Another stuck head.

This is what I saw when I went out this morning. Or really, what I heard. This is Amarillo. A few days before it was Annabelle. In the same spot. I thought only goats did this.

I have a cattle panel in front of the field fence because when my cow Mazie was over there, she tore that part of the fence down and  went into the field next door. So I put the panel up to give it more stability. But the past few days, the sheep have been putting their heads through the fence to get to the grass on the other side because I had their pasture mowed. So now this happens right there. I took the cattle panel down and tried to fix the field fence so they can't get over it. Silly sheep. It's always something around here.

Sheep Sex (Graphic picture. Beware little eyes!)

This afternoon when I got home, Leelah was pacing at the fence, by herself. The others were all in the pasture up by the road. So I figured she was in heat. I led her across the driveway to the other little yard where the meat birds are. And the boys in the other pasture. I called the rams and it was going to either be Axel or Alfie, whoever went through the gate first. Alfie went through the gate first. So off he went in search of Leelah. He found her in 10 seconds and went right to work. Good boy! I'll know if he's done the job in 5 months.

She is the first to go. I hope the others follow soon after. Maybe I can put one at a time in that yard as they go in heat. That would be ideal.

While milking Abby and Sandy tonight, I caught John Henry and Zarah too! Zarah is in standing heat. Yay! This will be her first.

So here we go!

My Peaceable Kingdom

This evening I went out to feed and milk. And put the Freedom Rangers and laying hens back in their pens. This hardly ever happens but they all went in without too much trouble. And I sat out in the sheep yard and got to pet Amarillo and Annabelle! I have been getting a little closer to Amarillo the past few weeks but tonight she let me pet her forehead! And Annabelle has never let me get too near her but I stood there for 5 minutes petting her little head too. It's a sheep miracle! Adelaide has been talking to them, that's what it is. She's telling them it's not bad at all. And actually is quite nice to be petted and kissed on the nose. It was so nice tonight. They are all such sweet sheep. I love my sheep!

They came back!

The Border Collies came back today. They are going to come at least once a week. I told them they could come more if they want to. They did really good today.Had a little more confidence and they actually got the sheep to move for them. Poor Darla, my biggest ewe, got ran over by the rest of the sheep. She's ok though. I think she was embarrassed. She'll get over it.

Lige is in the front. He's 7 months old now. His mother is Bonnie. She did really good with the sheep. He's still way young. He's just at the right age to be introduced to sheep, not for training yet, but just to get to know them. He's got great form. He has the crouch and stare with his mom down pat. He's a good dog and so sweet. He comes right to me when they get here. I love them both. I hope Bonnie is carrying my new puppy!

24%

This morning I loaded Adelaide up in the car and took her to the vet. A tech came out and drew blood. The vet came out a little later and said her red blood cell count was at 24%!! After 2 weeks of the Red Cell and whatever else I've been doing, this is great news. Up 15% from 2 weeks ago. He would like to see it at least around 30% soon. And he said he'd like to do another fecal before I do any more worming. Which I hope I won't have to for a long time.

So now I need to get both pastures mowed. Then let them rest a week. Then start thinking about breeding who to whom. I think Adelaide and Annabelle are just too small still. I will wait til December to breed those two. And I want to use Abraham, the black Finn ram, on them. This is Annabelle and Amarillo is the last picture. She's a lot bigger than them but she's Finn too.

So that's what's going on here at Outback Farm these days. Lots of musical sheep and goats. Hopefully next spring, we'll have lots of cute little lambs and kids jumping around again!

Kind of funny

We have a lot of bike riders out here all the time. Like the racing-touring bikers. With sleek helmets, spandex shorts and shirts. Tight butts on little tiny narrow seats. Crazy leg muscles. They are not very friendly either. I mean they hardly ever wave or head nod or even a finger lift. They look straight ahead. They do not move over. We have little 2 lane roads out here that are hilly and lots of curves. And they don't do single file anymore. No. Some kind of law in Ga. and Tn. that says they can have the whole lane now.

