Pioneer Woman at Heart

  I hope your July 4th was an enjoyable holiday.  We spent it by ourselves.   One weekend night we were able to watch fireworks from our front porch at night, and there were about 5-6 different towns or people setting them off (one was spectacular).   The break in rain finally gave us (I mean "me") a chance to weed the garden, re-tie up the tomatoes (they grew another foot), hill potatoes, harvest some Red Russian Kale and more radishes.  Boy it's still hot here. Sunday it was 94°F with a heat index of (feels like) 97°F (not as hot as it has been). My homemade bug spray is working great other than it does not work to deter the teeny tiny gnat type bugs flying around.  They seem to be attracted to the body sweat while working in the hot sun (so annoying). There is not enough work being done in the gardens, in one day, due to the heat, the humidity, the rain, or a combination of these issues. Overwhelmed.  Frustrated.  Those are few words ...

  A few snippets from the flower beds.  It's not everything, but some beauties right now.  I took these on my phone, so the photos are not that great.  I have yet to replace my actual camera (soon I hope). One of our regular's from the herb garden - two types of sage. We have  had this one for over 20-some years, and moved it twice.  Love it!  It already bloomed this season. Added this sage about three years ago.  I believe it is called Greek Sage.  We love sage in homemade breakfast sausage, teas, medicinal teas, and tincture.  Sage tea (as well as ginger tea), is great for a sore throat. The heat index was not as bad yesterday, as the day before, but we did get up to 96°F.  All  of the seeds, that I replanted in the vegetable garden, are sprouting but a scant few.  It will be hot again today, and then possible rain moving back in (we need it too). I found a wild growing mullein plant growing in the yard, so I dug it...

  I had another long weekend, but productive.  My husband worked again (2 long 12 hour shifts), so I decided to tackle another big job while I could.  In reality, it was because we got more rain, and it's been raining every single day lately, so garden work was not happening anyway. I emptied the entire standing cupboard that holds my canning pot, freezer containers (as they empty), extra canning jars, and all things homesteading that don't have place anywhere else. A shelf had collapsed (it's the cheap wood type put-together-yourself type cabinet, but it works for now).   I purged the entire thing, cleaned it, then moved it from the wall and cleaned behind it and under it, moved it back, re-organized it and prayed it will hold together a few more years. I filled a box with items to take to the thrift store. We have had some cooler weather lately.  Woke up to 42°F this morning. Brrr!  Some evenings are below 50 degrees.  There is rain in the forec...

I am almost done weeding all of the flower beds.  I have yet to weed the herb garden, but it's in pretty good shape thankfully. We came up with a solution to "fence" the other vegetable garden on a budget.  We are seeking out a person to come till the vegetable gardens on a budget.  It seems that the only one we can find so far, is with a large tractor (so glad we removed two sides of the fenced garden).   We had a coyote in the gardens lately.  We are also hoping it has moved on. The new coop build is on hold (sigh), but there is nothing I can do about it. When you run a homestead, you run into set backs here and there.   Our AC units are not in yet, and we are in the 80's.  Again, another job on hold (for now).   I've started harvesting chive blossoms (more on that later). I managed to gather yarn scraps to crochet the latest book blanket granny square, but have yet to crochet it.  Progress. I was asked if I had anymore croch...

  We have had three days of rain (again).  I for once, was happy for it, as I had planted flowers, and had a new tree and bush to plant.  I have not gotten to the point of dragging out all of my garden hoses, so it was a relief for the sake of everything being "watered" (including the garlic and asparagus). The herb garden was ready for some rain too.  I have everything planted, other than buying a new parsley plant (cannot find my seeds).   I have a bit more weeding to do, but for the most part, all is doing nicely.   Oh, and it's been a terrible tick year here for us.  Although I make my own tick oil, and use it, I often forget.  I have come inside with a tick on me twice now.  Very unusual too.  I have a post it sticky note to remind me now (to apply the tick oil).  The wind can carry those buggers just about everywhere. The keeper of the herb garden.  He was sitting in the chives, and there are stray oregano plant...

  Our weather continues to go up and down, but the spring flowers are either blooming or about to bloom.  The herb garden is waking up from it's winter slumber.  Although we had a 73 degree day early this week, it went quickly back to 36°F and very windy.  I am sure my blooms are struggling with  29°F weather. Daffodils with orange centers. And for a bit of foraging . . . Purple dead nettle. Wild violets.  Dandelions are coming up too. Spring Blooms   ©  April 2025 by  Kristina  at  Pioneer  Woman at Heart

Nothing really exciting on the news front.   I dehydrated more oregano to make sure the new dehydrator worked.  There are things about it I like, and other things I do not like.  It is much quieter than my last one.    I can say that I am glad I saved my trays from my older one.  The new ones are thinner, and the way the metal is twisted on the trays, the oregano stuck to the trays.  I had to layer the counter top with sheets of waxed paper, so I didn't make a mess, and didn't lose any of the dried oregano in the process of removing it.   I dried some oregano for the kids, and I was thankful to find a drawer full of saved lids to top the canning jars with. How I found the lids?  Well, funny story.  I have one daughter who just started to learn to crochet, and asked for some yarn and supplies.  I went rooting around in my craft drawers, and low and behold, I had used one drawer for empty baby food jars and lids that fit canning ...