Feeling of Accomplishment

Yesterday Rog and I worked every which direction around the farm and accomplished much.  The miserable heat spell had broken with cool, dry Canadian air blowing in during the night and I actually had goosebumps going out to do the chores - not that it was cold, but the 35-degree temperature drop was such a drastic, welcome change.

The cooler temps  energized us and we worked happily all day. Here are some of the things we checked off our To Do list:

Rog got up early (he is a true farmer now, starting farm work at 5:30 a.m. to beat the heat) and installed the windows on the garden shed. They are just inexpensive barn sashes but he made them double hung and openable.  I spent most of the day priming and painting the windows and the shed. It is looking so adorable!   Now I can make the mosaic arched windows and it needs trim above the arches, a door, and the porch. Then plant the flowers around it.

Our wonderful garden volunteer Lynn weeded out the old  beds where the peas and volunteer squashes had been and planted new summer beds of chard, kale, beets, radishes and carrots.

After painting the shed, I weeded  the herb beds.  And weeded and weeded.  The weeds have had a heyday in the hot weather and it was too dang hot to put a stop to their exuberance.

The  birdhouse gourd plant also loves the hot weather and has clambered all over the gourd tower, full of blossoms and many baby gourds. I am kind of relieved only one plant survived the late frost, or it would be a jungle!

We have been battling an algae bloom in the silo pond, but after a couple doses of flocculant have clear water again. We shop-vacuumed out the flocculated algae from the bottom of the pond and Rog added a water conditioner with microbes that are supposed to discourage future algae blooms. It is great to be able to see the fish again! Each evening we  sit on the dock and dangle our feet in the water, sipping a glass of wine and watching the moon rise. It's almost as good as living on a lake.

Another surprise batch of four chicks yesterday.  The hen is teaching her offspring that there is always a bit of yummy grain left in the milking parlor after I milk the cow.

No sooner did I upload the previous photo than Rog came into tell me there were some motherless chicks in the middle room of the barn. I went out and captured four chicks running around the stored equipment, peeping frantically. I suspect this is where the mother had hidden her nest  and  these chicks could not make it out of the room (they have to get over a pretty high foundation) so she ultimately gave up and left them. I set them down by the other chicks and the hen immediately gathered them into her brood.

Happiness is having plenty of raspberries for  the CSA members AND for yourself! This batch is destined for raspberry wine.

No photos of our other accomplishments yesterday, but add:  installing a window fan in the summer kitchen, making a batch of yogurt, getting a load of pea gravel and spreading it around the hose bib area, laundry  and scything down the thistles and other weeds growing along the pasture fence.

Washed work gloves drying on the fence.  Time to go pull on a pair and mow the lawn before the farm store opens and the music begins. It is going to be a comparatively lazy day,  relaxing with friends and farm visitors this afternoon, playing and enjoying the music.