Goodbye Lilacs

What a spring we had for the lilacs! They bloomed prolifically and smelled heavenly.
This is all that's left of the blooms today.

A View of the Garden Plots. (So I Don't Forget Where I Planted Stuff.)

Dan is setting us up beautifully for a spectacular season of homegrown fruits and vegetables. Today marked the completion of plowing and disking.

This was the pig pen. Now it will be the home of potatoes, sweet potatoes, perhaps corn ( an open pollinated red flint, or "dent" corn) and/or squash and pumpkin.

And a closer view of the fertile Virgina red clay.

On the west side of the house I have a lovely little garden spot just waiting to tell me which delicacies want to be planted in its sandier brown dirt.
Just plowed.

The same plot after Laura and I rode on the disc to give a deeper till this morning.

And in the corner of the long established garden is my new rustic asparagus bed that Big Dan made yesterday. He's filling it with dirt on top of the compost right now.
Mama Cow has every right to gloat over that glorious compost pile. She's a large producer of "black gold."

Big Dan's Strawberry Patch

We've had trouble in the past with our animals destroying our strawberries.
*Trouble* meaning they've killed every strawberry plant we had ever planted. Ever.
So my genius husband did this.
Also, they're yummy!

Our Little Sausage Roll

Jamie is a gentle giant of a breeding boar.
Katie rudely calls him "Sausage Roll" due to his tubular shape and also, ya know, he's made of sausage.
We think he and Halvah have another family of piglets on the way in July.

Plantation Fail

I planted 18 cotton seeds. Everyone (three of you) wanted to know what I would do with my abundant cotton harvest.

Never fear; there will be no excess cotton to brush and spin.

Here's the 1 out of 18 cotton plants to sprout, circled in yellow. The rest molded.

On the bright side, surrounding the lone cotton seedling are a bunch of happy little "Virginia Select" Amish Paste tomato seedlings that will grow up to make a year's supply of ketchup and tomato sauce for us.

Seeds of Hope

18 cotton plants are about to be born on Providence Farm!

Due to a vacation at the Grand Canyon I got a late start on gardening, but I'm happy to see that Southern Exposure Seed Exchange recommends direct sowing everything.

I did plant the cotton and some Virginia Select paste tomatoes. I'll probably start the peppers and other tomatoes when they come in the mail this week.

Meringue Issues

Here's my Key lime pie with, um, meringue!
I thought this presentation sums up my world nicely: it doesn't matter how things look on the outside, it's what's inside that matters!

It's the Least Wonderful Time of the Year

I've decided to post more honestly here. Not that my posts are ever dishonest, but you certainly get a one-sided view of farm life.
A mother once told me to be sure I don't post graphic or sad things because she shows the blog to her children.
But the un-fun times are real, and knowing about them is only fair.
So here's a pic to sum up the impending Arctic weather and our desperation for the sun and her warmth.
We've ("we" in this sense meaning my kids and my husband) been scrambling to get extra hay to the horses and cows and shoring up all of the animals' shelters for the predicted frigid weather.
(Be glad you get to look at unhappy Kate during chores. It was either this or a photo of the broiler chicken who died under the horse trailer.)

Hope Springs Eternal

Here are illustrations of things that will never get done at my farm.
In the bleak darkness that is January, I always imagine grand schemes for a garden that will actually produce food that I, in turn, will actually harvest and "put up."
I'm a terrible gardener. This year I ordered a book which will make a good gardener out of me.
When, and only when, I master the contents of this book, I will allow myself to order the seed catalog!

A Christmas Miracle!

Our momma hen is back to laying eggs. In the cat's house. On the front porch. But we have eggs again, so that's all that matters.
And here's a duck egg from Pip thrown in for good measure.
It was a bad feeling to be buying eggs from the store for holiday baking.
There's simply no comparison between the bland store bought and the dark colored, flavorful home grown eggs.
God bless you, poultry, every one!

American Clothespins

See that big luxurious clothespin in the foreground? I'll be assembling 19 of them tomorrow.
I was so excited when Herrick Kimball released a batch of clothespin kits. They sold out quickly, but I am among the lucky few who got a package.
The pieces are soaking in boiled linseed oil to offer them more protection from the elements.
My laundry is soaking in my homemade laundry soap that smells like Grandma's washing.
I feel frugal.

The Play's the Thing

I had meant to be a consistent blogger but I'll wow you with these photos of famous thespians to take your mind off my long blog absence.
We just performed in a weekend full of "Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus" at the local community theater.
I was Mrs. Madison, a neighbor to the main characters. Laura was convincing as Lige the coal man. Becky and Katie were children in school with Virginia. I know Becky's picture is blurry, but I like it anyway. It summed up the energy of backstage shenanigans before the shows.
This has been a busy season, full of the blessings of a job well done, a close-knit community of fellow actors, and an outreach to people who want access to the arts in rural America.

Morning Ritual

Clyde is excited about the wildland fire industry's off-season. Most of us won't hold Uncle Clyde because of his unnecessary roughness. He's downright dangerous with his claws and his teeth. He likes to rub his head on us, drooling from happiness, and sucking on fingers.
Now that Big Dan is home, Clyde gets his morning nap on a lap every day.
It takes a man to snuggle with Clyde.

Cider Calf

My Aunt Jackie thought "Cider" would be a good name for the brown calf. I keep thinking of her as "Cider" now, so I suppose this name will stick. Maybe "Mulled Cider" to open up more availability for nicknames.
Here she is, soft and sweet in the morning light.
Little Miss Dee is a fantastic first time mom.

E.P.T.?

I was out in the field photographing the new heifer this morning, but Opal wanted me to take a picture of her picking and carrying her harvest of broom straw to her shelter.
Does this mean that she's announcing her expectation of piglets? Or is it simply going to be a cold winter?

Thanksgiving

It's dreary and chilly on Thanksgiving Day, but all the animals are toasty in their straw beds.
Isn't this new heifer calf the cutest baby ever?

Big Happy Cow Family... Sort of

Little Miss Dee had a heifer calf today, surprising us all. Well, we knew she was expecting, but we didn't know when to expect the blessed event.
Here are what I thought were family portraits of daughter, and mom, and dad.
Until Big Dan pointed out that the real father was obviously Jersey Bull Calf, from a relationship consummated before he went to his new home in the freezer. Just ignore that photo of the proud bull. What he doesn't know won't hurt him.
So even better- a half Jersey heifer calf.
We now have six female dairy breeds cows and calves at Providence Farm.
Got Milk?

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like... My Daughter is Crafty

Laura wanted a nice big wreath to decorate the door this year. I was seeing them for fifty dollars, and not well-made even at that outlandish price.
Becky got up early, went collecting in the woods with five kitties, and made... this!

Vanilla Extract on the Cheap

Every time I buy vanilla extract, I cringe because of the exorbitant price.
So I bought my own vanilla beans wholesale and poured vodka over them.
I have another bottle like this to fill and then I'll be on the hunt for cheap bottles.
I'll keep you posted on the progress.

Pudding with Dumplings, or: Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth

I had an abundance of Penny's milk and asked, "Which cheese should I make?" The girls answered without hesitation, "Pudding!"

Laura was at the stove making the world's best chicken with dumplings, and I crowded in next to her with my chocolate pudding pot.
She flung dough from her fingers, and we laughed until we cried when it almost plopped into the boiling pudding. Luckily it hit the side, but now we have a better idea of how new recipes are created.

And yes, we use a blaze orange stocking cap as a pot holder for the hot lid. Don't you?