100 days of weeding....coffee, coffee, coffee (grab a cup of our favorite bevarage too...it's a long one)

I'm up at 5am this morning.  The corn is all done for the this season.  Well, sort of done.  It's been shucked, removed, and frozen finally. 70 cups so far this year, and I am saving a dozen for another reason this weekend.

Tiger comes crying for an ear right when I starting slicing off the corn.  It shuts him up for just a while, until he begs for more.  Most of the cobs went to the chickens, but some went in the compost.

I'm still putting up blueberries (20 lbs).

Sliced a few cucumbers up for vinegar-cucumbers.  I typically use the recipe I posted years ago, but leave the oil out.  I was plum out of garlic (getting pulled soon), and had one dinky dill plant to use for it).

New Recipe Tried - cucumber juice.  Delicious.  I just peeled and blended, strained the pulp, and added some organic lime juice and sugar to taste.  The juice would be pretty good to make cucumber margaritas with too.  The pulp was given to the chickens for a nice afternoon treat.

The pumpkins have been resurrected now.  They look good, but man the weeds are out of control this year.  I used the hoe for these (getting a 3 hour upper body work out).  The idea is for the sun to dry up the weeds and create a mulch to prevent more.  The popcorn is next.  It's been a weed, water, weed, water year.  Once again....no rain, but it's in the forecast for today.

Speaking of rain...if we don't get any, I don't see us getting tomatoes, green peppers, turnips, chard, hot banana peppers, potatoes.....you get the picture.  Watering with well water is great, but not good enough. 

Yes...depressing year this year.  I now have to find a resource for stocking up organic, freshly grown green beans.  Almost makes me not want to plant a garden next year.

Even thought the squash all looked great, it's not producing anything now.  What was producing is now looking like it's dying off or not growing right.  Even the cucumbers.

I seriously need to focus on something else.  Something positive. Something constructive - target practice?  I had another driveway "creeper" the other day while I was sitting on the front porch.  It may help blow off some steam too.

We were also invited to a weekend bike week in WV.  We turned it down, and now I wish we didn't.  I soooo need a break from negativity, bad mojo, and set backs.  Every day starts with several cups of coffee, combined with heavy sighs.

I'll be honest, I'm not even sure a motorcycle ride would revive me.  I've been down right cranky, miserable, tired, and as "Youngest" called me, salty.

Even the chickens are causing havoc.  Four got out of the run fence the other day.  Guess I better check the fence.  Then again, maybe I should just let them have at it in the garden?

Hubby has lost his mojo for just about anything too.  The truck now needs work, two tires need replaced on the car, he's way behind in mowing, and the hitch has not made it's way to the truck.  Which means no camping, and we haven't gone camping for 1 1/2 years now, and that is definitely one of my "happy places.

Stand by, while I go find my "happy" place.....I'm sure ya'll getting tired of my weed posts.

Cleavers Facial Wash ~ Natural Wrinkle Remedy

When ever I read something new about a weed I harvest, I give it a try if I can.  The season for cleavers are over for us, but I wanted to share this.

I made a tea with cleavers. I just made sort of an infusion in a pint canning jar, strained it and put it in the fridge.  

Dip your washcloth into the tea and rinse your face with the tea solution at room temperature (or cold).  Cleavers at as a skin tightener, so in reality, reduces wrinkles and lifts up the skin naturally.

Some people may have a bad reaction to this facial wash, so try a small area at first.  If you use fresh cleavers in you tea (not recommended for this), you have greater chance a having a skin reaction.

I used this tea for 2 straight weeks and feel and see a difference.  I also used it cold on my face, and it felt great in the heat of summer.