Category Archive: Garden
With this lovely spring weather, I started the day weeding, then putting bulbs in this front area. After that and some hoop house planting, it was lunch and a few errands. And so goes the day so quickly
So tonight I was able to sit down with “impossible girl” socks. They are so very easy, it is the girl who is impossible, not the socks. I love how fast they are working up. The yarn was on one ball and when I rolled half of it off, one side is a bit redder and the other has more blue tones, but not terrible different – sister socks.Tomato and other plants
These tomato plants have been in for three weeks and are doing very good, so today I planted some tiny little sauce tomatoes that are barely up, but it’s now or it won’t happen. Tomorrow I will try to get some more peppers in. The peas, onion, garlic and cauliflower are doing good. The kale is ahead of me.
I took out most of the winter broccoli to make room for something new. 
I picked a large amount of kale. It is amazing – first you plant and water and fertilize, then you get to wash and process the food. This all seems to take so much time. Grocery store food is CHEAP. But what we grow is better.
When I got to the fairgrounds there were still many unsold fleeces to be picked up.
I was happy as half of mine sold. The fleece that went with this rosette was sold. Though I know this day had 24 hours, like every other day it seems it has been a long day.
Juliette – dog or sheep?
Miss Juliette wants to be a dog most of the time. She must think the dogs have it better and maybe they do.
She wants me to see that she can play bow, run and jump just like the dogs. She only wants to be a sheep when she has babies. So do we class Juliette as a dog or a sheep? Seems she is as confused as some people.
I went to the feed store for stall lime today. They said they didn’t have any unless it was in the garden section. They wanted to sell me zinc carbonate instead at 74.00/bag. I finally found the calcium carbonate – dolomite – lime at 9.00/bag. No wonder they don’t think they have any – that’s a big upsell. But I think the employees really don’t know there is a difference.
That being done, I went off to purchase seed potatoes and onion. Now I just need a week of sun to dry out the ground so I can put these in the ground. There is not enough room in the hoop house.
Spinning, gardening
It’s been another rainy week. Today, I had some time, but not enough time to really get into a project, so I sat spinning for a few minutes.
Gardening:
The lettuce in front is doing well, but the peas behind are overdue for stringing.
Half of the pepper starts are in and doing well.
The Swiss chard, walking onions and winter broccoli are all overwintering and doing very well.
Cabbage starts are in and happy.
Leaf lettuce and more peas that also need stringing
The lime tree that I was quite sure I killed last summer is making a come back.
Happy overwintered kale and new potatoes.
Tiny new beets transplanted today
Spinach overwintered and growing faster than we can keep up
Tomatoes well started.
Two groups of small tomatoes that have volunteered. There will probably be many more as it gets warmed. Last year, I promised myself to not let any of these live, but since I haven’t planted any of the cherry size, maybe I should keep 2-3 of these volunteers. They are ready to eat before the others.
In addition to these photos, is garlic and overwintering broccoli on the far side. The garden is doing very good so far. I still want to plant celery, cucumbers, cantaloupe, and sauce tomatoes inside. Outside, I’d like to get potatoes, green beans, corn and squashes going. I just need enough days without rain to start them.
All over eyelets cloth
This washcloth pattern is called “All over Eyelets’ by Janet Nogle. It measures 8” square and very easy to knit. However, I started it 3 times, before I was happy with the size I was making. Janet often posts “swatch” patterns. This one I liked, but also wanted it to be usable. The cotton fiber is leftover without any identification on it.
I worked in the garden this morning, pulling many weeds. I planted a few more tomatoes and cauliflower plants. I still have more tomatoes sprouting and beets and celery to plant.
Little pieces make my day
It’s the little pieces that make my day. I finally purchased a new flannel backed tablecloth so hopefully my quilt pieces will stay up better. The last one was up for 2 plus years and had many extra threads on it. The cost was 1.50 and should have been done last year.
I had to go south to pick up the x-ray disc from the doctor there to take to the ankle doctor in Seattle next week. I asked them to forward it by computer which is what they usually do. They didn’t have what I thought a good reason that they didn’t want to do this. So I got to spend two hours going after the disc.
