School has started, fall is on its way (after the heat wave this week, I hope!)

It's always exciting this time of year, even when you homeschool--although I'd have to admit that I am probably more excited than Sean and Jaret!  Jeremy was happy to get back to school, he's starting his Chef and Restaurant management training, so that is exciting.  Seamus was very happy to hop on the bus today, he really loves school!

Such a cheerful and excited boy!  Now, here are his brothers:

Not so excited, LOL!  Although, I think, deep down inside, they really like learning stuff.

Seamus was just as happy when he arrived home, but he's a happy kid most of the time.

It's been hard for me to get back to daytime hours---not that I slept late or anything, I was usually up by 8-8:30.  But for some reason since school has started I've been waking up at 6 am and I cannot get back to sleep.  And since I have to be up at 7 anyway, what's the point!  I've been trying to get to bed earlier, but last night that wasn't until 1 am.  It'll be earlier tonight!  The boys had a productive day, although it seemed to go on forever.  That's ok though, I have no problem with them spending hours learning stuff!!!

I'm planning a big shindig on Sunday for Labor Day weekend.  I haven't decided yet what to cook--although I'm thinking pitas, hummus, grilled pork or chicken---maybe a Middle Eastern themed meal, gyros and other yummy foods.  We'll see, I have to see how much energy I have left after this week!!!

The garden is nearing the end---it was such a good harvest this year, I am very happy with the yields considering we had to deal with blight and Colorado potato beetles.  It's getting near time to start clearing the beds out again, put in some manure and peat and compost and get ready to plant my garlic in a month.  I'm hoping for a good crop next spring, we didn't do so well this year, but again, better than expected!  My herbs have been fantastic, I'll get 3 harvests out of them before winter.  I've still got quite a few tomatoes out there, I think another canning session is soon to be in order!

  

We got 6 1/2 quarts of tomato sauce and 3 pints of salsa---but only because about 6 pints were already eaten!  I think I'll make more salsa with the remaining tomatoes, that was really good!

Off to make lunches and jump in the shower before bed!  See ya soon, hopefully I'll have some project started REAL soon!

Leslie:-)

Mystery Peppers and other stuff

I'm wondering if anyone can identify this mystery pepper. I got it at a local greenhouse, all the tag said was Extremely hot pepper, 2-4" in size, lime green in color. We picked some when they were lime green, but there was no heat to them, not really anyway. So, if you can tell me what kind of pepper it is, I can figure out if they are truly ready--I'm thinking they need to be red.

Thanks!

So, this has been a cruddy summer, my mojo/muse is gone, I've not be able to do a whole lot until recently---but I did read TONS of books---wow, did I read!  I'm not complaining, I know it sounds that way.  This year hasn't gone too well, but that is all going to change---I'm gonna MAKE it change!  Next week, I go to get an endoscopy, I most likely have an ulcer so that has to be taken care of now.  BUT, it'll all be done and over soon and I've been feeling much better lately so that is a good thing!  While I've not been able to do anything of the creative nature, I have had wonderful luck in the garden this year---even though my tomatoes got blight AGAIN, they are still truckin' along---we've already picked a bushel and I'm sure we'll have close to that again by the end of the season.  We've had a plethora of peppers, a multitude of melons, a ton of tomatoes, a crate of cukes, a selection of squashes, you get the picture :-D.

Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure, click on picture for full size:

It's been a great year in the garden!!!  Tomorrow, I have 12 more pounds of tomatoes that I picked today, they are going to become some more salsa---omg, it is SO good!!!  I love my garden!

So, the kids are getting ready to go back to school.  Jeremy starts at the Career Center for his Chef school on the 25th, Sean and Jaret start their 4th year of OHVA on the 25th as well (we homeschool---or home educate) and Seamus goes back to his school on the 30th---which will make things so much easier for homeschooling!  I am looking forward to fall, that is when I am usually at my most creative---since I haven't been creative at all this year, I am hoping/planning on my creativity being reborn this fall!  I've got quilts to quilt, tops to make, samplers to cross stitch, hats and socks to knit or crochet and tons of other stuff I'd like to do!  Send me some creative mojo, please!  LOL!

See you soon, I won't stay away as long this time!

Leslie:-)

Busy day on the homestead

Hiya folks!It was a busy day on the homestead, I was going to spend it sewing but the sun was calling and the chicken coop was yelling (clean me out!) so the boys and I decided to go tackle the coop. It is a much bigger job than we expected and it'll take more than one shot---but here we are working on it today.



We actually only got about 3 wheelbarrows full because our compost bin front wasn't high enough to hold anymore.  Scott raised it up so we can add more---when the wheelbarrow and the trailer are fixed, LOL!  It's ALWAYS something!

A new edition to the farm---baby chicks!  I wasn't going to do chicks since they need to be inside to survive until they are about 5 weeks old, but we cleaned out a closet and put locks on it so the animals can't get to them and we now have 9 more chickens!  Here they are a couple days after we got them:



Here they are 3 weeks later!



