Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Friday, August 10, 2018

Digging Day

I woke up disappointed it had not rained like they had said it would.  I have spent so many indoor days cleaning, that I was actually looking forward to the next extreme clean job.  I had very little motivation to walk to the garden.

After him-hawing, eating my bacon/egg scramble with an English muffin toasted and slathered in butter, and making 2 pots of coffee, I finally put on my garden attire and headed out.

I am so far behind at digging up the remaining garlic, and had waited for the rain to soften up the ground, so I started there.  We only got 40 of the 56 Russian Giant that we planted.  We planted 70 of the Moroccan Creole, and I bet we'll get 15 if we are lucky.  Not sure yet on the original variety we were gifted years ago yet.  Although the rain has barreled down, it's so dry out there that I bent my digger.

Note:  speaking of garlic, I'll have a post soon on dehydrating it.  Well, some of it, ha ha!

While others are swimming in cucumbers, we are lucky to get 4 yesterday.  Not one yellow squash at all this year, and the plants are already dying.  Not one zucchini yesterday, and a dinky handful of green beans.  Just a really, really sad year.  I tell ya', if you have an inch left in your pantry or freezer this year, fill it up.  You never know if you'll have a year like we are.

The pumpkins look good but they are again buried in weeds, and the popcorn is buried as well.  I am just running out of mojo to even try to keep up with it. Is it even worth it?

I blanched about 1 1/2 cups of green beans (only green beans to make it to the freezer this year), and had a measly 1 cup of blackberries to freeze (that actually were not sour).




The front room now has a new decor item on the wall.  It contains the new colors in our living room.  I have a few more things to clean and a few more items to buy.


My camping and garden journal are now updated.  It was extremely hot during our camping trip - too hot to hold a pen.  Literally.

Youngest (daughter), started her first day of the driving part of driver's ed.  They drive to our homestead and pick her up and she takes over the driver's seat.  At the end of her time, she picks up the next driver, and they drive her home.  It's a very nice way of doing it, so we don't have to drive her to the location every time as well.

More possible rain today.

4 comments:

mamasmercantile said...

Heartbreaking for you not to get the results you work so hard for. Love the new wall decor.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Thanks mamasmercantile, I have brought some of the same colors into my kitchen too. I just have to find a few things to brighten it up.

Bovey Belle said...

Hi there. I've been following you a while. I was relieved to read that I am not the only one who (nearly) gives up on the garden at some point every summer and wonders is it really worth it?! My husband doesn't like many vegetables and so I am growing for myself now - and I always get beaten by the Courgettes!!

This hot summer has been a challenge for all of us (I'm in Wales, UK, and we rarely have a heat-wave here!)

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Bovey, it's definitely been a trying year this year.