Through the Eyes of a Child

I had a very productive weekend!  We ate lots of fresh produce, I weeded and worked in the gardens, and I even re-wound the hose at the outdoor well pump!  Go me!  I am practically brimming with my sense of accomplishment.

And speaking of a sense of accomplishment... our rooster has, ahem, begun to crow about his accomplishments.  The Boy and I stopped to watch the chickens one morning as we began our morning walk .  And he didn't understand why the rooster climbed on top of one of the hens and pecked at her neck.  I was completely unprepared and I panicked, mumbling something about him wanting to give her a baby.  Now the Boy is excited about more baby chicks.

In other bad parenting news, I had the Boy picking berries from the bushes next to the kitchen garden, where I desperately needed to weed.  After an hour, he wanted a break, so I sent him to get water for us.  He came back with...the cocktail shaker, filled with water.  Speechless, I watched him carefully take off the lid, strain water into the lid, and toss back his shot of water.  He said he couldn't find any clean water bottles. 

I let him go back inside as I began harvesting.  In the past, I'd let a few days go by and then panic as I tried to keep on top of the eighteen thousand cucumbers, knowing that the Boy can only eat one a day.  Or, overwhelmed with tomatoes, I would go super lazy and just cook it all for dinner.  (Yeah, I went through thirty roma tomatoes one dinner last summer.)  And I'd still feel virtuous knowing that I was feeding my Boy what I grew.  But I feel compelled to approach the produce differently this summer.  There are no excuses.  I'm not moving in July or August.  I'm done teaching for the summer (probably), and the Boy is in camps for several weeks, learning engineering and computer programming and all sorts of things that I tune out.  I should be canning a few times a week. I should be able to put away several quarts of my amazing marinara sauce, whole tomatoes, salsa, peppers and relish without any problem.  I even have the perfect kitchen for accomplishing it all!  I even want to try doing sun-dried tomatoes.  I need to just do it.

But here's the rub:  life interferes.  Like last week.

The Boy's camp for this past week got cancelled... but I didn't read my email and so I didn't know until the day before.  Oops.  I had doctor and work appointments, and some writing deadlines to meet.  I had to scramble to find something.  Since he was only doing half days, he and I sat down and worked out our schedule for the non-camp days, because I tell you, not much grates on my nerves faster than hearing him, twenty minutes into play time, say, "Mommy, I'm bored.  What can I do?"  He won't like my new suggestion: to go pick berries or tomatoes or cucumbers.

The Boy is finally digging karate again, but last Tuesday, while he was in class, I got word that power was out back home.  We finally got to try out the generator.  The power was out for about eight hours, and of course the temps were bloody hot and humid.  At least it was at night, so the sun wasn't making it worse.  I was hot, but when I went to check on the Boy, he was wrapped up in his sheet, his angelic face relaxed and cool to the touch.  He thought it had been an excellent adventure.

He's a good kid.  We FINALLY picked up my new car this weekend.  He was so well behaved at the dealership, as we did all the paperwork and I got a lesson on how to hook up my phone to the car.  He figured out how to adjust his headrest, and explored all the places a cup could be held.  He loved hearing that this was going to be his first car.  He listened attentively as I explained the merits of driving stick versus automatic, and he is delighted with the rear-view and side cameras.  But, by the time we got home (having stopped for a very late lunch), he'd had enough of the new car, and was quite ready to play Minecraft with Daddy.  So, while they dodged zombies and Endermen (I have no effing clue)  I spent two hours in the car with the manuals.  I admit, I sat there with the windows down, the sunroof open, a nicely chilled beverage, and enjoyed the silence.

There was another storm last night.  The wind and lightning and thunder... wow.  We didn't lose power, but we did have branches down come morning... including the HUGE length of poison ivy that fell right over the entrance to the driveway.  It was close to two inches in diameter, and bushy as any other fallen tree limb, probably ten to fifteen feet in length.  The Boy and I just looked at the branch after I braked, and then he warned in an awed tone, "That's poison ivy."

Thank god for that kid--I'd been about to grab it and drag it off to the side.  I parked, walked back to the house to get boots, gloves, and my gardening shirt*.  I gingerly grabbed the woody part and moved it.  There is still a big broken section clinging to the tree, but at least we could drive through on the way to his invention camp.  He promised to invent a machine that would drag poison ivy away without having to use gloves.  My little hero.

