I Know, I Know!!!

Woah now, no hate mail please!!!  I know it has been way toooooo long since I posted. With work, church, garden, chickens, b-days, house, trips, and what the heck lets throw in the hubby too, it has been BUSY!!!!  I almost don't even know where to begin. Ok, here goes.

GARDEN

Didn't get everything out of the garden that we had hoped for but overall it was a success. As usual we learned a ton which can only help in the long run. The following list is everything we planted and how it turned out.

Asparagus- plenty to keep us happy
Corn- did fairly well for selected strain, we let it dry due to cob size and will use for parched corn
Beets- good harvest, picked them a bit early
Yams/Sweet Potato- tops eaten by animal most of season, upon harvest were small in size but edible
Carrots- good yield for amount planted
Cantaloupe- demolished by CHICKENS (little buggers)
Zucchini (3 varieties)- did amazing
Squash (2 varieties)- did amazing
Watermelon- fair (planted to late)
Bell Peppers- half did nothing, other half did great but we're extremely late for harvest
Jalapeños- good harvest
Green Beans- great harvest
Half Runner Beans- good yield, should have trellis to vine, hard to pick
San Marzano tomato- great harvest
Tomato- multiple varieties; did OK
Kohlrabi- great harvest
Peas- good harvest, need to plant more next year
Greens (including lettuce)- amazing harvest
Herbs- (sage, onion chives, garlic chives, basil, thyme)- all abundant, my basil plants were BUSHES!

Here are a few pics I took throughout the season.

Asparagus and Herbs

Garden/New Grapevines

Squash/Zucchini

Basil

Cabbage/Tomato/Cantaloupe

Peas/Watermelon/ Sour Cherries

I am proud to say we used, canned, or gave away most everything we had from the garden.  We canned green beans (regular and pickled), tomato, beets, and made jelly with the sour cherries.  We froze cabbage, jalapeño's, basil, and bell pepper purée. I am sure there are tons of info I am leaving out but my memory is failing me at the moment!!

I will continue updating on the past few months as time allows. Maybe the next update should be CHICKENS!!!!

Enjoy!

Baby update and zucchini on the way!!

Just wanted everyone to see how the baby Bantams are getting along and check in on the garden.

Yesterday I let Mama G and the babies out of the hutch to see how they would like roaming around the yard.  It was just amazing at how quick they learn.  Mama G would let out certain "clucks" and it was like they new exactly what to do.  Mama G found the perfect place for a much over due dust bath and it wasn't two minutes later the babies were imitating her behavior.

The garden is coming right along as well.  We have already picked a few round of peas and lettuce. Even more exciting... in the next couple of days we will have zucchini and squash on the table.  The beans, beets, tomatoes and some pepper plants are looking GOOD as well!!  We made a last minute decision to add a few watermelon plants so our whole garden may become one huge vine by the end of summer.

Last on the docket for today is our new grape vines!! We found a deal on a few grape vines so we decided to give them a shot.  It required some man hours (THANK you Nicky) to build a trellis but I think the reward will be SWEET!!

HAPPY Gardening!!

New Arrivals!!!

We Have BABIES!!!

I have a quick but exciting story to share with you. Last night we were suppose to get this gnarly storm so beforehand we moved all the patio furniture and other odds and ins inside to avoid any disaster.  I decided I better check on Mama G out in the compost pile to make sure she is secure for the oncoming storm.  Being the protective Mama, as I approached she slowly started to do her normal clucking. But all of a sudden I swore I heard a "chirp".  I put the flash light on Mama G and I saw a perfectly cracked shell which means only one thing... there must be a baby chick somewhere.  Now let me just remind you that the thunder and lightening is getting closer and closer.  So I reach under and instantly felt a baby and pulled it out. I started screaming to Nicky "we have a baby".  So I proceeded to put the baby chick back when I realized I should probably see if there are any more.  Most of the time a clutch of chicks will all hatch in 24 hours of each other.  I lifted Mama G off the nest for a closer look and "BAM" a total of 9 babies.  Somehow I miss counted the projected due date because I was not expecting them until the weekend.  

Well since the storm was coming I didn't want to disturb them to much so we decided to let them be for the night.  Baby chicks do NOT require food or water for the first 24 hrs.  So the sun came up and we did a few house chores and I started to venture out to check on Mama G and her chicks.  I looked out toward the coop and there she was walking around the yard with babies in tow.  It was the cutest.  

I decided for their comfort and safety to move them to the rabbit hutch till they are a bit bigger. They are bantams so they are no bigger than a golf ball when they are born.  Below are a couple videos of the newbies!!

It's been tooooo Long!!

I know, I know...It has been forever since I have been on here. Trust me I have been thinking about writing this for over a week.  Things around here are definitely ramping up!!! Let me start off with yesterday and go backwards... it just sounds more fun.

Yesterday we went to the Amish Produce Auction which is one of my favorite things especially during the summer.  We went today for the first time this year so I wasn't sure how much they would be selling.  But don't fret we still came home with a car load.  And it only gets better as the growing season continues.  Our loot today was strawberries (for jam, smoothies, and lemonade), cheddar cauliflower (just to try it), Raw Honey, Marigolds (for garden pests), and six different flats of plants for the garden. The story is tooooo long on how we ended up with six flats of plants but I will tell you what varieties ended up in the car.  Kohlrabi, purple kohlrabi, cantaloupe, watermelon, and cucumber.  I guess we better make room in the garden. Oh wait, it's pretty much full!!!!????!!! Hmmmmm, decisions, decisions.

