A lot of what I do from week to week is repetition. I try to keep fresh yogurt in the frig. and have to make it every other week or so, I bake bread often, I slice small hams for sandwich meat etc. Then there are also those repetitious things that seem to happen yearly, especially in spring:
Eggs have to go in the incubator. I had meant to have some duck eggs in there too but, of course, now that I want some duck eggs, they have decided to stop laying.
There always seems to be one loose hen somewhere setting up a nest. This is a little hen who has taken up with the little bantam rooster who lost his mate to the dogs. I have let them stay loose as they seem quite happy that way. I doubt she will get these hatched as she doesn't have them in a real safe place. If she does decide to set on them I will try to keep watch so I can snatch her and the babies up before the cats find them but I really can't say how many snakes we might have this year.
This is NOT a repetition. This little quail hen has sat on these eggs for 3 days now. I have never had one set their own eggs. I had put that pot in their pen to give them somewhere to lay but it has mostly been ignored until now. We'll see if she will actually stick with it and hatch some chicks on her own.
This is, of course, always repetitious. These tomatoes are doing fine after their rough start.
Here are the peppers. Something has been munching on a few of them in the greenhouse but I think they will still make it through. The giant parsley seedlings that I have in there are getting eaten by something else that looks like flea beetles. This weekend I will work on powdering down the benches in there.
Here are the hanging baskets for the front porch. Each one has 3 golden nugget plants in it. I used to grow flowers in my hanging baskets but started with the tomatoes a few years ago.
Each year several things are repeated but some are changed. Like we used to have a yearly repetition of getting the tiller going to till the garden with but this year it is just sitting there. We have no need to till with raised beds. With the pigs added this year, I wonder if "finding pigs" will become a yearly repetition. I guess we find out next year.
Hi I cook my own bread and make my own yogurt, I find it very rewarding. One of my quails last year started to go broody but she abandaned her eggs after a week. It is difficult to get them to go broody though. Fingers crossed yours will be ok. Just joined your email list, so look forward to hearing about your adventures. Feel free to visit me in the orchard. Happy times.
ReplyDeleteThere's something reassuringly comforting about having a well-defined routine. Now that you have the pigs, you won't need a tiller, just let the pigs loose for a day or two!
ReplyDeleteI am fairly sure the pigs would just tear up the raised beds and then run away to live free with the hogs in the woods, lol.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for chick pics in 21 days time! :0)
ReplyDelete17-18 days for the quail
Deletei wish i could raise chickens...one day hopefully
ReplyDeleteOh wow, your tomatoes and peppers are huge! I will be starting mine soon. I can't wait!
ReplyDeleteI looove your quail!
ReplyDeleteIt's too early in IN to start most things, but especially tomatoes and peppers. But hubby will be getting going on that soon. :)
I absolutely agree... there is a lot of repetition in our days, too. Committing to making your daily needs instead of buying means that we must keep doing it day after day, season after season, year after year. It can get monotonous, but with all that practice, we become more efficient and streamlined, learning better ways to do those familiar tasks.
ReplyDeleteThose quail eggs are absolutely beautiful and I love the pot idea for the nesting area... so clever. It's dark, warm and small - just perfect!
I'm starting to be much more consistent in those repetitions of daily living/needs. I need to bake bread every Saturday or we run out and I end up buying store bought. I can't just go buy my laundry detergent, I need to make it. The list goes on. I need to make yogurt on my own, too.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you do with your quail? Do yo eat them? It would take a few to make a meal, I suppose and it would be hard to pluck and eviscerate. Sure are cute!
Yes, we eat the quail and pickle the quail eggs sometimes too. We usually need 3 per person to make a meal. They are easy to dry pluck while they are warm and evicerating is much easier than a larger bird.
DeleteI too have started with some repetition. Funny how I was taught this so many years ago and am just now recognizing its value. I love the chicks/birds you have. I've started making my bread early in the morning. Once we're down to 1/3 a loaf, I start the bread makers dough cycle. Takes about an hour. Then I kneed & punch down, place in a pan to rise about another hour or so. Then bake for 28 min @ 350 degrees. Perfect bread! We use our own ground wheat and such too!
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work! I'll be looking for other posts you make.
Sandi
I have a bread machine that I almost never use, I just like doing it the old fashioned way, I guess. Lately I have just been making sourdough bread which take a lot longer. I tried to rush it last time and got a brick. Phil still ate most of it anyway.
DeleteI think there is something comforting about doing the same things year after year. Makes you look forward to the next season and the next etc.
It all looks good and routines can be comforting, for me anyway.
ReplyDeleteReading your blog, I am amazed at how much work you do on a daily basis, and still write a blog!
ReplyDeleteRepetition is also satisfying, that, things are ok !
Enjoyed your blog, Thanks