Friday, April 1, 2011

Farm Activities

Everyone is all abuzz about what we are doing and going to do at the farm. It's a very exciting time of the year and there is certainly a lot going on around here. There has been a considerable amount of planting already accomplished. My husband has set up a semi-temporary, small greenhouse for using now as he continues to work toward getting the larger 26 X 36 greenhouse assembled. I planted some veggies and herbs in flats about 2 weeks ago and Denise planted a bunch of flowers in flats today. Galen and Madelyn had previously planted some things that are stored in the "chuck-wagon" while others are stored under cold frames up by the permaculture garden Galen has been leading the charge on since last year. There are potatos and onions in the ground, both up the hill, and in the Kitchen Garden, and today I picked up 2 dozen heads of garlic. They should produce over 240 heads of garlic sometime this fall. The employees at the greenhouse where we picked them up think I must have an awful lot of vampires hanging around to need THAT much garlic. ;) Denise got a bunch of vidalia onions, and she already managed to plant them in the Kitchen Garden today. We are expecting kittens and we are soon to be the proud owners of rabbit "kits." They are due just in time to be ready to go around Easter...I don't know that that's what will happen to them or not. The plan is really that we raise them as a food crop. There are also several hens sitting on eggs out in the barn...the cutest thing: Two little bantam hens are sharing a single nest, each of them is sitting on about three little bantam eggs, which is about all each of them can handle. It's very cute to see them sitting in the nest, side by side, with room to spare. Anyway, the main point is that we are having a blast out here at Gateway, and it's going to get nothing but better. Happy gardening!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Not Sleeping

I can remember many nights, back when, that I would not be able to sleep and so would get up and sit at the computer and write something for either JackeHammer or this blog. Tonight it isn't that I wasn't able to sleep, it's that I didn't go to bed yet and just felt like updating a bit on this "sequel" to JackeHammer, meant to be a landing place for my personal thoughts.

It's a quieter place here. Not much traffic, not that there's much traffic on either of my blogs right now, after being sick and posting very little for over a year now, it's surprising that I get any traffic anywhere.

My life has changed so much I don't really expect it will ever be the same as it used to be and I wouldn't really want it to be.

I'm a farm girl now. Caretaking a Well Fed Neighbor Gateway Farm. Sound simple? Nothing is simple anymore. Not even living on a farm.

We have some chickens, over 25...not sure the exact count though and a few rabbits, along with a few pot-bellied pigs that are mostly on their way out.

Today, my husband and I spent the better part of the day preparing for the blizzard coming in over night tonight. There's always a chance out here we could lose power so we drew some water and I did a little baking and cooking. I thought it would be best to have some things on hand that could be warmed on the wood stove, and I made some black raspberry muffins.

It's been a long day and I think the time is now right for NOT being an insomniac.

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