Triple Creek Farm, April 28, 2012

I received a message on "Facebook"  could I help find someone to take some ducks.  There were two and they needed to stay together.  I chatted with the rescue lady and yes, I will take the ducks.  I have been wanting ducks so I could use the eggs in my baking.  One duck egg makes a wonderful omelet.  Many thanks to one of our followers on this blog for thinking of our assistance with these ducks.   This lady has given me some chickens and Aurora was one of her gifts to Triple Creek Farm.

IN THE KITCHEN

Most of the evening meals have been salads.  We have been enjoying the chive blooms from the herb garden. I did learn not to remove the stem from the blooms, pick up with the stem and dip into your favorite sauce.   I dried parsley, I guess I have started storing for next winter.

ON THE FARM

The pasture fence row has been marked on two sides.   Mr. Bootsie is setting the post 10 feet apart, using metal posts.  You can see the stakes in the picture.

IN THE COOP

Aurora has hatched 4 little chicks.  On day 21 the eggs started hatching around noon.  I could hear the peeps and shell cracking. Before bedtime she had proudly showed me each little peep.  She sat on the 2 remaining eggs for 1 day.  Friday morning she had pushed 1 out of the nest and later in the day the other one.  I am very pleased with my first hatch.  I learned quite a lot and if we should have another broody hen I would set her.

The egg count this week was 46.  We are down a few as Aurora is not laying.

IN THE GARDEN

This week we welcomed blackberry winter.  I did not plant anything but some more radishes.  The nights are cold and the crops are not growing, expect for the potatoes they are getting to be nice plants.    The sweet potatoes, in the plant bed, are showing leaves.  It will not be long before I will be slipping these.

Just about everything, in the plant bed and greenhouse, is ready to be installed.  We have a groundhog and I have found out they love comfrey.  This week I added some red pepper around the comfrey plants and maybe this will stop the munching on them.

IN CLOSING

My flock has grown this week, I now have 14 chickens and 2 ducks.  I will be waiting for everyone to settle down, the ducks may have never seen a chicken.  They just sit by the fence and watched those silly girls.  Of course, one of the chickens tried to peck the duck through the fence.  The next time she came over to the fence the duck put its' bill on the fence to peck the chicken.  I really had a good laugh over this.  Who needs cable when you have this kind of entertainment?

Thank you, " Rockfish Sanctuary, Inc." for the pekin ducks.  They educate the citizens of Central Virginia about wildlife and care for injured or orphaned wild life.  These rescue organizations always need our help.  Volunteer, donations, and always think of these groups when discarding used towels and blankets.  What better gift for a friend than to give a donation in their name to one of our rescue groups.

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Blackberry Winter Brings Spring Cleaning

Blackberry winter, what is it?  Blackberry winter comes when the blackberry blooms.  The drop in temperature is needed for the blooms to set.  It is usually a cold and wet week to ten days the first of May. This year it is a little early.  The last fires of the winter in the wood stove.  When this is over spring cleaning will start.  There is not a good reason to clean the house as long as the wood stove is burning.  I will be taking down and dusting the decorations on my walls, cleaning windows, dusting walls and wood work.

I need to get all of these things finished so I can focus on the gardens and preparing for the winter.  As the crops come in they need to be canned, frozen and dried.  As I sit here thinking  about my spring cleaning I remember what spring cleaning was at home.

What an ordeal it was.  All the furniture would be moved out of the room or to one side.  The rugs would be swept and cleaned with the electric sweeper.  Rolled up and taken outside to sun, at the end of the day before the dew fell they would be rolled up and put in the attic.  The summer rugs would be brought from the attic and put outside in the sun to air out.  The curtains would come down and be washed, hung on the line to dry.  The spring curtains brought down from the attic, washed, starched and ironed before they were hung over the freshly cleaned windows.  All the pictures were taken down, frames cleaned, glass washed with a vinegar water and polished with newspaper.  All of the lights were taken apart and cleaned.  Momma washed the light bulbs.  Furniture polished with lemon oil.  The summer slip covers were hung on the clothes line to air out and placed on the furniture.  All of the pillows were hung on the clothes line.

