New Rose Bush

New Rose Bush

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

September 28, 2011

The nuts are falling, the nuts are falling and the llamas have arrived.  After waiting several months for the best time, The Ruzicka's came from NJ with three of the most beautiful llamas to guard our sheep.  Francesca, her son Hockus Pockus (nicknamed Hockie), and a former show animal, Lancelot.  How did we end up with two Lance's on our farm?

We put the llamas in the barnyard with the sheep overnight and then in the morning let them all out around 10:00 in the morning.  They thought the sheep were intruders at first, but as the day went on they all got along fine, although not too close.  They sounded the "llama alarm" a couple times during the day, but I'm not sure what for.  In the early afternoon Holly the sheep got out of the pasture and we have no idea how she got out.  It has never happened before.

As for the nuts, walnuts have fallen and fallen for a few days.  We've picked up several bushels of wonderful fresh walnuts.  We'll have to put them in a bag and ride over them with a car in order to open them up and then dry the insides.  We can't wait until we have fresh walnuts on our counter in the nut jar.

The other nuts are much more easy.  The chestnuts are beautiful and easily pop open and fall to the ground for our easy picking.  All I have to do is package them in a paper bag and put in the freezer.  We picked our first basket of chestnuts today.  We do have at least one pecan tree also, but no pecans this year.

Moved the meat chicks to a bigger box in the garage today and they're all nice and clean.  We've lost 2 chicks but still have 34 left.  Can't wait to get them outside in the moving pen, but it's supposed to get really cold again this coming weekend.  I'll have to wait until they have all their old feathers.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

September 21, 2011

Another rainy day - great to do some planting.  Joel and I dug out an apple tree coming from a bush by the driveway (did someone throw a core in the bushes at one time?)  We dug out a peach tree and maple tree that were coming up by the orchard, but in the wrong place also.  We planted the peach by the other peaches, might as well give it a try.  Who knows - it may have beautiful peaches on it someday.  The maple we put behind the chicken coop- hoping it grows big and tall and one day gives us lovely shade in the backyard.  That would be really nice.

I was able to pick up a bale of peat moss so I could get my german elephant garlic planted, and some perennial onions I purchased from Southern Exposure Seed Company.  Hopefully they'll give us plenty of yummys in the spring and summer next year.

When purchasing the peat moss, I bought a blueberry bush - about 1 1/2 feet tall and a raspberry bush.  I planted both of them in the garden, adding a good dose of peat moss to the holes.  I hope these bushes do better than the ones I put in this past spring.  None of the blueberry or raspberry bushes did anything.  I'm dreaming of berries next year.........

Our hole is now ready for the putting in of our outside woodstove tomorrow.

Monday, September 19, 2011

September 19, 2011

David spent the weekend getting ready to put our new outside wood stove in.  He had to finish the trench in the crawlspace underneath the living room floor.  Pretty scary down there, but he endured and got most of it done.  He'll finish the last bit this week during the evenings, until we have it ready for Thursday's insulation.

Still picking tomatoes and now some new lettuce is finally coming up.  Have alot of green peppers finally ont he bushes.  I never really got anything from them all summer, but now they are huge!  So glad.

Picked apples today from the trees and am drying slices for the winter.  Also made an apple crisp for dinner for David - his favorite.  Picked basel and sliced it up to freeze for winter use also.  Need to get some more herbs in the freezer before they are all gone.  I'm not sure what herbs will tolerate this southern Virginia climate.  We shall see this year since it will be our first full winter here.

The new kittens are getting so big and cuter than ever.  We have homes for two of them for sure.  Had to put our old cat, Tiny down because of sickness, so now we're down to 7 cats.  Still too much!  But they're all so cute.  It'll hard to part with any of them.  I need to get Kelsey fixed and then her son, Crumble needs shots.  This will have to be done very soon.

The new 35 chicks are doing well.  Drinking, eating, and pooping more and more every day.  It's amazing how quickly they grow.  Had to clean out the brooder yesterday.  I can't wait to get them outside so I don't have to do that anymore.  We're still having a cold spell for September.  It's been cloudy also for days, but no rain.  I wish we could get a downpour and water everything newly transplanted or planted around here.  There's alot going on and alot that needs water!

Friday, September 16, 2011

September 16, 2011

Can it really be in the middle of the month of September already?  After a week vacation in Wisconsin (being sick most of the time) we came home to alot of work.

The entire lawn had to be cut and trimmed.  The garden had to be picked - still getting many tomatoes and the tomatoes either eaten or frozen.  Juiced some tomatoes today for a yummy lunch!

We purchased and planted 4 new fruit trees today.  One winesap apple, two Georgia peach and one red skinned peach were put into the orchard.  Joel helped dig holes, we mulched them with chicken and sheep manure and they're ready to go!  Can't wait to get more fruit in the coming years.

Woke up at 6:00 a.m. phone ringing that 35 baby chicks were waiting at the post office.  The new meat chickens are now in the brooder with a new heat lamp on them.  Good thing because were having an unusual cold spell right now!  Down to 40 degrees at night. 

Today I put in a bed of spinach and salad greens, while starting some more garden beds after cleaning the sheep barn and chicken coop.  Was able to pick a few apples, but the trees are still full of yellow jackets.  They are everywhere.

Good news!  The trees I thought were pecan trees really are!!!!  The bad news is I don't see any new pecans on them this year!  Do they bear every other year?  I'll have to do some research on that.