If wishes were horses I’d have a lot more horses and a lot less rain!  Could this weather be any crazier?  I guess I shouldn’t say that because we all know that it can.  But, goodness gracious, could it warm up just a touch and dry out slightly!

Today started out with more rain, misty rain, fog and chasing cows out of my already soggy, unhappy garden.  Bo Jangles (he came with that name) was feeling especially feisty and unwilling to be his normal cuddly self.  He bucked and tossed his head like the somewhat big man he is.  He refused to go easily and the four-wheeler became necessary.  As soon as I fired it up he went right where he should along with the other two escapees.  The only good to come of their escape is that Connor’s friend, whom I was watching today, thought it great fun to watch and proclaimed “that he didn’t know it could be so fun to be a cowboy.”  If only he had said cow GIRL! 

And if only we could have one herd of cows who didn’t have one member who likes to push on the fence until they weezle themselves out.  I’ll never forgot the bull that was getting ready to go to butcher but hadn’t yet.  He was getting very pushy and typical manly acting for a bull.  He was continuously getting out and didn’t care if the electric fence was on or not.  I was 8 months pregnant with Joy when I was at my wits end and chased him across the road and into the pasture, completely forgetting I was pregnant, going too fast and too hard over the bumps and ditches.  I got in the house and called Scott to inform him he was going to be burger in my freezer before I left the hospital with my new-born.  Joy was born the next week and I ate a burger.

Back to the soggy gardens, they are soggy.  Need I mention the obvious.  Our overflow garden is probably done for.  It’s so muddy we could open a spa down there.  There were a few cucumbers coming up but that’s it.  They other gardens are doing ok but clearly unhappy with the extra rain and lack of warmth.  Nothing seems to be growing much at all.  It’s just standing there looking forlorn.

I’ve been cleaning a lot today.  The house certainly needed it.  I busted out the Clorox against my environmentally consciousness but it was necessary.  If you live in an old farmhouse you know how I’m feeling.  When it’s humid and wet sometimes things just get stale and gross smelling.  My normal vinegar cleaners just weren’t helping the situation.  So the hubby got some bleach for me last night when he stopped for some things I forgot last week.  Today my house smells clean and un-stale.  Alleluia!

So I’ve got to run and do more laundry and eventually get a birthday cake made.  Tomorrow I’ll gush over how our first child is celebrating her last single digit birthday.  It’ll be all down hill from here………..

Signing off,

Un-stale but old feeling mama

This weekend was a busy one!  We got so much done around here but also had some fun too.

Saturday I was minus my oldest while she competed in the District Track Meet.  She and the other girls in her relay team took 6th out of 17 teams.  I’m so proud of her, especially since this is her first year running.  We also hosted two fun little sweethearted girls Saturday afternoon and evening.  All the kids got along really well.  It’s been a while since they had all played together.  I found it so interesting to see how they broke up into groups.  It wasn’t as I expected at all.  We had a campfire with smores and lots of bug hunting, house playing mixed in with general running around and acting like banshees!

Sunday was very productive around here.  I really wanted to get the rest of the garden in while the weather was nice and before the rains come this week.  I’d rather the rain nourish my plants and seeds rather than me watering by hand.  Tomatoes transplanted; carrots, lettuce and melons planted as well.

Neat beds all seeded.

The lower garden with tomatoes, beans, peas, zucchini and cucumbers.

I did water everything down last night because the possible showers that I expected never came.  It took me a while but it was very handy to have the water tank filled up and sitting right between the gardens.  Now I don’t have to drag the hose out of the barn, across the driveway, down the hill and risk trampling plants.  Horray for me!  It’s so nice to have things that make life easier.

Old sprayer that we use for a water tank.

The hubby had lots of equipment maintenance to do this week along with a few little jobs outside of the farm but he did lend a hand in the garden for a bit.  We proceeded to realize that we are out of room and would love to plant more.  He pointed out that we haven’t even bought watermelon seeds yet (his favorite).  So we went off on a short four-wheeler ride to the bottom of the soon to be oat field.  We have decided that a large section is going to be extra garden space for more zucchini, cucumbers, melons and pumpkins.  Oh happy day!  More yummy food  for us, but a little more work too.

After everyone was showered last night I took the camera out and snapped some pictures of the animals.  It’s been a while.

Siggy (left) and Prize (right) enjoying the freshly filled wagon of grass.

Cotton wanting a little neck scratch.

Bo always wants attention and a little rough housing.

At the top right are my new pair of Khaki Campbell ducks. I'm hoping next year they'll make beautiful babies.

Sunset on the farm.

I hope you all had an equally fun and productive weekend.  I can’t wait to show you how the gardens progress with greenery and food!