Pioneer Woman at Heart

The year has been crappy overall.   I feel like the government is keeping us from family and friends, so we may have a bonfire out here, but it depends on the heat.  It's been dry and hot.  That's not a good mix for burning. I'm seriously concerned for our state.  A few days ago, after midnight (in the big city two of my daughters live in), there was what they called purging.  I can't make this stuff up.  People with cars without plates went around shooting at people randomly.  I read a toddler and an elderly man were shot and killed.  Purging?  The world has really gone to h-e-double hockey sticks. Oh, and I have 2 more dead hens.  This time it was a weasel that came in the top of the fencing (which we recovered with harder wire fencing, and he said it would hold until we get the fencing up on the new coop). Well, he felt awful, so we moved the hens last night.  Temporary fencing goes up tonight.  Then we start remo...

I watched a group of 3 deer cross the road yesterday morning, but they turned back and went back across to the river that runs behind us. Later another group of two crossed. Early morning (which brought us home at noon) one daughter and I took Momma cat and her 2 kittens on a road trip.  We found a Humane Society open that would take them.  I gave them a bag of cat food and wrote out a check.  I'm so glad they took them, as our temps will reach up to 96°F this weekend.  It does anger me that I have to pay to have them get a new home, when they were not our cats and 99% sure dumped here.  I believe in karma for people like that.  Kitty's will have a nice place to stay now until they are adopted. I have a friend who is the wife to a co-worker of my husband, who is so stressed over the possibility of another lockdown (and the recent loss of their long time dog).  I decided to make up a basket of goodies to lift her spirits - 4 pack of KY Bourbon ...

(old photo, but this one is back in it's home for the garden season) First, welcome to my new followers.  I hope you are enjoying my blog, where posts are reality (the good and the bad), and photos are never staged. Good Golly!  We are so low on our stock of greens.  I may have to buy some until my seeds are planted.  Don't want to, but we need our greens. Thursday night my "till man" was too tired to till.  Shoot.  Couldn't plant the potatoes and popcorn.  Dang it.  He was too tired to weed whack my raised beds.  Couldn't plant my greens.  Dang it. However, I tended to the herb garden and worked outside for 3 early hours, starting at 7am.  Daughter had a friend over, and all the kids slept in while I worked.  Even Jesse was caught snoring. I thinned my over grown lemon balm.  Got my rosemary, basil, parsley and cilantro planted.  I'm not replanting lavender.  It is so tricky to start from see...

                                                                 (photos from 2013) Last year we purchased two different types of rain barrels - one that looks like a half barrel with a screen on top and a brass spigot at the bottom, and a square one with a hose (you can still attach a garden how to it).  I prefer the square one.  The barrel in the top photo have an overflow that is too close to the foundation (both purchased at Menards).  The screen lifts out and flows off in overflow action as well.  It still works, but I wanted to share.

Although I have just begun, you can see that this herb garden is cleaning up nicely already.  I have much more to do, but it's starting to look much better since the goat somewhat destroyed it.  I am taking advantage of any good weeding weather day here. Want to see what Hubby bought me?

 . . . installed our very first rain barrel (USA mad e).  We plan to inst all more , but want to check out more options on sty les (and m aking them oursel ves).  This one holds 55 gallons and will be close to the garden for watering it.  I also have a recipe to make this water drinkable, if ever it was needed in a n emergency.  I have been doing some research on rain barrel ca re, and recently read that you should paint your barrel a darker color, in order to keep the sun f rom affect i ng the water inside.  This one can be hooked to another barre l, and we do plan to consider making our own.  Ou r goal is to install 2 (possibly 3-4 ) more in t he next few years.  Here is a link to information if you are consid ering in stalling a rain barrel:  The Redeemed Gardener:  Mai ntaining a Healthy Rain Barrel. . . . made a batch of homemade goat's milk r icotta cheese.  I used it to bake Lasagna Ruffles and some coo kies. . . ....