We collected broom straw in the fall and made brooms with it.  One with have a long handle, would reach the high corners and where the walls and ceiling met.  We also had picture molding in one room and that had to be cleaned.  The walls with wall paper were wiped with a clean cloth to collect all the dust. The woodwork and painted walls were washed.  All of the ceiling dusted with a cloth.   I must say when the room was finished everything in it had been cleaned and with the windows open, the scent of springs flowers floating in, our house was smelling wonderful.

Along with the spring and fall cleaning every dish, pot and pan had to washed, scoured and dried.  Momma loved dishes and she had enough to fed an army.  My sister and I would bring in a sink full of dishes from the cabinet and wash the dishes.  As Momma dried them she would tell the story.
One bowl, which I loved, was used for potato salad for picnics.  There was a platter used only for sliced tomatoes,  this container for buttermilk and one for lemon-aide.  The one pan that was never cleaned was the one Momma made her bread it.

In every room there was something with drawers which were cleaned and sorted.  New paper was put in the bottom of the drawers.  There was one drawer with Momma's string collection, she saved all the string from the feed bags when they were opened.  One drawer Momma would clean as she never let my sister or me go in this one.  Momma used to say, "You can tell how good of a housekeeper people are when you look in the drawers, cabinets and closets."  These places were off limits to visitors and lots of folks did bother to clean them.  Oh yes, the closets were gone thru new paper put on the shelves and everything placed where it needed to be.  Our clothes, we had outgrown, were packed for cousins and the winter things stored in the attic until next winter.  The boxes from cousins with summer clothes were gone through and what fit was put in our closet.

When all the hard work was finished.  Our home returned to normal , we were pleased with how good it looked and knew it would happen again in the fall.  The cleaning the house received gave us a lot of time together.

Bootsie, this was sent by your uncle during WWII, the package came in the mail inside were these pillow covers.  A pair of pillow covers sent by your brother when he was in the Pacific.  Your aunt lived in California and sent these salt and pepper shakers.  Momma used and shared the special memories others gave her.  It did not matter if they matched anything or not.  They were a gift to her and she was proud, someone had thought enough of her to share a part of their life.

                              Momma kept on sharing with others.
                                              Where something came from,
                                                      how she received it and why this was special!

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Triple Creek Farm, April 21, 2012

Spring, the earth awakens, trees bloom and new foliage grows, birds are gathering material to make nest, this is the rebirth of another year.  How exciting to see everything returning and rewarding you for your hard work.  The bulbs have multiplied and will need to be thinned and replanted.  The blooms were wonderful.  Some of the climbing plants are showing new growth and arbors are being put in place.  The work from the previous years is beginning to show.

IN THE KITCHEN

I baked a 1-2-3-4 cake this week.  This is an old recipe for a wonderful cake.  1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour and 4 farm fresh eggs.  I used kefir milk and this cake was so rich.  I wanted to make a dessert using strawberries.  It is time to empty the freezer, and I had a few containers of strawberries.  I made vanilla pudding.  Now to assemble this easy recipe.  Large red wine glass, break up a large slice of cake in the bottom, cover with a layer of vanilla pudding and some sweetened strawberries, continue layering cake, pudding and strawberries until the wine glass is full.  Cover,  place in fridge and let chill.  You can use fresh, sliced and sweetened strawberries in place of the frozen berries.  This is so easy and not a heavy dessert.  Recipe for 1-2-3-4 Cake

ON THE FARM

Mr. Bootsie has taken down the last 2 trees in the pasture fence row.  They were felled, cut into firewood lengths and moved to the splitting and stacking area.  This is one project which went on for far too long.  We are looking at other trees which could be a maybe but at some point you have to call it and I think we are ready to put this one to bed.  Saturday afternoon the eagle landed.  No, not the big bird.  The 2 Bootsie's are repurposing again.

