Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Still Raining, Still Dreaming



 The girls made short work of the 3 broccoli plants I pulled up for them today.  Now that the cold weather has already descended upon us they really go bonkers for any greens.  We've had a few fairly cold nights so far but this whole week looks to be darn cold.  We are even expecting some snow tonight, or at least icy weather, so I spent a bit of today trying to cover the remaining broccoli in hopes that they will continue to grow to full size heads before I have to cut them.  I harvested 3 pretty good size ones ahead of this cold, pulled up a few spent ones for the chickens and am crossing my fingers I can eek out a few more heads from the rest.
  

All the fall crops are doing really well this year if I can just keep them from getting too icy.  Above you can see a few that need to get just a little bigger before I cut them.  However, push come to shove I'll cut them small just to keep from losing the whole thing.


One of the years I'm going to be organized enough to get these planted earlier and harvested before it gets this cold!  You know, I started some from seed but then bought most of these starts from the feed store just as soon as they put them out.  Seems like to me they would offer them sooner.  I don't know if it's the fact that most of these come from a company in south Alabama, and they are going by their growing schedule, or it has just been getting abnormally cold here for November these past couple of years and stores have not adjusted to that.  Well, either way I must get the hang of starting seeds myself and going by my own schedule.  I've got to get a better set-up for such things though.

 

I have also been working diligently on insulating the pump house.  I had a few sheets of 3" iso-board left over from the roof and it was just enough to insulate all of the pump house including the ceiling, which is where most heat loss occurs anyway.  This was waaaay overdue and I feel like a sorry slug for not having it done years ago.  Oh well.  Anyway, the pump house should be great now with this and considering that it is half underground also. I also installed some shelves so we could store some extra coolers and a few things.  I have also thought it might half work for a small root cellar but I'd have to look into that a bit more.

I know these posts lately have been fairly boring but not a lot going on still and I don't have the mental where-with-all to think up a post about much else.  All my recent tests have come back fine so I don't really know what's going to happen next.  I still feel like hammered crap.  I have been trying to kinda take notes and see what, if anything, makes me feel worse or better etc. and I have noticed that I generally feel really bad after I eat, especially if I eat much protein.  Like about an hour later I can barely function.  This is the same exact thing that happened to me after I got food poisoning several years ago and I can't help but think it is somehow related.  And, if I take ibuprofen, I will generally feel fairly good.  Or at least, not like crap.  Trouble is, I hate to take the nsaids because of what they can do to your kidneys.  Sort of a damned if you do or damned if you don't.  So, I'm trying to go easy on the proteins and see if I can get somewhat functional again.  I appreciate ya'll bearing with me and maybe I can get back to doing some actual work before too long.

8 comments:

Pablo said...

Do what you want and write what you want. And stop apologizing, girl!

You know we will all keep coming back.

ignatz said...

ditto what Pablo said....happy Thanky....let's all keep plugging along.

JO said...

Your posts are always informative.
I would love to have a garden but of course our heat won't let that happen. And a winter garden is just food for the Javelina.

And talking about your illness may help someone who has this also.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Too bad you still don't have a clue as to what's making yiu feel so crappy, but then it seems no one else does either, which is even crappier, Annie. And there is no such thing as a boring post when we get to see what others are doing. Happy Thanksgiving to you and Jack, also Chigger and the girls!

MamaHen said...

Hey Pablo! Agh!! I can't help it!! lol!

Hey Page! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! yep..plugging along!

Hey Jo! thanks! yeah, it's very possible someone else is going through the same thing.

Hey Bea! yeah, crappy is a good word for it. thanks and Happy Thanksgiving to ya'll too!!

Sal in Maine said...

Happy Thanksgiving to you & Jack and your "farmily"!
As always- you write it, I'll read it!!

Unknown said...

Gorgeous chickens, delicious broccoli, just-picked cabbage for coleslaw (or cabbage and smoked sausage) -- what more could one ask for? [Yes, that's a preposition at the end of the sentence. Or is it a conjunction?]Happy Turkey Day after!

Anonymous said...

Not commented much before (just a bit shy I guess), but your blog continues to inspire me. Enough for a hardcore urban guy with no green or construction skills to build a rooftop garden, put up vegetables every year, and seriously consider breaking my zoning code and adding chickens. I hope you feel better soon.
kb, Toronto