Not enough hours in the day

How come the days of winter are short and seem so long, then in summer the days are longer and seems like there is just never enough hours in the day? I got up early this morning and had my coffee and went outside to get started painting my stakes to label all my herbs. I know what all of em are but no one else does. But now they are all marked so everybody knows what is planted where. While the paint was drying I went to the greenhouse and potted up some of the flowers that were ready. Then I had to roll up about 150 ft of garden hose so Jason could mow our yard today. I did the trimming with the electric weed eater. It is very light and I can use it without too much pain. Nothing like the ones that are gasoline and ya have to pull the rope to start em.Dang by time I got one of those started I would be hurting too bad to use it. Any who, got the weed whacking done and the yard is mowed. Looks really nice too. I noticed the grapevines are loaded with lil tiny grape clusters, so just maybe I will have some grapes this year.
While Jason was mowing our yard I used the pressure washer to clean the front porch and deck. It was long over due a good cleaning. Luna likes to get mud on her feet and come on the deck and porch. At least it is clean for now. I am right handed and with my right arm being the one that I injured, I found it was really hard to use a pressure washer wand with my left hand. Now both my elbows ache from that deal.
Late this evening I transplanted my thornless blackberry that Rosie gave me on the left wing wall of the cellar along with some lavender that I had started in pots. Still need to mulch all that area and get the pavers in and gravel so we don't track mud into the cellar every time we go in there.
Shower time for me, so till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella

Moving right along.........

We have been moving right along making progress and getting things planted. Even though I have felt like who did and what for the past few days. I am having a really hard time getting over this bronchitis or what ever it was. But I did get my herbs transplanted this evening and some sawdust put around them to help hold moisture when it gets hot and dry this summer. I went to my friends greenhouse today and got some flowers to plant in the flower bed in front of the cellar and those are in. Still need to mulch those and maybe add some drift wood and stones to keep the dog and cats out of there. I still have a strip on the other side of the door that needs to be planted and that will be finished as far as planting goes. Maybe that would be a good place for lavendar. Sure would smell nice. The rugosa roses that my friend Rosie gave me are in the ground waiting on mulch. I think a big load of mulch is in order. Tomorrow after I weedeat around stuff here in the yard I will be painting my stakes to make labels for all the herbs. More for decoration than anything else. I do have some plants that are in harms way of the mower unless I put little white markers by them.
I have been told that the plumbing will be done in the summer kitchen this weekend and the gas range hooked up. It is probably a good thing too, as the mustard and turnip greens are about ready to can. Once the guys get done I can do the final cleanup and get all my canning supplies moved over there and organized. That will take a while. Some are in the out building, some in the cellar, some in the house. You get the idea. It will be nice to have it all handy and hopefully organized a little better.
So till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella

Gotta get better to die

Dang I have felt like crap today. I still have bronchitis or something from the allergy stuff in the air. The air is much cleaner today after the rain but it didnt help what I already had. I have took several naps today and still feel like I could sleep for hours on end. I made some chicken noodle soup for supper tonight and that went down well. Makes the tummy feel better for a little while.
I went to the greenhouse a bit ago to check on things and put some stuff back inside that I had set out side. We have a frost warning for tonight with temps in the low 30's. I am so hoping the frost dont hit us this time. The fruit trees have fruit on them, the grapevines are blooming, the strawberries have berries on them, and this is the first year my peonies have buds on them. My rose bush beside the house is loaded with little rose buds as well. I am going back out in a little bit to cover the strawberries and some other stuff up just in case. I will start the heater in the greenhouse late tonight to keep the plants in there warm. It is supposed to be warmer tomorrow I think. A nice fire in the fireplace would not be bad tonight. Not much else happening on the homestead today.
So till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella

Rain and allergy season

I love spring and summer but the allergy season is really hard on me this year. I havent had  a bad allergy problem in about 6 or 7 years. In spring when the pine trees send out pollen if I am out side too long I get all the typical allergy symptoms. Then if I dont head it off quick enough I end with bronchitis and sometimes pneumonia. Well it got me this year. When I left to go visit my aunt I was congested and miserable but went any way. I didnt have anything contagious just symptoms. I ended up having to get a prescription for antibiotics and cough syrup. Both of which help a lot but after I got home I guess I was tired and run down and have been just miserable today. Needless to say I havent done anything here on the place. Just went into town and took care of some business and legal matters. It has been really cool here today so I didnt need to open the green house. The sun should be out on Wednesday. If we dont get too much rain tomorrow may be I will feel a little better and get some of my herbs transplanted. I also have the Rugosa roses and some herbs that my friend gave me that still need to be planted somewhere. The ground should be nice and soft to dig in after the rain we have had. But for now I think I will just take it easy and try to get to feeling better. Till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella

