Gardening - already??

Here it is mid-Febrary and our garden operations are getting into full swing!

At last count, if (big IF) everything comes up that we plan on we should have over FIFTY different types of things planted... something like 6 different tomato types (a cherry or two and mostly sauce varieties), squash, going crazy on green beans, peppers (both salad and hot)...

We spent the better part of a weekend putting together some new cold frames and planter boxes, and the girls seemed to approve... why they are sooooo fascinated with the grass inside - it was the same darn grass they had been walking on just a minute prior...

[girls with new planter]
















Since it's so rare that we buy eggs from the store anymore, when I made some fried eggs last time I thought I'd do one of each... still don't think there's a difference?

[eggs side by side]

















We've (okay, me) toyed with the idea of getting some more chickens, this time broilers that we could raise in 7-8 weeks and have in the freezer (or on the grill!!) shortly thereafter... well my bro Quentin, who was going to be my teacher for butchering, decides to up and leave for Colorado... but at least I got an A-Frame chicken tractor out of him so if we go that route (or need to quarantine a hen) we have that option...

[a frame from Q]

Not just Love....

.... but Chicken Love!!

Looksy what t'wife got me for Valentine's Day!! AND it has pics of our own girls on there!! What a gal!

One Chicken Down, and Urban Farming and Homesteaders...

I knew this day would happen, either by circumstance or the chopping block, but it still pains me...

Lost one of our Rhode Island Reds as of last Monday morning... she had been acting aloof and such since shortly after the new year, and Nic spotted a white splotchy area on her butt from what we assume was diarrhea... Last Thursday we cleaned her up and put electrolyte stuff in their drinking water... But she was lethargic all weekend and we ended up giving her an actual bath... brought her in the house and put her in a box with a towel in it, and believe it or not the girl just sat there while Nic used a blow dryer on her... She didn't seem at all concerned about any of it (prolly exhausted), nor did she eat or drink anything when offered...




After all this I put her out in a nesting box and checked on the girls the following morning before leaving for work... She didn't make it through the night....





Anyways, onwards and upwards....

Last December I was asked by my bro Quentin if I'd be interested in participating in a new group or club he was planning on putting together, along the lines of "Urban Farmers and Homesteaders".... well, a few days after I said You Bet! he tells me he's moving to Colorado.... that weasel bastard.... ;)

So I got his contact list of about 5 people, put word out to the brew club and got interest from 10-15 people... our initial planning meeting is this Thursday so we'll see how it goes...

I'm thinking of a "walking, talking Mother Earth News" where we all participate in learning new things, hosting work parties, etc. There's a lot to learn so this should keep all of us pretty busy!