FARM Update...

Canning is winding down (thank goodness, but thank you, Lord, for all the bounty this year!).  I came up with 15 quart freezer bags of purple hull peas, 8 bags of pinto beans, 11 freezer bags of green beans, 3 gallon freezer bags of plum juice (to make more jelly later... I decided to make and sell some... my church friends are buying it up PRONTO!), one gallon bag of grape juice (which I'll probably start making that jelly this afternoon) and about 8 gallons of frozen tomatoes for soups,  sauces or more salsa AND 6 gallon freezer bags of fresh G-90 sweet corn.  I've got two dozen quarts of pickles, 3 dozen half pints of blackberry and plum jelly and 1 1/2 dozen pints of salsa.  I chopped onions and put in the freezer to get out later as needed, as well as bell peppers.  I've still got jalapenos out the wazoo (whoa - that would burn...  ;)    so I may be pickling them at some point...My freezer is full up!

OK, here's a question.  I told you about my rogue white ghost pumpkin vines that came up in the garden from the compost from last year.  Well, the vines are huge and taking over the rest of the garden and there are white pumpkins everywhere. They've grown into the corn stalks - it's impossible to get them out at this point.  I'm going to let the pumpkins stay there and grow til September.  OK, really - here's the question:

Will the pumpkins last til September or October?  If I leave them on the vine, will they?  Because if they're going to ruin and rot on the ground before using them for decoration in the fall, then I want to go ahead and pull those babies up and get rid of them.  Need help on this people!  Guess I could call one of the nurseries or get on the internet.  Hey Kathleen, don't you raise pumpkins?  I need to get ahold of her...

Well, summer in Texas is here.  We've begun our 100+ days now with almost no breeze, but we were blessed with milder temps for most of May and June.  At least we got most of the garden in before the heat wave hit. Another blessing! The humidity levels are almost as bad as the temps right now, and you can walk outside for a few minutes and feel the sweat immediately cover your upper lip and forehead.  If you stay for a moment more, you start to feel it trickle down your back (and beyond and behind) and any longer than that, you are drenched in sweat from head to toe.  I've had to take 2-3 showers a day if I venture outside at all.

The chickens are doing good. I've heard that they tolerate cold better than heat, so I've been trying to be innovative in keeping them cool.  I'm going to freeze some milk jugs of water and put in a big shallow dish so they'll have cool water most of the day.  Who knew (except the chicken people) - They LOVE for me to spray water in their run and cool the dirt off so they can dig a hole and lay in it - just like the dogs! So, I go out from time to time and spray their run and make them some puddles. I also save them cold watermelon rind and such.  It's going to be a long summer for those birds.

My dog, Gypsy, is staying close to the pond right now - she hates for me to spray her down with water or try to give her a bath, but she'll go swimming in the pond with no problem. I've got several clean water containers out for her and put cool water in them 3-4 times a day.  Going to start putting freezing jugs in her water dishes too - especially on the two days a week that I have to go to work and won't be home all day.  I put water in her big holes in the yard that she's dug under the trees. I'm not even going to worry about those holes until it cools off.  She's staying wet, nasty, and muddy right now, but if she's cool, then it's okay by me.

Speaking of chickens, I did go take my two roosters, the Brahma and the Buff, back to where I got one of them.  The lady let me take another Black Star pullet in  their place.  Do not want any roosters right now.  I want eggs only at this point.  I'd have to have another pen for broody hens and baby chicks and I don't care to add any more chores to my list right now.  My other pullets are beginning to lay now - how fun!  I am still excited to go outside and check the nests to see what we got every day!  About 4 eggs a day now!

See above the Buff on the left?  He's one of the roosters.  He's standing here oogling Puffy and Fluffy the Ameracaunas - they are both "bearded ladies" - maybe the Buff is kinda kinky or something...

I've begun hearing more and more about eggs not increasing one's cholesterol like was once thought.  I'm not sure how that all works scientifically, but we love eggs around here and I wanna be able to eat our eggs.  I've always thought to do "everything in moderation", and so that's how I'm going to look at eating eggs, too.  Any thoughts on that from you guys?  Here's my nest boxes... don't think I ever showed you those...

From the outside...

From the inside...

We put golf balls in the nests so they'd know where to lay - it's working!

See this silly Brahma roo?  He was bugging my barred rock hen while she was sitting on the nest trying to lay an egg and I was trying to take her picture.  I shoo-ed him away... 

Dad and I cut a hole in the side of the coop and hinged a little door on it so I could gather eggs from the outside and not have to get poop on my shoes unnecessarily.  It's funny to open the egg door at night and shine the flashlight into the coop and see the startled, sleepy silly hens sitting on their roost.  Is that considered chicken torture?  It's just fun to go look at them at night from time to time.   :)

My Barred Rock hen laying her egg...she's giving me the stink-eye for spying on her and taking her picture!

My Black Austrolorp is trying to get in the nest with her, too.  They all like the furthest nest in the corner!

With the 3 inch rain we got a couple of weeks ago, the hay took OFF.  We've got half our pastures in Tifton horse hay and the other half in coastal.  Our hay man square-baled the Tifton and rolled the coastal.  Of course, my allergies have been acting up with all the hay mowing, etc......

Square bales ready to be hauled to the barn...

My oldest son, Adam, from the 'Ville, is here for a few days.  He and Tony have been busy with the chain saw, the tractor, the brush hog, etc., doing guy stuff that needed doing around the farm.  Adam loves to come home and get away from Music City and relax and do regular hard work. Helps him unwind and clear his head.  Of course, I love for him to come home, too.  He butters me up and wants mom's home-cooked meals, too.  That's what us moms like to hear!  And it's so nice to hear him pick up his guitar and play songs and do some writing while he's here, too...

Well, take care my friends - I'm off to visit Kathleen and see what she says about pumpkins!

Keep yer dress down.