It was mildly disappointing to have had a drab stretch of cool wet weather, the most unfortunate, though, being a heavy fall of large hail, which killed half the garden and maimed the rest. Hopefully the remaining plants will pull through to maturity. Meanwhile things are looking green.
Our farm is getting cultivated, producing eggs and rabbits, and being fixed up in at least the most structurally important places.
This year was mostly expected to be a preparation year, for thinking, planning, repairing and some experimentation, so everything else is a bonus. The garden areas, for example have plans, and we are beginning to see what grows well and to establish and open up the areas, and develop the soil with compost, which also takes time to run its course. The fact that we chose to plant annuals was primarily for fun and for the soil, so all produce has tickled us in dividends and the season has just begun. Above was the result of thinning the tiny beets, and gave us two stuffed produce bags of tops, plus 100g of baby beets. Chard seems to do very well and is really a very versatile vegetable. It's hard enough to be cooked, but only needs to be wilted, and could be eaten chopped directly into a salad. It comes in fantastic colours, though the chard we ate as mango curries was just plain-jane, green-on-white stalks. The nasturtiums and bachelor's buttons were blooming, and I wasn't even the only one who ate beets. Mind you, the tops are not tasting of soil. This was of course, prior to the hail storm...
Perhaps the most exciting recent development in terms of returns, are our feathered and furry friends. Georgi and Rori are well, too, being good pets, mostly. George is odd for a cat, in a good way and provides some laughter. He often comes to the bedroom window very early asking to be let in. Standard cat behaviour. One morning he was getting impatient so he climbed the screen. The screen popped out of the window casing, tumbling to the ground two stories down, while Georgi saved himself by springing into a nearby tree. He hasn't tried that a second time... Meanwhile Rori has been using her big dog voice on alert for skunks and coyotes. She is getting to be a very fast dog!
The little yellow peeping chicks are now a full fledged laying brood with fine looking feathers. Though they are still poults until next year, they do in fact appear every bit like any standard hen you've ever seen. The eggs are becoming more regular in numbers and shapes, and these delicious, sometimes double yolked marvels are showing up in mass quantity and often so large the carton won't close. Yes, those are our super chicks! Eggs proudly laid by Henrietta and brood.
Our favourite rabbit, Rochelle had kits. Four plus a wee runt. Poor Runt didn't make it past five days, but the other little plumpkins are growing up. Rabbits don't make the best moms, but considering how terrible they apparently can be, we are happy about Rochelle. The babies look like rabbits now, but in the early days the only part looking ostensibly rabbit-like are their teeth. They are just little balls of wrinkles, lacking fur, eyes shut and I think looking rather like an alien mini-rhino baby. Lol. Cute nevertheless.
Our building project for the week was the foundation for the north wall of our first barn. We elected to get the cement delivered and I am so glad we did. It was much easier (obviously), probably more sound done all at once and actually considerably cheaper at an amount of approximately 90 cubic feet. We had extra so I made a step up to the door. It may get covered over eventually, but for now it's easier to get up. And it bears the name of the farm. :)
We began a sign for our driveway which will go up soon. The pets are settling into a routine with Jordan, and now the place is just waiting for some sunshine and for me to come back!
I'm waiting to come back, too!