Home again

I have made it home again after being gone for a few days. I feel like I have been in constant motion since last Wednesday. I got my buddy taken to re-hab to recover from his stroke and on my way home I stopped to check on him and he said he is making forward progress and they are letting him eat ice chips now, so thats a plus.
We had storms last night and are posed to have rain for several days now. Guess I will transplant things between rains.
I got to spend a couple days with my aunt Ann and help her out a little bit getting things done on her place. Got a gas range for my summer kitchen as well. Stopped on my way back and spent a couple nights with my friends Rosie and Sam at their place. I always enjoy time at their place. They always have babies of some sort to tend to. The little goats were so cute. One had to be bottle fed because his mom decided she didnt like em and wouldnt feed em.

Sure dont take these little critters long to learn that humans equal food. I think I will have some goats soon.
My friend Rosie and her hubby take such good care of their little ones, the animals really have a good life. This lil boy enjoys the special attention too.
I came home with a clutch of turkey eggs to hatch in the incubator as well. I set some green eggs in there with the turkey eggs so I will have a few chickens to lay colored eggs. They are pretty neat. So all the eggs are in the incubator now and we wait patiently.
I arrived home to find my summer kitchen even closer to completion. The counter tops are in, as well as the stove now. All we need is to hook it all up and get the plumbing in and be done.
I checked my plants in the greenhouse and they have grown a lot in 4 days that I was gone. I have a lot of stuff to transplant this week between rain showers. Rosie gave me a thornless blackberry plant, and some Rugosa roses that will be planted and I have herbs in the greenhouse that will be transplanted as well. Lots to do this time of year.
So till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella

On the road

It kinda feels good to stop for a little bit tonight. I feel like I have been in perpetual motion since early today. I took my friend who had the stroke to Cardinal Hill re-hab facility today and dropped him off, he will be there for 2 or 3 weeks. Am just praying he is much better when he comes home. Then last night I got to thinking that if I needed to make a trip to my aunts to get a gas range then I may as well do it today while I was an hour and a half in the right direction. With a 5 hour drive I had plenty of quiet time to think and ponder, and jus listen to the silence and see the scenery. Our state is so pretty this time of year. Just seems to come alive with green and flowering trees and plants, live stock in the fields along the way with their little ones, large fields plowed waiting to be planted. You can tell its summer in Kentucky. I came across the Land Between the Lakes area and crossed both lakes, the water so clear and nice, a few boats out fishing. When I crossed Kentucky Lake there was a barge getting ready to go under the bridge. sigh............Oh well,  I got here this evening and had dinner at the local cracker barrel with my aunt Ann and 2 of my cousins and we came home. When I got here she told me I wasnt allowed to leave till at least Friday, so I will be leaving here on Friday morning to go see my friend Rosie and her family before heading on home on Saturday. I really dont have a lot of time this spring to be goofing off. I will need to get busy planting the rest of the garden and taking care of things at home. When I called home today to let the guys know that I made it here in one piece they told me they got my counter tops cut to size for my summer kitchen. So when I go home all we need to install is the range and we are set. I will be relieved to have this project behind me. Well the plumbing still needs to be hooked in, but thas a minor detail.
Till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead on the road.

