August

August 11, 2019

Baby chicks picture updates.
We have named the yellow one Honey mustard and the black one Soy Sauce.
The Honey Mustard is still bigger than Soy Sauce. We are not sure if the two days head start are still in play or if perhaps it is a breed thing or if Honey Mustard will turn out to be a rooster. We shall see.

My Husband has labeled himself a wood horder. We salvage wood. There is a dump/pit that has wood separated from the rest of the trash. building materials are also separated from branches, mulch is separated from that... We have wood in the shop to build with, but the wood shed currently looks like this

If I had to guess this is 2-3 times what we had last winter. 

That is great because last winter around February we were running out and cutting up our building supplies to burn. It wasn't hard to resupply in the spring but even as the snow cleared it was still cold enough at times the girls and I made a couple runs to pick up stuff to burn from the dump/pit. 

It is great that he is so dedicated to keeping us warm.

We expanded and improved to hastily built beds from last year for our raspberries and

 ran wire on the north side to give them some support from the wind.

I hope to build 1-2 more. 

Hopefully get some canes for Yellow "Anne" raspberries for a September raspberry harvest.

We have also built several boxed between our west Pine trees. 

I am hoping to build some more by the "pasture" as well.

We hope to add several plants in the spring:

Gooseberries on the North of the house,

Serviceberries/Juneberries/Saskatoonberries bush type, Goji bush and a Siberian Pea bush on the West of the field

Pink Champange, Rovada, and a Jonkheer Van Tets Currant bush on the west of the garden area, also a continue a sunflower patch for our daughter.

I don't know if we will get to it next year or not but we would also like to add: 

Grapes, hardy Kiwi, possible persimmon and quince trees.

I plan to use the old metal swing set as a frame to grow grapes on, likely in our garden area.

I have considered building beds and a trellis by my brothers Miny house to grow the Kiwi.

We have a North west corner that gets plenty of light for one fruit tree and a couple gaps on the North side of our property with plenty of southern exposure for a few more fruit trees, 

and maybe some bushes.

I prefer to mostly plant potential food for us. Even if we don't eat or harvest it all. Long ago my husband and I agreed that we would prefer to use water on food plants.

We plan to fill most our beds with foods, many with perennials or self sewing annuals.

I have to admit I do really want a bleeding heart plant though, and I did buy some Hollyhock seeds because I really like them :)

My wonderful brother has agreed to help me build beehives and a swing set for our daughter 

Her favorite glider swing broke. 

I think it is the single most human used outdoor item on our whole property.

I ordered a glider and a nest/saucer swing and we plan to build a couple others like a disk swing and a wooden sit/stand swing. We have picked out some wood to build a big A frame for it. I hope from here we can also build an "adult" swing for me to sit on when she wants me to come out with her.

Lots of big building plans. We will see how far we get :)

I love it here!