When browsing through this week’s pictures on a beautiful homestead, I’ve come to discover that quickly it does not seem like I had much time for anything, when in reality we managed our time to squeeze in more than what we could normally handle.
It’s okay to have busy seasons where you put off some of your favorite hobbies or things that you usually accomplish daily, weekly, or monthly. I mean, not to the point that something on the homestead would die, still take care of the animals! But, some every day hobbies like reading, cross-stitching, or baking goodies needs to be pushed off to the side to prioritize other projects that are going to make your homestead beautiful.
Pennsylvania is Beautiful
After Bella’s and Ruger’s chukar challenge near Muncy, PA and once their trainer took them for the next two weeks, home feels more peaceful. Go on an evening walk, take one dog. Let the chickens and ducks out in the morning, let Molly roam the yard.
The woods were beautiful, although darker. Quite a neat feeling, as long as the dog keeps track of me because apparently at seven years old, she knows where she is going on walks, and when it is time to turn around for home.
Mornings in Pennsylvania are beginning to offer an array of colors in the sky- blues- pastels- peaches- yellows- purples, creating this beautiful image for the beginning of the work week. Soon enough these fall mornings will be replaced with winter wonderlands.
Dahlia’s Prime
September is the month for dahlias. I planted mine a bit earlier this year than normal, but still I would love to have these earlier and more of them for how beautiful they are every late summer and early fall.
Stop Hating Red Flowers
I swear every flower farmer I follow despises red flowers . . .
I love it! I really do!
As I harvest a bouquet of pink and purples for my last bouquet of the season to sell, I gravitate towards all my red zinnias for a bouquet for myself. The white cosmos just adds a touch or character to this bouquet.
Mystery of the Disappearing Strawberries
We came up with this brilliant idea to plant everbearing strawberries into a wooden container filled with nutrient-dense soil. The strawberries thrive in this environment.
But we haven’t gotten any of the nutrients from these strawberries this week.
Oh, they were growing all right.
They disappeared . . . I didn’t eat them. My husband didn’t eat them.
But it’s just strange that they were there one morning, and by evening they were gone.
The only other being around is black and white, fluffy like a bear, and rather a food thief. Her name starts with an “M”.
Pumpkin Harvest: The Few Blessings
Parts of our gardens need work. We need to work on keeping bugs away that ruin the squash plants and we need to improve the swampy part of the garden. The pumpkins fought both of these this season, and most did not survive with the rainfall that we received through summer.
One pumpkin came from this patch at the top corner. Beautiful pumpkin with a cream, peachy color. Other pumpkins volunteered in the field corn patch, thriving over there without swampy soil or squash beetles.
Even my dog ended up planting a pumpkin plant healthier than the ones I grew. Granted, hers include the fresh fertilizer she could produce, but it still beats mine. Can’t wait for my dog to win the neighborhood large pumpkin competition!
Wildlife Thieves and Field Corn
With being in a busy season, evening walks to the garden have slowed down. We got one in this week, checking out the second garden with our field corn patch. These corn plants survived any crows pulling the seeds out in the spring, only for a wild animal to scale the fence or fit through it to steal the corn- cobs and everything.
We harvested a few that was close to being ready only for Molly to take off with an ear the one evening!
Raspberries Bearing Fruit
I absolutely love raspberries- more than blueberries, strawberries, or grapes. They’re my go-to favorite garden berry.
We kept having trouble because the raspberries were planting in that swampy part- worse thing in the world for a raspberry plant is to have wet feet.
We bought new plugs and bare roots of a collection of different raspberry plants in a new area next to the apple orchard. They didn’t produce much in the spring, but this fall, these plants are pounding with us with berries. Every single one tastes so delicious!
Accomplishing the Nitty Gritty
About every evening, we took the time to work on putting up the plywood to the dog kennel on the attic portion. Doing the work makes you double think what type of roof we should have gone with. But, it is looking great, it is quite worth the effort and the learning curve.
Early Mornings Not to Skip
Saturday mornings are typically not a morning I like to wake up early too, but this Saturday who wouldn’t want to wake up early. The morning was stunning with the dew still on the ground, the cooler temperatures have finally come, and the sunrises are coming a bit later than before.
Fun Woofer Announcement!
The whole reason why we woke up early this Saturday- not a chukar challenge or a hunting day.
No . . .
We traveled to our chukar challenge friends for an English pointer puppy.
Meet Rudy! Ruger’s nephew from his brother Chief!
When meeting him, it felt like I was watching a football player when he was playing with his brother. Rudy means “famous wolf” and I think it works well with the other dogs names.
As of Saturday, September 26, we have four dogs! (What’s one more?!?) Molly. Bella. Ruger. And Rudy.
Build a Farm Life
With reflecting on this week, it makes me see how we are still applying the livelihood from growing up with a family farm on our few acres. We still enjoy our animals, the plants we grow, and we tend to do everything ourselves. A life, though busy with lots of chaos, is still a life worth seeking and living.
Just make sure to add a puppy to the mix because everything becomes so much happier!
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