Christmas Time

Well it is Christmas time again and the year is gone so fast I can hardly believe it. We have had a lot going on this year and I am still having trouble with my computer down loading pictures for my blog. I think I am going to have to format and reload everything. That is why I haven't been posting anything. It is very frustrating.
Our year has been a year of fun, family and of course work. Our gardens turned out great. I was finally able to grow some sweet corn. With the help of my husband and his insistence that I start the corn in the green house and transplant it was of great help. I had always heard that you shouldn't transplant corn, that it doesn't work, well let me tell you that it does. I put one or two corn seed in each pot and left it there. When they got big enough I transplanted them very carefully. They all grew except one.
This year is going to be a busy one. We are hoping to get a new greenhouse up this winter for next season. Have lots of plans for it. One day we would like to try aquaponics.
Well I am going to close with I hope all will have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Blessing to all.

HARVEST SEASON ABOUT OVER

Well harvest season is already about over. We really enjoyed the Apples we were able to harvest, we missed out on three of our trees, as the momma bear and her cub helped harvest those trees. They also helped themselves to a full box or honey from our beehives.
While on the subject of our Bees, we go an OK harvest of honey. two of the hives died so we are back to two hives again.
The apples we were able to save are great. We are eating the Honey Crisp Apples fresh, and making Apple Chips from the Spartan Apples. The Bosc Pears are in cold storage for now, we are going to try making some pear chips, sounded good to Janice and I.

 

It has been a while since I have posted anything, sorry, with my knee replacement and all of the harvest, time just got away from me.

 

Not too long ago we had a Tan Oak blow down, right across the gate, what a mess. Thanks to Charlie and his friend Jason came over and cut it off of the gate and driveway.

 As you can tell from the picture, it hit the gate full force, and thankfully missed the fence. It will produce some good firewood for next year.

 The goats really enjoyed eating the leaves and small twigs for about a week or maybe a little more. Now I have a huge pile of brush that I need to chip and get onto the compost pile.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving day, wow, already. Most likely dinner will be just Charlie, Lauren, myself and Janice, this year.

 

We had Grizzly breed our Nanny's the first of November. so babies should arrive around the first week of April.

We had been letting the horses out to graze on our yard at will,  a few times this fall. They both (Flash and Dancer) decided they liked the Filbert tree leaves, we had to stop just turning them out, now they come out and go into the pasture.

I should tell you that Dancer decided to dig her own Carrots this fall. Janice had intentionally left a patch of carrots in the ground in the raised bed by the incinerator, and Dancer her likes Carrots very much decided since she was not getting her share, started digging them herself. We didn't notice right away, until we started to see pieces of Carrot laying around her dig site.

The chickens are past the moult and laying pretty well again, averaging about 5-9 eggs a day again.

 



SUMMER and GRAND CHILDREN

Janice and I love summers here on the mountain, especially when we have visits from our grand children. A week ago we had a visit from Robert and Madison, the children of our youngest son, Jon. It was a very good visit, and the Kids (no longer kids, Teens) were a big help with the chores.

We had arranged with a local girl, Hannah Hooker, to give the grand children some riding lessons while they were here. Hannah is in her last year of 4-H and is a very accomplished horse woman in her own right. They started each day by grooming the horses, before tacking up.

 Both of the horses love being groomed and handled.

 So very pretty when they are groomed.

 Hannah was very good with explaining why things were done in a certain way.

 All tacked up and ready to ride!

 Some last questions.

 It was decided between them that Robert would ride first.

 The last Picture along with this one and the next one are when they returned from their ride.

 Robert likes riding horses.

 When leaving, they walked the horses down past Charlie's place (the neighbor) then Hannah ponied Flash down the road.

 Once turned around Flash was ok about coming back without stopping and not wanting to go.

One of the days Robert and Madison were here, we all went over to Frog Lake and took a hike up the trail part way over the mountain. 

 Madison also really enjoyed riding the horses.

Nice to be home after a good ride!

 Once home Flash wanted to go immediately to the paddock.

 But that was not going to happen!

 I don't remember what the devil my phone did to get my attention.

Natasha getting ready for her first ride with Hannah.

 Hannah was not under as much pressure when Natasha was here as she has had much more opportunity to ride horses and actually has a good relationship with Flash, my, er her horse...LOL.

 Our horses really do enjoy having a job and going and doing most of the time. Flash however can be a little lazy and he was really out of shape, but with these rides he is starting to get back into shape.

