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~

Monday, June 22, 2015

Monkeys in the Kitchen ~ Flip Flops In the Coop


The rain brought the wild black raspberries into harvest early this year, and it's hot, humid and miserable to pick them (as always). 


Our first day picking was done together.  Most of the time we spent slapping ourselves (thank goodness for chickweed salve), hollering out at the prickers and blowing bugs off us as we picked as fast as we could.  One time I heard "Awww, I dropped it!"

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Weather and Weeds ~ Random Tidbits



You are probably tired of hearing about it, but it continues to rain.  I woke up to the same wet ground again.  It has rained either during the day or night here, every single day.

It was dry most of yesterday, but too wet in the vegetable garden to even step into it.  

You can see in this photo, how tall the weeds are in the broccoli and cauliflower garden.   If the sun stays out today, I may be able to get into that garden late today yet.



Halfway through the day yesterday, I started on the front flower beds.   This is one corner I was looking at from the porch. 


This is what I was looking at afterwards.  This is just a snippet of the front porch flower bed.



(just one corner of the front porch flower bed)
 
Here is how far we got with mulch, before we ran out.  I guess we'll get more.  We have already filled the rose bed, the mailbox bed, and two other rose beds with mulch.  There seems to be a lack of color right now, but zinnias are very slow to grow with all this rain.  They were buried in weeds and wet ground.  Once the zinnias bloom, we'll have all sorts of color to beautify the gardens with.


The weather looked like this most of yesterday.  Today the sun is shining.  I have high hopes to get more work done in the vegetable garden.

If it rains again today (there is a 60% chance for thunderstorms at 11am....sigh), I always have deep cleaning chores indoors, handiwork, and a new Lucy Stone murder mystery book from the library.  And Hubby and I can always cut wood inside the barn too (maybe).  

It's just hard for me to shift gears so easily, and not worry about the garden.  I need to go read my morning devotion, relax a bit, pray a bit, and move out of my pity party.



The wild berries are ready for harvesting.  We had planned to pick today, but we are fighting the rain again.  It will be interesting if we get any wild black raspberry jam made this year too.


I just looked at the pollen count for today.  No wonder my eyes are beat red when I do get outside work accomplished.

 Today's reading is not a good report for someone like me.  
 

A heartrending update on Hubby's sister in the hospital.  She cannot swallow food. Not even pureed food.  They had to make the decision to have a feeding tube in place.  She's had two tubes down her throat, so we hope that over time (and healing) she'll be back to real food some day in the future.

Did you notice something today?  There is no "read more" to click on today.  

I better scoot out and pick snow peas quickly.  I hope your Sunday is peaceful, relaxing, productive, or whatever you want to accomplish (or not accomplish) today.

 

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Puttin' Up Peas

I keep forgetting to share this new front door rug.  It's already getting a bit dirty.   I get to see it every time I have porch time.

Thursday I waited for the sun and wind to dry out the garden before I attempted to enter it.  It's a fight with thistle this year.  It's everywhere.  I have blisters, even though I used gloves.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

New Blooms ~ Rain ~ Library Visit

Despite the weeds multiplying here this season, I am still getting some new blooms in the flower beds.  I've been dodging the rain showers (and storms) and cutting flowers to bring inside.


You can see the bees are very busy this year in the flower beds too.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Mushy Mess ~ And Yet More Rain

I'm afraid to show the world my vegetable garden right now.

All this rain...humidity, no sunshine....

Oh, why not.  

It really is in disarray this year.  

Although, so far I see only one hot pepper plant did not make it due to the excess rain.

Here it is...

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Humid, Hot and Wet

Some days, okay almost every day, I forget to do something that should already be ingrained in my brain.  You know, the routine stuff?

I forgot to collect eggs one day, and the next day I got this full basket of bounty.  You can see the four araucana hens are now laying as well again.  I got two eggs from them.  However, the full basket indicates that our black araucana is not eating eggs anymore.  She very well could be eating her own, but I'll have to keep watching her.  Maybe all of her isolation, and feeding her mustard filled eggs worked.