Great time of year!! What are you working on?

Queen Bee · #1 04/30/05, 07:10 PM

I am soooo happy

Today was so productive! I worked my honey bees--adding more honey supers.. so it looks like it will be a great season... We finally finished the vineyard--all the post, wires and put the vines on the wires. My greenhouse is full of watermelon, cucumbers, cantalope starts, I have about 150 tomato plants that are 10" + high and my squash plants are so large they are almost ready to bloom--in the pots! It is still a little too wet to get the garden spot started.

Alice In TX/MO · #2 04/30/05, 07:37 PM

Mowing and planting lettuce babies today. The tomatoes are in, and I actually have some set. Spinach, brussel sprouts, peppers growing. Will have to replant the peas and beans and cukes. Unseasonably cool weather here in S. MO has slowed things down a bit.

comfortablynumb · #3 04/30/05, 08:12 PM

today i ripped out the old duck pond liner and replaced it, and added a sump pump in the bottom to make water cleaning easy.
I built 12 raised bed boxes (6x3 feet) and put them in my garden... ive had it with tilled rows i want my raisewd bed system back. (now I do).

when it stops raining I will tractor up a few tons of compost and fill the beds so I can get the cold weatrher stuff in and growing.

Hummingbird · #4 04/30/05, 09:08 PM

Oh my goodness - today was a working day!!!

With only 3 weeks to our DD wedding, we have been really hitting it. Just today, we mulched the herb garden, we mulched the new flower garden, weeded the other flower beds, cleaned out the goldfish pond, planted the flower boxes on the back deck, washed all the light fixtures in the house, washed all the ceiling fans, did numerous loads of laundry, cleaned up assorted "piles" in the house and finally ended up with grilling some burgers and sinking into a hot bath. Whew! Wish we were done!!!

H'bird

HappyYooper · #5 04/30/05, 09:25 PM

We worked inside the house today. Still too cold for planting here...we're expecting some snow/rain mix for the next couple days :waa:
We tore out the fireplace because the firebox needed to be replaced and in it's place we FINALLY put in my woodcook stove

I've been waiting I think it's been 3 years now to get her in!

Sparticle · #6 04/30/05, 09:27 PM

OOo Tell me everything you know about starting a vineyard. Just kidding! But do you have any recommended reading?

Today wasn't a very productive day for me out in the woods. I've been promising my BF's friend that I would frame some art for him and have been putting it off for a long time knowing that it would require some really exhausting trips into town. I"m pretty sick too. So is my M.I.A. cat Mazie. So, got up early this morning and doctored up the other 2 sick ones and then bundled up for my trip through the woods looking for my sick cat. I walked the entire property, no luck. Then trecked across 3 more properties calling "kitty kitty" and the only answer back was Eicky her twin brother. So I can't find her. Well I tried. So, then off to town for 7 hours looking for a decent frame (2 hours sitting in traffic). Went to 9 stores. Found one that will only do as a "good" frame. But stopping at good is so hard when "excellent" is sitting out there somewhere in a thrift shop waiting for me. By the time I made it to the good thrift shops (3pm) they were closed. Blue Dove closes at 1! Who's ever heard of a business closing at 1 on Saturday. So, another trip is going to be required next weekend - ugh. I even went to (shudder) Garden Ridge pottery. I realize some of you guys may love this store, but I hate crowds. There were men pushing buggies for their women who were O'ing and Ah'ing over stuff with their girlfriends. Dang, now that's true love! If you ladies have a man that will go shopping with you and they actually act interested and push the buggy, please go give them a kiss RIGHT NOW.

P.S. I hate shopping in stores and sitting in traffic with every fiber of my being.

Jen H · #7 05/01/05, 12:04 AM

We've been re-doing the dog run with stronger fencing, fencing in the garden so the critters won't demolish it when they make their periodic escape, and mowing. I've also got an herb garden almost ready to plant, just need to spread some compost and turn the soil one more time. I already have the starts to go in. I'll be planting lettuce, chard, and kale in the spot where I'm removing the rhubarb (the previous owners had 5 rhubarbs growing. I have nothing agains rhubarb, but 5 plants??? I can use maybe 5 stalks.). The rhubarb is going to a neighbor in exchange for some blueberry bushes that will go in the space where I'm taking out some currants that just aren't doing well. A friend who lives in town is taking the currants in exchange for a pallet of shingles we can use for the bird coops.

Don't you just love the barter system? We all get rid of stuff in exchange for stuff we want. Everybody's happy.

The new apple trees are settling in nicely. The nettles are waist high and I need to scythe them down before they seed.

Ana Bluebird · #8 05/01/05, 12:36 PM

If things would ever warm up here in Missouri! Got frost again last night! Tomatoes all froze out last week, grapes and peaches got bit bad. Whats wrong with this weather???

baysidebunny · #9 05/02/05, 03:57 AM

Besides weeding my gardens, I actually mowed almost 2 acres of lawn all by myself! Tomorrow night after work I will finish it. (Always the man of the house's job before this.) I have no riding lawn mower so it was done with a push mower. Talk about working up a sweat! It felt good though and the reward is a sight to behold!

BamaSuzy · #10 05/02/05, 08:44 AM

We've hauled off four or five loads of junk to the dump (did not have a running pick up last year so got behind!)

The garden is looking great with English peas climbing like crazy and lettuce and cabbage growing bigger and bigger, and squash, cucumbers and more just peeping through the ground....

My biggest project right now will be to build a shed onto the back of the chicken house and make a new large fenced area for the Billy Goat, Harley, because he has to be moved out of the fenced area with his girls SOON before anybody kids....so that will be my biggest expense and biggest time consumer for the next little while...

