Life on the Farm from the last post to yesterday.

Life on the farm goes on.....

The skunks have once again decided that under our kitchen (the oldest part of the very old farmhouse) is the place to den up to have their babies. This happened a few years ago and I thought I had poured enough cement to stop them entering. Not so! A week or so ago they were back, we think three different ones from the trail cam photos. The house reeked each morning. I burned all the candles and sprayed air fresheners daily. We would block the hole....next morning find another one near the run.

Finally we thought they had all left by checking the trail cam photos so I put down some heavy metal grille over the area. Next morning found they had moved the entrance just to the edge of the grill. Finally place two pieces of welded wire down and fastened it with many  landscape staples. So far, that has worked. We still have the camera set up and see that they are still checking almost nightly to see if they figure it out.

Saw some other interesting critters too; an armadillo, a possum and of course the roaming cats.

We bought a new camera and it takes fantastic pictures. I plan to place it to watch the birds of a day eating from the spilled seeds under the feeders.

Max is still taking care of his cows daily. I am so happy we bought him the farm truck that he feeds hay with; no more sitting exposed on the tractor in all kinds of weather to feed. Makes you wonder why we did without it for so long. I guess we are slow learners.

We put my mower in the shop last week and hope to get it back soon. It hadn't been serviced in a couple of years and had some mechanical problems too. I have decided to just keep repairing it. I worry that a new one would just be new trouble and I am so used to the Gravely.

Henbit is back along with cheatgrass (bromus tectorum). Both seem to thrive no matter the weather. I could actually mow now if I had the mower back.

Gardening

February 23 I planted seeds of broccoli, a new variety that is not a hybrid, German chamomile, Napa cabbage, Pearly Everlasting, Rabbit tobacco and wild bergamot.

The broccoli, chamomile, pearly everlasting and rabbit tobacco are already up. The others no sign yet, but it is early. Note: now, 3/9 one native bergamot is up, Napa doesn't look promising.  I have  enough seeds to try direct sowing of it

I need to check seeds for others that need to be planted.  Checked yesterday morning (3/8/17) and planted three varieties of heirloom petunias.

I have several daffodils in full bloom, and sparse blooms on my always sparse blooming forsythias, the crabapple is near ready to bloom, trees are showing green tips, my new little apricot bloomed a few blooms a week ago. I thought I had it where the sun wouldn't hit it until later in the day....didn't work.

When it isn't s windy, I will start my early morning walkabouts. Well, changed my mind and went outside and it wasn't too bad, 48° but windy.

Walkabout Photos:

As usual I ran into  a wall trying to  do pictures....will try to do better at some point.

Update:  March 9, 

Planted 3 varieties of petunias under lights now.

Cheated and made a very small cheese Danish...no icing.

The mower was ready! Max hooked up the trailer and off to  Bolivar.  I hope to do some mowing and trimming today.

This will be our last warm day.  A frigid blast is sailing down from Canada Saturday and we will have a hard freeze.  Goodby peaches and apricots!  Such is life.

All for now.

 I finally got it!  This is what we interpreted as two skunks....hole is now fixed and they seem to have left us.  Thanks to all the powers above!

 This is about all I am baking (except for the one slip with the Danish) these days.  This is our daily bread: Honey, Oat Bran and wholewheat.

 These are the girls which have been laying for about a month now.  We are getting between 6 and 7 eggs daily.  They never truly molted,  but did almost stop  laying so that we bought eggs from the store a few times.

This was our other surprise night visitor, an armadillo.