IN THE COOP

Aurora hard at work

All eyes are on Aurora.  We are so excited about the thoughts of our little peeps.  I do hope she is rewarded for all of her work.  She has stayed on the nest and never left the eggs.  I spilt a bowl of food on her one morning this week and she moved out of the way dragging the eggs with her.  I have been amazed with her dedication.

I am in question as to how this big girl is going to enjoy the chicks.   Blanche is the largest bird I have, she is the size of a small turkey.  She lays a wonderful light blue green egg,  and is an Ameraucana.  Because of her size some people are afraid of her.  You should see her run when any one of the little cochins get after her.  It is so funny to see her go into the coop to get away from the little ones.

This week the girls laid 46 eggs this week.  There are only 9 girls laying.  I am really proud of their hard work.

IN THE GARDEN

The ground is warming and the pots are getting very warm.  Spring rains came and dampened the very dry soil.

Seeds are going in for string beans, butter beans, one hill of climbing squash.  The greenhouse has lots of plants ready to be installed.  Potatoes, onions and garlic are growing.  The sweet potatoes, in the plant bed, are showing growth.  First planting of radishes are ready to start pulling.

Parsley, chive blooms, sage and oregano are being enjoyed in salads along with lettuce and spinach.

IN CLOSING

Yes, everything has awoken here at Triple Creek Farm.  Every day is an adventure.  Arrangements are being made for the goats.  We have been working on a water feature and it is coming along.  I actually have some bog plants, I moved the plants  here 7 years ago and put them in buckets, they waited for me to have a place to plant them.  I am heading out to see what I can get into day.  Enjoy your corner of our beautiful world!

Check on Aurora on Facebook  Twenty one days is Wednesday, maybe it will be peeps day.

Planning Your Garden

Everyone is running around purchasing plants and seeds.  Spring has sprung and the garden is the first thought on your mind.  I love to watch the gardeners.  Off the store to buy whatever plants the growers put on the shelves.  Where I live we are very fortunate we have 2 growing seasons with the time  from last spring frost to first fall frost.  I hardily ever see these people looking for tomatoes to plant in July or  potatoes to set.  Most of our gardeners are spring gardeners and for they second crop they grow weeds.  It truly amazes me.

Daddy had garden all year around.  The slowest season was winter.  That was the time Momma worked on finding the recipes she would be trying next summer.  She had things which were always canned and dried.  Momma made cloth bags to store the dried fruits and vegetables in.  In early spring she took inventory of what was left in the basement.  The garden would be planned, seeds ordered and planted.

I learned from Momma, I study my recipes and decide what I want to store for next winter.  If we enjoyed something I try to preserve more this year so we will not run out.  Momma would say we use 30 quarts of green beans a year and she would can extra just in case there is a crop failure the following year.  I try to do the same.  The summer of 2010 I do not think anyone around our area had a lot of tomatoes.  The season was not good.  The summer of 2011 I canned tomatoes, made juice and tomato sauce.  My goal was 40 quarts and they have lasted for the winter.  I, also, dried tomatoes and they lasted all winter.

I keep a list of everything that I can.  Jellies, pickles, vegetables and dried goods were canned last year.  I will refer to my list, count my remaining  inventory and decide what I need to do this year.  I did complete this task when I was ordering my seeds.  I need the seed to plant so I can fill in the voids.  When I hear of a new item or some new to can I add this to my seed list for next year.  I make one  batch and if we enjoy it I will make more.

If yout family will not eat Swiss chard why are you planting 50 plants?  It is very important to use your land correctly.  Plant what you enjoy, store what will be used.  Picking and canning is labor intensive and there is no reason to process items you will be throwing away in the future.  I have found if I make the things my family enjoys it keeps me busy.  I could make pickles everyday because everyone in the family likes a different kind of pickle and I like all of them.

