Mundane, yet marvelous

It’s difficult to remember a time when my daily schedule wasn’t dictated by a host of animals and plants.  Sunday morning was much like any other.  There was a wonderful chill in the air and a fine layer of mist hung suspended over the pasture and woods.  The sun was barely up and I was out and about the usual morning chores – opening up the chicken coop, filling feeders and checking water level and freshness.

Then for my walk through the garden/orchard area and out to the sheep.  The sun doesn’t come up now until close to 6am and the sheep have yet to adjust to this delayed feeding.  I’m usually greeted by a chorus of impatient baaaas from the open barn window as I stroll out.  Once I open the doors, I’m immediately wedged in a lamb sandwich as they jostle to leave the barn and push me towards the storage stall where they know the fabulous sweet feed and hay resides.  While they eat their breakfast, I’m usually bustling about filling troughs and picking up sheep poo. The girls have moved onto the hay once I’m ready to leave them for the day.



Jem - always smiling

The rest of Sunday morning was spent weeding and harvesting in the garden.  We pulled the remainder of the onions and shallots on Saturday, and they’re now curing on the 2^nd floor of the barn.  We’re still harvesting pole beans, but are letting the remaining bush beans dry on the yellowing plants so we can save the beans for next year's planting.  We’re still swimming in squashes and cukes, and the beets, kale and carrots are still producing.  The potatoes have blossomed, and the tomato plants are loaded with fruit, but slow to ripen with the cool days and evenings.  We’re heading into a week of days in the 80s finally, so that should speed things up on that front.  It looks like we’re going to have some spectacular pumpkins this year, including several growing in the compost pile! 



You can't see the two pumpkins beneath the vine, but they're there.  The sunflowers are "volunteers" as well (i.e., not deliberately planted).

I planted these adorable, little white pumpkins called Gooligans that are doing quite well too.  Meanwhile the fall crops seem to be enjoying the cool weather – we have spinach, lettuce, peas, rutabagas and butternut squash all flourishing.

Once I finished in the garden, I picked another 20 or so apples from one of our trees and canned some applesauce, and since I already had the water boiling decided to make some pickles as well.  The kitchen cupboard is filling up!  I still have bags upon bags of frozen strawberries and raspberries in the freezer waiting to be turned into jam, although I likely won’t get to it for another couple of weeks.  It always seems to be a case of "so much to do, so little time."