Triple Creek Farm, August 31, 2013

The garden is starting to look tired, the season has been very wet.  I saw this week our area has had 8.3 inches over the average rainfall.   We had rain 3 more days after this report.  Because of our raised beds the moisture has not been a problem.   I  have not watered as I have in the past years.  The critters have helped making the garden look sad.  I lost most of the blackberries with the vines being torn down.  All I can think about is next year, maybe things will be better.  The traps are staying set and we do see action around them.

IN THE KITCHEN

I have heard about tomato jam for many years, I remember some of the old-timers eating tomato jam.  I never had any desire to store this away until we starting making some interesting jellies a few years ago.  I have made basil jelly which is wonderful, this year we have made some unusual jellies,  I will try tomato. (Recipe Link)  As soon as the first batch came off the stove the decision was made to do another.  There are 12 one half pint jars in the pantry.  I did have a little bit I put in another jar for us to sample, I know a jar will be opened real soon.  I have been making a lot of bread.  I guess when I made the decision to start baking all of our bread I had no idea how much bread we would be eating.

ON THE FARM

Mr. Bootsie has been busy working our wood yard.  He has been having more help than he wants when the goats are out helping him.  You can now hear their cry when they hear the tractor and wagon start to move.  Some of the trees he has felled are being used in the garden making new and repairing raised beds.  There are some trees we will not burn so this is an excellent use for them.  The goats clean up the tops eating all of the leaves so this another win, win project.  He brings in a wagon load of wood which needs to be split and racked every few days.  The chimney sweep came and our chimney is clean and ready for this season.  The stove has been cleaned and the hearths scrubbed.  With all of this complete I think fall cleaning is going to be on the to do list.

IN THE COOP

I am finding myself setting outside of the coop several afternoons watching the 5 week old peeps play.  They are really growing.  The war of the coop has just settled from bringing in the spring peeps.  They are holding their own most of the time.  If they could just learn to go up on the roosting poles.  Help has been needed every night this week.  Patience is starting to wear thin, but they must be up at night time.  Some nights we play with them and those tired nights they are picked up and placed on the poles.  When the storm came in Saturday, the girls put themselves to bed, all of the girls put themselves to bed, even the spring peeps for the first time.

IN THE GARDEN

We are still picking enough vegetables for our table and put a few away for the winter.  I have started to harden off some of the winter squash, I plant a variety you can use as a summer veggie or storage squash.  The dehydrator has been drying squash and I think I may have enough.  The varieties I am drying I use for pies and breads.  Some of our beds are being pulled out and being prepared for onions and garlic.  Fall planting time is almost upon us.  Turnips are up and some of the other greens.  We are 6 weeks from the first possible frost date.

IN CLOSING

Saturday evening before putting everyone up for the night.  A storm rolled through.  After all the work of cleaning and clearing, a tree came down by the garden.  It all starts over again, this tree is close to the wood piles so it will lessen then task.  There will be more firewood because this one is a hickory.  This is the one thing about life on the farm, there is always something to do.  One nice thing we mange to do almost everyday is stop for a few minutes and plan our upcoming projects.  Of course, any plan can and will be changed in a moment's notice because we have learned to roll with whatever comes our way.
Here's wishing you a wonderful week, Until next time.