Friday, August 9, 2013

Another Week . . .

Another week is just about over, flown by in a flash.  Mostly homestead-y type stuff filling our time, but as Papa Pea agreed last night in bed as I was yammering away (I couldn't fall asleep, although I think he was already more than halfway there), there's nothing we'd rather be doing.

Not a lot going on in the garden that has demanded attention though.


Even the flowers are way behind schedule, but developing slowly all the same.  The morning glories on the tepee trellis are about three-fourths of the way to the top, but not showing many blooms.


The same for the ones I planted at the base of this archway trellis in the field garden.  I pictured them climbing all the way over the top with a heavy display of blooms.  Don't think that will happen this year.


The strawberries are done producing and already showing their fall colors.  (Eeek, wait!  I'm not ready for that.)


Maybe this sixteen foot long bean row is a good lesson in teaching that patience pays.  I replanted bare spots two times, but now it looks like a luxuriant stand with (finally!) inch-long beans appearing.


The edible podded peas have been producing prolifically.  I pick them every day and we eat them with every meal.  Yes, we do and are still enjoying them to the hilt!


We got our first measurable amount of raspberries yesterday, probably about six cups.  These are the Reveille variety which are our heaviest bearing.  The berries seem to be especially large in size this year.


I spent one long afternoon baking five different varieties of goodies for a program at our local (wonderful) library.  The big advantage was that it also restocked our freezer with a nice variety of treats to have on hand.


Our main thrust this week has been wood working.  We usually have our wood supply high, dry and tucked away in the spring of each year, but we had a couple of glitches thrown in that plan this year so we're having to make a big push on it now.


We had some wood left (from two years ago, I think, maybe three) in the back of the small wood shed that we wanted to start filling first so it had to be brought out.  We'll use this wood first this heating season.  It filled this 12' long auxiliary rack plus half of another one just like it.


We've gotten a good start on cutting, splitting and stacking wood in the small shed.


While Papa Pea cuts the wood into stove size lengths with the chainsaw, I've been working on filling the kindling bin which seems like a slow task, but it's oh-so-nice to have it all set and ready for the whole heating season.

That's an overview of our week so far.  Our weather continues to be very cool, but it's just perfect for our wood working efforts. 

22 comments:

Sunnybrook Farm said...

Your morning glories look nice but in my garden they are one of the worst weeds to deal with but luckily Houdini the steer loves them almost as much as corn fodder. He eats all of them that I can cut and pull out of the garden.
I like your wood shed, nice to have things ready for winter, it is too hot to work wood here so I have to do it in late winter for the next season. Looking good!

Tombstone Livestock said...

Garden looks great and the wood shed too, just thinking of all that work makes me need to go take a nap. And not to mention you making 5 different kind of treats, wow, no wonder you don't have time to blog, LOL. And then there is all that canning and freezing to do ahead. Take care.

Carolyn said...

Sorry, but I have no idea what else you said after, or even what you said before, the picture of all those goodies.

Sue said...

You have treats in the freezer?????????
AND green beans?
I'm packing!
:D

Mama Pea said...

Sunnybrook Farm - After my fiasco with my artichokes trying to take over the acreage, you would think I'd be scared of the morning glories. I move the tepee trellis they climb on around the garden every year and always have a few sprouting up where they grew the previous year but (so far) it's not been any kind of a problem. I will remember to send my pulled up ones to you for Houdini!

In a "normal" year, it would be MUCH too hot for us to be wood working now, too. Maybe Mother Nature is being nice to us since she gave us so much snow in April it was impossible to do the wood then.

Mama Pea said...

Tombstone Livestock - Go take a nap . . . right. I have an inkling of how hard you work each day to keep your place going.

And "all that canning and freezing to do ahead . . . ?" From your mouth to Mother Nature's ears!

Mama Pea said...

Carolyn - You are such a hoot! Why do you think I put all of them left here in the freezer? If not, Papa Pea would have consumed them all by now. Seriously.

Mama Pea said...

Sue - Hold it, Crazy Lady Friend! Don't gas up the truck yet. The green beans are only 1" long (truly) and all kinds of awful things could befall them between now and harvest time!

Sue said...

Oh heck--I'm only after the treats in the freezer anyways!!
:D

Mama Pea said...

Sue - Better watch it, Girl! Your true colors are starting to show through. ;o}

Michelle said...

My beans are way behind this year. I am finally seeing a few. I am hoping to have some for canning before Fall hits.

Unknown said...

So lush and green! Fall colors on the berries? It's 90+ here. Except for the rain, I think I should move there! I love snow :)

Carolyn said...

Ha. Freezer. Never stopped me from eating frozen goodies.

Mama Pea said...

Michelle - Seems we're in the same bean boat this year! Green and yellow beans are a vegetable staple for us all winter, so we've got our fingers crossed they come through. I'll keep mine crossed for you, too!

Mama Pea said...

Little Homestead - You don't get much snow in Boise? (I'm showing my geographical ignorance, aren't I?)

Mama Pea said...

Carolyn - They don't taste half bad that way, do they? Besides, they get soft enough (well, almost) to bite into in short order once removed from the freezer. (Ask me how I know.)

2 Tramps said...

Ditto with Boise - everything is so very lush - simply verdant! I see your garden and wonder sometimes why we keep trying here. Sue keeps attempting to get us to move to Michigan... We have little green beans forming, too. But we sure don't have a beautiful tray of treats - what a tasty bounty you have created!!

Mama Pea said...

2 Tramps - Hey, a move to Michigan (or Minnesota!) sounds great! Actually, Sue has a more tempered climate than we do even though we're both technically Zone 4.

Here's hoping our "little green beans" become big green beans soon!

Endah Murniyati said...

Beautiful garden. Your morning glory looks so wonderful. I'm hoping plant morning glory on my front yard as soon as possible. But I don't have space any more. Uh...

Lisa said...

Your place looks as pretty as a postcard. Where's the weeds?! What a lucky library you have!!! Methinks it would be wonderful if you could share a few, (no, ALL!) of those treat recipes?! Please? ya'know... in your 'spare' time?! :)
Seriously, clearly you and Papa Pea have been very busy and it shows in the beautiful gardens, woodshed and treats. I'm always amazed at the amount of wood ya'll put up.

Mama Pea said...

Endah - Oh, come on . . . there's always space to slip in a few more flowers!

Mama Pea said...

Lisa - How sweet you are! The goodies for the Library function included Almond Cookies, Very Lemon Bread, Chocolate Snowballs, Apricot Bars and Salty Nut Bars. I've posted recipes for the Almond Cookies and Salty Nut Bars. (Go to the Search box way down on my right hand side bar and type in either of those. The Almond Cookies are in a post entitled "A Saturday to Savor" and the Salty Nut Bars are in a post entitled "Salty Nut Bars.") (How original!) I don't think I've ever posted the recipes for the Very Lemon Bread, Chocolate Snowballs or Apricot Bars. Aha! Fodder for future blog posts!

Regarding the wood we put up . . . it gets COLD up here, Girlie, COLD! ;o}