Harvest Monday, November 18, 2013

Well, another week has passed and we are still getting some miscellaneous items from the garden. I hope to get more all winter long if it stays mild enough. On the other hand I believe we are due for a pretty bad winter this year. Call it a gut feeling. Anyway onto the updated spreadsheet.....

And a few images of what we've been getting. 

Saturday night's supper was with our newly picked lettuce; Southwest chicken salad! Growing Buttercrunch for the first time and it is doing wonderful. 

I have been thinking a lot about next year's garden; the layout, what to grow, where to grow it, etc. One thing I can say is that we need to grow A LOT more than we grow now. It is the middle of November and we are starting to get low on some items that we put away for the winter already. We limited space in the yard I had thought about contacting the power company to see if they would 'lease' me some room under the power lines up the road from the house. It is main tension lines that have about a 60'-0" wide right of way. I have read somewhere where it is possible to ask permission to use these right of ways in exchange for say $10.00 a year lease? It's less for them to mow and upkeep and more room for me. I may choose to go this route. I'll get a picture sometime and let you see how big this right of way is. 

Kinda bland. I need some more 'something.' The building will be at the far end but I still need more out there. 

Cotton ready for picking. The Wife 'borrowed' a few stalks for her crafting enterprise/decorating. 

And on continuation of last week's happenings around here (wife lost job, boy injures self) I had an exciting Thursday evening driving up from SC. Can't say too much yet but it would be the third thing. Sometimes...................................................................

WOF of the Week. This is how evenings are spent in our house. The Wife calls it Woflandia. 

I can't say too much. I was in Woflandia yesterday. Good day for a day off from everything.

Go to Daphne's Dandelions to see what others are harvesting from their gardens this week. 

Well that's it for now kids. Hope your weeks are better than mine have been lately :)

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Well, that's what button says at the top? :)
Winter is coming and Mr. Frost has been the half acre. Lost all of the cucumbers which really didn't bother me too much. The Wife and I covered the lettuce and spinach and left everything else alone. She did a few harvests that I will be adding to next week's Harvest Monday. That along with  the last batch of peppers, etc that I keep forgetting about.

In other news The Wife lost her job, which she really didn't care about anyway so it wasn't a total bummer, but our insurance was with her job. And the following day Squeak and I go paintballing with his High School group and on the very first match, he steps in a hole and more that likely tore his ACL. Talk about a bad weekend. We'll see what the MRI says tomorrow and take it from there. So The Wife is home for a little while (severance package) so she can dream the life of a 'stay at home wife' and Squeak will be on crutches and therapy for a long time now. Guess that's the way it rolls sometimes. I have been talking to her more abut moving to Alaska, even going so far as looking for jobs but I don't think she is convinced yet. Maybe Asheville.

WOF of the Week. Pretty much how I feel lately.

More this weekend. Stay warm kids.

Harvest Monday - November 4, 2013

Absolutely nothing. That's what we got this week. Absolutely nothing. There's good cabbage coming on and a few of the broccoli plants need picked, but not yet.......(smack hand.) Even the collards look really good right now. And to top it off I didn't take any pictures this week. I didn't. The Wife did take some of us though.
My oldest and his wife came and spent the weekend with us so we did a family photo shoot.
First, a shot I took in the morning while walking the WOFs.

And now the tripod shots. 

These were taken across the street from our small development on 4 acres that they are trying to sell at a crazy price. 

Go visit Daphne's Dandelions to see what others are reaping from their gardens!

And watch out for us in your woods kids.......................................................... :)

Halloween

Happy Halloween, Beggoween or whatever else you want to call it. We don't get the kids like we used to. The Wife said last year we got one at the new homestead. Maybe a couple more this year. Who knows but we will be armed with a lot of candy. More for us you see :)
This does bring back memories of a few years ago (maybe more) when we still lived in WV. We would head over to The Wife's parents house and trick or treat some houses there. I also distinctly recall that there neighbors on the left side of them never gave out candy. Mind you he wasn't the nicest of people although I wasn't too sure about her. What I remember about her is her blue hair. I kid you not, it was definitely blue. Anyway when trick or treat time came around, these grown- up older adults would turn off all of their lights upstairs and would go sit in the darkness of their basement. I guess the costumes scared them. I don't know as there were probably a lot of reasons for their non- participation. My point is really no point, more of a hope. I hope I never, ever act in that manner. There's nothing better than seeing kids having a good time. And candy? Who can resist?
Clowns are a different story. I hate clowns.

 

 

Sustainability Class and More Links

Well I finally went and did it. I completed my online class; "Sustainable Agriculture:Basic Principles and Concept Overview." I had been wanting to take classes like this for a while and seem to have found a website that has this and a lot of other programs on it, most for free. The class I took was about 2-2 1/2 hrs long and it had a test at the end, in which I missed three. Got my certificate so I'm happy about that. Some good information in the class as well. The website the classes are on was directed through another website (you follow that?)  called SARE; Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education. The website with the classes is Extension Campus. There are a few more I have my eye on.

I also spent some time today updating the Seed Links listing with some more that I found today. Found a website called Home Garden Seed Association that is basically seed companies joining together for duck-duck-goose or something and that's where I picked up the added companies. There's a few I've never heard of. One company, America Meadows, had some tomato seed packs on sale for $0.99 each so I may pick up a few packs. I even ordered a 2014 catalog already! Anyway check them out if you haven't seen them before. Off to start supper.

Harvest Monday; October 28, 2013

Hello one and all. Beyond the one pepper from a few posts ago a two turnips we picked this weekend, nothing else. I need to update the spreadsheet and hope to do that tonight. Visit Daphne's Dandelions to see what others are harvesting this week.

After the big clean-up Saturday The Boy and I dug the footers for the outbuilding yesterday. Got all 6 done after a tedious layout. Now for the inspection then start on the frame. Whilst we were doing this, The Wife cruised around the garden with her 'good, husband don't touch' camera. Here's her results:

Yeah, look who's working! Quick post, off to eat lunch!

Cleaned Up

Got everything pulled out, cleaned up, tilled, fertilized, and pretty much ready for winter.

Midway through the process. Notice the bed with all the weeds? Sad to look at I know.

Looking much better now!

Did the frost get my stuff? The peppers sure felt it.

But in pulling out the plants today I found a gem hidden at the base of one of the plants. 

The Smurfs are moving back in. Seems like I get a few of these every year. 

And as it always happens, I always end up tearing up everything in my path. I tore up one of my water lines going into a bed, ripped the back plate off of the tiller, and broke the garage door opener panel. 

And to top that off I was pulled over yesterday by a town police officer. I got my truck inspected by I haven't had the chance to get my plate sticker. That's what he stopped me for. So after a few minutes he hands me my license back and tells me to have a good day. Thought I got away with it but the citation came in the mail today. $215.00!!!! Pisses me off. 

Off to get a few more things done. And when I say 'a few more things', I mean planning next year's spring crop. I have plenty of ideas. What's yours?

I leave you with The Wife's front decoration.