I do plant again as my land allows the fall garden.  I love the extended season and fall greens are wonderful.  Daddy always stored tomatoes and we would, sometimes,  have a sliced tomato from our garden on Valentine's Day.  The fall potatoes can be graveled just like the spring potatoes and added to the late beans.  We are so very lucky where I live to have the long growing season.  I do enjoy gardening in Virginia.  

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Triple Creek Farm, April 14, 2012

Busy, busy, busy.  Weather changes, row covers on and row covers off.  Water, water and the soil is drying out because the wind is blowing.  Winds were up with gusts to thirty miles an hour, talk about a bad hair week.  I stop to think about what was accomplished this week,  I can say not a whole lot.   Prep work for future projects went well.

IN THE KITCHEN

Home cooked meals everyday are sometimes a challenge.  Mr. Bootsie was very impressed with one meal this week.  We had ham left over from the weekend.  I steamed about one pound of asparagus while I was boiling a dozen eggs.  (Only used 1 burner, multi-tasking.)  I used  an  oblong casserole dish and layered,  sliced ham, steamed asparagus, 4  chopped boiled eggs and 6 slices of white American cheese.  Under the broiler until the cheese started to brown.  He was so impressed.  It was quick, easy and very had a rich taste.

ON THE FARM

Went by the county offices and filed the paper work for the pole barn.  The builder said he was a couple of weeks from getting to this job.  The property has been staked and now we are in the wait mode.  The pole barn will on the front of  the pasture we are putting in and this will help with night time  protection for the goats.  The plans are starting to come together.

IN THE COOP

All eyes are on Aurora, she has been dedicated to the task she chose.  We have 10 days of setting completed and after Sunday we are going down hill.  At this time there are no signs of others wanting to set.  I will set them if they become broody.  This has not been as difficult as I thought it would be.  I am learning as much as I can.

The older and larger girls look at her with wonder on their faces.  I do not  know how they will  feel about new life invading their chicken coop.  I am planning on bringing in ducks about the same time.  They should feel really neglected with all of this action going on.  I will try to keep a balance.  Do not want the layers upset.

The egg count this week was 43.

IN THE GARDEN

Potatoes are growing, cole crops are starting to show growth.  The raspberries and blackberries have signs of blooms starting to form. Enjoying lettuce which was wintered over.

Bringing in lots of good compost from the chicken run.

The sweet potato slips have not showed any sign of growth.  I am watering and waiting.

IN CLOSING

We have a great event in our family this week.  Our littlest wee folk turned 6 years old on Thursday.  His party was on Saturday, we took the day off to celebrate with our family.  I must stop here because I could talk about the wee folk way too much.

I found some wonderful wild flowers this week, May apple is blooming, the ferns are coming up, wild violets have little dots of purple everywhere.  I am sure there are others, I just have not found where they are growing and blooming.

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Planting Daddy's Tomatoes

The seeds went into the plant bed, sprouted and developed into tomato plants.  In plant bed you sow the seeds directly into the soil.  Daddy always planned to set out his tomatoes after blackberry winter.  This was usually the last cold spell we would have.  Most of the old timers will tell you here in Central Virginia to plant your tomatoes around the middle of May.  The temperature may be warm but the soil may remain cold.  You can stunt your plants if the ground is cold.  They will produce but may have less tomatoes than they should.

The tomato seeds were started by the moon in the later part of March.  They were watered and conditioned to the weather.  On warm days the plant bed was opened up and on cool days the lid may have been lifted just a little.  We would always run through the plants with our hand as this makes them grow stronger.  Leaves come in sets and we watch for the first set is the seed leaves, second are the true leaves and when there are 3 sets of leaves the plants are ready to set out.  Daddy said the plants need to be able to keep growing and it was very important to plant them in the hills and not slow down the development.

With the third set of leaves developed and you could see the fourth set starting.  You knew time was coming to set the tomatoes.  Daddy's rows for the tomatoes were over 100 feet long and you could easily plant 50 tomato hills in each row.  The rows were hoed into a hill as Daddy planted in the peaks and valley system of gardening.  The plants were in the top of the hill and rain water would collect in the valley and watered the roots.

