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 August and HOT!

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T O P I C    R E V I E W
maryjane Posted - Aug 01 2020 : 08:47:33 AM
Good morning! Let me just say it's been HOT! but today the temps have finally dropped a tad. It's no longer 95 degrees sitting at my desk but a frigid 81. It's not supposed to get HOT! again this coming first week of August, not that my garden hasn't loved the heat--it reveled in it. And my silly Jerseys often laid in the sun rather than the shade (I've never been able to understand that.)

Our little Rosetta is finally allowing us to lead her for walks around the farm and is coming into the parlor for grain.

Daisy is still giving us plenty of milk. Soon I'll be weaning Rosetta since she's taking all of her mama Buttercup's milk presently. Rosetta is three months old.

My leaf cutter bee board is a busy place.



My hydrangeas are giving them lots to go for.



And the honey continues to flow. I've lost track of the gallons I've harvested so far, something like 12.



Connie caught a swarm at her place and brought it to me. They seem to have settled in nicely.

Hope all is well with you and yours. Today, we'll be working on some of our B&B construction projects. Our moth-balled shower house is on today's agenda.
14   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
Boots&Flipflops Posted - Sep 14 2020 : 8:20:26 PM
I hope all is well with everyone, and where ever you live you are safe.

Fires out west, flooding to the east and everything in between.

We are in the valley floor so we are not in danger of the fires, but our air quality has been just unbearable. The other morning my patio table looked and felt like it had greyish black sand on it. It had to have drifted in from a fire near one of the volcanic areas in the sierras. One day the smoke was so thick, I could hardly see our neighbors next door. It was like thick fog. Praying for rain.

This article is of a ranch to the west of us in the hills. Sometimes in the worst of situations a Miracle does happen!

https://www.agriculture.com/Charlene

Blessing to all.


NellieBelle Posted - Sep 07 2020 : 04:17:54 AM
Lots going on there too MaryJane. How exciting to be getting the work done on your B&B. Your nectarines are so pretty on the tree. They will certainly be a tasty delight. I'm thankful for the produce that did grow, and I was diligent in getting it all stored away. Hopefully we will get rain this week, at least start to get some moisture back in the ground. I've been feeding the honey bees there own honey that I've stored away as there are very few things still alive for them to gather pollen. I've only seen a couple of asters in bloom and not many blooms, mostly stalk. Crazy year for sure. I love making soap but haven't made any for a couple of years now. Good to see all the goings on. Darla busy too with the move coming up. Best to you all! Catch you later.
maryjane Posted - Sep 06 2020 : 3:09:00 PM
The drought and derecho sound horrible, Janet. Wish I could send relief somehow. Water is a precious thing indeed.

Our outside garden is coming on, plenty of daily deliciousness. Also, my nectarines are ripening.



Meggie and girls have been fixing some amazing dinners using everything from yellow squash to green beans to 'maters to bell peppers in everything they design for the table. Mia learned how to make soap and gifted me one precious lavender bar.

B&B renovation continues full speed ahead. After 8 years, we're finally getting water and electricity to each tent cabin.

This is one of my favorites because it's next to a 120-year-old black walnut tree that has the perfect branch for a swing.



