farm update and an announcement

 

I used to visit and revisit it a dozen times a day, and stand in deep contemplation over my vegetable progeny with a love that nobody could share or conceive of who had never taken part in the process of creation.  It was one of the most bewitching sights in the world to observe a hill of beans thrusting aside the soil, or a rose of early peas just peeping forth sufficiently to trace a line of delicate green.  ~Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mosses from and Old Manse

yes, this is how i spend my time and how i feel when in the garden . . . amazed, joyous, proud and blessed. i couldn't be happier with how my garden is coming along. the only tragedies i've had are the muskmelon and watermelon plants which did not survive the cold and wet weather in may. i'm still cutting spinach and lettuce off the first 2 rows and the other 2 rows are coming along nicely. we should be able to pick cabbage in a week or two and the summer squash are starting to develop. mom and the grandkids each had a strawberry right out of the garden yesterday and reported they were yummy!!

we had our meat chicks -- cornish rock X breed -- slaughtered on wednesday morning. i was completely impressed with the amish farm we took them to; it was clean and orderly and exactly what i wanted. our meat chicks were a bit on the small side with only 2 being over 3 lbs. we will wait a bit longer to have the next batch slaughtered. i ordered 25 cornish rock Xs this time and they will be delivered to the post office around july 14th. i have some work to do to the barn to make 2 separate pens for them but it will be quick and easy work.

the hens are doing wonderful and loooove free ranging. we sadly lost one hen this week. we suspicion that a hawk flew down and took one away. there were no loose feathers and no evidence of any "foul play" and it was both puzzling and disconcerting. we're now only letting them out to range while we are out in the yard. so sad.

and now i have an announcement. i've decided to move in with my mom. i spend most of my non-working time there with the garden and the chicks and she enjoys the company and needs just a bit of watching over due to her health, especially her diabetes. i love being there in the country and playing out my desire to be a farm girl. so the question came down to why not. i think it will be a good move for both of us.

happy sunday to all of you!