So today, I'm out in the garden planting some cabbage and Brussels sprouts and chard. I see these 2 bikers heading back to town. I can always hear them when they ride by talking. Well, I heard the guy say to the other person "Look at the goats". My sheep were all up in the front pasture by the road. I almost fell over. It was so funny!  (I have nothing at all against the bike riders. I like riding down the road behind them for miles waiting for a place to pass. It's not a bad view. Really, I don't mind at all.)





                                               This is how close the sheep were to the road.                                                                                

Happy Fall, y'all!

I love saying that. Sounds so Southern and Paula Dean. Happy fall, y'all! I thought the first day of fall was yesterday. Isn't it always the 21st? This is my 54th fall, so I could be getting a little fuzzy.



Last week, I got my 3rd Taproot magazine. I love this magazine. Every page, every story, is something I am interested in. Such great writers. And the art! Oh my, It's so frame-able. All of it. I hope everyone checks out the magazine and orders one. And NO ADS! At all. How cool is that?

So I went outside, under my shade tree with the magazine and a cup of coffee. Put my feet up and sat there and read most of it. It was such a beautiful day. I don't do this enough. Just sit and read. Or meditate on good things. Listen to the sheep in the yard munching grass. I love that sound. And the clucks of the chickens. Then the loud cries of the goats. That changes everything.

The articles are amazing. So easy to read and I feel like I am there, in the story.  I feel like I know a lot of the writers because they have some of my favorite blogs. Like SouleMama, Small Measure, and several others.

 I took this right up under my tree. Pretty soon there will be no more leaves. The yard is already full of them. I go outside and there are leaves in my hair, falling everywhere. So I will enjoy these last few weeks of nice weather and go outside more. Watch the morning sun come up and go down again. Watch the leaves turn from green to orange and yellow and red and gold. Enjoy all the beautiful weed flowers of fall. Pick armloads to put all over my house.

And then just sit, like my cat, Gilbert, and enjoy my day. Under the shade tree. Til there are no more leaves.





Happy Fall, y'all!

View from the milk room

I was sitting in the milk room yesterday morning on my bucket seat milking my goats. I love the view outside the door. So grabbed my camera and took some pictures. 

Here is a closer view.The fig trees and the meat chickens and you can barely see the rams in the background. Just kind of peaceful. It was foggy too.

 And inside the milk room, all I can hear is goats munching their feed. And a cat waiting on some warm milk.

And she is happy now. Nice warm milk straight from the goat. Can't ask for much more than that, if you're a cat. Or a dog.

Outback Farm

Outback Farm

I was just fooling around and copied my Outback Farm FB business page. I need a lot more likes so if anyone would like to go like my page, I'd appreciate it! Thanks!

Border Collie visit

Today a friend came with her 2 Border Collies, Bonnie and Lige, her son. Both of them have never seen sheep before. Lige is 6 moths old. He had been sold to some people who just did not have time for him and he was bored so started eating the siding off the house. Poor puppy. So Beth got him back. The first picture is of Bonnie, Lige's mother. She has only herded a horse. She was a bit afraid of Darla, who was going to protect her friends. Bonnie really had no idea what to do with all these big sheep.

She finally got them to move. So they went out front and around the pasture a few times.

This is both dogs in the field with the rams. The rams were not impressed at all. But the dogs chased them for a few minutes.

Here they are in the yard, playing with a basketball. I was trying to get Lige's herding stance and stare. He looked good, staring at his mother and trying to herd her.

Beautiful dogs. I love Border Collies. But right now with all that's going on, I don't think it's the right time for a dog this age with no training. Bonnie is hopefully bred with a beautiful red and white BC. Her sire was red and white. She was bred the first time to a black and white BC and had all black and white pups. We are hoping for some red pups because I want a red and white puppy. So the end of December the puppies will be ready to go. By then everything will be settled down with the gardens and sheep and goats bred and Holiday Market and Christmas over. I'll have more time to spend with a Border Collie puppy. Can hardly wait!

Bad dog!