Momma had the newspaper on the table with a pair of scissors.  She had cut a pattern and wanted me to make a lot of pieces of paper about 3 inches by 4 inches.  These papers were used to wrap the stem of the tomato plant to prevent the cut worm from cutting the plant off.  Daddy went to the plant bed and selected the tomato plants he wanted to plant.  He was very careful in selecting by the number of leaves and the structure of the plant.  The plants were placed in a bucket of water and brought in the house.  Everyone sat down and began to roll the plants.  The smaller side went around the plant stem and you wrapped all four inches.

When the sun was starting to go down, the plants wrapped, we went to the garden; Daddy with the pointed stick, a bucket of tomato plants in water and another bucket of water with a Campbell's chicken noodle soup can in it.   Daddy would make the hole in the top of the hill put in the tomato plant and add one can of water.   The soil would be pulled back onto the tomato plant leaving some of the newspaper above the soil line.  Daddy tried to plant on a evening when the next day would be cloudy or it may rain.  This would help the plant set its roots into the soil and continue growing.  If the sun came out the next day in the evening we would water with one can of water again and the wilted plants would be covered with a branch from a tree with lots of leaves on it.

Having put into the ground around 100 plants of the kinds Daddy wanted to have this year, the work has just begun.  Next we would stake the plants with a cedar pole to which the plants would be tied.  The land hoed and pulled into the hills.  The wait for the first tomatoes was the hardest part.  But one day in July you would see that bright red tomato hanging on the vine.  I would find Momma or Daddy and show them.  We have a tomato !  Now the work really begins.  We would be picking tomatoes. Momma would be canning tomatoes .  The city folk would be coming to the country to take tomatoes home with them.  And they always wanted some to can.  They would bring a big box to fill with tomatoes.

In the middle of July, Daddy would set the second crop of tomatoes.  Some of these Momma would slip from the plants when they were tied because they were in the way.  She would put these in the plant bed and water them.  Daddy might try a new kind for the late tomatoes.   Along, in October we wrapped green fully developed tomatoes in newspaper to ripen in the basement.  We would have tomatoes for Thanksgiving, Christmas and if it was a good year Valentines.

Hard work on Momma's and Daddy's farm, but the rewards were worth every minute of the work we did.  I love a tomato sandwich loaded with Duke's mayo and 1/2 inch slice of one tomato filling the entire slice of bread.

                                Bring some napkins, please.
                                           The tomato juice is running off my elbows.
                                                                          It just doesn't get any better!!!!


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Triple Creek Farm, April 7, 2012

This has been one of the most interesting weeks.  I have been super busy and do not know where the week went.  The temperature has been doing that Virginia thing.  Warm and then cold.  I am taking plants out and bringing  them in.

IN THE KITCHEN

I baked 2 loaves of bread this week and we have had sandwiches.  We had some fresh veggies from the garden.  Saturday I made biscuits with creamed chipped beef for breakfast and sourdough rolls for evening meal.  We have not had store brought bread in a long time.  It was my decision to make our bread and I must say we do enjoy the homemade bread.

ON THE FARM

Finally, all of the hickory tree has been repurposed.  It is now fire wood.  Many a night we will sit in front of the fire and enjoy all the work we did.  With warm evenings this week we had several fires in our outside fireplace.   One night we fixed a pot of white beans and pork barbeque sandwiches in the fireplace.  It is so comforting after a busy day to kick back and relax.

Mr. Bootsie is putting the safety wire around the bottom of the new duck run.  We do this to deter animals from digging under the fence and coming inside.  The wire lays on the ground about 2 feet from the fence and goes up the fence.  He used lumber to secure the bottom keeping animals from getting under the fence.

