A Sunflower Blooms

The sun was not shining, but I saw that we had one sunflower blooming, and wanted to capture a photograph of it.  My zinnias are up, but I have yet to see butterflies this year. 

It's raining again.  I'm not complaining, but how can a person not think about all that investment going do waste.  Such a sad year.  

Hubby said a co-worker would give us 2 bushels of corn, and he's brought home 2 large squash.  I am still trying to locate a produce stand with beets and cabbage.  All of our cabbage was drowned this season.

We cleaned so much yesterday, I woke up with swollen and irritated eyes.  The fire extinguisher dust is all cleaned up (unless it's hiding in places we have not yet checked), everything was laundered too. 

Today, I will be using my Hay Max (thank you Emma for telling me about it).  Yesterday I forgot I bought some.  It's an organic, drug-free, pollen barrier balm.   I'd love to make this myself, but cannot (currently) locate a recipe to make it.  It should help today, especially with more rain, and our windows open.

I made an attempt at working on my crocheted rooster Christmas ornaments, but failed. After taking out the feet two times, I had to put it down.  My hands were so sore from all the weeding the other day, I was making too many mistakes.  I worked some deep penetrating (also organic) salve into my hands and will hope to get something finished tonight.

The house is not "sparkling" just yet.  There is much more to organize and clean yet.  I am mixing up a different batch of homemade bathroom cleaner, one that will be used to clean the vinyl flooring in the camper.  If it's a recipe worth sharing, I'll post it later.

Keeping Letter Writing Alive ~ A Work Week

Remember my girls writing letters?  My 11 year-old wrote 3 letters, and got 3 back.  She also got some bracelets from one of her Aunt's (a brother/sister celebration held in India, sorry for the bad photo).  

I have mailed the last of my postcards for the postcard swap I participated in. 

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We are currently doing an entire inside and outside homestead clean up.  It's long over due, but it's best to get it done this week.  I've been carpet cleaning (cannot wait until we have zero carpet here), dusting, wiping, weeding flower beds, and doing a lot of coughing. 

We've washed up bedding for the camper, took a load to recycling, cleaned up the garage, but there is so much more to do.  Including those light fixtures that keep collecting more dust.  

My bedroom needs a complete overhaul.  When they cut the tile in the bathroom, dust went everywhere, despite the air purifier.  It may take me two days in that room alone, just to get all the dust out.

Our barn roofing is being delivered today, and will be in progress soon.  They are calling for more rain yet this week, so his project is taking priority.

Hubby has many jobs going on this week too - replace the front screen door, tar the wood-stove piping on the roof, replace an electrical outlet we found went bad after the last storm, camper repairs, and a lot more.  And we still need the fencing finished before winter.

Today, I plan to make a batch of homemade ginger-ale, to enjoy after my work is done for the day.  

Rainbow

We continue to get rain, but one day we were given a rainbow too.

Most of my carrots are underwater, but I managed to pull a few.  They are wide, but short this year.  I'm thankful we will get at least a meal or two from them.

We have started the repairs on the barn (that lost it's roofing in one of the storms).  The cement blocks in the base of the wall, on the backside, had been knocked completely loose in one corner.  They removed most of them, and cemented them and tuck pointed them.  Now they are drying, and the roofing starts next.  We've already had rainfall twice (and heavy) since I posted last, so I am praying for no more rain.

Before we got blasted with another rainfall, the one prior to the rainbow, I was able to weed most of my flower beds.  The weather was strangely cool, and I spent from about 10am to 4:30pm pulling weeds.  I am still not done (that's how much rain we've had).

Ironically, the camper has a propane leak, so Hubby is going to replace the line on that too.  Thank goodness he tested it with a spray bottle filled with soapy water. 
 

Camping in a Pop Up Camper

We haven't named "her" yet, but she's ours.  We'll be family camping, and just having a good ol' time.  She has a slide out for the table, a toilet, air conditioner, refrigerator, stove that can be moved to outside or inside, and an outside shower.  She sleeps 7-8 (6 adults comfortably).

Gratitude

I am thankful for the teas and the "stress relief" body/bath that my mother gave me.  It arrived at the most opportune time.

Need to Learn List ~ More Hullabaloo on the Homestead

Apparently, I need to learn to gut a deer now.  You know we can't go a day around here without something going on.

While I was showering, and one daughter was on the treadmill (with headphones on), someone hit a deer right in front of our house.  The driver had gone on, but the deer was left behind (on our property).

I had gone to the garden to see if I had anything to pick for my breakfast, and was at the stove when I saw a man walking up to the door. 

Evidently, he drove by, and saw the deer moving around in the yard.  He just wanted to alert me, and that the Sheriff was on the way (they have to be the ones to put them down).

I did call Hubby, but he didn't answer (tsk tsk), to see if he could get extended family over to utilize the meat.  When the Sheriff arrived, Hubby finally called back, but didn't want to send someone without seeing what damage was done to the deer.

Thankfully, the Sheriff had a list, and thankfully someone came for the deer.  Otherwise, it would pulled to the other side of the highway to be left to rot.  And that would not be good with our dogs. 

So....there you have it.  Another fun day at the homestead.  Guess I am adding "learn to gut a deer" to my "learn something new list." 

2013 ~ Worst Garden Year

I have succumbed to realize that this year is the worst garden year ever (however our first worst).  The second, unexpected, spring frost took half of my carrots, beets, cucumbers, and beans.  We replanted, but almost all of our beets did not come up.