Another thing I've been working on is clearing more of our land.  I haven't been able to do anything for about a week and a half now, due to rain and the ground being too soft to take the tractor on--but here is some of what I've gotten done so far:








I've got so much more to do but I probably won't be able to do much more with the tractor, the brambles are growing like crazy and if I haven't got them cut by now, they will be too thick for the tractor to run over and cut down.

That is it for now, I have more going on and I'll have pictures and videos to show it all!

If I don't get back before this Sunday, Happy Mother's Day to all my friends who are mothers!  I was going to spend Mother's Day in the garden but they are now predicting possible snow so I think I'll just stay inside and sew or something!

TTFN!

Leslie:-)

Garden stuff

It's Tuesday.  I am suffering from sinus, horribly!  I was going to work in the garden today but it rained all day and was pretty cold---not good weather for someone who's head feels like it is going to explode!  It is going to warm up again tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be able to get back out into the garden.  Here is what has been done so far.......
Click the pictures for actual size-

The tiller conked out here, nothing a little gas and some TLC won't fix!

Our hops!  The one plant died last year and the other didn't fare so well but they are looking good so far this year!  We may get to make some mead this year after all!

Another plant I thought was lost---my garlic from last year!  It seemed to die but it's coming back with a vengeance, hurray!  I may even get a few garlic scapes, too!

More garlic.

This was my little Charlie Brown tree.  I was wishy washy on what I wanted to do so Scott decided for me and cut it down.  I feel sad, but hey, the path is now larger!!!

In amongst the weeds the violets are growing all over!  I hate to till them under, but the beds must be prepared.

WOW!  Look at those chives!  They sure came back from last year, I'll have plenty of chives to go around!

My new compost pen, made from pallets.  I think I might paint it or something, make it look more---inviting?  

Inviting to whom, I'm not sure but it's cool either way!

The top bed I did all by hand, then Scott came in with the tiller and started to tear things up!  

The other side.  Since I am going to plant my corn in a field in the back, I'll have a lot more room for other things here.

This is my strawberry bed up by the house--it needs weeding desperately!  Hopefully it'll spread more this year, last year we got a bunch of strawberries but not enough at one time for anything.

The chickens are doing a good job of getting all the bugs by the house!

The daffodils in my front garden, they are at the end here.

Chickens are following me!

This is my front yard, the plan is to get rid of most of the grass and create an English or cottage type garden up here.  I also would like to put in some shrubs by the fence to help block out some of the sounds from the busy highway.

 More of the front yard.  There is a nice slope here, we're thinking of making a tiered garden on it.

This is an old field in the back where the horses used to be.  This is where I'd like to grow my corn.

This is a well at the back of our property.  It used to supply the water to our house and the barn next door (the barn and 5 other properties down the street used to all be part of this property until they split it up in the 90's)  The well was closed up around 2002,  the neighbors said the water was bad because of the gas wells that used to be on the property.  We're going to get it tested, it's been a while since it was used so we want to see if it is ok now, if so we'll use it for the gardens.)

This old pear tree still makes pears, although many were diseased.  We are going to find out if we can bring it back healthy and producing good pears again.

This is an OLD well right next to the house.  It was hand dug--probably when the house was built back in 1865--and lined with rocks, pretty impressive!  Scott and I kinda measured it's depth last year, it is at the least 25 ft deep.  We're going to have this water tested as well, if it's good it'll be used for the garden and around the property.  If TSHTF, we know we have 2 possible water sources on the property---let's hope they are good!

Our old Black Walnut.  We fear it is diseased, all of the nuts were no good, it is losing branches left and right and the leaves don't look too good after a while.  We're going to have an arborist come and look at it, we are hoping and praying it is salvageable, but if not, it'll have to come down.  As a woodworker, Scott is excited for the possibilities of that, anyway!

This is the field that we will be using for our hoop houses.  It is dry---a lot of our property falls into the flood zone and gets very wet.  Scott wants to grade it all out and we are putting a pond up front where it is the wettest.  

That's it for the outside!

I don't watch a lot of TV but it seems like the networks are putting all my shows on the same nights!

We watch Idol, we watch Lost, we watch Glee.  Now they are all on the same night, along with V and Parenthood, which we also watch.  Luckily we have 2 DVR's or I'd be missing something.  We have the same problem on Thursday night, we watch Flash Forward, Bones, The Office, 30 Rock, Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice.  Somehow I've managed to be able to get those all to record all on the same DVR and then I watch them throughout the week as I am able.  But heck, Monday and Wednesday are no longer filled, why don't they move some stuff to one of those days?????  Stupid networks!  Personally, I'd be happy just to throw out all the TV's and get rid of cable.  I can't convince the rest of the household to go along with it, though.  And, I'd have to wait until Lost is done, first.

TTFN!

Leslie :-)