IN THE COOP

This has been a place of action.  I have been spending time with the girls.  Several were not happy with our broody Aurora and did the chicken thing when they saw her.  I was trying to keep peace in the coop but was not doing a good job.  Had a wonderful visit at Eden Farm in Gum Spring, Virginia.  I purchased the fertile eggs there.  They have so much knowledge and it is always a pleasure going there.

Our egg count this week is  51.  Aurora is not laying and this will last for a while.  Nine girls are working hard, laying eggs and working compost.

I am concerned if Aurora will stay on the nest until the eggs hatch.  She was busy stealing every egg in the coop so I think she has all intentions of having little ones.  Only time will tell.


IN THE GARDEN

I pulled all of the Swiss chard which over wintered and it was wonderful.  One night we had scrambled eggs with steamed chard and sausage.  Another night, pasta with chard, onion- pepper tomato sauce and baked with cheese.  Next to come out will be the lettuce.  On Thursday, Friday and Saturday  nights we were covering the beds with row cover.  Potatoes are coming up.  Onions are setting seed heads.


IN CLOSING

There are not enough hours in a day and I am so pleased with the way things are going here.   Moving some of the herbs closer to the garden.  Planning  to use them as trap plants for insects.   The comfrey which was planted for the chickens and to be added to the compost piles is growing.  I am pulling chickweed for the girls.

Passover or Easter may your celebrations be enjoyable and memorable.  Happy spring.



To see how things are going with Aurora you can see daily updates in our blog post " Momma was a Chicken Farmer."       Daily update on Facebook

Momma was a Chicken Farmer

All my life I remember chickens at home.  Rhode Island Reds, Leghorns, Plymouth Rocks and cross breeds.  Momma would order chickens and they came by mail.  The mail lady came to our house blowing her horn, she wanted to get the chickens out of her car.  The box would be opened and she gave them water as soon as they drank she fed oatmeal.  They were put in  the washtub with newspaper on the bottom.  She would set a hen and have baby chickens at the same time.  Momma's plan was for the momma hen  to take care of the purchased chicks.  Sometimes this did not work out.  Introducing new chickens is somewhat of a challenge.  But in time things do seem to work.

Momma would always do one hatching in the spring which had the hen so confused she did not know what to do.  Momma would buy 2 duck eggs and 2 goose eggs, she set the hen on the 4 eggs and one week later she added the chicken eggs.  Duck and geese eggs take about  28 days to hatch and chickens are 21 days.  That poor hen would look at the ducks and geese wondering what had happen to her eggs, how could they turn out looking like they did.  Look at those feet they are not like mine and the beak is different to mine.  Being a good momma she would gather the strange looking birds,  put them under her to stay warm as she clucked to them just like the  chicks.  They may look funny but she had hatched them and she was going to take care of them.

Last Thursday, I went to close up the chicken coop for the night and I was short one little girl.  Mr. Bootsie started looking for her and checked the nesting boxes.  Pulled the curtain back on one and there was a noise we had never heard before.  I thought something was wrong with the chicken.  I felt under her, she had eggs and when I pulled them out she was not happy.  I have had broody hens that did not lay for sometime but never have I had this.  Friday she stayed in the nest box all day.  Friday night I stole all of her eggs again.  She is really not happy with me.  Now when she sees me coming she starts squawking.

Mr. Bootsie said maybe we should set her.  He, who, did not get excited about having chicks, he wants to set a chicken.  I get so confused.  I would love to have my own babies but I thought he would never want us to set a chicken.  We do not have a rooster.  I called a local farm which sells fertile eggs and they had just filled the incubators.  No eggs until next week.

Wednesday would be the day they may have a few Maran eggs.  They would be blue or blue splash. I just need fertile eggs I can not be choosey.  I called the farm today and YES they have eggs.  They told me they only had 9 and how many did I need.  This girl is so little I knew 9 would be too many.  Let me try 6,  they took my order and told me they would hold them for me.  I picked up my eggs and came home to set my girl.