Stella

Another winter

We are having one of the little winters here in Kentucky that we have every spring. Those happen when certain trees bloom. First is dogwood, then redbud, then what the mountain folks all called "sarvis" winter. With sarvis winter you get some cool weather and rain. The rain started late this afternoon and is still raining as of right now.The trees are in full bloom and starting to drop their blossoms at this point which means cool rainy weather for the next several days. The old folks planted gardens between these little winters. I remember dad always saying to plant corn when the leaves on the oak tree were the size of a squirrels ear. Well that was a week or so ago. And the weather was right for planting corn so we did just that. After this cool wet spell we will have a few weeks of dry weather, that is the time to plant beans and such in the garden. Which we will be doing. Then we have what we call blackberry winter. That will be the last of the spring rains for us under normal conditions. Dad was always insistent on getting his garden all planted so they got the spring rains, with exception of things that were transplanted like tomatoes and peppers. You can about be assured of no frost after blackberry winter. But time all this takes place it will be probably the second week of May. Its hard to believe it is almost May. Time flys as you get older they say.
I will be going out of town tomorrow to take my friend that had a stroke to Cardinal Hill rehab facility. He will be there for a couple weeks and I am just praying he will be much better. He has lost a tremendous amount of weight after his stroke due to the fact he cant swallow, therefore he cant eat. He has a feeding tube but that is not working out well for him. Just feel so bad for him knowing how hard he worked and how much he enjoyed good food.
After getting my buddy settled in I am thinking I might go to western Kentucky to visit my aunt and I need to go pick up a gas range for my summer kitchen. This will likely be the last time I will have a chance to get away till probably this fall sometime. I will also be stopping to visit my friend in central Kentucky on my way back. I alas end up spending a couple nights there. I sure do enjoy her company and enjoy visiting her place.All this will take place if I can get my ducks in a row this evening so nothing falls apart while I'm gone.

It was dry enough today for me to finish painting the cabinets that go in the summer kitchen. They look so much better than the baby blue that was on them. Yuck! The counter tops are in the shop waiting to be cut to size and installed. Maybe in a few days when the guys get time to do that. 

The ones on the other side are oak finish, all in good shape for used. The sink will go on the right in the oak sink base.The floor was painted today as well. Much cleaner looking than the bare concrete. I have some of those nice rubber link together mats for the floor that are supposed to make standing easier on your back. And heaven knows I need all the help I can get in that area. My back dont allow for much standing these days after my injury. There will be room for a bar stool in here too.

My baby chicks live next door to my summer kitchen. When we butcher, we have a place set up in back of the chicken house, so it will be close to the summer kitchen as well. But these little fellows look content so they are unaware of where they will end up. Our secret, OK?

I have tomatoes that are big enough to be in the garden, but we still have to wait till the last frost. That is probably about 3 weeks away for us. Then I have some plants that are not near big enough to transplant. I have had a hard time getting peppers to come up this year. I am thinking I should have kept the seed flats in the house and warmer till they got sprouted. They do need heat to sprout and come up.
I am totally disappointed with the peat pellets that I used to start plants in this year. But had I thought about what they were made of I would have realized that once wet they are going to be a little on the acidic side. I have good air circulation in the greenhouse with the fan on but still had green moss starting on the peat pellets with the lil seedlings in them. So when the little plants struggle enough to get heads up out of the peat I have been transplanting them into regular potting mix and then they take off. Ya live and learn I do reckon. So maybe ya can teach old dogs new tricks. Till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella

More painting to do

I have gotten most of the painting done on the summer kitchen. Jason got all the trim up today after lots of cussing and a mashed finger here and there. No blood stains tho. Yay!!! I got the cabinets unloaded out of my truck finally and got the 3 base cabinets painted that were a light blue color, now they are a beige color that will coordinate with the wall board. I wont have blue cabinets in this kitchen no matter what. Tomorrow I need to put on another coat of paint and then start painting the floor. After that the cabinets can be installed and the counter tops put on.
I have spent too much time out side with all the pine tree pollen in the air and now I think I am getting bronchitis. Dang this is the first time in 4 years that I have had it. I think maybe stress has dragged down my immune system a good deal. I did stay out today and finally got the leeks planted also. They just were not growing to suit me in the greenhouse. So far no frost at our house with all the frost warnings that the weather service has issued. The day time temperatures have been perfect for working outside this week so far, in the mid 70's and sunny. Would be nice if I had a small pen so I could let my baby chicks out to enjoy the sun and scratch around. I may go see my friend Rosie this week or this weekend for a few days and I think she has some turkey eggs for me to try and hatch in the incubator. It has been many years since I have raised turkeys so this should be another re-learning experience.
Till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella

More odds and ends

Today was one of those that consisted of just trying to do odd things to get bigger projects completed. The guys made all the trim and finishing pieces for the summer kitchen today. We had lots of scrap lumber and made good use of it. The lumber was all cut on the table saw and run thru the planer and then thru the router to make the molding and baseboards. Then I painted all of it a light beige color to coordinate with the wall board. It will look really nice when it gets installed.
Earlier in the day I went to the old farm house and spent some time there just thinking and organizing things a bit. It was one of those days when you dont want to spend too much time thinking about things, like your childhood. My dad has been gone 6 years as of last Friday and it seems like only yesterday. But he is finally at rest, and I wait my turn. Dad always said the older you get the more difficult things become. And dang I know now what he was talking about. The older I get the more I see me being like him. He was one to always stand on his own, never asking anyone for anything, dealing with his own burdens as they came, relying on God and his own hard work to get him through. A fine man that passed down that strength and will to me. For this I am thankful. It has kept me sane through some trying times in life.
After I came back to the house I went to the greenhouse to water the plants. Repotted some of them that were growing slow in the peat pellets and brought the leeks up to transplant. Well thats when I started painting trim pieces and didnt get time before dark to plant the leeks so thas a task for tomorrow among about 10 others. Now I need to get another propane tank to use in the greenhouse tonight for heat with temps predicted in the low 30's again and for several more nights. All of a sudden I am behind and have things to do backed up around the corner. Oh well thas the story of my life. Till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella

Whoa, what happened to spring?

After the sun went down this evening it got down right cold outside. It is supposed to be in the low 30's for several nights in a row. And we are under a frost warning tonight. I got a few herbs that will need covered up and will have to start heat in the greenhouse tonight. I surely dont need 300 frozen tomato plants, not to mention peppers, and all the other stuff in there that dont need to freeze.
I have worked out in the yard all day doing odd and end things. Got the weeds all out of the asparagus and onions and they are ready for some mulch as soon as I decide what I want to use on them. The strawberries are loaded with bloom this year, the grapevines are leafed out nicely, and my peony bush has buds on it this year also. The hops and kiwi vines are growing like crazy on their trellis. I can only hope that the fact that we are down here by the river will keep us from getting any heavy frost at this point.
The summer kitchen is close to being finished. The guys are working on the molding for it now so I can get it painted probably tomorrow and start painting the cabinets. I will be so glad to have this done, I am thinking it will make my life somewhat easier. Or at least less mess in the house during canning time.
Till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella

A reason, a season or a lifetime

This has been one of my favorite reads for a long time and it is so true. We have to hold close the ones we love and let them know we care, no matter the time or distance between you. Because all of them are in our life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.

A   R A I S O N   A   S E A S O N   O R   A   L I F E T I M E

People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.  When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly.  They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually.  They may seem like a godsend, and they are.  They are there for the reason you need them to be.  Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.  Sometimes they die.  Sometimes they walk away.  Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand.  What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled;  their work is done.  The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on. When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn.  They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.  They may teach you something you have never done.  They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.  Believe it!  It is real!  But, only for a season. LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.  Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people (anyway);  and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.  It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Author Unknown

 

Till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella

 

Baby sitting and gardening

Well baby sitting might not be the right word to use, more like adult sitting. A former co-worker and good friend had a stroke on April 1st. That was a nasty April fool joke. And at the age of only 47 working 2 jobs and now has no insurance and the hospital bills are mounting. It was in the brain stem and he is having a real hard time with the nausea and vomiting. This is dangerous for him as his throat is paralyzed. He has a feeding tube which makes giving meds a little easier. Even with a stroke he has use of his arms and legs but he says his leg wont cooperate like it should and his mind is still 100% which is great. I was nice to be able to visit with him but not under these circumstances. I just breaks my heart to know how much he enjoyed good food and now cant eat at all. But he will get better, he has already come a long way since the stroke. Please say a prayer for him and his wife as trys to finish out this semester of nursing school.
When I got home this evening Jason had gotten all the corn planted that we use for cornmeal and we went back to the garden with the corn dropper to plant the sweet corn and I transplanted the cabbage plants out of the greenhouse. They are forecasting rain tomorrow so that will help them live a lot better. The ones I had set out a couple weeks ago are doing really good. Thats been it for today. Till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella

Things are growing

Around here on the homestead, things are starting to grow pretty good with all the warmer weather. The plant stuff that is. Rob and Amoys baby is growing too and sure knows how to get sympathy and treats. That little cast can get Abby most anything she wants including bologna for breakfast.

