Summer treats, sewing, and turkey update

Today's high was 88 degrees (F). Tomorrow and Friday will be the same. So its time to start making one of our many favorite summer treats.
ICE CREAM SANDWICHS!We like to make ours with homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. If homemade ice cream is not all gone, we use that. But any store bought Vanilla or yummy frozen yogurt ice cream will do. Here is a recipe we made for today's treat:

Chocolate chip oatmeal cookie ice cream sandwich's
1 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (OR use 1 cup all purpose flour and 1/2 cup cake flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or raisins
About 1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Beat together margarine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
3. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Stir in oats and chips; mix well.
4. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack. Cool completely.
6. To make sandwiches, spread softened ice cream on bottom side of one cookie; top with second cookie. Wrap airtight; freeze.

Makes about 2 dozen ice cream sandwiches or in the case of our family more like 10 sandwich's.

Finally done with our picnic set. This is the double sided picnic table cloth/ lawn blanket. I made matching all natural muslin napkins with the honeycomb stitch for decoration. I also made a coordinating utensil pouch. The lip opening has a section of old window blind to give it stability and keep it closed. Of course you have already seen the matching Baby "Napkin bib" to complete the set for our family.( see the above link for picnic set post). There are no rock pockets as I had planned but the 2 fabrics I used make it medium weight. I really love those colors together. Makes it great for summer and perfect for our Fall outings as well! I am now working on sun dresses for the girls and a purse for myself. Now when is the next rainy day?...
On another note- Looks like one of the turkey chicks has a deformity. No surprise since they are commercial breed. Just feel bad for it when I see its one leg twist backwards. It gets around very well and has adjusted to its situation. Hopefully it makes it for the next 5 months. Along with the ducklings (and any roosters) I hope hatch from Bonnie's egg sitting, The 2 turkeys will be going to "Camp". I am looking for a different processor then we used before. The chickens came back off tasting & I am not the only one who had that to say about the place. So off I must go to search for another butchering facility....
Sweet Dreams,
~Tammie

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Long weekend picture story and video.....

Frog caught/held her first hen (Dr. Seuss), all by herself

I do believe she is going broody! Yahoo!!Tomatoes are almost knee high! (hey! stop looking at my dirty garden feet!)Cilantro finally poking its head out and taking form!Lettuce bed- still needs weeding.....But look how green the butter crunch is!(In the picket fence arena are Lil' mans pumpkin/broccolli/& cauliflower patch-don't ask...).

And click here for a very short film of lil' man and Delilah. His facial expressions crack me up. This video really shows a glimpse into his personality.

Sweet dreams, ~Tammie

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Grape startings from Freecycle!

