Good Gravy!

Everywhere I looked, there was a job to get done.  UGH!  It was also intern day, so outdoor time was limited (again).  Puppy duty day.

Dishwasher needed emptied and reloaded.  Laundry needed done, crockpot dinner started, yard picked up, puppy pool emptied and brought up, hose pulled in (mower guy showed up), etc.  

Bathroom needed cleaned.  Kitchen table cleaned off.  Carpets needed vacuumed.  Dog needed brushed.  Beef needed cooked for Jesse.  I needed to mail in a paper for daughter for her intern work.

Trash needed to go out.  Chickens needed tending.  I got more orders for hot pads, but need to make them also.  Library books needed to be returned.  I needed to figure out what to make and take to a cookout this weekend, and the following (when is a girl gonna get time for a motorcycle ride with all this stuff going on?  Just say no?).

Recipes needed written and filed.  Senior pictures needed taken (again, day 2).  My tote that I store my garden starts in, with shelving needed put back in storage.  Boxes needed broke down and stored to use in the garden.  Flower beds and herb garden still need weeded.  Fridge needs cleaned out still.

Cake decorating doo-dads needed put away, the rest of the radishes needed pulled....list is endless right now.

GAH!!!

I just said no after 2pm and took a long break on the porch.  Cold coffee with a splash of goodness did the trick.

Ignore.  Ignore.  Ignore that list for now.

Here is what I did get done, and it wasn't on the list.....

This is where I planted the radishes, sweet potatoes and other potatoes.  Grass is about 4 feet high.  I got half the radishes dug up.  Some are still small, so I'm weeding out the grass now.  Plants look good despite.  I got all the garlic but what I couldn't find dug up, and all the green beans weeded.  One row was a fail.  I just dug up the plants that lived (about 5 sadly) and moved them to the other row.  Hubby has permission to mow it down for me.

I got the radishes trimmed and scrubbed, and garlic in an area to dry.  Bulbs are much smaller.  

I am mowing down the garlic bed and saying goodbye to it.  We will not be using it, and downsizing.  I'll plant the garlic in the other garden.  We have plans to rip up all the raised beds and rebuild and do it differently as well.

A tractor just went to the top of the wish list.  If the pasture isn't mowed down, we have this issue every year, and the spring rain made it worse this year.   We may look to hire someone this year though.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho It's Off to Weed I Go!

Yesterday's sunrise and guests that came by.  It wasn't the prettiest sunrise, but still pretty.

Due to excessive rain, followed by a heat wave, this happened.  To no fault of myself either.   I blame the weather.

Green beans are in there somewhere.  Oh what a mess it is.

Three hours of work, before I had to take care of the puppy (not happy about missing out on my work time when she interns).  Not all survived, but I should get a good amount.  One plant already has starts on it.  The last row is iffy.  Tall grass everywhere.  I put an S.O.S. out to one daughter who I know will come help withe either puppy or garden.  I hope to get that help soon.  

I hope to have a photo when it's tilled, but no promise.  I must move onto the potatoes or tomatoes next.  They are a hot mess too.  Row of wax beans looks great.  Beans on the plants too.  Second row (green beans), about 1/2 survived.  First row is a lost cause - only 4 plants survived.

It rained after I took those photos, and too wet to weed.  I will be heading out there again today.  

Good Weather

The weather turned absolutely beautiful.  First things first - weed.  Oh where to start? The garden of course.  Woke up to a very nice, camping weather, of 59°F with a high of 80.  This week will be so much better than last week's heat wave.


By the way, daughter's school uniforms were free this year.  Woohoo to that!  She got two of them too.  I didn't have to fork out $180.00 like last school year.  

It's sort of bittersweet this coming year.  Last year for her and last kid to finish high school.  They are growing up way too fast.

We have bats in our chicken barn.  I found a baby dead on the floor by the door.  I guess they love our place to come nest and have their babies.  I just hope they leave soon, since the babies are getting born.  We've talked about building a bat house.  We may need to now.

My husband has been hankering for corn dogs, and I caved.  I don't fry anything, so he was a very happy man.  I have to admit, they were so good.  Much better than fair food.  All organic ingredients, and non-gmo beef hot dogs.  He's still talking about them this morning.  I told him he can only have them once a year.  His response?  "Can we have them every three months?" Ha ha ha ha!  Nope.  By the way the recipe is online with Stay at Home Chef  - Homemade Hand Dipped Corn Dogs.

Tuesday Tidbits

If you saw yesterday's post, I was up pretty early. I had to laugh when daughter came downstairs, and actually put her pup in the kennel.  She said, "he's been out but wake me up at 8am."

Of course I let him out, fed him and loved on him until 8am.  We needed to kennel him to go to the school and do the "school" thing, which was a good half hour drive just to get there.  Poor pup.  I so wanted to take him with us.

The school stuff messed up my day at home.  Add to that a trip to Michael's and the Dollar Tree.  My last yarn order came with half missing.  I had to see if I could pick up at least one ball of black.  I emailed about the missing items, but haven't heard back yet.  

