Homesteading Notes Summer 2006

This past weekend was spent taking the pump out of the well, determining what was wrong and putting it back together. I had filled every empty gallon jug we had and we did fine. But it is so nice to have flowing water even if it does come out of a water hose. 

Randy was so glad that the Leonard Irrigation was open when he went toward town on Saturday. There was a leak in the fitting right at the pump. Cost about $15 for what he needed to fix it. Their shop has a tank for running tests and Randy would have gone on to Home Depot and spent hundreds and hundred. Oh what a thought. They have our business from now on. 

Weather notes are here. Just click. Lately, everything revolves around the miserable heat. The fire danger is bad but there is nothing close by to us. The burn ban remains so burning brush piles is out of the question.

Before Randy could start work on the well yesterday, he had a flat tire to deal with. Needs a new one and that has to be ordered. He goes through a lot but considering our rough roads, it's not so much. But the spare was low so he aired it up in town. But of course he spent all evening worrying about it going down. Hopefully he can get an air compressor soon. He won't have to worry about flat tires and I can do my experiments with cleaning out water pans with the compressed air.

This is the end of July but still inside of the Dog Days of Summer. Much of the country is in a heatwave and folks are miserable. Very few people have written to say that they have stayed cool with lots of rain. We will be so glad for this summer to end and bring on the cooler temperatures of fall and winter. 

Randy is working hard and fast on building the house. We don't want any rain while the walls and floor are exposed. I would be nice to think that it will be finished by winter but more likely, by spring. August is always our very driest month and we hope it will be so. I would like to say that I am working on the yard around the house but I've made no progress. There is still a tree partially cut at the south end and I can't get anywhere close from that direction. The chain saw needs a new chain. 

We had taken to leaving the Zinnias out in the garden where the butterflies and hummingbirds could enjoy them. Actually it is us who enjoy watching them all. The fresh flowers died faster after they've been cut. They last much longer out in the garden. 

We had our first harvest of the season from the blackeye peas. They are ever so good and no other green bean comes close. The beans planted early in the spring were completely finished and had given us many meals of tasty goodness.  

Happy July to us all. In these parts, the days are now growing shorter and the temps are actually starting to recede. We'll have our hot time and more cooler ones as well but these are still the days to watch the wild birds come to play in the water spray. The dog days of summer are yet to come. They are the days when we think summer will never end, the heat will never let go and the cool winds begin. Until then, we will keep harvesting what has been sewn and enjoying the bounty.

I started a crockpot with beef broth and ham hocks last night. The pinto beans soaked in water until this morning, then they were rinsed and added to the pot. Lots of onions and garlic with just a little salt. The ham was not so salty but most flavorful. By 6:30 this evening, the sauce was nice and thick and the beans just right tender. Randy grilled the ribs and some sausage. We ate to excess and enjoyed every bite. Plenty of leftovers for another complete meal. Chicken to grill tomorrow or the day after but there is still plenty of leftover pasta salad from yesterday. 

Randy cut another bouquet of Zinnias from his little garden. They are responding to more watering and have been really making the blooms. All colors and varieties. So nice.

I downloaded photos from the camera this evening and have some great shots of the elusive Mockingbird, good close ups of the hummingbirds and update photos of the house and its progress. Okay, Randy's progress. He has a bad case of the aches and pains tonight. We are growing older by the day.

I was sitting here earlier this afternoon trying to write a very short note to Aunt Ruth on a tiny sized postcard when I looked out the window to see a squirrel in the yard. He was wiggling all over the open sandy area. I'd wondered why the spot stayed plant and weed free despite my best efforts and watering. He was keeping it to his liking and would sprawl out with his belly on the ground to cool himself. Now it is damp but he's not so fond of wet sand. He does the same thing when he hangs from the tree. All for the cooling effect. The water sprinkler is going and the birds sing out the notice for all other birds to join them in the cool water. 

There is an unknown noxious weed that I believe is causing Randy's sinus problems. I took a photo of the "before" so I can show how nice it looks when I finish. It has been growing around and over the daylilies and iris. It used to be to the south of the house in a bed where the onions were growing. I let it grow thinking it would help protect the onions from the grasshoppers but it had no effect. The onions were eaten down to the roots and of course, the offensive plants were spared. The smell makes my eyes water but so does the flowering of a wild plant. Tall with spears topped with tiny white flowers. There is another much like it but with bright yellow flowers. 

Oh my, there are quail out at the water pans in the yard. They are quite the elusive bird but the larger bird is watching over the smaller bird who is drinking at the water pan. It is the season for parents to bring their babies and show them where the water and seeds are plentiful. Such are the wonderful distractions from what would be called "work." 

So far, I have had only one request for the Jefferson Beans. I don't think we get a lot of folks reading but slowly I am getting the word out that we're still online. I have yet to get the cardinal vine seeds planted or my part of the Jefferson Beans. Randy had found Lantana and they are staying in the greenhouse for now. Since they are poisonous, they should be safe from the grasshoppers. 

Just tried to get a picture of the resident Mockingbird but the camera insists on flashing so I will probably only get some flash glare. She got a nice long drink of water and then disappeared.   

Summer begins on June 21st. That's just a few days away but we feel like it should be fall and cooler by now. Sweltering every day at 100F or just over. We've had thunderstorms every evening for several days now but not enough rain to do any good. Some area got measurable rains and enough to flood the streets but not here. The best of the tomatoes are cooking on the vines. Most of the growth is thick and protects the fruit but a lot are out at the mercy of the killing rays. 

Today is Father's Day. Happy day to you deserving dads out there. We went yesterday to see dad and woke him from a deep sleep. He did seem to know who we were and what we were doing. Took a few pictures even though he could not sit up. Taped some photos to the wall so he might remember we'd been there and when we went to leave, he said bye Sandy. She was my first step mother's daughter. He had called the other evening. "We need money" over and over again. Didn't answer any questions and didn't really sound like dad. Could have been Greg. It would figure that Greg found dad and is wanting money. I will call tomorrow and talk to his caseworker. If the account is empty, that's okay. I figure dad called up old Greg just to get him to come over and visit. Forgetting how bad things were when they'd parted company. Sigh. I am afraid that the home will kick him out when Greg starts stealing from all the residents. He would see what he could find and should never be trusted. Randy noticed a new picture on the wall and knew it had not been among dad's things before. It was either brought in by Steve or Greg. When Steve was still in prison, it was his plan to be dad's caregiver and get and spend dad's social security money. He thought they'd have the house and car, too. Didn't work out that way. 

The green beans have played out but we have two new beds of blackeye peas planted and have sprouted. They will be able to stand the heat better than the plain bean variety. I like the blackeye pea flavor much better. The tomatoes are as already noted with the container plants slowing down. They put out fruit but they aren't growing very big. I think they may just be the cherry variety while won't get very big. We've had a few cucumbers and there is one ready to be picked. The trellis is not human friendly being very difficult to find any fruit ready for the picking.

I have a few things growing in the old garden. The moles keep chewing through the soaker hose but the cuke vines are growing okay. The wind with last night's storms blew off the shade covering. Must be sure it is back in place. I used clothes pins to hold it down and now, I can't find any of them. The vines have blooms but no fruit yet. I have some seeds for pickling cukes but have no place to plant them. I have some fence handy but not the energy to dig and fertilize.