Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[Wannabefree]

8x8 IS heavy, but we'll be moving it with a hand truck anyway, and i can handle it myself like that. You gotta post pics too ya know

I'm a seed collector too..I don't have anymore extras this year though...dunno how that happened

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Hadta happen cuz you keep puttin' them seeds in dirt (or starter mix) LOL!

And, I lied - Lucy Goosey is NOT setting today... I wish she'd make up her mind.

I have peas sprouting everywhere, but it's too wet now to get in the garden and plant anything else. AND, I made another garden decision - I'm plantin' me some taters this year. I haven't planted any in years cuz we don't eat very many carbs, but dang it, I want taters! So, I'm gonna have 'em... I can always give any extras to the kiddos.

 

[Wannabefree]

Is that why...maybe I oughta stop doing that.....nah... I like it too much

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Today's project - (tequila) nooooo, noooo, noooo - sorry, got side tracked..

Today's project - raised beds. I want them, I need them, and by golly, I'm gonna have them. I've got a big garden 'out back' and a smaller garden not quite so 'out back' and I want these beds right up in the back yard. The plan is to put the more fragile plants closer so that I can take better care of them. Tomatoes especially. I have the WORST problem with big ol' Texas sized stink bugs every year. Anybody else fight them? The idea is to be able to cover the tomato beds with a row cover/bug cover to keep the nasty critters away. That seems to be the only way I can get unblemished 'maters.

We decided to go with cedar for the beds. OMG - it smells so good! We're starting with a couple of 4 x 8 beds, just to get the hang of it. I'd eventually like to have the east side of the yard done up in beds...maybe 10 or 12. I haven't told DH yet, but I want a strawberry pyramid/tower too. It shouldn't be that hard to do. Hopefully...

Ok,,, guess I better get out there and supervise!

 

[Wannabefree]

Sounds like a load of fun!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Today was one of the most 'laid back' days I've had in quite awhile. Slept all the way to 7am, which was soooo nice. We were out at the boss's party last night, so I slept in at least an extra hour this morning.

The weather never really got as bad today as it threatened to be, but it was just bad enough to keep me from starting anything major. My DS came out and worked on the tractor and the tiller. Now, mind you, I had to threaten him so he'd come out, but he did finally show up, lol! He's a whiz and can fix anything, but he'd rather play than work. My ace in the hole is that he's got my farm truck because his truck is broken. He works on my stuff or he loses truck access... it's a darn shame that I had to threaten that, but we had a good time when he got here.

We had turkey for dinner. I pulled it out of the freezer a couple days ago...started brining it this morning and baked it this afternoon. I've just started learning to use the convection feature on my oven, and OMG, it cooks a great turkey - and fast too! This was a 17 lb bird and it only took about 90 minutes!

It's official - Lucy Goosey is trying to drive me crazy. (granted, it's a short trip,lol) But, she's been off and on the nest for the last couple days. She was on most of today, so I'm hopeful that this is the beginning of her broody phase.

I did promise that I'd make goat milk ice cream before the weekend was over - and - I did! I think it's about ready for some quality control testing... later 'taters!

 

[Wannabefree]

Save me some!!!!!

 

[Denim Deb]

Me too!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

'smacks lips and rubs tummy'..... mmmm...that was g.o.o.d! There's a tiny bit left - ya'll have to draw straws to see who gets it, lol!

I tell ya - we are all about the goat milk at my house. Milk, cheese, butter, cajeta and ice cream(!) and especially ice cream with cajeta on top! I can't imagine life without it any more. It's gonna be hard when I have to dry up Ms Red so she can kid.

Raining again today - ugh. It's really putting a crimp in my gardening plans. I need to fill up the two new raised beds, but it's too wet to even move a loaded wheel barrow without bogging down. Oh well.. this too will pass.

Guess I better get into Monday morning work mode!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Finally - Lucy Goosey is stuck to that nest like glue! I was hoping she'd start brooding earlier because I've got her earlier eggs in the incubator and I know at least a couple of 'em are developing. I'd pulled some when she first started laying, and then after I candled those I put the 'duds' back in the nest and took more of the fresher eggs she'd laid in the interim. Good on more eggs - bad on having two different due dates. Ummm, well... I guess I'll have 3 different due dates if any of the last eggs she laid are fertile. Gee whiz... I have to figure out a way to get them all under her (if they actually hatch). I don't wanna be hand raising no goose babies - even though - Lucy is a hand raised gal who is so bonded to me that she'll let me mess with her while she's nesting. Maybe hand raised is not such a bad idea.

Couple days ago I candled a bunch of eggs that I had in the incubator. I must have had two dozen Silver Gray Dorking eggs and I musta pulled 20 of 'em for being infertile. Hmmmmm.... When I first got into the SGDorkings I bought a dozen eggs from a guy (he gave me three extra) and out of those 15 eggs only 3 were fertile and only 1 hatched. The one that hatched is a gorgeous roo - much better quality than the hatchery birds I have him with. But, I'm beginning to see a problem here... The eggs he came from were mostly infertile, and the eggs I'm trying to hatch from him are mostly infertile. I don't think I've ever known of a rooster shooting blanks, but kinda looks like Mr. Dorkster has an 'issue' with his swimmers... I do have two extra hatchery roos that are in the kill pen...maybe one of 'em (or both) will get a pardon, lol. The problem with them is that they are just not the quality that I want and I feel like it'll set back my improvement plan to use them. But - there will be no improvement plan at all if I can't get any babies. :/

Probably wont' get a lot of farming done this weekend. DH is picking up our oldest grandson (11) Friday afternoon. He'll spend the night and then we have to get him back to NW Houston for his baseball game by 3 on Saturday afternoon. It'll be a short/sweet visit but it'll also keep me from getting much of anything else done. Ahhhh, who cares? He's a great kid and if a gramma can't give her grandson some undivided attention - what kind of gramma is she anyway? He's a blast and if it weren't so muddy he'd be out in the middle of the 'farm' with me as much as possible. I'll probably let him try his hand at milking Red, but that's about the extent of it.

Our weather is teasing us. We've had nothing but clouds and rain for a few days now. Today and for the next couple days it'll be clear and nice, but back to freezing by Sunday. What's up with that? It's so hard to remember that it's still February and not officially spring yet - no matter how much I wish it! I know lots of you have it LOTS worse - so I'm not gonna whine about what we've got.

Guess I better start earning my paycheck.