I went to the garden to pick veggies for my CSA customers. Left the wagon out by the gate and went in for something. When I came back out I saw squash pieces on the ground.

Then saw Stella, the squash eating dog. I forgot she has done this before. I caught her in the act this time though. Look at that bad dog.  Well, I guess she's pretty healthy. She is a raw food dog.

And this is what's left of the veggies in the wagon. I hurried and got them all in the house. They are all bagged up and ready to go. Hopefully Stella won't get in the bags. It's warming up a little so had to come out of the jacket.

First cold morning!

I had to wear a jacket this morning. It's kinda cold out there. It's really starting to feel fall-ish now. I gave the animals a little extra hay this morning too. And threw the floor hay from the sheep into the chicken coop. It got a bit wet with all the rain we've had. I guess it's time to start all the winter preparations for all the critters.

I am a little bit worried about this winter. We only have a little bit of wood. And an open fireplace. We need a big wood burning stove now. I have been looking. I want one I can cook on if the power goes out. I want a Vermont Bun Oven really bad. Have for years now. And it's really just as much as some of the newer stoves at the store we've been going to. www.vermontwoodstove.com. That's what I want. Maybe when the big money comes in!

Projects. It's that time again!

This time of year makes me want to start crocheting and knitting and thinking about Christmas. But this year I am doing a holiday market the first 2 weekends in December. I am usually a very last minute type person. I can't be that way with this. I have soap to make. My vases and candle holders to make. Rag rugs to make. Dish clothes and wash clothes to make. I have to get busy!!

So today I started finishing this rag rug I had started last year. It's almost done.

Then I started on another rag rug. It's really the easiest thing to make. The most time consuming part is tearing all those strips from the sheets. After that, it's just crocheting using a huge giant crochet hook.

It's almost finished too. I will need to look for some more sheets in colors to match it to make it bigger now. I have some pretty blue sheets in checks and solids and circles I want to make a round rug with. I have a lot of material for that one. Then another in greens. I need to get to a thrift store to look for more.

And I made 2 pretty green wash clothes Friday. Then started this one yesterday. I love making these and can usually make a few an hour. Really simple to do. And they are the best for washing pots and pans with. Don't even need a scrubby anymore.

So is anyone else feeling the urge to get out their crochet hooks or knitting needles? Around here it's way too hot during the summer to touch wool or yarn. The only wool I touch is on the sheep! Til it starts to cool down some. Then I can't put it down.

It's wet here.

It's been raining off and on all day here. I had to wait this morning to go out to feed animals and do the milking til about 9:30. And tonight it was almost dark when I got out to milk again. Those goats do not like getting wet at all.

We sure did need this soaking rain. I can almost hear all the veggies out in the gardens growing and thanking God for the rain. I am thankful as well. I was getting a bit worried about my turnip greens and spinach and kale. All the fall green things. And it's supposed to be cooler too which they will love.

I noticed a lot of color in the trees on the way to town today. Little hints here and there. I hope we have a pretty fall this year. We have had rain so that should help. Lots of leaves falling too. It's beginning to feel like fall here! I am ready for some cool temps. But not too cold yet.

Fiona's wool coat

It's now Sept. 16th. The middle of Sept. And Fiona's scraggly wool coat finally came off. She's been looking like a viking for months now and I finally grabbed what was left and pulled til it came off. It was basically just hanging by a few hairs so I didn't hurt her. And I think she was glad it was finally off.

She looks so much better now.











If only her sister Leelah's would come all the way off too. She rubs her back on the back scratcher board so part of her back wool is off. But the side wool is still hanging on.  I guess she'll need it in a few weeks. It's supposed to start cooling off some here. I am ready for it!

New farmer's market

Today I went back to the Brainerd market. I love it. This is my 2 nd week there. I am so happy that there are people who are in to healthy organic food and not prices of healthy organic food. Just a totally different environment at this market. We even talk about ways to prepare the food they buy and ways they have prepared it. I sold just about everything I brought. I have some Roma beans left and one bag of kale and some radishes. The kale and radishes will go in the pot with the home grown chicken that's in the oven roasting right now along with some potatoes and onions in about an hour. The beans will be washed and put on the stove next. So I am ok with bringing a little home from the market. That's dinner!

