Miss!

The storms missed us! I don't know how. When I finally got to sleep there was this monster of a storm carrying tornados with it supposed to run right over where we are. Then I woke up this morning and all was well. We didn't even get much rain or wind. I still can't figure out how we got so lucky but I'll take it.

So since we are all still here let me see what else I can tell you about. Some of this I may have mentioned in the comments but not everyone reads the comments.

I am about to do the third picking of the spinach in the raised bed. Next year, it is very possible if I can come up with wood, I might make raised beds where my larger garden is and fill them in with compost. I have never had anything grow as good as the stuff in the raised bed this year. I have pulled up the last of the radishes and planted a few more tomato plants and peppers.Eventually, if the spinach ever stops producing, I will have the herbs, six tomato plants and two pepper plants, plus probably the couple of kale plants in that bed.

I bought two hanging strawberry pots because they had about 10 plants in and around the planters and they were on sale for $6. They are hanging from the back porch now and seem to be liking it. I make sure I turn them every other day or so. I want to make sure that each side of the pot gets enough sun since there are plants on the sides of the pots as well. I also got 4 other strawberry plants (marked down) that I put in the berry garden.

My sister-in-law has given me two big boxes of fabric. I haven't gone through the boxes yet but can tell from the fabric on top that I will have plenty to make Michelle and myself some shirts. I don't make all our clothes but I like to get a few outfits done each year. If I had room to really set up my machine instead of having to drag it out to the table I would probably sew more.

The meat birds in the pen and the brooder are doing great. I did have to clean out the brooder the other day- such a lovely job- but I can't stand my chicks to be in a dirty brooder.

I put 15 bantam eggs in the incubator the other day. I just couldn't stand to not be hatching anything, lol, besides my bantams are not having real good hatch rates themselves this year. Two and three are not exactly the number of chicks I was hoping for with them hatching their own. The idea was that the bantams could eventually hatch all the eggs and I would not have to run an incubator but that project needs some work and new mamas to hatch apparently. So I will hatch them myself for now and see how it goes.

Got my first quail egg day before yesterday. I had been thinking they would lay one soon as they are doing a lot of squatting in the pen. Haven't had any eggs since the first but it won't take them long now. Their eggs will have to go in the incubator as they don't set on their own in captivity.

Looks like we are going to get plenty of plums this year. They are starting up nicely. The little tree bloomed for the first time this year but it has a long way to go before it produces plums. This picture is from one I planted 3 years ago. One year I got 22 pints of plums from this tree and that doesn't count the ones that I used fresh.

Not many good deals at the thrift store today. I got Michelle a GED Math book. I can't tell you that she actually appreciated it though (not sure that I ever mentioned on here that my daughter is homeschooled since 6th grade). And I got Christian some cars. His mom says I am spoiling him. I am always bringing him home cars (or yesterday I brought him a ball) but I am pretty sure as his grandma (" but bah" as he calls both Phil and I) that is my job :) You just can't resist when you know he is going to squeal and run around showing everyone his new cars (but not letting you keep them, lol). Grandchildren are just the best, no doubt about it.

So now I am just lazing (it happens) with the bad foot on ice. Maybe tomorrow I will cook something yummy but the rest of today will be fill with ice, beer and possibly a nap.