Friday, August 16, 2013

Cruel Summer


Cruel because it seems that it's ending way too fast!!  This is only mid-August; we're supposed to be hittin' the 100's by now, or at least the 90's.  Not wearing a long sleeve shirt at night because of the chill!
The garden is still producing well though, so I can't complain too much.  The corn, cukes and part of the tomatoes and cantaloupes have pooped out and been pulled up but now a new wave hits.  I shelled the first mess of purple hull peas tonight along with more green beans and we harvest a cantaloupe or two every few days.  Still waiting on the watermelon to ripen.


The okra forest grows slow this year but it is growing. 
We should have plenty to pickle and freeze so he can have some during the winter though.


New bare patches in the garden to make way for fall crops.  Still a bit more weeding to do.  Oh, the figs are starting to pour in now also.


We didn't have a great corn harvest but did get some and now that area has been cleared for fall stuff or maybe a cover crop.  The zinnias explode in their abundance.


I really like these scarlet hued sunflowers.  I am going to try to save seed from them this year.  Not big but so pretty.


The raspberries have caught their second wind and keep me picking every day.  They grow right next to the pullet's run and they love when I come out to pick because they know they'll get the discards.  Man, how they love those raspberries.  Funny because the big hens don't much care for them.  The pullets however have no qualms over trampling each other to get them.


I know.........more zinnias.  But I just love them.


These are vibrant also..and so HOT!!  Salsa peppers indeed.  Very prolific as most peppers are around here.  I roasted a few to use in my salsa this year and it seemed to come out well..  Time will tell though when I open a jar a few months from now and get a fresh taste.
 

The Easter Egger pullets are getting so big and pretty!  I just love their colors and patterns.  They have funny little personalities too.  It won't be too much longer that we'll be integrating them in with the big flock.


A new sign I bought off Amazon for the girls.  I thought it was cute and it's very well made; just like a real traffic sign.  Not that we get much traffic here.  As far as most of society is concerned we are the crazy ol' hermit couple that lives out in the woods eating weeds and talking to the chickens.  It's funny and sad, all at the same time, how far most people have gotten from the real earth and how they regard people like us so strangely..
Well, back to snapping beans and shelling peas......

10 comments:

Sal in Maine said...

Annie- I love all of your garden, chicken (well, I don't love chickens at all but I do love reading about yours), Chigger, pottery, anti-consumerism, zinnia, house-building- whatever posts. FWIW- I think you need to find a different group of people to hang with. The ones who think you guys are back-to-the-land hippie hermits have no place in your life. There have got to be more like-minded folks around to talk to- I know we find plenty of similar company here in Maine and ignore the hell out of the ones who think shopping at WalMart is the height of the week. That may be the way they choose to live but that doesn't mean I need to have anything to do with them. OK- soapbox disassembled- carry on :) You guys are living an exceptional life and others will try and drag you down. Don't give 'em the power!

ErinFromIowa said...

I love zinnias too. First pack of seeds my father gave me to plant and nurture.
I think you and Jack are living the life of Riley.

Island Rider said...

Love the sign! And the zinnias. Love, the zinnias!

JO said...

I would love to have your temps. Maybe we could try a trade. It has been 104- 106 here for almost two weeks now. So no flowers can grown here and I miss them. Up in the White Mountains I had lots of flowers. One of my friends took them when I left.

I think you life style is great!

MamaHen said...

Hey Sal! thanks! well, I don't know; it's a odd thing around here. It seems sometimes that if you disagree on any one subject; politics, religion, environment, etc. that people just write you off entirely. Or maybe I'm just an ass that doesn't get along with people. And it's often not the rednecks or those that most people would assume and I just fall in between all the groups.

Hey Erin! thanks; i think we are too!

Hey IR! thanks! I though tit was cute too!

Hey Jo! thanks! I actually would like to have a little warmer temps before fall.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Great sign, Annie. Our little garden is giving us an over supply of eggplant this year. Peppers doing well too, but tomatoes and cukes not so well. And, there's nothing wrong with the life you and Jack lead cause you are doing it for yourselves and the hell with all the others cause just maybe they are the crazy ones.

Ed said...

I want to be a hermit at the end of a lane eating weeds and talking to chickens! Some people get all the luck!

Rita said...

Can you tell me where you buy your zinnia seeds? I have ordered from catalogs but many of the seeds do not grow. And ideas that might help. Thank You!

Missy said...

Hey Annie- got in touch with you a while back about chickens. Is that family member of yours still in HB and might she have some extra laying hens she might sell. Trade day has gotten me 3 hens, all of whom laid for about 3 weeks and have been on a 3 month strike now.
Missy

MamaHen said...

Hey Bea! I suspect they are the crazies! lol! I had hoped with all our rain we might get a few eggplants but alas, none so far. :(

Hey Ed! Well, if what I have is all the luck, I believe I'd let you have sometimes! lol!

Hey Rita! To tell the truth, i can't honestly remember where I got those seeds. It's been several years since I planted them initially; every year since they just come back on their own. If you will email me your address though, I'd be happy to send you a bunch of seeds from mine. They are quite prolific.

Hey Missy! I'll have to ask my sister if she has any she wants to get rid of. I actually have 2 hens that I'll let go of cheap! I need to make a little room for these young ones coming up. The 2 hens lay white eggs and are about 16 months old. They are a little high strung though and kinda noisy at times.