Goin's On...

Continuing the canning and putting things in the freezer around here on Sand Flat Farm.  My freezer is about full.  I guess I need to learn to can veggies.  I've been a bit leery about it.  I need a pressure cooker, for sure.
Not much else is happening around here.  We've been blessed with several rain showers this spring and the temps have not reached the 100's yet, so my garden has done the best it's ever done since we've been here. How nice!

We've been enjoying plum jelly on homemade bread AND blackberry.  I can't ever decide which is my favorite!

Back up... I'm so sorry I haven't been around much.  I have been SO busy.  It's been a couple of weeks since I've blogged.  I've read a few of your posts, but not commented much.  I miss you all!  Surely this will let up soon!  Also, this summer has been the summer for weddings that we have to attend. Friends at church whose kids are getting married, friends of my kids, and of course we have to go.  A funeral, a birthday party for an 80 year old mother of my dear friend, baby showers, wedding showers - it's been non-stop since the beginning of May.

In other news, my Kiwi Kids - Josh & Lindsey - have made the decision to come home to Texas from New Zealand!  Lindsey's mom and I are elated!  We have missed them SO much.  They moved over their way back at the beginning of November. I don't know what their plans are - I'm not sure THEY know yet - but they are coming home! I think they are a little bit homesick...   Can't wait to see them.  They will be home in July!  Their church is going to miss them I know.  I'm sure they were hoping Josh & Lindsey were going to stay there in Wellington for a long time.  They were becoming a vital part of that congregation.

Kathy over at Spot on Cedar Pond raises Jacob Sheep.  Most of you who are my friends know her.  Well, let me show you what she sent me in the mail...

FOUR of these felted balls that she made from her sheep wool - you throw them in the dryer and they keep the clothes from getting all wadded up.  A cute chicken candle (she knows what I like) and another little fuzzy chick!  Wasn't that the nicest thing!  I love these felted balls - she said you could use them for a kitty toy, too, but since I don't have a cat right now, guess they'll just have to go in the dryer.  I'd hate to give them to a cat anyway!  OR, you could put them in a bowl for decoration, too! Thank you again, Kathy!  SO nice of you!  I love them - I actually have something that an artisan shepherd made from her wool!


We had an attack of horn worms on the tomatoes, but the chickens helped us end that little problem.  They fought over those nasty things.  Last year, Tony picked them off the bushes and let them stay in a metal pan in the sun.  He said, "There, take that!"  Worm cruelty I guess...  You think worms would rather have a sun tan or get eaten by the chickens and pulled apart into different sections?

 

BUT the tomatoes have managed to survive!

Below, I got my first eggs from my young pullets that I've had since they were 3 mos old.  They were small - I think the New Hampshire Red laid both of them and I missed the first one.  See the one with the crack?  It was very thin-shelled.  They were laying on the floor of the coop and I only looked in the egg boxes yesterday, so probably one yesterday and one today.  YEA!  Anyway, don't know exactly when they were laid, so I cooked them and gave them to Gypsy.  She smiled and said Thank You...  :)  I will be watching tomorrow to see if I can spy who is now laying.  By the process of elimination, I think the NHR is the one.

Speaking of the chickens - I think I may have a rooster or two.  My Buff Orp has little spur nubs and has been exhibiting rooster behavior.  Hasn't crowed yet.  But she's big and heavy and has very thick legs.  My hubby and I both saw "Hazel" doing the rooster thing this evening when I let them out.  Also, my Brahma, BB, is acting weird, too.  They are both approaching 6 months.  Nobody's crowing.  Do hens act like this, too?  Hmmmm.... OK, you chicken people, look at this Buff and tell me what you think?

You may not remember, but I posted previously that we had some rogue volunteer pumpkin vines come up this year amongst the corn and in other random places.  Well, they have pumpkins on them, now - those ghostly white ones!  Do you think they'll last til September?  I'll bet we have 6 or 8 of those things right now. It would be cool if they lasted and I could use them this fall!  I'm just going to leave them on the ground and let them continue to grow.  One of the vines has attached itself to many of the corn stalks, so I guess I'll just leave them.  I'm scared that I'll break the vines if I try to take them off - they tend to put down new roots wherever they touch the ground.  Wish there were some orange ones, too, but I think they are all white...  I'll have to buy a couple of orange ones.

There are several watermelons, too - still small but they're there.  I hope Gypsy will keep the coyotes away so we can enjoy them!  In the past years, the coyotes seem to know when they get ripe, and they drag them off and eat them before we can get to them.  I hope Gypsy doesn't like watermelon!

Well, I guess that's about all right now.  Just gardening and chickens and such.   I hope things are going well for you all this summer.  I miss you!  I'll be back when I can.  Hopefully, things will slow down before too long - I know of 3 other weddings that will have to be attended.  Young folks are still falling in love!

*Speaking of falling in love - Josh &  Lindsey have 3 new posts over at their blog... See their button link on my left sidebar if you're interested!  They spent their first anniversary trip in Auckland and at in the Sky Tower, went to a volcano, through lava caves, went to a multi-cultural event!  Lindsey is an amazing story-teller - I love all her little nuances into their sweet married life!  She's a peach!