I so hope that everyone who reads this blog will find a farmer's market near them and buy some healthy good food and support us farmers. I for one, so appreciate you! And you will appreciate the fresh food that you will have for dinner tonight too.

Every morning

Every morning, this is what I see out my kitchen door. There are usually a few more cats. Looks like they are all in line, waiting. Stella was laying down when I opened the door. Of course I had to go find my camera and when I got back, she was standing up.

The dogs are the first to get fed. Bubba and Sophie eat outside. Stella eats inside. I don't know why, but that's the way we do it. Then the cats get fed. Then I get the milk goats and feed them. While they are eating, I fix all the feed containers for the chickens, sheep and the rest of the goats. I go feed all of them and let the meat chickens out. Then back to milk the goats. Stella is still inside because she aggravates the goats. She does come in at the evening milking though. The dogs and cats are in the milk room for their bowls of milk. They love goat milk!

And then we do it all again in the evening, except the sheep and dry goats don't get feed. I put the meat chickens back in their pen and let the laying hens out for a few hours.  The dogs get meat bones. And the cats get rabbits and birds. Really. This morning I go out to feed the back yard goats and there's a dead rabbit in their shelter. With the middle eaten and a pile of puke next to it.

Sometimes I feel like I am in the movie Groundhog Day. Same thing over and over. Day in and day out. Every day the same thing. But I love it. This is my life right now. I can't imagine it any other way.

Farm Country

There is corn in North Georgia. There is a huge field across the road from us and they are harvesting the corn today. Big trucks loaded with corn from the big corn combine. It's really interesting to watch that big machine cut through the tall dried corn stalks and then go to the big trucks waiting to be filled. I love living way out here and hearing the big farm machinery. Seems like there is a tractor or some type of machine for everything.

And all around us are hay fields. There is haying going on everywhere right now. We have had a great year for hay. I don't think any animal will go hungry this winter. I have around 180 bales right now and will be getting another truckload in a few weeks. My truck holds at least 40 and sometimes 45-50 depending on who stacks it. You can see a round hay baler here in this picture. This is to the South of my property. You can see Lookout Mt.

Here is the field to the North. And there is Lookout Mt. through the trees in the middle of the picture. I love the smell of hay after it's been cut and it drying. Just don't like loading and stacking it. But the smell is amazing.

I had to cut some privet and honeysuckle for the goaties. They love that stuff. They have eaten every tree and bush in their pasture. It was full of blackberry bushes and those thorn trees. Lots of stuff back there and now there are only some big tall trees. Nothing much but grass back there for them now. So I go and cut them branches for them.

There is a lot going on around me here in farm country. What's going on in your neck of the woods right now?

Adalaide

Little Adalaide is walking on her foot now. She seems to be ok. It could have been bruised in the commotion yesterday morning. I hope that's all. I mixed the Red Cell into their feed and they all ate it up. I like it this way. SO much easier. I won't know how much each one got this way but I know each one got some. I just could not put them or myself through that again.

Just another day at the spa.

This afternoon, I went to check on the boys. They were snoozing under the shade tree. And getting massages from the nice chickens. And getting there wool all fluffed. I thought this was so funny and so sweet of the chickens. It must have really felt good to the rams. They never batted an eye. Such is life at Outback Farm. And they looked so good after their spa treatment too.

And now...

a broken leg. Poor little Adalaide must have broken her back right leg this morning during the chaos and confusion in the stall. I got all 8 ewes in the stall for their Red Cell and B Complex shots. It was a little crazy in there. She must have been hurt in the shuffle then. I feel so bad for her. It's right above the hoof, like the ankle. I noticed her limping this evening. I am going to see if it heals on it's own. I just can't put her through any more stress like she's been in the last few days. I need them all to be calm and happy. If it looks like it's getting worse or she's in pain, then I will have to take her in to the vet again. She's supposed to go back in 2 weeks for another blood test.