Candice grape "startings" to be exact! An explanation of its qualities excerpted from Henry Fields:
"Completely seedless red fruit has a pleasant tang, tender skin and plenty of juice. Ripens late Aug. through Sept. Candice Red Seedless tolerates subzero cold
Versatile and fast growing, a grapevine can bear in just 2 years. One vine requires about 8 ft. of trellis or fence, with each plant producing on average about 15 lbs. of fruit per year. All grapes are self-pollinating."
I was so excited to be chosen as a lucky recipient of the grape starts. There were 6 in the cup. All nicely intact and ready for transplanting. I have desired to grow grapes here but they seemed to never grow from the vines I have purchased from the stores. Not surprised since only 1 out 6 blackberry/raspberry/blueberry vines/trees I have purchased survived. This is its 2nd spring/summer and still is less then 6 inches tall. Lots of leaves, but no height.
We decided I would put 2 each of the grape startings in 3 different spots around the yard.Different soil conditions and locations to see which they do best in( and that way if a few die, I still have the others). 2 up by the veggie garden on the hill, 2 by the sunflower garden, and 2 by the front steps next to my heirloom roses. Those were put there so I can hopefully move them with us when the house sells. Thank you fellow Freecycler! Now I just need the captain to help with a grape arbor....
Look what we saw walking the country roads with their 6 babies:
Panda has put a request in for swans. Ummm.... no. I don't think so Honey. They may look pretty, but they cost $170. I can buy a goat in milk for that kind of money or something else PRODUCTIVE and contributing! Swans are just pond ornaments to me. Not worth that kind of money.
We are all still very sad and missing Dawg. I still tear up thinking of him and have to leave the room so no one sees me cry. It still hurts that he has passed on and left a void in our lives. When the children are putting on their plays or dancing for us by his grave stone, I cant help but picture him hopping right in the middle. Fluffy white tail wagging, pink tongue off to the side of his mouth and doing his little paw in the air give me a treat dance.
I share this with you because The Captain has asked if he can get another dog. Lil' Man asked that same question everyday since it happened. While at the hatchery, there was a sign up that an Amish boy posted of his pug/toy fox terrier puppies for sale. So The captain wanted to "just see". Put the long story short, he really liked them but they were not ready yet. Wont be until June 11th. The boy said he was thinking $100- choice of male or female. I've never paid for a dog- EVER! Thats alot of money to me for a mixed breed. But the Captain has brought those puppies up everyday since. I guess I should let the boy have a puppy. But I still miss Dawg..
Sunny Dreams,
~Tammie

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My poor apple tree & "Nature boy"

Last year, I sprayed the apple tree with an oil based "organic" spray from gardens alive. Did not help at all. So this year it seems they have doubled their inforcements and taken over the poor thing!I assume aphids. It did make me smile to se the black ant attacking- or so it appears.
The fruit have been formed no more then a few weeks and they already look like this:I fear there will be another apple-less harvest from our yard. Since we are bringing in the bees, I am double positive my hands are tied. The animal pen resides under its branches, so chemicals are a NoNO anyway. I read jalepeno sauce/puree,tobacco,garlic and something else mixed and sprayed- but the thought of me spraying this 30ft or taller tree just made me laugh. I tried that last year and after climbing through its branch's still could only get the main half of it. Why did the previous owners let this thing get so massive?!
Nature boy (aka lil'man) and I were walking the grounds perimeter while Frog took her afternoon nap. He quickly spotted this:I have no idea what it is. Do you? Nature boy quickly found a use for it.Reminds me of those little yard trolls especially the way he is sitting.
I leave you with a look at the "grain skating turkey diva champion".I swear she's smiling...
Sweet dreams, ~Tammie

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Hatchery trip and our local Bee Man....