*When you have poison ivy, and you wear a special sun-blocking, anti-bug gardening shirt, the poison ivy can get on the inside of the shirt.  And yeah, they say the specially-treated material will only last 50 washings or so.  BUT WASH IT WHEN YOU REALIZE YOU LEFT TRACES OF POISON IVY ON THE INSIDE OF THE ARM, BECAUSE YOU CAN RE-INFECT THE SAME AREA THAT ONLY JUST NOW HEALED FROM POISON IVY THROUGH THE USE OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS.  Not that I learned this from personal experience or anything.

Spring is Coming!

Yeah, I know we're getting hit with another 10 inches today (depending on which forecast you choose the believe).  So what?  Another day, another snow.  I saw the snowdrops in bloom this weekend, and that is way more interesting than actual snowflakes!

Instead of moaning about the drifts of snow which will cover the drifts of snow from last week, I will describe all the drifts of seed catalogs, and the plans for our garden.  Because we will be preparing the gardens and starting seedlings this month.

In truth, the catalogs have been coming since November.  I recycled dozens in the afternoons before the Husband ever walked in the door to ask, "What's in the mail?"  All so I could say, "Nothing", since the mail had long since been sorted into piles for Country Kitty and family, recycling, keep, and shred, thus sparing me thinking about planting a garden four months away or more.

But, in December, he caught me.  So, the seed catalogs began going into a "save" pile.  I'd let the pile get to six inches before I'd sort the duplicates and recycle them.  (I like recycling!).  On through January...and into February.

Now there is a pile, and when March looms, you know April is close behind, and that is when you plant!  So, last week, the Husband and I found ourselves leaning over the kitchen bar, making non-committal noises as we flipped through various catalogs:  The Cooks Garden, Burpee, Kitchen Garden Seeds, etc. 

ME:  So, what are we planting this year?

HIM:  Well, you posted that corn, bean, squash companion photo online, and it's here in this book. (holds up "Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots")

ME:  (flipping through the "hot" peppers in one catalog) These peppers are lame.

HIM:  (handing me the Territorial Seed Company catalog) Well, look at this catalog.

ME:  Oooooo.  So, what are we planting this year?

HIM:  Well, what do you want to plant?

ME:  Six jalapeno plants was not enough.  I need more.

HIM:  I thought you said those weren't spicy.

ME:  They weren't.  I want to at least double it, but with serranos!

HIM:  Twelve?

ME:  Yeah, I am going through a pint of canned jalepenos in 10 days!  I need at least...maybe 20.  Yeah, 20 hot pepper plants.  That way I can do salsa too.

HIM:  Can we do some mild ones?

ME:  No, those are useless...

HIM:  (pointed look)

ME:  Unless you and the Boy might want to eat them.  Yes!  Let me start a list!

So, we started a list.
YE OLDE OFFICIAL GARDENING LIST:

• 15-20 hot peppers (Serranos and a few banana)
• 8+ Romas... or any good sauce tomato
• 1 Grape tomato... even though I don't keep up with them
• 1 Early Girl, just because.

ME:  Okay, what else?

HIM:  The corn thing?

ME:  (scribbling down corn, pole beans, squash)  Oh yeah, I totally need to plant butternut squash again.  And double what we did last year!  Oh, and spaghetti squash!

HIM:  Cukes--

ME:  And zukes!  Oh, and peas.  And I want lettuce.  Maybe a salad mix, with kale and beets.  Carrots!  We could try onions again, why not?  Wanna do cabbage?

HIM:  Sure, but---

ME:  Oh, and we have to do the melons again!  Do the Alvaro melon, and canary.  Hmm, what about watermelon?

HIM:  Maybe, do you think---

ME:  The Boy will totally want strawberries.

HIM:  Did you want to buy all these as plants?

ME:  Noooooo!  We have to start these all from seeds!  Well, maybe not the tomatoes.  No, I can do it!  Although, I'm really lazy, and I don't know how many plants we need to start like that.  Hmm, I know Country Kitty left her seedling starters here  somewhere?  Sheesh, but I hate having so many seedlings that I don't use.  Oh, maybe, I could just start the melons directly in the compost heap.  Ha ha, just kidding.  Oh gosh, do you think the Boy will want to do pumpkins again?  Hmmm, is this list too long?  Well, we do have both garden plots this year.  I don't know, what do you think?

By this point, the Husband had wandered off, because his presence was apparently no longer required, as I'd already taken all the catalogs, the pad and the pencil.  Plus, I was doing all the talking.

So, the planning is going beautifully, and wow, we started before March!  We're ahead of the game!  Woohoo!!  Cuz, Spring is coming!

Animals on the Farm

"All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others."