You can see I have plenty of re-landscaping work ahead. Backhoes and rigs sure can wreck havoc.
NellieBelle Posted - Sep 04 2020 : 09:20:09 AM
Good morning all! Just a quick howdy! Lots going on. Canned more than I usually do this year. We are in a Severe Drought and pastures are dry and there won't be any hay. Also we were hit with a derecho that caused catastrophic damage to many. We are okay here other than crops were damaged and large branches downed. Sadly mush worse in other places. I've never experienced a derecho before and I will tell you it was scary. Winds like I've never seen and the crops that were flattened, already hurting from the drought, there is little left to harvest. High temperatures and no rain. Wish I could water the entire farm, but that's impossible. I have trees that I've had for years dying. Hard to watch, but that's the way it is. So far a lovely day today. Cows and Hoss are doing well. Hoping we don't have a water shortage. I have nothing growing in the greenhouse other than herbs, temps too extreme and everything burns up and will wait and see what autumn brings. Have a lovely weekend everyone!
maryjane Posted - Aug 30 2020 : 07:10:35 AM
Hoping for rain for you Darla. I'm sure your move up north can't come soon enough. We had a lovely breeze all night that cooled things off and cleared the smoke away. I have a fleece on this morning. It's 68 right now. Perfect.
Boots&Flipflops Posted - Aug 29 2020 : 12:01:46 AM
First off, Janet I appologize for the delay in congratulating you on Hoss. He is quite the handsome little guy. Your tomatoes and green beans all canned up look so wonderful. I am totally envious. What I did have for a garden went the way of the Dodo in a hurry. I just didn't have the time for it this year.

As I write this though, I am "steam juicing" Pluots for the 3rd time. Tom put in a tree that has three different varities and this year the darn thing was loaded. I have put bags and bags in the freezer to deal with later on. The steam juicing is because he is a big baby and wants "Jelly" not "Jam"......seriously???

MaryJane, how exciting to have a new baby in the family. I bet the girls are loving it.

Your little Rosetta in the first picture looks like she has just a tab bit of Sassiness to her...LOL

Everytime I see your's and Janet's greenhouses I can't wait to have mine and see how it all fairs up north. I can't get there soon enough.

The Fires here are just unreal again this year and I would love to have it rain for about a week, but we are also in the midst of so many crops being harvested, that would not fair well for all of the farmers.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.



maryjane Posted - Aug 28 2020 : 5:41:49 PM
It's that time of year again, straw bale hauling. Picked up 215 bales, enough to get us through the winter for bedding for my girls. And garden mulch once it's soiled.



On our way out of town on a lonely dirt road beyond a county road sign that says, No Signage Ahead, I spied a little table by the side of the road. Wait a minute, that's where my granddaughters live!



Adria had her chocolate chip "covid-free cookies" for sale and little Alina was offering "silver for sale." Huh?

She'd washed some rocks and then spray painted them silver.



Not only was I their best customer, I was probably their only customer.
maryjane Posted - Aug 24 2020 : 05:12:29 AM
How does your garden grow? Both my indoor and outdoor gardens have me eating like a queen farmgirl.

maryjane Posted - Aug 12 2020 : 5:47:33 PM
At first, our little Rosetta beseeches with her molten chocolate eyes,



and then turns shy. Coy?



I've been separating her from Momma Buttercup so she can have her own food without competition.

Greenhouse chard and collards are amazing right now.





We're rebuilding our top campsite that used to have a wood platform with wall tent. Now it has a proper metal roof w/stub walls and canvas sides (I have yet to sew) that can be either up or down--room with a view!




maryjane Posted - Aug 11 2020 : 6:02:07 PM
Skim-boarding farmgirls!



NellieBelle Posted - Aug 10 2020 : 04:46:43 AM
Beautiful family vacation photos! So nice they are able to get away, girls, baby and dog. Memorable times together.
maryjane Posted - Aug 09 2020 : 11:52:50 AM
Great info Darla, the artery to the horn and cooking oil for bloat. I'll tuck those two nuggets away for future use. Regarding pasture bloat, I've never had a cow yet I didn't have to manage visits to the pasture. Not only do they decide it's fine to bloat from overeating but they get those little tale-tale rolls of fat at the tops of their tails and apparently overweight cows can have trouble in delivery.

I raised a mother and daughter Angus many years ago for the freezer but after having them on pasture full-time, the butcher charged us extra because he had to cut so much fat off them. My schedule the last few years has been to feed them a grass and alfalfa hay breakfast and then keep them locked up until late afternoon. They spend a few hours gobbling grass like there's no tomorrow and then I bring them in each evening. I've tried leaving them longer but Daisy eats non-stop and then when I finally call her in and she walks toward me, she's wider than she is taller. It's like she has two shelves on her sides coming out from her spine. Scares me every time.