Today we made way to the Meyer Hatchery in Polk Ohio. Since it is not that far away, we were able to do a pick up order. No shipping fees and no minimum amount. We picked up 1 day old- 5 Delaware hens, 4 buff silkies-unsexed, and 2 broad breasted bronze turkey's. The turkey's are a tom and hen which were promptly named Tommy Lee and Pamela. One of the turkey's are pictured (to the left) with a bit of grass greenery in its beak. The tiny one in front is a silkie and the taller yellows are the Delawares. So far all are doing well but soon the turkey's will need to be on their own, away from the chickens. These will be butchered in the fall (turkeys) for Thanksgiving and Winter Solstice. If there are any rooster silkies, they will go to the auction house. Captain feather sword is the only silkie roo allowed here.
While at the hatchery, we spied a few of their chicken tractors. This was our favorite out of the selection they had sitting out front.You can see through the front door clear through the back door. The "school house" roof top has vents on the sides and the bottom larger roof has hinges for opening. On the right side are 3 sliding little doors to collect eggs from nests you place there. The Run is about 5 feetX5 feet and 3 1/2 feet tall (estimating) -which also has hinges to open the top cage portion. The Captain has volunteered to help me build one like this, but I will not make the school house roof top. Not my style. I am hoping for one to house Mr. & Mrs. Turken. I would like to put the Broad breasted Bronze turkeys in the pen I have on the upper hilltop, where the Turkens currently are. This will also keep Mrs. Turkens eggs pure from other roosters.
Later in the afternoon, The Local Bee man stopped by. He is scouting for more territory to place hives and had placed an ad on the local craigslist. I promptly called to see if our place would be acceptable. So while in the area, he stopped by and seemed pretty stoked about our hill and its GREAT southeast sunny location. It will be within 50 feet of the gardens and the apple trees. There are flower trees, roses,various other flowers and gardens abound in the neighborhood).
I asked if he had a lot at local farms and he shared his experience. He had a bad one with some farmers who started using chemicals that killed off 8 of the 9 hives he had there. He is looking for more friendly grounds such as our neighborhood/land.
We also spoke of the bee shortages and he informed me that all the Bee keeper people he knows have seen a drastic 70-80% DECREASE in the swarms. One Bee man in Medina county had 89 hives last year. This year he is left with 11! That is a massive hit.
We hope to have our very own hive setup on the hill, within the next few months. He will also come out 1x a week to mow a circle around the hive in his suit, since the bees do not like mowing. we will get 10% of the honey our bees make after the first establishing. So as soon as the swarms start up( which are late since they usually begin in early May), he will be out and we will have our very own beehive! Well, not OURS, but kinda ours. Our very own Foster Bees!
I would like to take this moment to encourage all of you to reach out to your local "Bee men/Women" and inquire if you too would be a good candidate to house a beehive or two on your bit of Homestead. Maybe if there are more sites in SAFE environments we can help at least a little with the bee population.
Honey dreams,
~Tammie

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grey water waste solution & you silly kid....

The clouds could not decide what it wanted to do today so I centered my attention on some of the little things around the outside. Last Spring we had to have the road ditch re-dug due to some major overflowing storms. This had an effect on the drain pipe for the washer. Apparently previous owners had it draining to that road ditch and being re-dug cut it off. Thats the day my laundry room sat in water. Thankfully the floor is tilted towards the outside door.

So where am I going with this? Well we had to find an alternative and having it directed to the sewage tank would cost WAY too much plus who knows what effect it may have afterwards. I kept picturing damage being done to our private in ground septic system which would make us have to get a new one...Not going there. So the most logical solution was to have the washer pipe go through the block wall and another flexible pipe directing the grey water into a downspout pipe, This downspout pipe goes under the hill ledge next to the driveway and ends just past the edge of the wall into the lawn.Is it enviromently safe? I dunno...Is it legal? I dunno... so shhhh... ~~to the right is drain pipe- look close~~This is my solution to the river that flows from it ( and a rock wall that was falling apart into a unrepairable eye sore. This is an improvement at least). I dug 2 ft deep trench's which were lined with big rocks then small then medium size. This acts as a buffer to the soil as well as a filtering system for debri. It has a waterfall effect when the first "pool" fills. It then overflows under the big rock set in the upper middle, into the lower level "pool". From there it has slowed down and barely flows out into the sideline of the newly graveled driveway. It does go under the new gravel but does not wash out the driveway rocks or have messy debri/dirt in the lawn.

In the above picture, look back towards the roof drain pipe and where it meets at the ground. You will also see the washer black pipe coming out of the house. -We planted a shrub but it will take another season before filling out to hide it.- I have more hostas to plant around the cottonwood wood above it and soon the grass will grow through the fresh plantings to make this appear more natural. The picture makes it look worse then it actually is. But you get the idea of my less then $10 grey water waste solution.
Delilah has fit in wonderfully and quickly became a house goat. She goes outside to potty every45 minutes- 2 accidents in 3 days!. The first 2 nights she slept with me on the couch in my arms. It was either that or hear that MAAAA!!! all night long. Last night Panda slept with her but at opposite ends of the couch. Its an improvement.~Delilah sleeping on my garden dirty feet while I make Chicken and dumplings for dinner~

