapes and sized can be used to line permanent beds. (I'll show you pictures of the rock piles sometime. We have those, too. Made 'em all by ourselves WITHOUT a wheelbarrow. Just so ya know.) Below is my reseeding/asparagus bed. I've had cilantro growing there for three years now. This makes me happy. :) Mmmm cilantro!

The tater bins doth work. Yay!! We were worried because we hadn't seen any sings of life in there, but I went out yesterday and saw leafage. We are gonna have SO MANY potatoes for our lovely little farmer's market.

The grassy lookin' stuff is from the bale of straw. Look closer. See the round leafy stuff? In the center toward the bottom? THAT, my friends, is a potato leaf. Potato leaves mean that down in all that straw and dirt baby taters are being made as I type.

Peas.... we will have lots of peas! Planted beside these very peas are turnips and kohl rabi. And if you don't know what kohl rabi is, you are missin' out people. I don't have any big enought to show you, but when I do you can be assured that you will then know! I also know that a lot of you probably think that turnips are gross. We beg to differ. They're pretty darn good when you GROW YOUR OWN!!!

Hello little baby pea shoot. I am going to eat you when you get a couple of inches taller. Yes, I know you didn't know you were edible, but you are. And quite tasty I've heard. We'll see...

This is the corner of the garden that I thought would NEVER AND I MEAN NEVER get done. It is done - and planted. *Thanks, Dad, for letting us use the tiller.* There is quite a bit of corn and squash planted there now. Before you get on to me for planting my corn early lemme say one thing. EARWORMS. I don't like them and they are gross, so this is my (our) plan. Plant the corn early (Early Sunglow - 63 days - can be planted a little early because it can take a little cold) and plant the squash in with the corn (Our squash lasts longer into the summer if we do this. The corn keeps it shady and cool.). Hopefully we will trick the worst of the bugs.

Below is Fuzz one of our wonderful kitties. He hangs with us in the garden a lot.




Here is what has been done for a while. Tatoes, then peas back where you can see the trellis. And Violet, of course. I can't take 2 steps without her on my heals. She is so NOT a country dog. We adopted her when she was dropped off here at the homestead. She does pretty good for a city girl, though.

And it is finished. Planted. Full up. We (well, Adam) are madly tilling and creating new raised bed systems for our summery warm weather stuff. We only had a tiller for the last few beds. Everything else we did by hand. It was sweaty, dirty, rocky, cloddy, hard, hard work, but it is done and I weigh about 5 pounds less than I did when we started. Adam has some serious muscles goin' on and we are looking forward to the fruits of our labors.

Have a great Tuesday!! Do something nice for someone today. It is good for your soul, ya know!!

Much, much love,

Malinda