-George Orwell, Animal Farm

Katt is much improved, and back to being the top cat.  She's regained her attitude, and she's certainly back to catting around.  I watched her bravely stalk a female cardinal... by sitting in a fierce pose and watching it until it flew away.  It's a shame, because that cat has got quite a set of claws.  She was an angel when I took her to get them clipped, but she mauled Wine Friend on Saturday night.  Evil beast... or as he said, "She's a cat."

Amy, on the other hand, is curious and adorable, and a threat to no one but the insane person who walks up to the door.  Then she turns into this fierce, slobbering Cerberus.  Children flee and huge men quaver in fear...until I open the door, and she suddenly becomes the world's most affectionate puppy, her tail wagging so hard her body contorts.  But otherwise?  She came into the chicken coop with me once.  The chickens backed into a corner, and one took a daring fly at Amy...who just kinda turned her head and went back to sniffing chicken poop.  They now ignore her.  Even squirrels don't run away much.

Now, Amy and Katt have finally settled on their pecking order.  They touch noses until Katt swats at Amy.  Katt will approach Amy sleeping on her dog bed and sniff at her until Amy gets up and leaves, at which time Katt settles onto the warm spot left behind.  Katt chases Amy around the kitchen island, her tail lifted in delight as Amy tries to escape with her tail tucked between her legs.  Oh, and this is the worst:  they get fed at the same time, and Katt will eat two bites of her food and then settle just outside the mudroom, watching as Amy finishes scarfing down her own food and then sniffs at Katt's food, at which point Katt saunters in again and forces Amy to slink off.

Ah, good times.

But, it isn't all hissing and scratches and a 70 pound dog scurrying away from a 10 pound cat.  Other times, they seem to be able to ignore each other enough to get along.  Very cute, right?

 In other news, the chickens are pooping and eating and STILL refusing to leave the chicken coop.  I'm getting one egg a day from Gandalf.  I eat two eggs a day for breakfast.  The Boy eats eggs for breakfast, and the Husband likes them as well.  Adding in the occasional need for eggs in baking or cooking dinner, we are about five chickens down in terms of production.  It might be time to add a few more chickens to the mix.  Or, maybe Leia and Vader could find the time between pooping and eating to try laying a little.  Snicker.

Prongs came home on Friday.  I am very pleased to announce that we had some challenges settling him into his new home.  As in, wow, that is a whole lotta packages in the freezer.  We came home with over a 100 pounds of venison, and the loin is as big as a pig loin!  And I can promise, I am pleased to have the meat.  Last night, we ate ground venison in some of the ratatouille I made this summer, when I was swimming in squash and tomatoes.  Amazing to think that most of that meal came from within 100 yards of the house!

And now I am planning the menu for Thanksgiving.  We will have a house full of people for that meal, and I am so excited.  I'll be able to use the butternut squashes from the summer, a local ham, and jars of relishes and sauces that were canned from our own garden.

I am still holding out hope for the Husband to bag Tom.  He's a big guy, and he's been all over the farm.  Turkey hunting is hard, and this guy seems pretty active.  But, he would make a lovely addition to Thanksgiving dinner.  (Way better than the back-up turkey taking up space in the other freezer).

And honestly, I would just love to have another animal in the house.

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Move is a Four Letter Word.

You've missed me?  That is sweet... unless you are annoyed that I haven't posted anything in a bit.  Trust me when I tell you that I don't intentionally annoy... well, I do, but in this case, I didn't.

I moved.  It was a special kind of hell.

See, I was supposed to move at the end of June.  And I planned my summer teaching schedule around that.  So, the summer camp was scheduled for the last two full weeks of July.  It was perfect.  Until it wasn't.  We extended our lease by a month so that we could get closer to a working move-in date at the farm.  So, I packed all through the month of June, into the first two weeks of July...although I also had to write an original script from scratch.  Which I did.  Which meant I hadn't quite gotten all the packing I had hoped to have done by the time my class began.  And so I taught, and packed only on the weekend....

Okay, boring story.  The point is, we had to be out of the townhouse at the end of July 31.  We made it... if you count before sunrise on August 1 as part of July 31.  No joke.  I was cleaning and packing vehicles until 4:30 a.m.  August 1, I wore my "Crit Happens" t-shirt.

So, about half of our belongings are in two climate controlled storage units.  Two-thirds of the remaining are at the farm, crowded into one room,more or less.  The remaining is with us as we crash at my Wine Friend's apartment while he is halfway across the world on vacation.  We move into the farm next week.

