Monday, May 4, 2015

Around the farm...


Chicken jail. Yep, had to put the chickens in jail til the garden gets big enough to survive their feet. I hate to do it, but I want a garden. Miss Broody Butt is out there too. Black Bart sure doesn't like her right now. He chases her when she gets off the nest. And he's always been so nice to his girls. I think I'll get the tiller in there and til them up some dirt and worms to play with.




The 5 eggs have grown to 8 now. I finally got the marker and made x's on these eggs. Seems like when she gets off the nest, the other hens think it's ok to lay their eggs in there too.




Had a friend come by Saturday and brought a load of old hickory wood for us. Some will need to be split. So we have a good start on next winter's heat so far.




I have really loved having this faucet in the garden. It really makes it so much easier for me. I can put water in the sheep's trough and across the driveway to the chickens too. And also water flowers in the yard. SO nice to have this. And when I start harvesting veggies, I have a sink under the garden shed that I can hook a hose to and clean veggies. So won't have to lug everything to the house to wash now. Pretty cool!

The plumbing guys do need to come back and level the ground out while it's dry. They couldn't finish while it was so wet. There's a big hole on the other side of the fence here. And big rocks all over. I will not be able to mow while it's like this.




I planted more Friday and Saturday. Got everything planted, except okra and zinnias and sunflowers. I wanted to wait til this week to plant them. It's going to be in the 80's all week. I've already had to water all the plants twice last week. I never would have thought, with all the rain we've had, that I would have to water so soon.

That middle spot will have okra planted in it later. The first row is beans, then crowder peas, then corn on the other side of the okra patch.




                                                             Future apples right these!




Siesta time for the sheep. They usually lay down for a few hours about mid morning. Not the alpacas. They are out all day. They'll lay flat on their sides right out in the sun sometimes. Like a goat, I have to go check to make sure they're still alive.

Speaking of goats, I'm going tomorrow with some friends to a farm in Sale creek to look at goats. This is the place where I bought my first Lamancha milk doe, Abby.  She has some really nice goats. I'll be looking at some she might have for sale. I would love to have 2 to milk. Plus I'll be getting a couple pigs in July, so will need milk for them too. They will pay for themselves real fast, as much as I'm paying for milk right now. About $29 a week for raw goat and cow milk.



This is the tomato row, with a few rosemary plants. I went ahead and planted 2 rows of long radishes and 2 rows of beets at the end here, just to finish out this row. And there is kale and collards to the left.  I had planted the collard seeds in that row, then forgot I had done that. So planted the kale there too. Then Friday, forgot again that I had anything in this row and started tilling it. I got down almost to the end when I remembered I had seeds in this row. Good grief! 




I just love this view of Lookout Mt. The sky is so blue and the grass and trees so green. The birds are twittering and flying around, looking for food for their little ones. So many baby birds in all the trees and bird houses right now. The hummers are back too. So much life all around right now. Just amazing.




We went to our youngest grand daughter's 12th birthday party Saturday. Then church twice Sunday for me. And the Chattanooga market. I love that place. I got some veggies and a really pretty copper and glass hanging piece for my front porch here.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

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