We also had to stop at my Mom's house.  She wanted milkweed plants so I pulled some from my flower bed and dropped those off.

It was almost a perfect day to weed.  It drizzled all morning long. but by the time we were back home, there was no time.  It was also hot again.

Beating the Heat

We woke up to almost 80°F at 5:30am yesterday.  Yeah, it started out hot, and continued.  I could only hope we got more rain.  We hit a high of 106°F heat index yesterday.  

Woke up to the sweet sound of rain early this morning.  It'll be hotter today than yesterday, so I'm sure I'll be taking crushed ice to the chickens.

I got another bracelet done (requested colors).  Seven more to make yet.  I actually got 10 orders.  They are turning out so nicely too, but I'll be raising the price.  It's a good way to use indoor time, but the bathroom needed cleaned too.  Youngest was home, so she helps count the 196 beads for me, and helps string them.  I may need to raise the price after these 7 are all done.  I hope to get some made this summer for the fall holiday show I do.  I think they would sell very well.  So glad I tried the art of crocheting with beads.  

Carpet shampooing will happen after this humidity leaves though.  The dehumidifier is going strong, and I have to empty it several times a day right now.

We are invited to a family breakfast, and they are super picky eaters.  They won't eat onions, bell peppers, jalapenos - nothing but plain stuff.   I had no idea what to take, until I remembered my very old homemade cinnamon rolls.  Then again, they take walnuts.  Wasn't sure if anyone didn't like walnuts, so I asked first.   Next time, I'll take overnight blueberry french toast (if I can find my recipe). Photos to come soon.

I also dug around for a recipe for the crock pot using chicken.  I did NOT want to leave the house in this heat, so I used homemade ranch dressing (dry mix) to make crock pot "crack" chicken casserole.  Thankfully, I had frozen peas and bacon in the freezer.  It was good too.  Easy and delicious.

I infused nettle tea for the both of us, but Hubby needed it the most.  He came home from work feeling very sickly from the heat.

Friday Finish and Other Random Stuff

Another new pattern to try out.  I love it!  Kitchen hand towel.  It however, takes 2 balls of yarn, and the kit it came in, uses yarn made in China (75% cotton, 25% polyester).  I couldn't make and sell them for a good price, so this one goes in my own kitchen, and some may make it in Christmas gift baskets.  Just depends on if I can find 100% cotton at a good price.  I don't like Herrschner's yarn  (Heritage Cotton) they sent in the kit.  Like I said, made in China, and so far every ball has had imperfections in them. 

Our 17 year-old daughter wants one for her Hope Chest, but said she's "never moving out" ha ha ha!  She's gotten the chance of many trips this year, and she's loving it, so it's on the "winter" to-do crochet list.  

The heat is now rising upon us.  I packed salty nuts and watermelon in Hubby's lunch.  It's so bad outside.

I baked a new breakfast casserole early in the morning to avoid heating up the house.  I'll let you know what the taste testers say.  It's hashbrowns, spicy sausage, eggs and seasonings, milk, chilies and cheese.  Recipe is from Allrecipes, adapted with organic ingredients.

I also boiled eggs for a cold egg salad sandwich.  We ate cold apple/pecan salads again the night before.  Just trying to keep us fed, but with colder options.

Don't mind the dirty house, but a wren literally made a nest in the flower pot near the front door.  I have to deadhead it and water it and well....may have to tap it to have her fly out to get that job done (daily). Photo was taken early Thursday morning.  That's why the temp on the outdoor thermometer is not to high.

We got a rain storm in the afternoon yesterday, and it was random and much needed.  If we don't get a random storm today, I'll need to water to cool down the expected 115° heat index on the garden today.  Chickens will get ice 2-3 times if needed too.  This is the worst heat we have ever had.

Heat Wave Rolls In ~ Puppy Cuteness Continues

Wednesday we heated up to 86°F by 11am, and the heat index was 95°F.  Just the start of our pre-warned heat wave.

This is from this morning's sunrise.  The haze is so thick from the humidity.  I'll have to water the heck out of everything today.  At least we have well water, so they'll still all get a good soak of goodness.

I went to town and Romeo finally got his pool!  Thanks Mother Em.  Farm and Home still had some.  He's not on board with it yet, but with a bit of training he'll like it.  He didn't mind standing in it in this heat.   After a soak in the pool and some running around....

....this happened, lol!

Up until about 2pm, I was up-and-at-um, cleaning my much needed bedroom.  Try putting away umpteen things that were never put in their home during the night shift ordeal.

I do love my new sweeper.  Boy the carpet needed it.  With the heat wave and energy crisis notices to conserve, I stopped by 2pm.

I enjoyed a nice cold wine slushy and then trotted out to ice the chickens and gents.

I'll resume cleaning in the early morning.  Right after I get the flowers and garden watered.  Then it's off to ice the chickens.  Again.