 Natasha Flash and I before their ride on Natasha's first day here this summer.

 And away we go!

Natasha and Hannah walking out for their first ride, exciting!



 On their way home it appears they are riding a branch, but only in appearance.

 No, don't wave you will cover your face,... Too late!

 Whoa, Flash, you can not walk over Dancer.

Natasha finishing a very good ride.

Natasha had to show off just a little for the camera.

On Natasha's second ride with Hannah, they decided to take the trail over the mountain. When they returned Natasha was all wound up and so very excited. The ride had been perfect, wonderful day, horses were good (for the most part), and though it was a very warm day they had a lot of shade on the trail so they stayed very comfortable.

Today Janice and Natasha went for a ride and they were very happy with the actions of the horses, and on their return they gave both of the horses baths, Wow clean horses.

 

Family Visit

Don's twin brother came to visit us for a week and the first day Don had him working. First time Richard got to play on the tractor here and he was loving it. In this picture he was turning the compost pile.

 

He was really getting into it, lots of concentration here. Gotta make sure it is done right. This wasn't the last time he drove the tractor he has since helped me move hay as well.

 

The next day they worked on the auger, trying to put it back together. Some bolts were missing and it needed a lot of help.  It is now working great and ready to be put to work, which we have lots for the auger to do.

 

Then they went to work in the shop building a solar bees wax melter. Don is showing the melter open and just about done.

They did a great job getting it put together. Now all that needs to be done is the painting. Black on the inside to help absorb the heat and dark green on the outside.

          

Can't wait to try it out. We have so much bees wax standing by from the honey we extracted last year and wax we have collected from the hives during the inspection of the hives. Removal of unwanted comb etc. 

All in all we had a great visit.

Flowers

My Peonies are on there last legs so I decided to bring in a couple and cherish them for a while. I really like the flowers. They are not only very colorful but very fragrant.

Not much to say today, just wanted to share the beauty.

Fountain

I moved my fountain from the  upper garden by the house to my herb garden. I had some Calla Lilies growing in the same garden and it was starting to look crowded.   

Since I had taken out my Rhubarb plant from the herb garden, it left a  big open spot right in the middle and I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do with it.

So I figured I would try the fountain. I really like it but I have no electricity out there so can't use the fountain feature. I decided to try something different. I went to the store and purchased some flowers to put in the fountain.

I purchased some of the Wave Petunias and some other plants, which I can't remember the name right now, to go with them. I tried to pick different colors. I am hoping that they will droop like water imitating the water in a fountain. 

I also purchased a solar light to put on top for character. It seems to look OK for now. Hope it works like I want it to. I will take more pictures as they grow.

Weekend Visit

Our oldest son and his family came to visit this weekend. What a nice visit. His oldest daughter, 14, helped me a whole lot this weekend. She helped me clean out the chicken coop and the bucks pen which was really bad.

She worked really hard, then we took some time in the afternoon and went for a ride. That was a chore in it self since the horses hadn't been ridden  since last summer. We had fun any way. 

My youngest granddaughter,4, starting picking dandelions for me and she left me this beautiful center piece. In the first picture that was the finished product. In the second picture she added a daisy to the mix because mom said it wouldn't last until they got home.

We had a wonderful weekend with them here and ended with a beautiful work of art. Took pictures to preserve for another day of memories.

NEEDING MORE SPACE!

We keep trying to extend our growing capabilities every year so that we can  save money and so we get fresher, better tasting fruits and vegetables.

As it happened this year, we needed to make more garden beds for more veggies!
Day 1:

 Just getting started, barely. This hill is tough on a new knee!

Janice was looking at the area behind the garden shed and decided we should build two stepped planters on that steep hill,

 Undoubtedly Janice did most of the work, although I did help a little.



All in all things went pretty smoothly this first day of the build.

Day 2:

The second day Janice finally got the sides in place. They really are coming along nicely.

Now all we have to do is fill them up and plant them.

They look pretty good. I think they will not only help hold the hillside in place so it won't wash out, it will make a great garden space.

The beds are 8' x 2' and about 2 feet deep. I really like the way they are looking.

Day 3:

The third day Don hauled compost over to the side of the garden shed and Janice shoveled it into the beds. Hard work but well worth it.

As you can see the beds are filled and planted.

Janice planted several different types of squash in these beds to start with since the compost was still not broke down well and squash are heavy feeders. Hopefully they will do well here.

Not to bad I think.