Triple Creek Farm, August 25, 2012

The temperatures are cooling and I am coming alive.  I do much better in the cooler weather.  I love the fall and winter, fire in the wood stove or the outdoor fireplace.  Sitting in front of the fireplace on a cool evening sipping a cup of hot cider, I am looking forward to many an evening this fall enjoying the simple pleasures of live.  I really do not care for the fast lane anymore.  Yes, I did a lot of these things when I was young and thought it was great fun.  If only I had been smart enough to start our little farm years ago.  Hindsight, what if,  I am just thankful Mr. Bootsie and I are here today, enjoying the quiet life, solving the daily problems and remembering just how special these days are.  Thank you each and everyone of you for sharing our small farm with us. Please feel free to comment.  You may comment here or on Facebook.  I look forward to hearing from you!

IN THE KITCHEN

With the heat and things drying up in the garden, I was surprised to find beans on the plants.  We are not picking enough of one  type of bean so I have started making a bean medley.  I have blue lake, purple trionfo violetto, yard long and Jackson wonder.  I had let some of the purple get large so I shelled them.  After cooking the purple beans will be green beans, love for the wee folk to be here and see the magic.  The climbing spinach is being harvested and I am freezing it in packages equal to a 10 oz. package of frozen spinach.  I have so many recipes which use this size package.  I will be ready to go this winter making the pizzas, spinach balls, and a number of Greek dishes.

ON THE FARM

Tuesday, about 3 in the afternoon the highway way department was working the road.  They were cutting  trees and grass, the equipment they were using was quite loud.  I looked up and the sky was black.  Made my rounds to get things secured and before I made it back to the house the sky was falling.  I came into the house and the rain was coming off of the roof in sheets.  Water was standing after the storm.  I went and worked all of the ditches, for they were stopped up with leaves and twigs.  Mr. Bootsie arrived and asked, "Did you have a storm?"  He had traveled about 25 miles and had not seen anything.  The rain was not good for the gardens as it just rolled off of everything.  I went out to the garden and everything had to stop, there was another section of the hickory tree blocking the garden gate.  This tree will be falling for a long time.  We have more firewood.

IN THE COOP

I am so pleased the girls have returned to the nesting boxes to lay their eggs.  If they were laying them in each and every corner they can find I may be missing some of them.  Monday morning, I collected all the eggs, later Monday evening, I found more eggs and this cute little oddity.    At this time no one is molting or being broody.  The egg count this week was 42.

Saturday, the little cochins were 4 months old.  I am hearing a rooster crow, he is still working on getting it right and the little girls are developing into lovely hens. No eggs from them.

IN THE GARDEN

The garden has slowed down.  The heat really did take care of quite a lot of it.  The corn is drying and I will be harvesting it.  There is a new critter in the garden, it has been eating the green beans.  I had them covered and the other morning the cover had been taken off about 1/2 of the bean plants. They had been pruned and I think I will loose all of the pruned plants.  The mole has been visiting the sweet potato plants, and some critter is eating the vegetation.  I planted kale on Friday.  There are Brussels sprouts and broccoli plants,  I started from seed.  I will be putting these in real soon.

IN CLOSING

Mr. Bootsie came in Monday with one of the largest watermelons I have seen since my Dad passed away.  I love watermelon right out of the field, for I think that is when it is the best to eat.  I know after it is cut it has to be chilled.  What a delight for me to have something so wonderful!  I cut the melon and took a round slice from the center, covered both ends which are over 15 inches tall each and put the melon in the fridge.  As I was headed to the coop eating the warm delicious melon, I looked at Mr. Bootsie and said this melon was just pulled,  he agreed with me.  Memories, Oh, to be able to enjoy just one more melon huge, sweet and without any second growth watermelon had me smiling.  Threw the rind to the girls just as we would have done at Happy Hallow and they, also, enjoyed the melon.  To the generous farmer, Thank You for sharing your harvest.  Simple Pleasures mean so much to me.

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