Now, since there is a wedding the end of the month, I need a dress, so Nordstrom’s Rack was my next stop. It’s amazing. I had this little talk with God, telling Him my needs and that I didn’t like shopping and wasting that time, would He please help. He did. I found exactly one dress that fit and that will work great for this purpose at a very low price. So half an hour was all it took to take care of a chore I dislike. I frequently have these talks with my Heavenly Father and am still amazed that He cares so much. No, I don’t always get what I ask for, but many times I do.
After checking in on the sheep and feeding them a bit early, I planted the tomatoes and peppers that I had started last month. I am hoping for enough energy to keep this garden going. So far, I have lettuce, sugar peas (which need stringing), garlic, and onions in as well as the winter crops that aren’t quite done. I have beets and zucchini that are started and are ready for planting – maybe tomorrow. I try to get just a half hour including watering in 3-4 days a week. I hope that will be enough to get everything growing and the weeds down.
Skirting fleeces
My neighbor came over today and we spent a good amount of time skirting fleeces for the show in 2 weeks. We first put them on this table which is made from spaced PVC tubes. Then we take off all the bad parts around the edges, neck, rear, all around. We checked to make sure there were no breaks in the fleece and removed as much of the hay, weeds, whatever they embedded in their fleeces as we could. We then rolled them up with the cut side up, and slipped them in plastic bags, ready for the judge to look at as well as the buyer.
We have many more fleeces to go through, clean and advertise.
I did get some more tomatoes started today. I’m hoping for a long summer so they will get ripe.
Cooking/gardening day
My cooking/gardening day began in the kitchen. I found another 10 jars of pear sauce to turn into pear butter since we eat the one, but not the other. So I filled the slow cooker with the sauce and will cook it down to a bit less than 1/2 what it is now. Then I went out to the hoop house. The weeds have started growing again with this warmer weather as well as the plants. So I spent time removing them and picking produce, I pulled the rest of the Brussels sprouts which were starting to flower. I picked then pulled out half of the winter broccoli which is basically done. The winter cabbage is still there along with half the broccoli plants.
I washed and stemmed the parsley. When I was done I had these 2 full gallon bags of parsley ready to use. I washed, cooked, and froze the broccoli. Winter broccoli is very different from spring broccoli in that it doesn’t have the nice big clusters, but rather many shoots with buds which are very tender. So between weeds, harvest, and cleaning, I filled the day. It seems to take as long to prepare some of these foods as it does to plant and water them.
Time blocks
It seems my life is currently measured in 4 hour time blocks.
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6 AM: feed babies, check everyone, and let them outside for the day.
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Home to a selected project for an hour and a half before prepping breakfast
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10 AM: feed babies, sheep check, and give mothers food and fresh water
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Home to normal daily activities such as laundry, minimal housework, etc
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2 PM: feed babies, again the check on everyone
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Usually by this time, I need to take a rest or at least find an activity that sits me down
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6 PM: feed babies, feed adults plus water and close the doors for the night.
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Family time, worship, and maybe knitting time
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10 PM: feed babies, last check on everyone plus any needed water
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Home to drop until 5:30 AM time to prepare bottles again.
Bottles babies are a lot of extra trouble, and it only lasts 2 months, but on the other hand, one does have to delegate the time blocks so they don’t get away. After the first feeding, I try to use that hour plus to sew, quilt, plant, or check on my seed growing for the hoop house.
Since we are still doing renovations to the barn, that takes supervision and choices as well during the day. Today, Mary came over for some quilt help and we were both tired enough, we rested while visiting after feeding babies.
Tonight after the 6PM feeding, I was able to get some knitting done, but at this time of day, I am slow. 
I am knitting this lovely pattern found on Ravelry, using the yarn at the top of this page. It has a 20 row repeat, but only on 12 stitches on each sock. The rest is all knitted and therefore goes quickly.
Here is today’s “cuteness” photo
Exchange students and sheep
usThis morning we had the privilege of introducing our sheep and dogs to two exchange students who had not been to visit a farm before. Beau insisted on being in the photo as he firmly believes each visitor is here to pet him. The girls’ hostess is a friend so it was fun to visit with her while they were here, plus she brought us lovely shortcake to go with the strawberries that I had thawed.
We chose a time the lambs would be hungry so the girls would get to experience feeding them as well. It looks like they enjoyed the experience.
We enjoyed their visit and hopefully they will get a chance to return and watch the lambs as they grow.
This morning the peas were sprouted, so the plan is to put them in the hoop house Friday when the weather is warmer. Perfect timing! This will give us early peapods as well as peas.