Old Fashioned Lifestyle

August brings in a mix of feelings for the gardener. The garden is in full abundance. All the hard work that was put into the soil earlier in the year is now paying off. And yet, there is a feeling of regret. It is too late for this year. Time already to think of next. Next year, I will get more tomatoes into the ground. Next year. Next year.

The feeling is accentuated if something has gone wrong. Perhaps a hail storm has come along and wiped out your harvest. Perhaps the animals found their way into the garden and helped themselves! Perhaps you were busy, and the seeds went into the ground late. I have coped with these gardening dissapointments by thinking of next year.

Until Now.

Why?

Because, I’m reading the book, ‘Four-Season Harvest’ by Eliot Coleman. Mr. Coleman lives in Maine and he manages to harvest greens all year long.

What? I can plant seeds in August and September? Let the dirt digging begin. I am inspired.

Technorati Tags: Gardening

Anyone here still participating in the photo hunt? Here are the next few challenges:

And, I found this fun resource yesterday: Blurb. Turn your photo’s into a book!

Just think of the possibilities!

• A Family Memoir
• A Vacation Album
• A Collection of your Work.

The possibilities are endless! Make your own coffee table book!

Rabbits and Turkeys and Sheep, Oh My!

The sheep we got in the spring are doing very well.  Babies are growing up.  Little Cinnimon – the one we almost lost – made it past her tough early days and started thriving.  She is just as big as her sister now.  We plan to buy a Ram Lamb in another month and breed them all.  We will be in Wool and Lamb next year!

The Origional Broody Hen never did successfully hatch any eggs.  However, we now have two broody hens – - each setting on a clutch of six eggs.  We are cautiously keeping our fingers crossed.

We got an incubator.  thried to hatch some chick eggs.  No Go.  Our incubator didn’t really hold the temp very well.  Later, we were able to hatch a few turkey eggs – though the babies died a day later.

The seeds went into the garden late again this year.  Sigh.  We are in lettuce like no one’s business – - – and we have peas and beans coming on now.  Corn?  Well.  Time will tell.  We may get one ear.  Will be an interesting meal trying to split that 5 ways for dinner!

What do you write after dropping out of sight with no word and no explanation?

Do you dive in with all you have to say?

Do you catch up on all that has happened?

I found it difficult to know where to start. Then, it hit me. The answer is in the book I am reading.

Life has been busy. That is for sure! He have hatched some turkeys in an incubator. We have planted a garden and continued to build our house. We have had business issues flare up and require our attention. All of these things have taken me away from my word. (You know …. my word of the year…. CREATE). I have failed to create over the last few months. I have stopped taking photo’s and I have stopped writing. Now that I am back …. what do I say? How do I get started again?

With enjoying the moment. That is how. I take the lessons from the book, A New Earth. It is time to apply the words that have given me peace. I get started again by forgetting the past and letting go of my worry for the future. I just enjoy sitting here – - – typing the words – - – as they come to me.

It is good to be back.

5/7/2008:  More rain today.  We will stay in, bake some bread knit, and write.<br>
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5/6/2008:  We woke up to the pitter patter of rain on the rooftop.  It was just on time, I won’t have to water the new trees today!<br>
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5/5/2008:  Kids were asking me this morning if it will frost again….  They are anxious to get some seeds in the ground.  How much longer should we wait?<br>
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5/4/2008:  The days are getting longer and longer.  This morning at oh-should-still-be-dark-early the birds were singing like mad.  The forecast was calling for rain today, but we have beautiful blue sky’s.  I think I will work on preparing a garden plot.<br>
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5/3/2008:  Sunny day.  The turkeys and baby chicken have been kicked out of the coop.  Time for them to roam around.  They were unsure at first, but after a few hours they felt more comfortable venturing out.  The sheep were let out into a new pen.  The lambs were so happy the pranced in circles for an hour.<br>
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5/2/2008:  Spring is definitely here.  We are having some beautiful days – weather in the 60s or 70s.  The turkeys and the lambs are growing like mad.  We finally gave our broody hen some new eggs – she sat on one clutch but none of them hatched.  I think the clutch was too big and she wasn’t able to keep them all warm all the time.  We finally took those eggs and gave her a new clutch (only four this time) to sit on.   That was on the last day of April, so the 21st of May should be the day.<br>
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5/1/2008:  May day today.  The kids got some flowers and took them to the neighbors.  I think it added a little sunshine to everyone’s day.

I’ve been so busy lately, I think I have forgotten how my camera even works.  

Time to get back into the photo hunt.  Here are some upcoming themes:

Now….   If I can remember to bring my camera with me during the month of May.

This photo was taken by Giggle Goose.

We were able to reclaim some old brick. Because of the condition they have been in for the past several years, they have a large variety of shapes and colors. I am so excited about these bricks – they will really add a lot of character to the house.

reclaimed brick

Right now, our plan is to use them in the cove behind the wood stove and behind the cook stove in the kitchen.

Our new house is coming along. Our contractor (read – - overworked husband) says we will be able to move in in two months. So, I figure we will be in by Christmas!

We have found a lot of reclaimed material that I am really excited about. We dis-assembled a barn about a month ago and found another barn that someone else had already disassembled.

I got a pretty cool picture of the barn we took down. I think I will frame it and put it somewhere in the house.

barn

The house will have a story to tell, even though it is brand new. We have the story of the barn wood, and we will have the story of the brick (more on that tomorrow).

Here are a few pics of the material before it goes onto the walls and ceilings.

barn wood

red barn wood