As you can see, she is adjusting to life without momma or other goats, & into a spoiled house goat. It will stop soon. I swear.... but she is just so well behaved! In the dining room, she has her own little nook to lounge in and take her naps. Which today she took a long one after all that playing outside with us. She even went on her first walk up the road. Panda wanted to ride her bike, and I wanted to start leash training our new girl. in the beginning Delilah refused to walk and wanted to be carried. So I did...sucker... Then half way up the road I put her down and she did wonderfully. Ultimately, despite the intermittent sprinkles of rain, it turned out to be a good day.
Gotta go. I hear my name being called...
MAAAA!! MAAAA!!
Sunny dreams,
~Tammie

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Send a woman for chicks &...

She will come home with a kid..... (the one behind the human kid that is)
As I wrote before- If I PLAN to go for certain things, I rarely get them.
Another Doe! I am guessing around 6 weeks old & Alpine but not sure if there is anything else in her. There was a brother but been there. Done that. No more bucks till we are on larger land.

So what's next? Well she needs a name. I thought about Delilah since "hey there Delilah" by the Plain T's came on the radio 3 times during our trip home. ***click here for song & video.***

Lady Chia was not happy either. She actually turned her nose up at me when I sat next to her with the kid in my arms. Would not look at me! I do believe she is jealous.
So why would I buy another goat when Lady Chia has been content by herself?
I couldn't help it! It's an addiction. All this homesteading lifestyle and ways have become such an enjoyment. I get a high from it!I swear I do.
Shake your heads. Go ahead. But come on. Could you have walked away from that face?
As I write this, she sits calmly in my lap. Not a care to be had. Frog LOVES her and she seems to really like Frog.Maybe its the size factor.
Its raining outside so no watering the garden but I need to close the coop up for the night.
crazy dreams,
~Tammie

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A peek at my current sewing project...

I am 3/4 of the way done with the entire project. It has been too nice to sit inside, but the call of the machine lured me in for a little while.
This is a "napkin bib" for Frog. She likes to play "wipe" with napkins, but they in no way keep her face, tops or lap clean. This is long enough to cover her lap and wide enough to cover her top front. I found a "honeycomb" stitch on the machine and it quickly became a favorite.
I have just a little more to finish up. Hopefully it will be done this evening once the babes are fast asleep. I am loving the colors in all the fabrics. Can't wait to share it all.
On a different note, we are hoping to add some more chicks to the group. I want more layers and the Captain likes it when we have spring babies around for the kids. I will compromise. I will go to the auction tomorrow. There I will pick up a Banty hen with her chicks. They ALWAYS have a few and they usually sell for about $4-$8. I will also pick a few more layers-hopefully.
We will see since when ever I PLAN to buy something it usually does not happen.
Sweetest dreams,
~Tammie

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Peek into my messy garden...

Sugar pie pumpkin sprouting Spinach taking its first glimpse

and just a peek at one of 4 gardens beds:

in front is broccoli & cauliflower Timber framed Lettuce bed has butter crunch (bright green sprouts) and romaine lettuce (in the back half not really visible).

I have a small trench running the length of my beds. I put wide wood boards there for the toads to hide under. I have to give reminders to the kids about how we want the toads to stay around the garden so stop lifting the boards! There seems to be at least one under them at every "lifting". So I must be doing something right. The stones in the beds are for stepping. Little helpers cannot reach the middle with their watering cans and need safe spots to plant their feet.
Bonnie and Clyde have been reintroduced to the main pen. They have been doing great! Of course it was not my idea. I was sitting on the back deck late the other night and saw something white moving on the hill. I kept staring and then noticed what ever it was, it was shaking its butt at me. I yell out "bonnie- clyde". and they start waddling my way. That was the first night of having their pen cover removed and Clyde decided he wanted to go home to his old pen with his new lady. So Be it.

Mr. Turken was getting the crap beat out of him (by Clyde) and so was Mrs. Turken. So a switch in pens was best- the Turkens in the old 'scovy pen - the 'scovy's in the main pen with Lady Chia & Captain feather~sword's old lady harem. I wonder why he picked on just them. Clyde demands room for Bonnie and keeps the other's away from her during feed time. He is sure to clear way for her to sit in the nest at night- Dr.Seuss's favorite spot which is sometimes shared with her- and keeps her in his sight at all times. I do believe he loves her...
For Mother's day I got a new sewing machine. Nothing major. Its a Singer "Simple". I like the extra embroidery automatic stitches. Very nice touch for a machine under $100.
My first project to be sewn comes from the inspiration of SouleMama. Making a picnic tablecloth and matching napkins. Not exactly like hers, but the idea came from reading her blog. I will be doing the "rock pockets". Just LOVE that idea. It will also be dual purpose. A lawn blanket/picnic tablecloth. durable, warm for those chilly late summer nights and pleasing to the eye. Can't wait to share- heres hoping it comes out how I envision **cheers** and
Summer dreams,
~Tammie

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Lily of the valley fills the air....

My lily of the valley blooms around mothers day almost every year. I rarely see it. I only know when I walk close by. The scent makes you stop in your tracks and smile. You smile not only because of the wonderful smell but because it is the sure sign nicer weather is here to stay.

~Pink lily of the valley on the left- white variety on the right plus bouquet w/ white in middle~
I have lots of the Pink variety. I had read the pink variety is not as well known as the white but is considered rare among home gardens. I do have some of the white, but on an opposite hill from the sister. I pick a nice hand bunch to place in every room as soon as the bloom. So sweet smelling. Now I am waiting for ( Tractor boy's father) my neighbor's lilac tree's to bloom. He always lets me clip a bunch for the house.
Today we traveled over to a stocked pond fishing place. The Captain's Dad use to take him there when he was a child.
Panda & Lil' man had a blast and by the end, both kids were baiting their own hooks. Now the casting is a whole 'nother subject....
Frog & I tended to the picnic set-up instead of fishing. I really do not enjoy it like they do. It was a beautiful place. Wonderful fields of lush green grass, black birds with the red shoulders were flying and chirping, the wind was blowing, and the children... were not fighting....
It was nice.
I made sandwich's, deviled eggs, romaine & spinach salads, plus this wonderful yummy Berry crumble pie. I have a few bags left in the deep freezer of Blackberries, Raspberries, & blueberries, I have been dying to bake with. So I baked us a pie to take along on the fishing picnic trip. I found the recipe here*, but of course I never do anything by the book. I added cinnamon to the filling & hand crumbled walnuts to the topping. I may perk around with again next time. Maybe add some sweet apple to balance out the overtone of tart berries- Nothing a little Vanilla bean ice cream wouldn't fix. But ice cream on picnic would involve an ice cream maker and we all know when you need an electric outlet, there is never one around. I would love to have a hand crank ice cream maker for that very reason and hope to have one within the next 2 years.
Other things I am working on include a HOMEMADE Cider Press! I would LOVE to have one to make all the apples around here into cider (maybe some "apple jack") and vinegar. I have been on the search for how to's, but everything seems to cost within the same range of just buying one from Lehman's. The wood is pricey since you need it to withstand the pressure from pressing and the spiral ratchet is not inexpensive. I put a request on freecycle, but that is a long shot. I thought maybe, just maybe, someone may have one in their garage they have not used in years or just have no use for. Maybe it is old and needs repaired(-I can bring it back to life). Someone is bound to have one that is just collecting dust and taking up space.
I could go for one of those shop presses and make a cider press, but we'll see what I can find.That is just one of the projects I am looking at. Tell ya more later.
Sweet dreams,
Tammie

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Farmchick Trail bars

We hit the trails at least 3 or 4 times a week when the weather cooperates. Besides a picnic lunch that waits in the car, I like to bring along healthy snacks for the kids to munch along the way.

I have experimented with making granola bars but they seem to come out hard. I do not like hard/crunchy bars (or even cookies). Then I found this recipe for homemade granola bars from Denise Garoutte’s article, "Homemade granola bars" in Mother Earth news. Not hard or crunchy. chewy but not gooey. Wonderful!
I edited the recipe for what we like and it had rave reviews by the picky Lil' man. So here is my twist on it:

Unusual Farmchick Trail bars

2 3/4 cups oats (I used old fashioned)
1 1/2 cups sunflower seeds (I used roasted and salted)
3/4 cup Wheat germ
1/4 cup Milled Flax seed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Mix the above and spread out on cookie sheet in oven pre-warmed to 300 degrees-
for 20 minutes

In the mean time, mix the following up and slowly warm/simmer while the above is in the oven:
1 cup honey
4 tablespoons butter/margarine
1/4 cup light brown sugar

As soon as the dry mix is done in the oven , take it out, add:

1 cup Various dried fruits (I used apricots and cranberries)
mix well, being sure there are no fruit "clumps". leave in a pile on cookie sheet.

Now add to the honey liquid mix:
1 tablespoon vanilla

Now add your honey liquid mix to your dry ingredients on the cookie sheet. mix till well coated and place in an 8x8 pan -( I would advise lightly coating with oil or they may not come out as well.) Pat down firmly and evenly. Place back into oven still at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. remove and let cool 30 minutes. Then cut into bars(again- I would lightly coat w/ oil what you are cutting with so they do not crumble like mine)- let cool more for around 20 minutes before removing from pan. Any "crumbs" can be placed in a zippie bag/container for topping your next yogurt. The bars should stay good for at least a month or so, depending on type of fruit used.

I also added/mixed in 1/4 cup chocolate chips just before adding liquid, but play with different fruits/nuts/sweets and see what you like best.
If you try it, I would love to hear reviews & what you added for your own twist.

Summer dreams,
Tammie

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Lets talk Dandelions... (link heavy)

Lady Chia wearing her dandelion crown- Mr.Turken behind on left

What a wonderful plant with a bad rap. I get so excited in the Spring, when they cover our hill like a yellow blanket. Much quicker to pick them that way in my opinion.
Around this time last year, we picked till our little fingers became stained yellow & green. if you were a reader of my previous blog- this would be a reminder. We tried our hand at Dandelion Wine. No, I have not tried what was made since it must sit for 1 year from its bottling, before consuming. that would put me at around next month. Very excited to try it and have decided I will pick blossoms again this year to make a batch for next years Summer Solstice celebration. Here is a link to a similar recipe we used- refresher for some of you who followed along and made batch's of your own. I cant seem to find the original one we had used and of course my notebook was shredded and marked by those little 2 legged monsters who get into my computer area....
I think I found it! Remember, the recipe we used was putting the "cake" of yeast on rye bread to float in the crock?! I used my crock pot since this time of year it is not used.
I found a few other recipes online and thought I would share with you, so you too can utilize those golden blooms dotting the landscape. I'm sure your neighbors would not mind you "pulling their weeds" if you do not have enough on your own. This link has Dandelion root coffee, dandelion greens with sausage, a Dandelion dip, plus more so just go check it out. i found a site showing (pictures!) how to make dandelion fritters, too.
I swore that this year I would attend the annual Dandelion festival in Dover Ohio. I forgot all about it until today. Today was the last day... DOH! I did find that there is one to be held in White Sulphur Springs west Virginia on May 25-28, 2007.
Maybe a chat with The Captain will bring me success on my hope to attend a Dandelion Festival this Spring. I want to try the various Dandelion wines.
Well that and some greens with sausage, maybe the fritters or...
So many things to do with a Dandelion besides eating it..Like name a Band after it! Like The Dandelion Junk Queens . I liked this song called Scum bags courtship. Made me smile...
Of course there is much more like make Dandelion crowns, jewelry,or A spring tonic.
So much out there to try. Be adventurous. Eat something wild and live to tell about it. I assure you, its not as bad as your brothers uncles fathers son told you. Its all about process and patience.
Puff ball dreams,
Tammie
*P.S. found a band named Dandelion Wine.
Heres a sample of their sound*** (in MP3)
A folk sound mixed with contemporary folk/fantasy.
Explore the wonders of the Dandelion....
~The Unusually Unusual Farmchick~