I left her with 4 eggs under her this morning and when I went down to set her she had 10 eggs under her.  She must be getting everyone to lay in her nest.  I had fixed a pet carrier to set her in.  I took her off the nest and put my girl in the pet carrier with the eggs and straw.  She was not a happy camper.  I fixed her some food and water and put that in with her which  did not help.  Mr. Bootsie came in from work and she was pushing the eggs out of the nest.  I thought she needed to get them where she wanted them.

This evening when the chicken coop was closed things were going good.  All I can say about today is I set my first hen around 4:00 p.m. e.d.t. and now if all goes well April 25th or 26th I should have some baby chicks.

                                         I need to purchase a quart waterer,
                                                   cute little feed tray for them to eat from.
                                                                             Chick starter for them to eat.

 Day 21 About 12:30 p.m. Aurora hatched the first little chick.

By 6:00 p.m. Four little chicks have hatched.



 This is going to be so much fun,  follow on Facebook.
                                 
This has been so much fun .  Thank all of you for following along.

Triple Creek Farm, March 31,2012

We do not go to bed with the chickens but everyone was sound asleep at 11:21p.m. Sunday the 25th.  I awoke to the shaking and the rumble of yet another aftershock (?), earthquake (?).  When the morning news comes on the media calls it one thing and then another.  This one was 3.1 Magnitude, and was located 8 miles from both Louisa and Mineral, Virginia.   Mr. Bootsie had some words of wisdom, he was told as long as the magnitude is less than the original earthquake, they are aftershocks.


IN THE KITCHEN

This week,  I made the Sourdough English Muffins, they are cooked on top of the stove on a griddle.  I also made the sourdough rolls.  The taste was the same in the second batches.  The house smells so good when you bake sourdough bread.  I made a pot of great northern bean soup added some of my dried tomatoes and spinach.  I am trying things so I know how much to store for next winter.  The dried tomatoes after I dry them are oven canned so they will keep over the winter.

ON THE FARM

Mr. Bootsie has a day job and his time is limited as to what he can do.  More trees were felled in the pasture row.  This week 5 trees are down.  He is getting there.  This has been more of a project than anyone thought it would be.


IN THE COOP

The little girls never let me down.  I have wanted for all of them to lay on the same day.  Monday after  being broody Blanche laid a egg and by lunch time I had collected 8 eggs.   I was thinking what a good day.  At least all 10 will be laying for a few days.  Returned to the coop about 4 in the afternoon and found 2 more eggs.  I am so pleased with my girls.  They never stop rewarding me for the things I do for them.  Friday, it happened again 10 eggs.  I am a proud momma!

The girls laid 53 eggs this week and for the month of March 207 eggs.

Ornery is one of the oldest girls we have.  She loves treats and looks out for herself.  When the treats are placed in the run she goes in beak, body and feet.  It is as if she is checking things out for the others and when she backs up they all dive in.  Maybe she is the official taster.

IN THE GARDEN

The beets are up, radishes, miniature swiss chard,  pac chio,  chinese cabbage, onions and garlic are looking great.  I have started pulling the garlic for green garlic.  It is wonderful roasted.  Most of the beds have been worked.   I am getting the containers ready for the container gardening.   I can move the containers to protect them from the heat.

The pallet is being planted.  I am using the compost which I put in the chicken run and the girls work it.   My pallet is under a tree.  I will be planting lettuces in it and they do much better if out of the heat.

IN CLOSING

There is a lot going on here.  One of my daughter's friends came out to meet the girls this week.  She had questions about kefir and other things from our blog.  It is a joy to have the younger people interested in what we are trying to accomplish.  A few weeks ago Mr. Bootsie won the prop from the
" Wizard of Oz" and now it is here with us.

The Emerald City, I know this will be enjoyed by all who see it.  Mr. Bootsie is so proud.  We have a collection of things you do not see everyday and this is a wonderful addition.  Congrats, Mr. Bootsie.

This month we have lived at Triple Creek Farm for six years.   I am pleased to have found this wonderful way to share our small farm with so many.  As always, I, Thank You for stopping by.

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