Triple Creek Farm, November 24, 2012

Thanksgiving week, I must confess I have only done the have-to's this week.  There were family and friends coming for a visit so I had to get the chicken feathers off the floor and the straw out of my hair.  Mr. Bootise just accepts me in what ever fashion he finds at the end of the day.  Others may not find it quite so pleasing to see my preparing a meal with wood chips, straw and feathers hanging from my clothes. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving day, when we built this house we wanted to share it with others and I welcome every chance to do this.

IN THE KITCHEN

I have never put eggs in the dressing (stuffing) and I used 2 ducks eggs this year.  The stuffing was very moist, I am not sure if the eggs added to this or not.  There were vegetables from the garden which had been canned and pickled.  A plate of deviled eggs from the girls in the coop.  Homemade rolls are always a part of our meal.  Our dessert was light this year, cucuzzi bread and pudding with raspberries.

ON THE FARM

I needed to make a run to a feed store to pick up leads for the goats.  I, also, picked up a tether line so I can start working with the goats in cleaning areas around the farm.  Gracie, the older goat, liked the lead, she learned real quick I knew where the blackberry vines were.  Hershey, her little girl. followed along and enjoyed the outing.  I look forward to double tethering them.  Lots of vegetation for them to enjoy.

IN THE COOP

The second little pullet Aurora hatched laid her first egg on Friday.  If the 2 pullets get into the routine of laying maybe there is a chance we will have a few eggs through the winter.  The duck is not letting us down.  She laid 7 eggs this week.  Eleven laying hens presented us with 9 eggs this week.  The only hens laying are Aurora and her 2 new girls.  I am so pleased I have no customers for eggs.  I have been sharing some of the duck eggs with family and friends.

IN THE GARDEN

Things are looking good in the cold tunnel.  I have no idea what I am doing but the plants are green and growing.  In the heated greenhouse the basil is growing, lavender  and  tomatoes are blooming.  In the raised beds the onions and garlic are growing.  We are pulling onions to use in our salads and they taste zippy.

IN CLOSING

They have started coming, the seed catalogs and I have started dreaming of garden 2013.  After doing some research on amaranth,  you can count on there being several different kinds in the garden next year.  The ducks loved the seeds in what I raised this year and the goats liked the vegetation.  I have found out you can cook the long leaves of love-lies-bleeding and use like spinach and this one produces lots of seeds.   My research takes time and with the temperatures being a little chilly now is the time for me to learn and make my decisions for the next garden.  Maybe, just maybe there will be a lot more on our Thanksgiving table which we produced here on our little farm.