I am going to try putting the Red Cell in their feed in the morning. I just can't do all that again. It was horrible. They were all scared and running and I can't put them through that again for 13 more days. This better work.

It's always something around here. This morning when I looked out the kitchen door, there was Iris and Brie, the 2 little doelings. At the kitchen door. I looked to see how they had gotten out. The sheep were all at the gate, looking at them. The gate was open at least a foot wide. And the sheep were all behind it. Such good sheeps. I just love them.

So I put the does in the milk room. BIG MISTAKE! They had that place in the biggest mess I have ever seen. Stuff all over the floor. Broken glass under the shelves. Stuff inside the mineral bag. Poop all over the stanchions. A MESS! And they were only in there while we were drenching the sheep, about 30 minutes. Those girls are wild!. So had to clean the milk room before I could bring in the milk goats. Such fun on the farm.

How was your day? Anything like mine?

Went to the vet today

And learned a lot. I brought Adalaide with me. She has had a hard time the last month or so. As soon as she walked through the door she pooped, so Dr. Miller told his assistant to hurry up and get some to do a fecal test. Then they drew blood. It took about 15-20 minutes for them to see what was wrong.

First, they only found 2 worm larvae. That was great news. I had wormed her again last night with Ivomec because her whole head was huge and I was afraid she would not be alive this morning. I had also taken a syringe of B complex to give her but didn't. She looked a little better this morning.

So he said her red blood count was 9. The scale goes to 35 I think he said. They did it twice just to make sure. He said she should have a blood transfusion. But he didn't know what blood or how. He has done horses but never sheep. But that's how low her red blood cells are. That's bad. He said all the others are more than likely that low as well.

He told me I need ed to get some Red Cell and give them all 1 oz. every day for 2 weeks plus a shot of B Complex. We need to get their blood levels built back up. I can also give them kale and other greens too. He said the goats would probably need this treatment too. I know Adabelle does for sure.

I found a gallon at the co op in town. He gave me a huge drench syringe. I have 11 sheep and 9 goats. That's 20 oz. a day for 2 weeks. I am going to need another gallon I think. It's cherry flavored too! Yum.

So gave Adalaide her Red Cell before I let her out. I forgot the B complex. I gave the rams all theirs this afternoon and Darla too. She's a pig ewe.

Also gave all the does theirs tonight. I am wearing a lot of theirs. They apparently don't care for cherry flavored anything.

I will start all the others in the morning. My daughter Heather is here for awhile so she will be helping check off their names in a book to keep track of who had what. I hope all this will get them healthy again. He also said that rotating pastures is the best thing to do. He did say that since I had the pasture mowed Sat. that the worms should be dead. But I have to keep them in the smaller pen with a stall that has a door to give them all this stuff.

I have to take Adalaide back in 2 weeks to do another blood test to see how they are by then. They sure could use some good prayers for this to work. I sure wish I had gone to the vet sooner. Lucinda would still be here with us. I miss her already.

Sad news this morning.

I was hoping to wake up this morning to a healthy ewe, all better and up and eating with the rest of the flock. But when I went out to feed and do chores, I saw all the other sheep but not her. I went on in and saw her laying flat on the ground. I knew right away she was dead.

I feel bad because this could have been prevented if I had just gotten the vet to come out last week. She might be alive now. And her daughter Anabelle and the other ewe lamb Adalaide would be ok too. But those 2 have very swollen jaws even this afternoon, even after 2 rounds of Ivomec, Cydectin and Valbazen. Plus antibiotic and Thiamine shots. I might lose them too.

I am calling the vet first thing in the morning. And I will keep calling if I don't hear from him. I need him to come out here as soon as possible to check on them. And the others too. Then I am calling the guy who runs the agriculture department in town and get him to come out and evaluate my pastures to see if there is a problem with them. I need to know what is going on here and why I just lost one of my favorite ewes. What am I doing wrong?

