I am posting a “final month on the homestead” quite than “final week” as I can not even keep in mind what I did final week. So, an outline it is going to be!
The backyard is doing okay. Sure, simply okay. The tomatoes and peppers are producing prolifically as are half of the inexperienced bean vegetation, the greens, beets, and a lot of the herbs, however the remainder is, properly, simply okay. The weeds started their annual takeover, however I used to be capable of spend a few days pulling these, so we’re again to having the ability to see the entire vegetation once more (and any snakes which may be visiting). I’ve planted extra seeds for fall. I had hoped to get some seeds began for fall planting however that did not occur which is likely to be okay this yr as we’re receiving a good quantity of rain. I feel they need to germinate and get rising in time for a harvest. And excellent news, my 4 sunflowers are nonetheless alive! Due to their late begin they are not blooming but however I imagine they may.
Oliver
The hecticness of this previous month was principally on account of Jay and Oliver being hospitalized. Fortunately not each on the similar time, and clearly each at several types of hospitals (Oliver is a canine though he would not appear to know that). Jay was having kidney stone points. He has them pretty frequently (it is years between them however they at all times ultimately present up) and is monitored yearly. So, whereas it wasn’t a shock that they started shifting, it was a shock once they acquired caught and he needed to endure emergency surgical procedure to have them eliminated.
As soon as he was lastly again up and operating, I acquired sick, which is uncommon today fortunately. My sickness solely lasted a number of days after which we needed to take Oliver to the emergency vet as a result of he abruptly started having extreme respiratory issues. Fortunately all of us had been again up and operating earlier than the subsequent one was unwell. It actually would have been even worse to have us all down on the similar time.
Oliver remains to be recovering and was identified with a further 4 medical points throughout his keep on the emergency vet. He is 13 1/2 years outdated and a French Bulldog, so nobody was stunned once they continued to search out new points. We aren’t positive what all of it means but as we have to focus first on getting his respiratory points resolved after which we are going to meet along with his common vet to determine the remainder.
Jackson
Jackson is doing properly as is our feral cat good friend Felix. We have not seen a lot of the opposite two feral cats. One morning one of many different cats and I imagine Felix acquired right into a struggle over the cat meals dish. There was lots of hissing and a few tumbling into the flower mattress proper off of the entrance porch. Felix will need to have gained the turf conflict as the opposite hasn’t been seen a lot since. Jack was sleeping by the whole incident. Too unhealthy, he would have gotten very excited from his window seat view.
By some means, we missed jam season. I simply realized this the opposite day. How does that occur??? Normally, we go to an area u-pick for blueberries to show into jam and may in addition to fill up on strawberries once they go on sale for a similar cause. This yr neither occurred. Bummer since we used up all of our selfmade jam a month or so in the past. We will make it with frozen fruit possibly in early fall. I really have not canned something as of but. We nonetheless have some issues left from final yr, however I had hoped to have the ability to add to my cabinets. There’s nonetheless loads of time, so I simply must determine what gadgets to give attention to.
I have been studying the Inspector Gamache sequence by Louise Penny in any spare time I get (or whereas ready in hospital rooms, ready rooms, and many others…..). I am presently ready for the subsequent one to be accessible on the library. I get pleasure from her writing as it’s considerably totally different from most that I usually learn.
What are you studying this summer season?
coop lady Dorilla
We misplaced two coop women the top of July. Do you keep in mind me telling you about candy coop lady Dorilla and the way she would put her wing round coop lady Stella at evening on the roost? Nicely Dorilla handed away one night. I discovered her laying beneath the roosts once I went to open them up for the day. Stella handed away only a few days later. Is not that attention-grabbing? They had been so shut and handed away the identical week. I am positive that each are from outdated age, though Stella might have been outdated age and heartbreak. I might examine on her within the evenings after Dorilla’s passing and she or he was all by herself. It is unhappy however I am so completely satisfied they skilled such a loving friendship whereas they had been right here.
I had hoped to have made the oregano pesto I wrote about within the final submit and report again, however my oregano is the one herb not doing properly this yr. Go determine. I lastly have a approach to make use of a bunch of it (quite than simply drying it) and it did not develop a lot in any respect. We had been blessed with a plethora of cilantro, as typical, and I have been so grateful. We eat it just about every day, so it has been great to choose it contemporary all spring and summer season. I do know lots of people battle with rising cilantro and I don’t know why it does properly in my backyard. I believe as a result of I haven’t got full solar. I really planted it in succession in nearly all of my backyard beds.
We’re reminded that the subsequent season is correct across the nook as we make our fall merchandise for our cleaning soap & mercantile firm. It is laborious to imagine that point is nearly right here! I used to neglect to benefit from the final of summer season as a result of I used to be so excited concerning the anticipation of fall, my favourite season. However now, I make a acutely aware effort to totally embrace every day of the yr, no matter what it brings.
**Our ideas are with the entire individuals on the island of Maui. My husband and I lived on Oahu once we first acquired collectively and had been later married on Maui. It’s heartbreaking to see the devastation and loss.
What about you, have you ever had a pleasant summer season? How did your backyard do that yr? What meals are you preserving for winter consuming?