I am so excited!  In the meantime, we've been canning and freezing produce.  I now have something like 12 quarts of ratatouille frozen, and just canned 7 pints of hot peppers!  And the husband canned 6 jars of an amazing bread and butter/relish hybrid.  

My poor puppy has been living at the farm since July 31, and while she is enjoying the farm, she's missing us.  I miss her, too.  She is working out a relationship with Cat, the farm cat.

In the meantime, I am cooling my heels at a cool urban village with shopping and restaurants that I can see from my window!  We went to a movie on Friday and bowling on Saturday, for heaven's sake!  What a difference it will be going from this environment (which I confess, I am kinda digging) to 10 acres out in the country along a gravel road.

This will have been the weirdest month in my entire life.

Tomato Humble Pie

I may have come off like a know-it-all gardener.  My apologies.  I had to admit some mistakes today.

See, my Early Girl has had fruit since the last week of June.  I was excited, thinking I would get to have my first tomato on July 4, like most years.  Not.  Few issues.

First, I didn't quite have the directions quite right when I drew up my plan.  Rather than the front of the row of tomatoes catching the morning sun and the back of the row basking in the afternoon sun... I am off enough that some plants are pretty much in part-shade, rather than full sun.  That would not be the end of the world, except...

Second, my mini-ecosystem method created a jungle, which is fine...when it is getting the sun properly, and when the zuke isn't growing ever taller nearby, and the butternut squash isn't sending up shooters into the tomato trellises.  Instead, I have part-shade+ inside the row, and the indeterminate plants are shooting legs everywhere attempting to get the proper sun, which shades further the plant next to it.  Again, this wouldn't necessarily mean the end of the world, although it makes it challenging, especially since...

Third, we have had the coolest and dampest June-into-July that I can remember.  I almost never have to water, which is nice, but we're getting cloudy days mostly.  So, cool temps and not a huge amount of direct sunlight.

I spent almost two hours trimming back on the creepers and such, re-training some of the legs to go elsewhere, and...gulp, actually removing one entire plant.  I collected the green fruit from that plant and have it sitting in the window at home, hoping that they might ripen.  I am not holding my breath.

Tomatoes never come when you think they should.  On top of that, I planted two weeks later than I usually do.  That makes a big difference, especially when the weather has been so odd.  My husband suggested that maybe the tomatoes are being considerate, and holding off on exploding with Romas until we are moved and truly settled.  And truly, I know that middle August is when I usually start panicking with the volume of tomato production and get into a twice-weekly canning routine.

Arrogance and impatience are my tomato sins.  The plants are doing well.  There is little sign of insects (so far, ha ha) and no sign of serious tomato diseases.  The plants are healthy.  They'll give me tomatoes when they are good and ready.

And when summer comes and stays.

The Squash that Ate My Garden

Back in May, I planted 2 rows of spaghetti squash and 3 of butternut, expecting not every seed to thrive. The Boy had 5 birdhouse gourds planted around his tee-pee, where they could climb the posts and the string wound between them.  He also planted 2 giant pumpkins.  We had 2 volunteer something-or-others that could have been melons or squash based on how they looked back when we were planting.

Everything has survived.  I had to thin my winter squashes down to 2 spaghetti and 3 butternut plants total, since every seed I'd planted had sprouted.  I had to spend about an hour today untangling the 5 squashes, and intervening in their attacks on marigolds, nasturtiums, the 2 zucchini plants, all the tomatoes, and the cucumbers across the aisle in the next bed.  The birdhouse gourds were spreading out rather than up, so had to be trained up.  The pumpkins know no borders, and had spread into the grass.  The 2 volunteers whatevers have been identified as yellow squash (also called crookneck)  They are attaching to mulch, birdhouse gourds, popcorn cornstalks, and anything that doesn't move fast enough to escape.

Oh.  I forgot.  A volunteer squash has devoured the compost heap.

In the meantime, I have about 80 pounds of zucchini that must be eaten or stored.  I am gonna be able to get the guys to eat the zucchini if I make it Parmesan, along with some kind of meat.  Venison and Zucchini Parmesan?  But that is only gonna go so far.  I intended to make a huge batch of ratatouille to freeze...except for one small problem.  While my tomato plants are now taller than me, are growing thickly enough that they are great shade, and have tons of fruit ripening... they are not ripe yet.  So, I'll have to either try to save the zukes for another week and gamble that I'll have enough tomatoes to make ratatouille... Or I'm gonna have to buy some.  Sigh.

On the plus side, I saw fresh zukes at the grocery store selling at $1.99 a pound!  Take that!  Never mind that I would never choose to buy 80 pounds of zucchini.