Tuesday, May 31, 2022

May 31st

The end of May is plentiful.
This is the time for the veggie garden to shine.
These are cherry tomatoes in 3 varieties,
artichokes, purple bell peppers and 
Japanese eggplants.

I read where you need 2 acres
of veggies and grains planted
to sustain 1 person, and the crops 
need to rotate yearly. You'd also
need 2 acres for small livestock.
That's a lot of land.
We still buy groceries regularly
so, I don't think we'd be
considered anything but
backyard farmers,
but,
I think our "hobby garden and coop"
give us a load of fun and awesome
food!
 

These are Yukon Gold potatoes,
Purple and Red bell peppers,
Jalapenos, artichokes and cherry tomatoes.


Those are yellow cherry tomatoes,
regular red cherry ones, 'chokes,
jalapenos and bell peppers.


I had so many tomatoes that I slow cooked them.
I added my own home grown
basil, oregano, onions and 
added garlic, a little red wine and olive oil.
Then I used my immersion blender
to make it smooth.
It made several freezer containers.
This will be the base for tomato sauce.



The herb garden is 
going crazy too!
I've cut some for dehydrating
and some to hang upside down in the 
kitchen to air dry.
The whole kitchen smells awesome!!




Looks like a beautiful bouquet.
This is parsley, sage
rosemary and thyme.
😀


This is basil, oregano and lavender
along with the other bouquet,
hanging from the bay window.
In a few days they will be dry enough
to pull off their stems.


This is what I've dehydrated 
in the last couple days.
That's a gallon Ziplock bag!




Our cucumbers.
We've harvested about 5 so far.
💗
There is nothing like a fresh
picked garden salad.
The tastes are so much richer
than anything store bought.



This is one of 6 (so far)
heirloom tomatoes.
The colors are slightly
bluish to brownish.
and the taste is amazing.



This is one of our blue cherry tomatoes.

Yep,
I said blue.
They are so stinkin' cute!
The taste is milder.
Blue and purple foods are rich in
a natural pigment called
anthocyanins.
They help the body absorb calcium,
lowers LDL, fights inflammation,
helps boost the immune system in the gut,
act as anticarcinogens and aid in digestion.
What's not to love?



******************************


The flowers look great too.




Tiny roses.


A close up of Mexican Heather.


and Geranium




We're still waiting for the
Stargazer Lillies
to open.
They are full of buds.


The Gardenias are still blooming,
but not as much.




Mary's Garden.
She has a bunch of small potted
flowers.
The CEO fixed Her up for me.
I love it!!

******************************

My outdoor companions.

If we don't get the
"low hanging fruit",
these girls surely will.
If you look closely,
you can see Hazel (in the back)
munching on a cherry tomato.
I dropped one and she scooped it up.

Minew, the cat,
isn't around.
She is probably off exploring.


************************



Sure does.




God Bless the children and teachers
from Texas who are now
Angels.
May God give their families
the strength to carry on.



💚💙


 

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

May 10th

Today is a sad day.
Our pretty and always curious 
Rhode Island Red hen,
Nugget
passed away in her sleep.
She was almost 8 years old.
She was a pet more than
an egg layer.

I went into the coop early this
morning to let the girls out to eat
and I noticed that Nugget seemed
to still be asleep.
That's unusual for chickens to be
asleep after daybreak,
so I nudged her, hoping I
didn't startle her awake.
Her little body was cold.
Chickens body temperature 
can be around 106 degrees,
so I knew she had passed away.
The other girls were in and out
of the coop cooing.
My guess is that is their
way of grieving.

I decided to devote this short blog
entry to her.

Thanks for the silly memories and
your wonderful eggs.
It was a joy walking around the veggie
garden with you following so closely
waiting for a pat or to be picked up.
She was a sweet and gentle girl.
You were one of our first 5 chicks.
Your sisters Henny and Sandy
were killed and Pepper
passed away in my arms.
The three remaining hens
are lost and keep walking
into the roost looking for you.
We will miss you.
💔


A few of my favorite pictures of her.




You have crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
Rest in peace
pretty girl.