A Quiet Morning

Ah no t.v. on,no barking dogs,no stereo,just the humming of the ceiling fan in the diningroom.I just went out back and checked on my plants and they seem to be doing good. I love mornings like these.I already went thru all my emails and posts and read alittle about what was going on in the world. Now to start my day as easy as I can.On my second cup of coffee and typing.Today later,I got to go wash clothes and it's suppose to be around 90 today.I have to keep an eye on the plants and make sure they don't dry out. I pulled a handful of green beans yesterday and put them up so I can add to them.They are really good and I almost forgot how good green beans were from the garden.

This is all I have left as far as containers.

I lost one bucket of carrots,and my aloe.My thyme never came up and I didn't get anymore.As far as everything else,it's been slow going but it's going.My green beans are putting out every day and my tomatoes out in the yard are almost ready,I think a few more weeks will do it before I can start harvesting everything. I already done a sage bundle to burn and I have more sage growing. I have to repot the Cherimoya trees,they are getting bigger by the day.I may use the bucket for one of them.

We still haven't had too much rain,really very little rain.I have to water the plants by hand every day on some.Today will be like that too. I have to start thinking about the fall garden and what I want to get going there next. The Corsican Gourds are doing ok and putting out runners all over the place,I hope I can get a few gourds from them.

Well that's the update on those things. Hope you have a good Monday.I know alot of people hate Mondays,I do too.

A Little Rain YES!

We are finally getting a little rain here,the plants needed it so bad.I just went out back and checked on them.I hope we get more today,keeping fingers crossed.We need a good downpour more than anything.So far it's just been real light.But the good news is that the cool front has gotten here and it feels real nice right now.It's only suppose to get to 81 today.(YES)! About time,we have been sweltering here under some heat here lately.I am hoping to get enough to fill the rain barrels back up.

Went to the store yesterday and picked up some little picture frames.Purple has become my new favorite color.

5x7 picture frame

I got two of these and for my phone I got a purple two tone case. I also got a purple,black and white blanket.I usually like different colors but for now the flavor of the month is purple.We have another bedroom that I was thinking of turning it into a gypsy style room.I may save these frames for that. Wouldn't that look cool?All sorts of colors?  I like the southwest look but am trying something different.

Today is cleaning day and I need to get off my duff and go clean but for now I'm gonna sit here and drink the rest of my coffee and enjoy the quiet.Have a great Saturday everyone!

Can You Imagine? Hot Weather

It's been some kind of hot here in the south.I take two to three showers a day(can't say I stink lol),and this morning I was thinking about how the women ,way back,use to wear ALL  those clothes and bonnets.Can you imagine how hot they were? I have old pictures of my ancestors with long dresses on and I couldn't do it.Oh and the hair being long and they use to pile it up on their heads.Oh my such agony! But that was the norm then compared to now.And having to cook in a wood burning stove in the house too.Some would cook outside on a fire pit or have a setup for an outside stove.Wow!I really don't mind the heat,but it's the humidity that will hurt you.We are getting a cool front coming tomorrow and hopefully some rain.We are dying for some rain here.

Well just a little thought to get this Thursday going.Be glad we got the clothes we have now.I'm making some brownies later on today.Might even sneak and get a beer from the frig and make some beer bread.Hubstead gets a little upset when I make beer bread from his beer lol.But what can he say when I already did it ha!

There is ALWAYS something to do on the homestead

Like it never ends.Already got up this morning and watered plants from buckets cause now I don't have a hose.Thank goodness my garden is small. Hubstead will have to put me in a pipe so I can water from a hose sometime this summer.I had to bring in some of my herbs.The sun was killing them something bad.I brought in my parsley and rosemary.I'll probably bring in my marjoram tomorrow.We are going to be hot tomorrow at around 97 degrees.

My sister-in-laws daughter and husband gave us an air conditioner for free.I thank them from the bottom of my heart.We slept under it last night. I may have to turn it on and report from the bedroom tomorrow too.Orion loved it,he was always in an air conditioned place before.He's like me,I like it cool.We are suppose to have cooler weather in by this weekend.I hope so and some rain!Very excited about that.

My sister-in-law gave me some milkweed seeds yesterday.I'm going to plant them next year and hope the butterflies will show up.I have quite a few to plant and need to figure out where to plant them.Any ideas?

I still have seeds put up.I didn't get the flowers out this year like I wanted to.I wanted to plant the daisies but didn't get around to getting a spot open for them.My coleus are so full in the pot,I love the colors.

Looking pretty good so far.