After our spending spree on strawberries we decided we better get busy making something.  We decided to make Low Sugar Strawberry Jam using only pectin, raw honey, and strawberries.  It turned out perfect and Delish!!! I have to give a shout out to Amanda M. for inspiring me to make my first batch!!

Speaking of gardening everything is moving right along.  We have everything in (except what we just bought) and we even have all our tomato plants staked and ready to go.  I will have to post some photos of the garden when I get a chance.

The only other exciting bit of news is.... I am about to be an unexpected mother once again!!! I kept wondering why one of my Banty Hens (now named Mama G) kept insisting on getting out of the spectacular electric fence???? Come to find out she had laid herself a nice clutch of eggs in the compost pile.  Not only did she lay 12 of her own but she is a surrogate to one large brown egg as well. So by next week we should have some baby chicks...AGAIN!!!

There is so much to write that it would take me days. Fact is "storms a comin' " and I better turn off this computer!! Hope you enjoyed the update and trust me...many more pics to come.  

Happy Gardening!!

Busy, Busy, Busy

A lot has been going on in this household we call Lumpkin Lodge.  Gardening, chickens, yard work, my work, Nicky's work, and the list goes on.  So here is an update on all things in general.

First - The Garden is about to be full force.  We hesitated on planting the tomatoes and pepper plants because as hard as it is to believe "they" were threatening us with a frost last night.  But trust me they are ready to go outside!! So currently we have lettuce, peas, arugula, beets, onions, rhubarb, a few herbs, and last years artichokes coming up.  Also just as exciting is our fig tree we started last year is coming back as well.

Second - The chickens are doing great. As many of you know we decided to get some electrified poultry netting to make it easy for them to come and go especially when we are out of town.  The fence it self is AMAZING.  BUT chickens aren't the smartest creatures on earth so occasionally when they get startled and they don't know where to escape they start fluttering around and bouncing off one another and one of them ends up tumbling over the fence.  It is quite the scene.  After it happens they just kinda stand there and look around as if they have no idea why they are on the outside and everyone else is on the inside. But overall we are extremely happy with the fence.  In fact we are tossing around the idea of getting another roll to increase the amount of roaming space.
Everyone has also been asking me about my new baby chicks that were donated to the flock in April.  They are slowly but surely learning their pecking order in the Coop.  They are not to keen on traveling outside at this time so they spend their days inside the coop.  The newest thing they are learning is how to get up on the 6-7 feet high roosting rods.  As of last night three had successfully found a spot on the roosting rod and three were camping out on the ramp that attaches to the roost.  That is a huge deal considering the other chickens are huge bullies when it comes to sharing the roost.

Third - All I have to say about yard work, it is a good thing we don't live in a neighborhood because we would probably be getting nasty grams about mowing our grass more often and not weed eating!!!! The rain is not cooperating with our work schedules so sometimes it gets a little tall. Just sayin'.

Fourth - Work, Work, Work!! It pays the bills!!  This past week Nicky had a gig in Charlotte, NC and I had to show you a pic. He was working with Smithfield and they have the best slogan right now. They gave me a bumper magnet for my car that says FueledByBacon.  I LOVE it!!!

FRESH, FRESH, FRESH

In Ohio you always know when planting season and warmer weather is on the way.  The asparagus and rhubarb starts popping up and the herbs revitalize.  And low and behold this past week it finally happened.  Nicky and I leave several of our herbs in the ground over winter because they have no problem coming back in the spring.  Sage, onion chives, garlic chives, horseradish and thyme.  I did manage to keep the Italian parsley and spearmint alive in pots inside the house this winter. 

As far as the garden goes it is getting closer and closer to putting everything in the ground.  We already have the peas (which are about 2-3 inches tall), lettuce and arugula in the ground and coming up.  Very soon the beets and onions will go in.  After that tomatoes, squash, zucchini, corn, peppers, cantaloupe, green beans, sugar snap peas and anything else I happen to find at a nursery that I want to try. 

I can't wait for all this stuff to come up and start producing!!

UPDATE: The electric fence is working wonderful for the chickens.  I did order 8 more step in foot post for support.  If you have flat ground they would not be necessary.  Occasionally we have a bantam chicken or two escape through a small opening at the beginning of the fence next to the coop but overall they seem to not mind the confinement.  The first couple of days my egg production did decrease but with in a week we were back to normal.

Last but not least..... PEOPLE get out there and plant something!! It does not have to be anything huge.  Pick one thing you like having fresh and plant one next to the house or even in a pot.  If you do plant something leave me a comment below about what you are planting this year. 

Big 100!!

It was a BIG, BIG day yesterday. Not for us but for our dear friend Geraldine.  She turned 100 yesterday and her hometown threw her a big party.  Complete with food, friends, photos, and 100 BALLOONS!!!  I can not imagine what me or this world will be like if I survive to be 100.  When I was leaving the party I saw this basket full of handkerchiefs sitting on this table with cookies.  There was a note on the basket that said Geraldine would like all her lady friends to take a handkerchief as they leave.  She must of had 100's of these throughout her life.  And the best part was not one of them were alike.  Geraldine was always so fashionable!!

Congrats Geraldine and may you have many more!!

AND yes, the cookies were Delish!!