Beating the Rain

ARG! The lightning is crashing all around the farm this afternoon. Severe storm and tornado warnings all around us. I still managed to get another container tub filled with dirt and the rest of those beefsteak tomatoes planted in it. I also got a row tilled up for the Roma tomatoes and the multi colored sweet peppers planted. I moved over to the sweet corn patch, tilled up 5 rows 60' long and got 4 and 1/2 planted before the clouds opened up and poured rain on me. So, I've missed out on the last hour or so I could have been planting. I did manage to get 4 used big truck tires picked up from the local auto shop for the pumpkin plantings and the mechanic gave me a free standing fire place! It's in great shape and I'm thrilled to have it.

Now the seedling shelves are emptying out. I still have the 2 types of cherry tomatoes needing out, the pumpkins, the gourds, the zuccs, the 2 kinds of hot peppers, the peas and the new bean seedlings to replace the ones that got pounded by last weeks storm. I also need to start another row of radish and another carrot row. I did finally get the celery seed to sprout but they are very tiny still so it looks like another couple of weeks before they will be ready.

Picture Day on the Farm

ARG! Would ya look at those beans? The rain just beat them to death. Not sure if they can be saved, I've started another round of seed to replace them.

The flogging rooster that got dropped here from a neighbor is caught. The daughter cornered him last night while I was mucking stalls out. That is one mean rooster. His wings are clipped, I don't know why, chickens don't fly worth a hoot anyway, and his spurs have been cut off but the son of a gun still has claws and he's flogged me for the last time. I tried to knock his head off the other day, one good whack is all I got on him and the tree branch broke. All it did was knock some feathers off him and he ran around for a while with his head sideways. Now, he's what's for dinner. I will gladly butcher him sometime today.

Here's updated pictures of the container garden stuff. Look how much the peppers and tomatoes have grown! They all have flower nubs on them and I should be harvesting from them in the next couple of weeks. I am very ready
for it too.




























Now, what kind of a farm post would it be without the bunny pictures????

Springtime Beauty

Compliments of my college girl, some of the distinct attractions around the farm.

We were absolutely drown overnight. Everything is a muddy mess. The soaked shoes are in the clothes dryer.......

Holy Cow!

Where's Noah's Ark when you need it? It's been raining since around 8:30 this evening and yes, it's 1am now here in southern Illinois... I was kind of half asleep on the couch when a nice bolt of lightning brought me back to reality. I suddenly realized it was pouring rain. Not really a big thing, it rains all the time. But wait, who is out in that make shift pen I built the other day???? The goats are out in the rain. What's the big deal about that you ask, it's just rain after all... I decided I better go check on them and maybe put them in the barn. Good thing I did because there is so much standing water in the paddock area that the baby goats were very close to swimming. I knew they were in trouble when I hit the north side of the driveway and stepped off into water mid shin deep. Just great, my only pair of shoes are now soaked. I stepped off the driveway and into the grass and sank in the mud another 6". Now I'm knee deep in mud and water, it's pouring rain and the goats are very ready to head for the barn. No worse for wear, they got some alfalfa hay and a little feed to warm them up. Now, how am I gonna get all that mud out of my shoes???