The tomato plants out in the yard are doing the same.I have one Roma tomato plant coming up,the seeds got mixed in the beefsteaks. But that's ok I'll still use them.Well when these guys get done I'm gonna try my hand at canning,wish me luck cause I've never canned before so any tips would be welcomed.We use a lot of stewed tomatoes around here. Well have a great Tuesday today and stay cool!

Hot Water finally!

Yesterday was a busy day.My brother came up and helped hubstead with the hot water tank.It was pretty hot in the house and my sister-in-law almost passed out from the heat.She's ok now.She just wasn't used to sitting under fans like we are.It got warm about 94 degrees but in the house it's warmer.No I don't have an air conditioner of any type,and right now can't afford it.If I do anything I do it in the mornings or late at night when it cools off. Anyway,they hooked up the hot water heater(the new one) and now we can take hot showers.Yeah hot showers on a hot day?,well it gets the grubbys off.And no more heating water up for the dishes. BUT the way they hooked it up is only temporary,they hooked the water lines up from the washer hoses and now I can't water the garden.I'll have to haul water from the sink to water the plants and it is hard work doing it like that.It works though,I'd rather have the hot water and put alittle effort into the other.Hubstead has been helping me with the little bit of garden I have.

I harvested a handful of green beans yesterday too.I got them put up until I can add more to them.My tomatoe plants are pretty full and the carrots are doing well.So I am happy with the results so far.I just hope they don't die on me with this heat.I am wishing for some rain here in the south,we sure need it.You know I have to give kudos to those women who way back when in the 1800s wore their dresses they way they did.It wouldn't jive now not in this day and age.They had to be burning up.

Well that's it for this Sunday,everyone have a great day!

Got Green Beans Yah!

Yep I got green beans,so that means I did good on those.My bucket carrots however failed.Guess I'll have to find something else to grow in them.I have two small kitchen drawers I'm not using since we are going to replace the cabinets any way so I'll be using those for growing something in,maybe leaf lettuce.I have a ton of seeds of those.I need to start looking around for a place for my okra this year.I have the dwarf variety.

Boy it was hot yesterday and gonna be hotter today.It's suppose to rain tomorrow and we sure need it. It's been a week of no rain here and even though it's dried out the grass enough for hubstead to cut it,we still need it.We have a busted pipe under the house and today he has to fix it.How it busted have no idea but this place is old and alot of things are going to break down.

Well just wanted to get this little bit out there.Have a great Wednesday!

I take it back-I GOT CARROTS!!!!

Here comes the Heat

Go Heat? Boy we do now,going to be in the 90s' this week.And if I have to do anything I have to do it in the mornings, I still have to put some top soil in with the plants.See I don't an air conditioner for the house and by afternoon,I'm burning up. I take three showers a day,yep,it's that bad.We are going to get one for just the bedroom.When we first got here,my brother let us use his but we had to give it back.So now we got to go buy one.I don't mind it too bad,the front porch usually has a breeze and if we get lucky a small shower will wander in and cool this off a little.I got somewhat use to the heat out in Texas so 90s aren't too bad for me as long as I'm in a shaded area.

I did a booboo.NEVER use tea tree oil on your skin.I had a place on my nose I was treating and put too much tea tree oil on it and ended up actually burning my skin.It's bad and now I have to treat the burn.Yes it did burn like hell. I've used tea tree oil before but I just used too much this time,so now I know not to do that again.I'm using aloe and it's working pretty good.

Everything in the garden is doing better.My marigolds I set out are blooming and I got alot of tomatoes on my plants.The gourds are starting to have long runners and gourds on them.My carrots however I think are a failure they are not looking good but I may get a few from the buckets.Hubstead said I should try container gardening instead of having the yard tilled up.I just think he doesn't want to till the yard.He likes grass too much lol.I told him maybe,I don't know yet.I like the idea myself but I told him with what I plant it would take alot of containers and we don't really have the room on the back deck for that.But it's an idea.

Well have a great Monday people,may your day go good!

One step forward Two steps back

Yep it all happens to all of us,right when one thing happens,something goes wrong and we got to keep pushing.I'm finding this out with homesteading and trying to get things done. Right now it's with our internet service.Where we are we had to get an expensive satellite service instead of cable.Cable won't be here for another year.I don't like the satellite because when the storms roll in the service goes out.And trying to stay on top on the bill is crazy.So if I don't write for awhile you'll know why,I won't be offline too long.

