This has been one busy month! We had several days of rain this week, but the sun came out today. We wanted to get the plastic on the greenhouse because they are forecasting wind for tomorrow. When they say windy, they mean it. Unfortunately, some of that wind decided to visit today while we were attempting to put on the plastic. You've never lived until you have tried to cover a greenhouse with the wind blowing. I won't go into the particulars, but there was a lot of looking at the ground while hanging on to the covering and talking to myself about the virtue of patience. Good practice. I'm happy to report that we were able to get it covered, except for the front that will take some cutting to fit. We had to stop for milking. This is going to be a huge blessing and it looks like there is enough cover left to do another one. Thankyou Kitty and Steve for giving us this! It has made a dream come true.
How are your spring plantings and preparations coming along?
Nancy
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Red Buds
It amazes me every year when it seems like overnight things begin to bloom. The whole length of the creek is lined with flowering red bud trees right now. It is such a joy to look at.
We got the potatoes planted yesterday and cut lettuce and spinach in the cold frame and a BUNCH of chickweed for tinctures this time. The salve I made a while back works very well. I'll probably make more and then dry some of the plant, also. The onions are up and the chives' flower buds are about to open. We cut some yesterday to use with meals.
Our Jersey that hurt her foot is doing well. She is such a sweet cow. We were able to apply the bandage that day and then another one the next day. I also sprayed the cut with calendula to prevent infection and help with healing and put dried echinacea root in her feed.
Jack and our grandson are building benches for the greenhouse today. Then I think all that is left to do is to cover it with the plastic. How exciting! I started the tomato plants indoors again. I started 72 of them and they are all growing well. The clear plastic egg cartons that they're using now make great little greenhouses and the plants were up in a couple of days. I have to hurry up and start the pepper plants now. I'm going to make pots out of paper to plant them in because they seem to do better that way and I won't have to transplant them as they get bigger. I was given one of those mini greenhouses on wheels as a gift several years ago and it has worked very well to start seeds on. It has four racks for the seed trays and then we hang flourescent light fixtures over them from the rack above. You can start a lot of seeds in a small amount of space.
Hope you are enjoying all of the many spring activities!
Nancy
We got the potatoes planted yesterday and cut lettuce and spinach in the cold frame and a BUNCH of chickweed for tinctures this time. The salve I made a while back works very well. I'll probably make more and then dry some of the plant, also. The onions are up and the chives' flower buds are about to open. We cut some yesterday to use with meals.
Our Jersey that hurt her foot is doing well. She is such a sweet cow. We were able to apply the bandage that day and then another one the next day. I also sprayed the cut with calendula to prevent infection and help with healing and put dried echinacea root in her feed.
Jack and our grandson are building benches for the greenhouse today. Then I think all that is left to do is to cover it with the plastic. How exciting! I started the tomato plants indoors again. I started 72 of them and they are all growing well. The clear plastic egg cartons that they're using now make great little greenhouses and the plants were up in a couple of days. I have to hurry up and start the pepper plants now. I'm going to make pots out of paper to plant them in because they seem to do better that way and I won't have to transplant them as they get bigger. I was given one of those mini greenhouses on wheels as a gift several years ago and it has worked very well to start seeds on. It has four racks for the seed trays and then we hang flourescent light fixtures over them from the rack above. You can start a lot of seeds in a small amount of space.
Hope you are enjoying all of the many spring activities!
Nancy
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Things Happen On A Farm
Things took a lot of time this morning so it was 12:30 before we could think about eating. Nothing new and not a problem. Then Jack came to the back door and said those words I hate to hear, "We have a problem." Oh no.
One of our Jerseys had cut her foot and scraped the one behind it. The front one was bleeding pretty good and she had sliced a chunk of flesh loose. We had more rain last night (yep, again) so there was a lot of mud in the pasture where she was at. Jack wanted to bring her up on grass to clean the wound and then put her in a higher pasture. O.K. First, get a rope and make a halter, put it over her head, and start leading (pushing, pulling, and coaxing with a bucket of feed) her through the front yard to the other pasture. Slow going until...... she decided to take off with Jack hanging on to the rope. Now, we've got a rodeo!!! YA-HOO!!!!! (Was it the swats I was giving her behind?) Tie her to the fence and wash the wound, pour hydrogen peroxide on it, and, because there was some blood stop powder handy, we used it for the bleeding this time instead of cayenne pepper. I like to use cayenne because it numbs the pain and I know it's good for them and it works well. We haven't had much experience with the powder but it worked, anyway.
I made a comfrey root decoction and then added comfrey leaf to it and let it steep while we ate brunch at 2:45. Whew!
Jack will be milking her by hand in the goat barn until her foot is better. We are going to (hopefully) use a fomentation with the comfrey tea and wrap it with a bandage to hold it in place to help with healing. I'll let you know how that goes.
I think dinner will be late tonight.
Nancy
One of our Jerseys had cut her foot and scraped the one behind it. The front one was bleeding pretty good and she had sliced a chunk of flesh loose. We had more rain last night (yep, again) so there was a lot of mud in the pasture where she was at. Jack wanted to bring her up on grass to clean the wound and then put her in a higher pasture. O.K. First, get a rope and make a halter, put it over her head, and start leading (pushing, pulling, and coaxing with a bucket of feed) her through the front yard to the other pasture. Slow going until...... she decided to take off with Jack hanging on to the rope. Now, we've got a rodeo!!! YA-HOO!!!!! (Was it the swats I was giving her behind?) Tie her to the fence and wash the wound, pour hydrogen peroxide on it, and, because there was some blood stop powder handy, we used it for the bleeding this time instead of cayenne pepper. I like to use cayenne because it numbs the pain and I know it's good for them and it works well. We haven't had much experience with the powder but it worked, anyway.
I made a comfrey root decoction and then added comfrey leaf to it and let it steep while we ate brunch at 2:45. Whew!
Jack will be milking her by hand in the goat barn until her foot is better. We are going to (hopefully) use a fomentation with the comfrey tea and wrap it with a bandage to hold it in place to help with healing. I'll let you know how that goes.
I think dinner will be late tonight.
Nancy
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Spring Planting
I planted 138 onion sets along the inside of the new bed today. Then stood back and thought, "Is it enough?'' :-) Does it ever seem like enough? We'll see. We got the horseradish roots planted, also.
Took the covers off of the raised beds for this warm weather and the lettuce and spinach growing in there are so mild and tender!
It is a tremendous blessing to be back on the land and able to plant. We waited a long time.
The inside extreme "Get Organized" project is still going on but we are down to the last details. Hanging hooks and such. What a difference it has made already and should make things run much smoother. When you live in a small house it can take some doing! I'll try to post pictures soon.
Hope all of your planting is coming along well!
Nancy
Took the covers off of the raised beds for this warm weather and the lettuce and spinach growing in there are so mild and tender!
It is a tremendous blessing to be back on the land and able to plant. We waited a long time.
The inside extreme "Get Organized" project is still going on but we are down to the last details. Hanging hooks and such. What a difference it has made already and should make things run much smoother. When you live in a small house it can take some doing! I'll try to post pictures soon.
Hope all of your planting is coming along well!
Nancy
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