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Lazy mans potato bed

This morning I am feeling the aftermath of a few too many woodchucks (I indulge on occasion but these went smoothly) and a bonfire head throb. So I will direct you to a forum thread on the beds I mentioned for doing my potatoes. It has a few pictures which will help illustrate what I wanted to share. Excuse my sloppiness/laziness today.
*So here ya go*

All the plants are in the ground except the broccoli and cauliflower. Well that and the sunflowers. Panda has requested another sunflower house.
Looking back, I see there is not a single picture showing its final height. This shows the height but I cannot find any with blooms open. About 8-10 feet high. Remember how huge the heads were? The tops drooped from the load of seeds. Not sure we will put it in the same spot as last year. Maybe make it up by the magic tree in a spot by the garden beds. I will discuss it with Panda when she returns from her weekend trip, across the border with her Grams.
I have 2 climbing rose bush's I picked up last week. I have yet to figure out where to put them. The beds in front are now grassed and the the others have a concrete slab about 16 inches down. I would place them by the Goat Cabin but the sun does not reach it enough, once the cottonwood has greened up. I will keep looking.....
Dirt Digging Dreams,
Tammie

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A peek at the freshly painted....

Goat Cabin/ Chicken chalet!
Apple tree is in bloom and the pen has been moved/replaced. An improvement I assure you. Now all that is left to do is landscape the dirt area by my new gate. An actual hinged gate I made from dog ear planks and scrap lumber.
I attended a livestock auction today in the hopes I would bring home a silkie hen. I really would like to hatch out some turken eggs. With no incubator here or with anyone I know, A broody silkie is best bet. But of course on the day I go on my search, others have their eye on the ONE single silkie hen in the auction. She sold for over $15- and not to me. (normal is under $5) I will not pay that high of a price for a single chicken at an auction. So I had my eyes on the americauna chicks- which ended in a price of over $3 per chick w/ 15 per box-2 box's- AT AN AUCTION! come on now people. Why would you pay that price when you can pay the exact same amount for twice as many chicks from the hatchery and they deliver to your post office within a few weeks max. White leghorn chicks went for anywhere of 50 cents to $1.25 each. Just not my lucky day at the auction house. I did see some very tempting wethers for Lady Chia. I cant help but feel guilty she is alone- despite her better moods since she has been by herself. Maybe a wether, she would be happy with- just not other doe's. I will see what comes through in a few weeks on my return trip down.
Had to stop at the local plant nursery. Every seed I started became target of dirt play for Frog and Lil' man. I gave up & gave in. Picked up 3 different tomato varieties, yellow and green squash, cauliflower, broccoli, watermelon, eggplant, 4 different peppers to pickle and to stuff, thyme, peppermint and sweet white onions. I will try to start some of my black cherry tomato and striped cavern tomato seeds in the hopes to at least get an amount to make green tomato chutney (YUM!) plus save seeds for next years garden.
Tommorow will be in the mid 60's F so I will get the plants in and start the lazy mans potato bed- if its not too late. i will have to double check that with Phelan. I read of this from her blog and have been dying to try it out. I am off to shower the livestock smell from my hair and the dirt that has clung to my bare arms. Then a wonderful cup of fruity tea and watch LOST! (Its the only time I watch T.V.)
Sweet dreams, Tammie

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