And boy have we been busy. Our friends, Heather, Sherri, and Dara came over yesterday and helped with weeding and mulch. Although they only come occasionally, their help is invaluable! We love them so much for being so selfless, as they also have gardens to tend. Will has been side-dressing some of our sweet corn with rotted manure. The corn is slow this year, due to all the torrential rains we’ve been having and can sure use the help.
When we went out to the Wolf Garden, there was our youngest calf, Sunny, with no other cattle around. Oh oh! I wondered if his mother was sick, if he’d gotten left behind or what? I took the golf cart down to look and the whole herd, minus Sunny, was lying in the shade, in the cow yard. I tried to shoo them off toward the Wolf pasture, but no dice. Later in the day, they left, heading out to pasture. I went to the North pasture, on the golf cart and started herding them toward the Wolf pasture and, hopefully, Sunny. It worked until I got stuck about half a mile from the house! Mud, of course. I went ahead, driving the cows ahead of me, wishing for a horse. Boy were the mosquitoes bad! I mean clouds of them and me, with no bug spray. It was a long walk home after climbing through the fence. I was bug-bit, and my knees were screaming.
Will came in with the tractor and we went back out to pull the golf cart out of the mud. Yep, there was Sunny, again with the herd. We were so glad! With bears, wolves, and mountain lions around, we hate to have a lone calf wandering around.
My Angel Trumpet is in full bloom after taking the winter off in the house. It’s awesome! I bought four more this spring and they’re happily growing near “big sister.” They also, will take a winter vacation inside and, hopefully, they’ll bloom next spring.
It’s been hot and I’m watering in the two hoop houses, where some of our peppers are planted. We’ve already got peppers on them and also some of the ones out in the Sand Garden.
I can’t wait to make more Cowboy Candy! Yesterday, I made a chicken recipe we loved. I diced and fried two boneless chicken breasts along with two onions. Then I added a pint of salsa and a pint of sweet corn. Then I added chili powder to taste. While this was simmering and thickening a bit, I lightly fried eight corn tortillas. When they were done, I placed them on the bottom of the frying pan and poured the chicken salsa mix over it and topped that with grated cheddar cheese. Wow, it was good, especially when I added a tablespoon of Cowboy Candy and a good splash of the syrup. Yum! We eat so good around here! — Jackie
wow what a beautiful flower! well worth the wait. wish you could ve sent some of the rain out to the pacific northwest. 100 for over 2 weeks, more coming. but my peppers, corn, squash and melons love it! as long as i keep the water on them. so sorry you got stuck. ouch your poor knees. enjoy the dry period!
Sorry you got stuck Jackie! What slog back for you. We’ve gone from a pleasant, though cool spring to scorching heat and no rain. Upper 90s, which for here is scorching heat. Fire watch is ongoing, I want rain but not the lightening strikes on the mountains. My husband is improving after his bout with sepsis but he’s still on oxygen. I’m aching more than usual with the heat and only go out when I’ve got to, watering, taking out trash or getting the mail. Normal summer temps are in the upper 80s, maybe in the low 90s. Good luck with your garden!
Thanks Cat. I’m glad your husband is improving. It’s so hard for us who are not used to high temperatures to deal with them. It sucks the energy right out of me! I wish we could send you some of our rain. It’s raining again today! Yuck.
We have been getting rains along, which is such a blessing so far. The last few years have been so very dry and nothing grew very well. This year, my garden is looking lush. I have picked green beans, zucchini, green peppers and cucumbers so far. The tomatoes have set on and there are some large ones waiting to ripen. The forecast is calling for mid 90 degree temps and not much rain in the near future, so we will see what happens. That was scary you getting stuck and having to walk home. I’m glad you made it ok. Do you carry a cell phone to contact Will or someone if something like that happens? Its kind of odd the calf would have been so far from the rest of the herd. Sometimes animals behavior makes me scratch my head and say hmmmmm. I hope you have no ill effects from your long walk and the mosquito attack. Sending prayers for a blessed week.
Just like people’s weird behavior sometimes leaves me stumped. I used to carry a cell phone but lost it several times. (It was easier when it was a flip phone!) The calf is keeping with the herd ever since. Maybe it scared him like it did us!
My knees were sore after the walk but they’re better now. It wasn’t a dangerous situation but just one of those oh boy moments!
Thanks for your prayers.
Not so many mosquitoes but tons of grasshoppers!
Yep, we’ve had those in the past several times too. It’s always something, it seems.
I’ve been recovering from a stroke and a low sodium incident so my daughter is doing the gardening this year. Our hoop houses and the garden near the house were extremely wet this year. The outside garden is still too wet to till. Fortunately the “big garden” was plantable but we couldn’t do peas because there is no way to protect them from moose here in Copper Asian Alaska. Our mosquitos are really bad too because we had a lot of standing water in garden and woods.
Ugh, mosquitoes!! We’re still fighting wet garden ground. Our sweet corn in the Wolf Garden looks bad as does the corn in the North Garden, both planted in lower spots.
I hope you’re doing better following your stroke. That sure knocks the tar out of a person!! I’m glad your daughter is helping out.
Here in NE Washington, we had too much rain and are now plagued by giant mosquitoes. We purchased mosquito netting ‘hoods’ to wear over our hats and heads. We also had the worst season ever in regard to aphids. Lots of destruction to orchard tree fruit. I attacked these pests with Neen Oil, then Pyrethrin, and then AzaGuard. he aphid problem is finally under control.
I’m threatening to get some head nets. So far, we’re able to work, spraying down with bug dope. Glad to hear the aphids are getting under control. They’re sure nasty!
Please send some of that rain our way! We’re way, way too dry and it’s worrisome.
Oh believe me, I sure would, if I could!! We’re supposed to get more rain this weekend. Yuck. Just when it was starting to dry out enough to walk in the gardens.
This is the worst year for mosquitoes we’ve had in twenty years! Usually, we can sit on the front porch and relax. Not this year! I really “found” them in the tall grass of the pasture when I was walking home. I took a cold shower and put aloe on my legs and arms. Much better!
Our potatoes have been hilled the second time and look nice. I think I’ve got the potato bugs whipped…..
Jackie, going to try that recipe. I bet it’s yummy, thanks.
It’s great plus you can make it up with home canned foods too. That’s a plus plus!
Too many people don’t know what they’re missing when it comes to home cooked meals (even if it is leftovers).
Can’t speak for you but last summer we hardly had any mosquitoes. Just recently (after all too frequent rain) they’ve started coming out. We do a decent job of beating back the woods from the yard proper but as soon as you get near the woods/vegetation, one is fair game for them.
Dug a few tater plants – which are really tall and bushy this year. Decent harvest from three plants. They’ll all be dug by early August – can’t convince the better half to be patient. I *really* need to get my planned second garden area up and going.
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