Working in the garden

It's been dry the past week or so. So Monday, I went out and tilled these 3 beds. It takes a lot of tilling, let me tell you. The middle of this garden is HARD. So I am adding some really good composted humusy from out in the goat yard. Probably about 40 or so years ago, there used to be a pine forest back there. They all had to be cut down because of pine borers. And of course, they cut them down and apparently just left them where they fell. Well, most of them anyway. So there are a lot of old white limbs and branches. AND, the most amazing soil from all those decomposed trees. I went back with my wagon 4 times with buckets and totes and got loads of it to put on the garden. I also use it to plant blueberry bushes and to put around azaleas and crepe myrtles and whatever else needs it.

So, along with all this rich beautiful soil, I go out to the sheep and chicken shelters to get all their old hay they've been doing their thing in all winter. I'll put that on the beds too and till it all in good. Then it's all loose and good to plant seeds in.

I planted to the left Provider bush beans. 3 rows. I like to do 3 rows in these long beds so they'll crowd out the weeds. The middle row is 3 kinds of zucchini and some yellow squash. In the middle, I put a piece of fence and planted pickling cucumbers to grow up the fence and the squash and zucchini will keep the cucumbers cool. To the right in the first half of this bed is Swiss Chard and the bottom half is my favorite, Blue Lake bush beans. 3 rows of them too. Oh, forgot, at the end of the squash row I had some room to plant 3 rows of Cow Peas. They're a black eyed pea.

I also started 2 flats of jalapeno and red bell peppers and 2 kinds of eggplants today. I hope they make it. I love eggplant. And 4 different kinds of carrots a few days ago in my raised bed planter. I am trying Purple Haze from Johnny's Seeds this year. I ordered most of my seeds from Johnny's.

I told the people who came Sunday for a farm visit from Main St. market, that it's not a huge garden, but I can get a lot of veggies out of it. And I will stagger the planting too, so I get continuous harvests. This is not even half of this garden. I'll plant corn and okra and field peas in the other garden across the drive way later.

Right now it's lightly raining and watering all I planted. It's so nice. A little cool, but nice.



And here is my little strawberry bed. I just got about 10 more plants from a friend and got the bed weeded and mulched for them. I can barely see them in the mulch.

Busy days ahead for everyone. It's spring time finally!

Sculpture

What is your interpretation of this sculpture? It's in my friend's yard. She's had it for years and years. I see one thing, but it's something else entirely. You'll have to click on it to enlarge it to see more. Tell me what you think.

Beautiful photos of Outback Farm by a professional photographer

http://jaimiedavis.blogspot.com/2013/04/morning-views-at-outback-farm.html

This is from the girl who came out to take pictures of my farm last week. She is amazing and the animals all loved her. I couldn't believe how they all came up top her and let her pet them. Even the sheep didn't run from her. She did an amazing job photographing and capturing the beauty here at Outback Farm. Thank you so much, Jaimie! You are always welcome here any time.

I don't know why I can't get the link to show up where you can just click on it. Sorry. But please look at all her beautiful photos. She made everything look so pretty.

Please watch and help if you can.

http://www.gofundme.com/FarmedAndDangerous

Sheep after shearing.

This is Abraham after he got all his red wool sheared off. he's black again, like when he was little. He acts different now though. Like a nekked boy.

This is Abraham, after shearing. He's all black again, like when he was born. He looks totally different.

This is Leelah. She looks so much better now. Now the viking ewe anymore!

Here is Annabelle. Totally different ewe now. She acts grown up. And I', pretty sure she is pregnant. When she was on her rump having her belly sheared, her udders were quite big. And it was so cute because each side had a little brown circle right around the teats. Never seen that before.

Here is Darla on the left and Adele on the right. Not too sure about Adele being pregnant. She could be though. I hope so. She really looks good. Darla, who had been sick a few weeks ago, is way better now. But quite bony. She needs some weight on her. But she feels so good after having all that heavy wool sheared off.

It was a really nice day today. Cool and sunny. I did a lot today in the garden. Got 3 beds ready to plant for tomorrow. I have a doctor appointment in the morning, but when I get home, it's back to the garden. It's supposed to rain Wed.

Still life

I sat outside for a little bit today, by the bees. Listening to them and seeing them so busy, flying here and there, is so cool. I am SO glad I got these bees. And I love this book, The Backyard Beekeeper. I had some nettle tea and the books and it was a beautiful day. And got 2 eggs to boot! I love this picture. Just had to share it. I hope y'all had a nice Sunday. I did.

LONG day

Look at this pile of sheep. waiting to be sheared this morning. It was a beautiful day. Kind of cool, but beautiful. My friend came with her DIL about 10:30 and we grabbed Abraham, the ram. Well, her blades were not sharp. So they had to all the way to TS about 25 miles from here to get new ones. Thank goodness, they had some. So got started again about 1:00. She got Abraham sheared. He looks like a different ram now. All black, like he looked when he was little.

Then we got Darla. She just laid there and fell asleep while she was sheared. She was a happy lady! So glad to have all that heavy thick wool off her at last.

Then Leelah. She has looked like a viking for the past 2 years now and I wanted that nasty doat off her. She's Katahdin-Dorper, so she's a little more wooly that hair. And the wool had felted. So it was tough to get off. But she looks great now.

Then her son came and he sheared Adele, the wild one. She's Leelah's ewe lamb from last year. And she's the biggest one of the bunch. I think she might be pregnant, but not really sure. Not much of an udder yet if she is.

Then she sheared Annabelle. She's mostly Finn. Lucinda's daughter from last year. Lucinda died last year from Barber Pole parasites. Annabelle had some really nice wool.

So I'll only be able to use Abraham and Annabelle's wool for spinning. Maybe Adele's.

It was about 5 by then, so she'll come back next week to get Adalaide and Amarillo. I am so tired and all I did was hold them mostly. But sheep are strong buggars.

Here's Abraham. He was so good. And I think he is feeling better now, without all that heavy hot wool.

                                   This is Leelah, the viking ewe. She really looks good now.

                               This is Julie's son, shearing Adele. He did a great job. No nicks at all.

We also trimmed hooves. They were pretty bad on some, but not so on others. We've had such a wet winter. So muddy here. I'll take after pictures tomorrow. My camera was acting up and all the pictures were fuzzy.

So tomorrow, a few board members from the Main St. Market are coming for a farm visit. I still have a lot of mulching to do. So I hope they come later in the day. Didn't get too much done this morning. I so hope I get in at this market.

And I was a bit worried about my bees. Yesterday was rainy and cool and dark. I didn't see a single bee in the morning before I left. I was gone all day. Checked on them when I got home and didn't see but one bee. This morning, I saw bees all over the place! I was so happy to see them. I have a lot to learn about bees. They don't like it cold.

I hope y'all are having a great weekend so far.