Farm is A Bloom!

Part Deux (sp?)

Just updated last weeks entry and realized another week has flown by. Soccer wrapped up and only one more meet for summer swim plus the championships next Saturday...with Swim banquet next Sunday!

With the weather cooler and wetter than normal, I haven't had much opportunity to weed the gardens. And Jim has to mow between rain bursts! It is quite challenging this year. I have pulled everything out from where the peas were growing and Jim wants to place golden raspberries there for next year.
A friend from work passed some strawberry plants to us and we want to find a good home for them. However, Jim thinks their home should be the lettuce bed. I hate to waste all that lettuce! I've been harvesting as much as I can and donating it to just about everyone. The zucchini is coming in at a good pace. And we just got2 peppers this week. However, the #@**#@! deer decided they wanted my beet and bean plants more than I! When does deer season come in?
The pumpkin patch must fight with the tall grass that grew up in the patch since I couldn't weed. They seem to be doing well... only time will tell. As for Grandma's sunflower garden, we have tall stalks but no flowers yet.
On the crafting side, I've been busy making our dresses for the banquet, an apron (sort of got sidetracked) and some rolled honey comb candles.
Need to go get my kitchen cleaned to make some pickled beets and contact Lehmans about a crock with lid for our sauerkraut.
Until next time.

One helluva a week!

The Falcon Cup Soccer Tournament was this weekend (July 18th and 19th). Emily's team was runner-up in their division and Allison's team won the Cup for their division! A terrific year for them as we are usually eliminated after the first game. Allison is the green shirt team, Emily the blue shirt team.

The girls and I went to the midnight showing of the latest Harry Potter movie. It was AWESOME! Now we get to take Dad sometime soon and get another viewing.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Happy Birthday Grandma. She is 84 years young today. Emily baked a cake and we all enjoyed it along with some Moose Tracks ice cream.

Busy Day

Ok.. so everyone has busy days. But today we bought our new Singer sewing machine. Its just a regular sewing machine - not an embriodery machine--not a serger--just a plain old sewing machine. But we LOVE IT! The girls have tried every fancy stitch that it contains. Now onto our sewing projects...my first, an apron.*smile*
Karma was against us today however, because the fair board office was closed down for a long lunch today and we couldn't register for our arts and crafts. I will have to simply snail mail it in.
The new Hobby Farm Home magazine came today and now I'm inspired to learn to make cheese, keep a look out for an old cider press and consider wine making.
We stopped out at Jim's sportsman club for a carryout of their famous fish fry. They give way to much to eat...freshly fried fish, homemade french fries (just like the fair) cole slaw, macaroni and cheese...and I'm stuffed.
I picked our first zucchini of the season. If you stop by, just ask for some... we have plenty.

Barns!

I love to look for barns throughout the countryside on a drive to hither and yon. I miss Martin's century barn. I can't believe its been... thinking... about 10 years or so since it burned down after a lightening strike. And I often wondered what happens to some that I see that fall into disrepair. Well I've found some interesting web sites that may help with this dilemma.... The National Barn Alliance , The Barn PagesAND Friends of Ohio Barns
Please look around these web sites... look around your area and help preserve these architectural wonders!

Beetles

Beetles... no not George, Paul, John and Ringo...anyway there's only two of them left. I'm talking about the 6 legged kind found all over our farm! I found them on my sunflowers and zucchini. I need to go purchase some of the beetle bags, but in the mean time I take a tupperware container, shake the beetles into the container and dump them out for the chickens. Gotta love the chickens for taking care of these pests!

Weekend Roundup!

First of all... Happy 4th of July!
Our 4th was filled with a parade... Allison's first in the Austintown Fitch marching band. We are all very proud of her. She will have a short hiatus for the remainder of this month and then begin practicing in earnest for the upcoming football season in August.
We 'chilled' out for the rest of the day and enjoyed our neighborhood fireworks show in the evening.
I finally purchased two plastic watering cans for the chickens to replace the galvanized ones that rusted out. I thought galvanized was supposed to endure, but apparently I was proved wrong.
Today we put up around 40 jars of black raspberry jelly. Dad is instrumental in this project as he is our lead berry picker. He has a knack for finding the best berry patches. Supplement that with our own backyard vines (which were quite plentiful) and viola... 40 jars of jelly!
I've been picking (and eating) our sweet peas. I think they've just about run its course. Our zucchini and pumpkins are growing quite nicely and we should have an abundant amount of both.
Our Linden trees are finally blooming. About a week ago our local weather forecaster announced that the Linden would be blooming. I immediately ran out to our tree and didn't see or smell anything. This weekend, however, they finally started to blossom. They aren't as prolific as normal... we think the late frost may have hampered them this year. I don't know if I'll be able to harvest any for tea this year - maybe next year.
The cherries are about finished too. I didn't have a chance to pick any, and I'm not sure if Dad or the girls had a chance to pick any either. However, the birds loved 'em!
I received a heirloom tree order book this week and found the transparent apples that I have been looking for. I think we will order two for next year...and possible a few others as well.
Enough for now... I'm going back outside to enjoy a rain free day.