Nothing like the flavor of milk and honey!

Janet, your canning is commendable!!! How about those tomatoes?! Tomatoes are a desert plant so tend to love 'round the clock heat and a limited amount of water so they "stress" and produce offspring ('maters). Too much water and they're all green vines. They're probably liking your drought.

Again, congrats on a successful birth. BTW, we of course have the exact same pressure canner, mine a gift from my mother. I use it for canning everything (I leave the thingy off the top), not just things that need higher temps under pressure. It doesn't let water slop around on the stove and the water comes up to temp faster. I use the wire trays and stack two layers of pints in. I think the only things I'm going to get canned this year are some jams and pickles.

For watering my garden this year, I spent a huge amount of time rigging up a drip irrigation system. I'm lovin' it! I'm not watering weeds in between rows anymore and it's super fast to get everything watered and no doubt better for the plants than overhead watering. It's something I've been wanting to do for years.

The Raes went to a remote beach on the Oregon coast, taking along their new little foster baby (cuddled into a pouch on Lucas' chest) and of course Layla. They're a family of six now (counting the dog, who goes everywhere with them). Love the photo of Stella and Mia walking arm in arm. Those girls are growing up way too fast.





NellieBelle Posted - Aug 09 2020 : 04:35:47 AM
Good morning and hello to all! It's been a while and I imagine it will be a while again as there are so many things needing done that I don't have time to think and dangerous when I do. Anyway, with the garden produce needing processed, the grounds and gardens needing tending to, and the cows calving started, (Darla had a bull calf yesterday at noon, named him "Hoss" ) I walked the pasture twice this morning to find him, Darla had him hid that good. It's a really busy time of year for me. We are in a severe drought, so keeping things watered is an added job. Meeting myself coming and going. So wonderful to see all the goings on and activities of "life on the farm." Best life ever!
Boots&Flipflops Posted - Aug 08 2020 : 4:35:54 PM
Well a 4th of the month has passed. Where is it going? I ask this daily, but maybe with all that is going on 2020 needs to scoot along.

MaryJane I am sorry you had a hot ole heatwave. We are having some relatively descent weather at the moment. It is mid to upper 90's, but I will take that over 100-106 any day. They just had a run of 102-106 at the Washington ranch which was not to my liking.

I hope it stays cooled off up there as we are going to visit the end of the month or beginning of September.

Lacy Lou has been moved into what I call the "Time Out" pasture. That silly thing does not know when to stop eating. She bloated so bad on me once I though I might loose her. I saw her from a distance out my kitchen window kicking at her stomach. I though what the heck. Took Tom with me and found her in a total cold sweat and shaking. Very slowly walked her out of the pasture to the chute and drenched her with a quart and a half of cooking oil. In about 15-20 minutes she was out of the woods. That method of treatment was advised from my old vet, when I called him in a panic. Now the other day she was getting that look about her, so out of the pasture she went and in with the horses eating dry hay. Needless to say she is not pleased with the current arrangements.

Two weeks ago Chuck was dehorned and castrated. Poor guy got it both ends. My older old school vet did both surgically. He is not a fan of the iron for the horns on cows. His method (with anesthesia) was pretty quick and not much blood. There is an artery that feeds the horn, and after cutting off the horn, he grabbed the little bit of artery with hemostats and removed it. Spray some Alu-Sheild and done. I had not seen that before, but he has done it that way for 45 years.

The honey you are getting out of the flow hives MaryJane is nothing short of impressive. It is just gorgeous is those glass jars. My normal breakfast routing is yogurt with granola and honey, or an english muffin with goat cheese and honey. Starts the day off sweet

Going to dinner with our daughter who live out of town. If we can find an outside table!!!

Hope your weekend finds you time to relax.