I rotate. I keep the grass and pastures mowed. I give them organic minerals. And apple cider vinegar in their water. They get good grains and hay. I just don't know. And I only had 9 ewes. And the 3 ram lambs are in another pasture across the yard. It's not like I had a thousand sheep.

So I called a friend up the road with a backhoe. He's coming in the morning to bury her as deep as he can. I wanted to take her to the dump, as far away as possible because of the worms. Or take her way out back for the coyotes to at least have a good meal. But I don't want them to get sick. I think getting her buried at least 5 feet deep will be ok.

Right after I found Lucinda, and after milking the goats, I looked over at one of my does, Sandy, and she is in standing heat. I saw Lil Red trying as hard as he could to mount her. I hope he did. And I thought how one life just ended and one more has just been conceived. So life goes on. And I just witnessed that. I am ok with death. Just right now, knowing I could have done more, I am a little sad. I will miss Lucinda. She was one of my favorite sheep. It took her a long time to let me get close enough. But after that, I could pet her and give her kisses. She was a good ewe.

New farmer's market

Today was my first time at a new market. I was nervous and excited. This one starts at 10 and goes til 12. So I have a lot more time to get ready and do chores and milk goats (in daylight, not darkness with animals still sleeping) and have plenty of time to get there. It's only about 35 miles away. We left this morning at 8 and stopped to get some breakfast up the road and stopped at the store for produce baggies. And still got there at 9. There were a few others earlier than us.

So I brought kale, turnip greens, 4 kinds of radishes, bell peppers and banana peppers. Also brought kombucha scobys. Sold all but 2 bags each of the greens. I couldn't sell my soap because there were 2 others that sell soap and have been coming a few years now. But we'll see about that.

This market is so different from the other market I have been going to this summer. The people are totally different. Very friendly. I felt like I belonged there right away. There was only one nice little older lady who said my greens were too much for her. So I let her have them cheaper. And  I swapped turnip greens and radishes for pumpkin bread and fresh picked bay leaves.

I really like this market. It's the Brainerd market in Chattanooga, Tn. In the parking lot of a beautiful Episcopal church.  Lots of exposure to traffic with a big sign by the road. I will be going every Saturday from now on.

Sometimes we need to change things up a bit. This was my time.

Buck Stink

Ugh! Ick! Nasty! Disgusting!Yuck! I know there are more words to describe buck stench and I will think of more. I smell it ALL OVER my farm and my 2 neighbors that live way across the road can probably smell it too. It's just plain ole stanky. I have to shower after I touch John Henry. Lil Red is not stinky yet. I hope that doesn't mean he's not doing his job. I wonder if it matters that he's smaller than Penelope and Sandy. And that he has a pink collar on? But John is 1 1/2 now and he's disgustingly nasty at the moment. I can't wait til I take John to another farm in October. I know I'll be able to smell him from there though.

It's just that time of year. This too shall pass.

Barber Pole worms in sheep

I am having the worst time with these horrible worms in my sheep this year. And especially in these 2 darker wool sheep. Lucinda, the ewe in the top picture, was lagging behind this morning. In fact, she's been doing that the last few days. I had wormed her then and gave her a shot of penicillan and thiamine too. So this morning she's not there when I bring the feed nor is her ewe lamb. I saw Anabelle over in the pasture but not Lucinda. I had a bad feeling, like maybe she was dead. But then there she was, ambling over. So I ran back inside and got some Cydectin, Ivomec, penicilla and thiamine and caught her,( not an easy thing to do) and gave her all that. I hope she'll be ok. I had to do all this with the youngest Finn ewe a few days ago as well.


                                                                                         

And again with Abraham, the ram lamb. He got all the same treatment a few days ago. It's like they are being attacked by these worms more than any of the others. I have not had to do a thing with any of the hair sheep. They are all fine. I did worm them a few months ago just to be safe. But these 2 dark wool sheep are having a hard time.