The strawberries are blooming and it looks promising for some strawberries this year. We have also planted 100 more strawberry plants in the garden as well.

All the stuff we have planted in the big garden so far looks really good, crooked rows and all. The peas are starting to run, the onions look healthy, cabbage and broccoli are looking great and I will likely be canning mustard and turnip greens in a couple weeks.

The pot containing tomato plants need to be transplanted to the bed in the back yard just for early tomatoes to eat. The rest of the tomatoes are going to be quite large before its time to transplant them to the big garden. The other cabbage will get transplanted tomorrow into the garden.

The acre that is to be planted in corn for cornmeal got disc up good today and will get planted tomorrow. Hope this gives us enough corn for cornmeal and to feed chickens as well. Not much else going on here. So till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella

The wall board is going up

The guys got most of the wall board up in the summer kitchen today. It is looking really nice. Rodger has to go back to work tomorrow so the only work will be in the evenings after today. But its almost done except for minor finishing projects now. It has been really nice weather for doing things outside. That is unless you have spring allergies like all of us. But it will pass. I guess the fact that we all were in the kitchen when the fiberglass insulation was being put in didnt help at all. Today we put the plastic vapor barrier over the insulation and then Rodger and Jason got all the wall board up except the last sheet that will need to have several cuts made in it for wall sockets and such. They decided to try out the air conditioner  today and dang it was too cool in there for me. The windows are positioned across from each other and do a fine job of providing cross ventilation as far as I am concerned. I am sure this summer when it is 95 in the shade the AC will be just fine.
I think tomorrow is going to be yard mowing day for us around here. Its mow now or cut hay later. Why does the yard always grow faster when you are really too busy to tend to it? I think I might now have enough extention cord to be able to weed eat with my little electric string trimmer and not have to mess with the big heavy gas powered one. Having a pretty lawn with lots of lovely grass is just not high on our list of priorties around here. If it was left to me, I would build raised beds all over the yard and fill them in with pretty and edible stuff. Am thinkin I best not mention any more projects to these guys around here for a while. I might get evicted. They have worked hard on the kitchen so I think I might need to give em a break.
Not much else happening here, so till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella

A good day for painting

Today was a nice warm sunny day for doing outside painting. We had gotten paint to paint the exterior of my summer kitchen at a liquidators store for a really good price. It was Sherman Williams brand for $20 for a 5 gallon bucket of light gray exterior paint. I had bought a gallon of epoxy paint last fall for the front of the root cellar. I decided to try and get the cellar wall outside painted today thinking I would be lucky to get that finished. Then decided not to use epoxy paint on the cellar and used the gray like I was going to use on the kitchen. The paint went on so easy, I was done in nothing flat. Then I decided while I had paint on the roller, the brush and me that I may as well use what was in the paint tray to see how much I could get done on the kitchen. And not being one to stop in the middle of a project I managed to complete the cellar wall and all of the kitchen exterior. Now when Rodger and Jason get the trim work done on the cellar that is all that will need to be painted.I think I will probably trim the kitchen in a gloss white. I love having a fresh coat of paint on outbuilding. It just makes them look so much better.
After I got the paint job done I did take time to transplant some of my herbs to the herb bed from the greenhouse. They are all watered in good with some mulch around them so they should take off and grow really well. I think I planted 16 sage plants, about 10 basil and at least that many chamomile for tea. I repotted some of the last chives that I had started in the greenhouse to a bigger pot so they can just grow there. Jasons buddy Josh was here to spend the night and the guys all went shooting this afternoon. While they were in the field they went to check on the garden. They tell me it is doing good, lazy me, I havent been back over there since we planted the strawberries and cabbage and stuff a week or so ago. I think tomorrow might be a good day to get some mowing done around here before we need to use the tractor and bush hog to mow the yard.
Till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella

The kitchen is close to done

The summer kitchen is close to done. The wiring is now in, tomorrow we put in insulation and maybe start hanging the inside wallboard. Not really sure yet what is going on the walls but am sure it will be light colored and easy to clean. Maybe bead board panels or tiled hardboard. Here are so pictures up to this point.
And I always put my pictures on the post in the backwards order, but ya git the gist of it.
Till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella

A traveling day

We were on the road most of the day today. I had an appointment with an attorney and a dentist appointment this afternoon. Both events went pretty well. After all this we did some shopping for the summer kitchen. I got a water heater to use out there and a shop vac to clean the floors of the kitchen and the keep the cellar cleaned out without taking my good sweeper out there.
Jason stayed home today and ran the tractor and got some bush hogging done in the hay fields. We have a big problem with sage grass about to take over and they set the bush hog to clip it a little high. He has been doing that all day. He came in after we got back late this evening.
I am totally exhausted from being in the truck all day. Now the next couple days will be spent trying to recover from the travel and the back pain it causes.So till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella

Still at it

!. Pots with blueberries, rosemary and lavendar
2.Strawberries blooming
3.Stella d'Or lily and hydrangea that I thought was killed by chickens
4. the herb bed is coming back nicely
5.baby chicks
6.pear tree in full bloom
7.basil, chamomile, and sage to be transplanted soon
8.plants in the greenhouse

We are still hard at work trying to get the kitchen done this week. And it got really hot here today as well. The thermometer on the back deck in the shade was on 90. The guys did most of the wiring today and at least it is sealed up with the door on and all if it does rain on Thursday. I just fetched water to the guys and played with the little chickens when I went back there. They are growing really well.
While they were working on the kitchen I cleaned the root cellar out. Yesterday I got all the jars washed off and nice an clean. They had developed some mold on the outside of the jars due to the humidity being so high and we probably dont have enough air movement through there. Then today I cleaned the floor and mopped it out with bleach water to try and keep the mold at bay. It looked really nice when I got finished. I found that I do have a lot of empty jars in there from all the canned stuff we have used over the winter. There is a double door storage cabinet in there that will go to the summer kitchen when it is done to make more room for shelves.
I got out and took some pictures today of the plants here that have budded out and flowered. I am thinking that tomorrow evening I will get some of my herbs transplanted into the herb bed so they can get took off good. If we get some rain on Thursday it will do them a lot of good. I just hope we dont get a late freeze and kill my pears again this year. I can see me out there covering the lil tree up with a sheet or something.
Till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella

Nice weather and more progress

The weather was really nice today, partly sunny and just enough clouds to keep it from being so unbearable out in the heat. The guys got more done on the summer kitchen today. The roof is on, all the siding is up. I think the plan for tomorrow is to get the door hung and get the wiring done.It is looking nice out there. Rob was here this weekend to help get the siding put up. It takes 2 people to hold it up and one to nail. Rob also finished moving the gravel for me that I was using in back to landscape with. It sure looks better out there than all the mud that was there.
I got in the greenhouse today an potted up more of the tomato plants and some of the herbs. I had got hold of some bad potting mix an had to re-seed some of the pepper plants. The bag of potting mix I had gotten here locally was nothing more than sand and nothing was coming up in it. I held no moisture at all.
I looked at my asparagus bed today an there are bunches of little skinny asparagus spears in there but they are tiny little fellers. I think I was instructed to let them grow this year and maybe I can harvest a few next year.
Not much else happening here, so till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella

A busy Easter

We had a busy Easter around here. They guys worked on the summer kitchen and got lots done on it. The windows are in, roof is started, some of the siding is on and these will get finished tomorrow. I am really pleased with my $20 windows, they worked out nicely.The weather was just wonderful today, warm and sunny. Jason started  a big crock pot of venison stew this morning so we could have that for supper. Some of us had strawberry shortcake for dessert. A good way to wind down a day.
I went to the greenhouse and got some of the plants in repotted. Most all my seedling were started in the peat pellets this year because I thought I was going to have to keep them in the house. The pellets are fine for some things I suppose but not to get good hardy seedling started for the garden. The pellets dry out rather quickly and the plants feel confined and dont have enough room to make good healthy roots. I have run out of the 4 and 6 packs that I had been using to start seedlings so I am using good potting soil to fill in around the peat pellets in the flats to give them something to get their roots into and hope they will grow bigger and better. So no more peat pellets for seed starting here. I need to visit my friend at the greenhouse in town and see about purchasing some more of the packs to get the rest of the plants moved into. Maybe I can do that tomorrow as I go to check in on mom at the nursing home.
Earlier this afternoon I did manage to weed the asparagus bed and I have little asparagus spears coming up all over. I think I was instructed to let the just grow this year and maybe next year I will have some to harvest.
So tomorrow we will be building on the kitchen again and I will finish up in the greenhouse and maybe get my landscaping done near the sidewalk in back of the house.So till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella

Weather interruptions

Today was one of those days when ya may as well stay in your jammies. I woke up too early to begin with and it didnt get any better as the day went on. We were forecast to have rain today but they didnt say anything about wind gust. I went out and opened up the greenhouse all to have a sudden gust of wind hit out of no where. Well for those of ya that dont know, if you get heavy wind you must close up a greenhouse or it becomes a giant kite. So off I go to close the door and window to keep the wind from tearing up the plastic and making a mess. Got back to the house and all was well till another gust hit and I heard a loud crash outside. I have had a glass picnic table on the back deck with an umbrella on it for shade for probably 4 years and we have had storms of all kinds and never did any damage to the table. Well today the loud crash was the umbrella hitting the patio door and the table hitting the floor. The table didnt break but it did break the umbrella pole in half. Then I spent the next half hour going around trying to pick up an anchor down things all over the place.After stepping on Luna a dozen times I finally come to the conclusion that she does not like wind and storms and obviously thought she would be safe standing under my feet. The cat too was hid in her little box thinking she was safe.I saw her panic when the wind moved her bed across the front porch. A few hours later I was on my way to open the greenhouse up again after the sun came out and walked into the driveway and the windows and door that are to go in my summer kitchen were nearly pushed thru the underpinning on the house. The wind had knocked those things over and they are really heavy. Got the guys to load those back in my truck so they didnt get broken and went about my business. We never did get the rain that was forecast but it got really hot this afternoon. At this point I had to get out of my jammies and into shorts.
I got a good start on the landscaping on the back side of the house beside the sidewalk. I got the rest of my flowers dug out and moved around back and got the plastic down over the dirt and rock. Jason hauled some of the gravel for me and it was getting late so we can finish that tomorrow. Rob and Amoy will be here tomorrow to help with the kitchen and have lunch with us. Other than the wind escapades not much happening here today. So till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella

Chain gang?

Well not really a chain gang. It was potato planting time on the farm. We planted out potatoes the way my dad always did and he had good potatoes.We made a furrow with the rototiller, then someone goes behind and put the fertilizer in the row, someone else usually drags a chain thru the furrow to mix the fertilizer in with a small amount of soil and then you plant the potatoes and cover them over. So today with Jason here, and he always says I work him like a barrowed mule, today I did. He was the one putting in the fertilizer so he tole me to hook the truck chain to his belt and he would do both with one pass. Then I put the taters in and Rodger covered them up with dirt. So we have our potatoes planted. Later this evening we planted the fruit and nut trees that I had ordered. We had piled a good bunch of chicken manure and bedding near the orchard and used that to mix in with the dirt in the bottom of the hole and then set the trees in, watering and back filling each one. All 18 trees are in the new orchard. I still need to get some apple trees to put in there for a good variety of fruit in our little family orchard. All this done, we set the strawberries in the garden on the back side where they can run and spread all over. I also planted a few cabbage and some broccoli in the garden too. We got to try out the old hand tobacco setter that we got last summer at the big 127 yard sale. We have a pretty good start on the garden so far. I always have to draw a map so I know where we planted things and what varieties we plant so we can see what does best here. Like today we planted 4 different varieties of potatoes. There were some Pontiacs for early potatoes, Yukon Gold for storing, GoldRush for storing and some Purple flesh potatoes just because I could. I think I would be kinda neat to serve some purple mashed taters.
So till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead..

Stella

Just my thoughts.....

Below is a link to an article that kinda confirms what I have thought all along. The use of GM grains and foods that contain them are detrimental to your health. In the study it indicates that female rats fed GM grain had elevated blood sugar. As insulin is produced and processed by the pancreas, does it make you wonder why the sudden increase in pancreatic cancer? The stats show that the cancer also effects females more than males. Could this be the cause of a lot of terminal health issues in this country. This is the very reason I strive to raise more of my own food and meat here. Have a read, it will make you stop and think. Corn being the most common GM grain used in the US it is in some form in nearly all foods you purchase at the store.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1244824/Fears-grow-study-shows-genetically-modified-crops-cause-liver-kidney-damage.html

Ok I am done with my rant for the day and off to get some things done with the nice weather. Till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella