Look what I found on the way to the hay field! I just happened to be poking along on the tractor, looked over toward the ditch and they caught my eye. Of course, after I raked, I had to go on the blackberry hunt. This is what I found. The majority of first crop are still red but very close. These were the middle berry of the first end clusters. Only on the east side of the road tho, the west side were all still green. Must be the daylight thing. I'm on my third day and a second round of raking, all the rain we've had is causing the bottoms of the winrows to not dry properly. Can't be baling any wet hay, those are barn burners and i can not afford to burn a barn down,especially one of mine! No hay for t
he loft of the old barn, I still can't do anything to shore it up but it's not shifted any more than it originally did. I've already got 400 bales in the bottom and there's only room for around 150 more. What I have on the ground waiting to be baled should fill it. Not much else going on, I can't seem to get much done with my time being taken up with the haying. too hot in the kitchen to be cooking much and a couple fried eggs late at night is about all we can stand. Morning coffee is getting to be a chore with all the heat in there. Not something we haven't dealt with before, it just seems to be dang hot sooner than normal this year.
Sweet peppers and cucumbers are producing like crazy, a couple tomatoes have finally come red. I ate them last night with the fried eggs. Hopefully the Romas will turn soon and I can start processing my sauce for canning. The zucchinis are doing well and the dill is about ready to be clipped, again. I love my fresh herbs.
I haven't used the haybine since the repair, I might cut more this evening. I hope it fixed the problem, I don't know if I can take any more disappointment. We had to go rescue the daughter off the side of the road early yesterday evening. The fuel line fix her boyfriend did for me did not last. What part of 'double clamp it" didn't he understand? So, 10:30 last night I was laying in the dirt in the driveway, putting the fuel line back on with gas pouring down my arm. I put the fuel line all the way on the fuel pump nipple and got 2 clamps on it easy. Hope it stays put now!
The old broody hen that was setting the rotten eggs hatched out 4 of the 6 eggs i gave her. Boy, was she mad when I stole those chicks! I hated to do it to her but the cats will kill the chicks if I don't. So, she got mad and claimed another nest to set on. That poor hen is gonna set all summer.
Well, time to go check the hay rows......
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Wow sounds like your really busy. Our tame blackberries are almost done, although I don't think they will be at their best. We are kind've suffering from a drought over in the part of the county I live in. Everyone else has been getting poured on and all we get is a sprinkle. Speaking of setting hens, I have two that keep trying to set (Australorps), it's the first time I have ever had any try to set. I just hatched out 21 chicks in the incubator 2 weeks ago. I told the hens they are a little late and I need the eggs for more cooking. I love reading your blog by the way...keep it up.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen any fruit from my bell peper plants and I'm beginning if to wonder if I've done something wrong. Do you ever use chicken droppings on you garden for fertilizer. I had heard it was ok as long as it didn't get on the plants but one of the local famers just told me not to do it because of ecoli (sp?). Any thoughts? We're so new to all of this and nowhere near "self sustaining" yet... but that is our end goal.
ReplyDeleteHey Coley! Oh, we had a wet spring to go with our wet fall and winter. The blackberry crop this season is going to be outstanding. LOL on the "get off the eggs" mine do that to me on and off all summer. I even had one stubborn hen set eggs in November last year. Dang hen, LOL. Thanks for stopping in!
ReplyDeleteleschornmom, I use chicken poop, but it's been in the compost pile for a least a season. Fresh chicken poop will burn your plants. Try bunnie poo, you can use that fresh and it's loaded with nitrogen, phos/potashe, good stuff! Sometimes the peppers just need a little warm weather and sun unless they look poorly then I'd put some fertilizer on them. Keep on working toward the sustaining, it takes a little work but you'll get there! I'm still not completely off grid myself but hopefully by the end of the year we'll be there. Food is such a big step tho and growing is going to have it's ups and downs. You just roll with it the best you can and go on. Thanks for stopping in!
I'll be doing blackberry jam here really soon - those look fabulous!
ReplyDeleteWOW on the hay. That's a lot of hard work.
Blackberrys, I am jealous. As a kid I would gladly round those up in the hope of a cobbler
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