So what I am wondering is there a natural predator that would attack and eat the Barber Pole worm larva? I have a friend who keeps the pastures mowed down and it's been awhile since the last time he mowed. I just called this morning to get him to do it again. I know that helps. But is there some kind of bug that I could get that would kill the worms? And is anyone else having a bad worm year too? What are you doing about it? I need to learn more about how to prevent this from going on every few months. What could I be doing to keep the worm population down here?

For Sale

I have decided to sell these 2 doelings.

 Iris Josie, the Lamancha doe, will be 6 months old Sept. 10. I have both parents here. They are both full Lamancha. Iris is very friendly.

Brie is the Nubian doe. She'll be 6 months Sept 27. I have her mother here. Sandy is mostly Nubian with some Toggenburg. The father was full Nubian. Brie is a twin to a beautiful spotted buckling. She is a little skittish but with more handling, she will be a great goat.

Both of their mothers are excellent milkers with great udders. So these 2 will be wonderful milk goats when they are ready.

I am asking $150.00 each. I would love to find someone with a farm and children who will love these 2 girls. I would also love for them to go together as they have been raised together and are used to being together. They have both been disbudded. And wormed and given CDT's. Both are very healthy.

I am selling them because it will be another year before they can be bred and I really don't have the room for them. They need a place where they can grow and run and play with plenty of good stuff to eat and good shelter and fences.

Around the farm this morning.

We got some much needed rain last night. My squash was all wilted and puny. I mulched with some old hay yesterday. The rain really brought them all back to life again. They are full of flowers and the bees are busy pollinating them. I am so glad to see bees at work doing what they were created to do.

There is a bumble bee deep down in the flower to the right. They were buzzing all over the garden this morning! I see little baby squash all over now. Can't wait to actually get some to cook. The seeds I had gotten from the little feed store just were not goo seeds. I only got maybe one or two every few weeks. The zucchini too. Not but a few of those. Had to get zucchini from other people just to make bread. So I got new seeds and started over and these are good.

To the left is the cucumbers, then collard greens, turnip greens, kale and Blue Lake beans. There are little tiny cucumbers already!

Here are some pretty green bean flowers. I just love the flowers these plants make. In a few weeks I'll be picking beans again!

 Here is just some of the zucchini plants. I planted more at the end of this row and I saw a few yesterday. With this rain, they will be popping up soon. These are really pretty plants this time. I think I will not plant squash and zucchini til August from now on.

 I have had really good luck with the bell peppers. I planted red, yellow, green, orange and purple this year. As well as 4 varieties of hot and sweet banana peppers. I didn't sell all of them so they went in the freezer or in jars.

I have not planted radishes in several years. I don't like them. Husband does but he's not here much to eat them. And they have to be picked right when they are ready. So I had gotten several packs of different varieties from a friend and mixed them all up and threw them in the ground. They came up pretty quick! I hope to try some roasted with other root veggies. Sounds good that way.

 This is one of the really old apple trees in the yard. I don't know why the people who had this place before us planted apple trees right in the yard. So aggravating to have to go under them to mow. I always get a branch in my hair. But the apples are SO good! I have one that is the early June transparent apple. A Granny Smith and this is a Yates. My very favorite apple is the Yates. It's crunchy and juicy and so good. Some friend of mine have an apple press to make cider and we get together every October and make cider.

The field peas. They are growing pretty good with all the weeds and cucumbers that grew back again. I love field peas. And they are so easy to grow and pick.

These are the 1st turnip greens I planted around the first of Aug. Too thick, but they are doing great. Can't wait for a big ole pot of greens and cornbread soon!

And the carrots in the cold frame. The ones I planted a few weeks ago in the garden are just barely coming up. I hope they grow now after the rain.

The day lillies have decided to show off again. I love them. They are so pretty and such happy flowers. A friend from Oregon sent these to me a few years ago.

And some weeds. I think weeds are beautiful and most actually serve a purpose. I leave a lot of weeds in some of the rows because the bugs will eat them and not the ones I want.









Stella says hello and good morning. She's such a sweet dog. But sure is starting to dig some of the biggest holes all over the yard. Then she does this. What a stinker.









SO everything looks good again. I am so thankful for good rain.