I've moved the 27 new hens to one side of the chicken house and in about another week they'll be big enough to go out into the fenced area during the day time....

So lots of things going on around here as usual on Old Field Farm!

Still need to trim just about every Angora rabbit's hair and do more clean up! But did make another batch of goat milk soap yesterday. Have to get a sign up by the road that says "Goat Milk Soap for sale" under the sign that says "Farm Fresh eggs from Happy chickens!"

shawnee · #11 05/02/05, 08:58 AM

Have some free time as of last Friday - asparagus froze out. Had another hard frost Tuesdasy, this last Sunday nite and expect one tonite. Nice to have a break from picking 1/4 acre of asparagus by hand!! Tomatoes are doing great in green house, FINALLY got hubby to help with pneumatic pruner on the apple trees. Mowed like crazy this weekend, strung twine basketweave on tomatoes, covered new triple crown blackberries with double strength paper towels stapled around each plante (48), and planning today to open and clean out 2nd greenhouse to put cukes (picklers and slicers) out in. Been a while since I visited this forum. Don't know if anybody remembers me. Bought l3 acre orchard and made the move with hub and daughter February. Learning a lot and WORKING HARD; sure is nice to work outside instead of wearing that home daycare worker pallor. I'm tanned already,guy!! Going to be a weird week, though. Hubby needs hernia surgery (first surgery of his 48 yr. old life) tomorrow. Workaholics don't make good patients. Please pray for us!!

NativeRose · #12 05/02/05, 08:59 AM

Saturday we got up early and went berrypicking. I got a gallon of dew berries. I am going to pick more today.

Jim used some 4x8 sheets of expanded metal and cinder blocks to build me some off the ground stands for my plants in pots and buckets. I am having a major war with fire ants.

I repotted tomatoes, peppers and eggplant into larger pots. Jim plowed the pea patch again. We are battleing bahia grass roots.

It was finally dry enough to cross a creek in the truck to the west side of the property which belongs to my sisters and myself and check fence. There are muscadine vines galore. I can't wait until later this year when we can pick them. I love muscadine preserves.

I wanted to go fishing but had too much else to do. Maybe later this evening.

raymilosh · #13 05/02/05, 10:03 AM

wow, and i thought i was the only one who worked on so much stuff...
I've been finishing up on building and installing a solar batch water heater...it's on the roof, now it needs to be plumbed.
we moved the chicken house near my bedroom window so i can hear and perhaps stop the predator who has taken 2 hens at night. I got 8 chicks to raise, too, as I'm down to 5 hens and they just aren't getting broody. I also introduced the ducklings to the chicken house. I want them to sleep in there so they are protected and so i can get the eggs.
Spent most of the weekend in the garden...expanding the number of beds, mulching and planting peas, pumpkins, cantaloupe, honeydew, squash, zuchini, cucumbers, dill, herbs, snap beans, bushbeans, peppers, flowers, corn, etc. I'll try to get the rest of the stuff in soon. we got about 1500 feet of new raised beds made and partially hoed and mulched for the many neighbors who are wanting to plant stuff this year, too. Next is repairing the tiller, the muffler on the tractor and getting more mulch for the garden. wshew. life is fun.
ray

Freeholder · #14 05/02/05, 04:25 PM

I'm half asleep, after being up several times in the night checking on a goat in early labor (she had triplets this morning, finally, and all are doing well).

Our garden is half-tilled -- the guy doing the tilling had problems with his tractor. It's too early here to plant much yet, anyway, though there are some things I'll try to get in the ground in the next few days. We are at four thousand feet elevation, and will have frosts at night into early June.

I've got two new chicken tractors in progress, and need to build two more smaller poultry pens. The frames are ready, I just have to finish them.

We now have five goat babies. Two are already sold (but not delivered), and hopefully the other three will be soon, as I want the milk for making cheese and soap. I have almost everything I need to make soap, and plan to make a batch tomorrow. I'm making cheese today. I have a ton of sewing projects -- garb for the SCA for four of us; three bridesmaids dresses for my middle daughter's wedding this summer; and dresses for youngest daughter and I to wear to the wedding. Also I need to make packs for the goats, so we can go camping. I haven't been camping in a long time, and really want to go, now that I have the goats to help carry our gear. (Youngest daughter does well to carry herself on a trail, let alone a loaded pack.)

I've had an article (on Kinder goats) accepted by Backwoods Home magazine, and am working on a couple of children's stories.

Have washed the wool that was given to me a couple of years ago, and am trying to get better at spinning.

Have an afghan to make for a wedding present for middle daughter; also a cross-stitch, but they may not get that until Christmas!

I'm supposed to make a few stick horses for my mother to try to sell at her booth at the packing clinic this weekend, and at rock and gem shows over the summer.

All this, and here I sit, half asleep in front of the computer!

Kathleen

coventry49 · #15 05/02/05, 04:38 PM

I've been s-o-o-o-o busy! I am moving in a couple of weeks and have been putting up fence, digging post holes for a new chicken coop (pole building-style), assembling building materials for said fence and coop, tending to all the animals at home, packing and getting ready to move, raising a bunch of baby chicks (I've already sold 10 of the 15 that have to go) and tending to my veggie seedlings.

It's been too cold here to plant outside, so I have every square foot of natural-lighted counter space in the house filled with seedlings, as well as 4 flats under lights (I've had to resort to rotating my seeling flats so they all get at least 1 day out of every 3 under the lights. So far, they're tolerating it fairly well). But the garden at my new place isn't even tilled yet.

Oh, yeah, I work a full time job, too, but here is all that "wasted" time every night between 10 and 5:30 I could perhaps utilize

Barb in Montana