Saturday, March 12, 2011

Unstill Life

Our annual spring rains/ floods have come and gone this past week. Since I've been living here this has been a normal occurrence. Over the years I have been building and modifying the landscaping around the house to reduce the effects of the rains on the house and yard but I still have more work to do. The construction of the other half of the house would help greatly. Maybe one day. This wet season stream that flows under the drive is much reduced from the day before the picture was taken. Basically, I have a small creek that developes in my lower yard when it rains like this. Doesn't hurt anything though.

Chigger was helping me clean up debris from the rains. Well, really she was just running around with sticks in her mouth. She loves sticks. She will bring the sticks to me sometimes to put on the burn pile but if I could just teach her to put them there on her own that would be a great accomplishment!

The veggies in the coldframe are really doing well now with the warm weather. Of course, that is loose leaf lettuce on the left hand side growing so big. Next over, much smaller, is carrots and then further right of them is more lettuce just barely coming up. I'm going to try to keep a succession of plantings going as long as I can. At the far end is one chard plant, head lettuce and the beginnings of spinach. The days here are usually in the 60's now with nights in the 30's and 40's. I close the frame completely at night and prop it open in the day. On really warm days I open it like this.

The other crops are doing well also. Closest is young cabbage, then broccoli, older cabbage, garlic in the far right (tallest) and you can barely see young onions up there too. The raised bed across the walk is strawberries.

The broccoli are putting out tons of these little heads and they are so sweet and tasty! Each head is loaded with them. I do have 4 small broccoli plants also that, hopefully, will start producing when these older ones start pooping out.

I know I have been kinda quiet here and on your other blogs. I am just in a transition now I guess. I'm not sure of what I want to say or if I even have much to say. Well, of course I do, I just have been mulling many things over. If I am not going to go back into the mainstream workforce (and it looks as though I'm not) I must make some strong efforts here to complete some things and get many things operational. The garden, the chickens, my pottery. I must make a serious effort this year to begin producing much more of my food.

So, bear with me on my posting. I will be showing ya'll more projects and all that. I am still reading your blogs, just not saying much.

8 comments:

ErinFromIowa said...

I hear ya. ;)
Good thing we are always a work in progress.
LOve it when you blog about gardening/yard work.

R.Powers said...

I hear ya too.
Take your time,go slow seems like advice I would want to hear in that situation.
Love reading your blog, whenever you choose to publish.

Chigger is too cute by the way.

JaneinMaine said...

You're doing great and I'm always inspired after reading about all that you do to get out and get my butt in gear-hang in there.Jane in Maine(where yes!-we can see some ground now-yippee!!)Enjoy the spring-

Pablo said...

Flike likes to walk around with sticks in his mouth when we're at the woods.

Post about whatever you want whenever you want. I'll keep coming back.

HermitJim said...

The garden is looking good, my friend! Looking good!

Hey, only you can really ever know what works for you! If it feels right, do it!

I'm sure that all of us only wish the best for you and want you to be happy! You deserve it!

MamaHen said...

Hey Erin! Yep! thanks!

Hey FC! Yeah, slow is the key! thanks!
Chigger says thanks too. She is a sweetie pie.

Hey Jane! thanks so much! hope ya'lls spring comes soon!

Hey Pablo! thanks! yeah, Chigger carries sticks around all the time. Not sure what it is about that.

Hey Jim! thank you very much; I appreciate that.

Island Rider said...

As one raised in the era of "a woman can be and do anything she wants and does not need a man's help to do it", I have often struggled with the partnership that is required in a male/female relationship. I am often ready to charge ahead before my slow to think, slow to at husband, but I find, when I wait to see what he has to say, consider his advice, perhaps modify it or accept it completely, I am better off. Two heads are really better than one in the long run, but it takes some getting used to. My best advice after almost thirty years of marriage? Each day, strike that, each moment, is a gift. Live like this is the only moment you have and try to think before speaking, "What if this was the last opportunity I had to speak to this person?" Of course, there will always be those times when your temper gets the best of you and then, a promise to never go to bed angry is important. There are some things you just can't blog about, things you can't put into words because they are too precious and too scarey! Praying for you and Captain Jack that you will find your way to joy and peace hopefully, together.

MamaHen said...

Hey IR! thank you very much for that sage advice. Very good and you're right, it does help a lot to have another person to knock around ideas with. I often get something set in my head of how I want to do something but after talking to Jack, see that there is a better way.