Yesterday I did manage to get some of the topsoil put around the tomatoes.I'm trying to build up that bed with stuff.I can't find any mulch,it's like it's a rare thing around here or either I'll just have to go hunting for it.Most of what they have is the colored mulch and I don't want that for the garden.This morning I have to put some top soil in my green bean row and add some to my gourds. I got another little gourd coming in and so that makes two now.When the green beans are grown and ready to harvest,I'm trying my hand at canning,how well I do,who knows but I want to give it a try.Every little thing helps.

It rained alittle here yesterday but not enough to do any good.My rain barrels have some rain water in them left from a previous rain so I can water with that if I have to.I looked and it looks like we are fixing to go through a dry spell here in the south.It's fixing to get hot and muggy.Well that's about it for this morning,got work to do,everyone have a Great Friday and a relaxed weekend!

Finding Time to do the Little Things

Yes I am a stay at home person but even if I am,it seems hard to find the time to do all the things that need to be done. This place needs that time I can find. This morning I have to get outside and do some weeding in my little garden and put down some top soil for the plants.This is a job I am not looking forward to cause I have to sit down to it.My knees are not too functioning here lately.I get a piece of plastic and sit on it for those types of weeding.
I could not find a screen door around here to fit our front door,so,had to break down and buy one of those hanging screens.I'm not too fond of it but Orion loves it cause he can still run in and out.It's going to be warm today and I have to get out this morning before it turns hot.


The plants are doing better. I've been kind of puzzled on some of them on how slow growing they seem to be.Last year everything popped up pretty fast but this year they are taking their time to get there. My Rosemary is still small and so is the chocolate mint.The carrots I figured out,I had too many in the bucket ,some have died on me.But I have harvested the Basil and the Sage very well,and a little of the Marjoram.I have blooms on the tomatoe plants and the green beans,so,it won't be long till I get something from them.Also today,we have some small kitchen drawers I'm going to recycle into planters for my kale.Even though I'm planting kale for fall too.I love kale,I got hooked on it last year with the dwarf kale but this year I'm planting kale that has bigger leaves.I have one Corsican gourd but don't know if it will survive.I'm thinking I really should had planted the luffas again this year since they turned out so nice last year.I'm getting the blooms on the gourds and getting the bees but no gourds.I even hand pollenated the blooms but nothing yet.I'll have to keep trying and experiment with these guys.Again everything takes time(sighs).

Wow just looked outside and boy it is foggy here this morning.Can't even see the road.Oh the road by the way I went to my first City Counsel meeting last week about this road.What a pain in the ass it was.I'm not going to include details on the meeting,BORING,but needless to say they can't fix the road by the house.Now this leaves us in a pickle still for the wintertime.We have three families that live back here and none of us can get out during the winter.One road is always froze over and the other is so slick you can't get up it.AND they don't have a sanding truck to help us out.The garbage truck always bust the pipes that run under the road because we sit on some what soft clay.They have no idea how to fix it.In the meantime we are screwed.When it's dry it's great,we can come and go but if I knew then when we purchased the house what I know now,nope never would of happened.

Well it looks like I'm going to have to wait till this fog burns off to get out in the yard to work.It's kind of creepy looking and I don't like getting in the yard when it's like that since we live some what in a wooded area.Here we have black bears and foxes and bobcats,yeah I'll stay inside for right now.Funny how everything here is named after a bear.They should name some of it after the all the deers we have running around.Which I haven't seen none of my backyard deers since hunting season last year.I think they might had been shot.Of course I have seen plenty by the roadside from being hit by cars and that's sad.

Well since I got a little time on my hands now I guess I will go change the sheets on the bed and get that room cleaned up.Have a good Wednesday everyone.

Warming up in the South

All week this week we have had some really nice weather.Got a chance to cut some grass and drying out. The humidity has been high and been walking around sweating,but,that's ok,I'll take it.The plants are loving this warm weather and sunshine.The Coleus are having some nice color come in and the rest of the potted plants are doing well except for the carrots.I don't think I will get  as many as I would like. My garden isn't  doing as well as last years'. I have one small gourd so far.Maybe the rotation was wrong.I planted the plants in different locations this time like I was suppose to. Hubstead said we should go with container gardening instead of trying to plant in the yard.All we have here is clay for dirt.I mixed top soil and compost with the clay and it seems to be doing good but still not really loose enough I think to handle the root system. Will have to think that over for next year.

The herbs are doing great in the pots and I still have some to transfer to bigger pots.I planted alot this year. My parsley I have already harvested it twice and I need to do it again soon.I harvested some sage the other day and got it drying hanging up.And I took a couple of swigs off my Marjoram too.The Rosemary is growing very slow.Well that's an update of the growing process I got going. Rain is expected to come in Monday,we'll see.Every time it dries out here comes more rain and it's suppose to rain all week.