Around the Homestead

I wasn't going to call this post "around the Homestead", but as I logged on this morning two of the blogs I read have done the same thing I was going to do today. Just me and Hidden Haven Homestead. So I thought, why not, let's start a trend.

These are different then the usual photos. This is about finding beauty in the mundane.























I would love to see your "around the homestead" photos.

Waffles

If your seedlings are popping up then dying, make sure you check that they are not getting cooked. And make sure you are feeding them something.

If you plant 2-3 seeds per pot and they all pop up, don't yank them out. Instead remove them, still in the soil, from the container. Gently pat to crack the soil, and carefully separate the seedlings. replant in separate pots. Water well.

If sowing directly into the garden, you can eat most your sprouts when you thin (except anything in the nightshade group, like tomatoes)

It is storming here yet again.

Give your seeds at least a full week before giving up on them (if they don't sprout). Good fertile seeds usually only take 3 days to sprout, if cared for correctly.

Fish emulsion (for you that fish, guts) is a great general food source for your garden. So are the majority of your weeds. When weeding, throw them on top of your mulch in the garden. EXCEPT for morning glories. Make sure you take them far from your garden. Many of those vining weeds are trouble. They can sit dead on top of your soil until it rains, then it will re-root. Did you know that a morning glories root system can grow twenty feet in length before popping above ground?

If you have had problems in the past with transplanting, grow your seeds in peat pots. You never have to touch the roots. Make sure everything is watered well after placing them outside.

Before transplanting your plants outside, set them on your porch for a day, move them in at night, and repeat for a couple of days. Getting them use to being out.

If you smoke, wash hands well before handling seedlings.

Medium made us waffles for dinner last night.

Lots to thinks about

I have a few thing running through my head right now. So I am not sure what to write about this morning.

It is officially our last freeze date. I woke up to the temperature outside being 33F. One degree above freezing.


Guinea chicks are quiet compared to the adults.

A B.A.C.A. member was hit by lightning while riding the other day, and dies.

It's riding season, please watch for bikes.

I sloshed around in very cold water doing chores yesterday. My bones still ache.

I think that the swine flu is being blown out of proportion. How come every time a flu is "named" after an animal, we become chicken little? Other flu infect and kill many more people every year then the avian or the swine, yet we are all now going to die from the swine flu.

How come we take offense to everything so easily anymore? Why is it that only white heterosexual males with no disabilities are the only ones that don't get a special interest group? (serious question). Why can't I say anything without it being akin to hate speech? While others can call me derogatory names and it is considered culture or editorial news? And I am suppose to suck it up and not file a law suit? (not like I would, I actually have thick skin, thought that was what we were suppose to do anyway) And why am I a racist if I don't agree with an opinion of some one that isn't white? Am I not allowed to have an opinion any more?

Do I really want to continue homesteading? Is this really worth all the pain?

What if I can't make it on the farmstead?

Why on earth does my husband love me?

Should I have pork chops or roast for dinner tonight?

I have so many seedling up. I am feeding them with fish emulsion mixed in their water. They seem to love it. I had to crack the door in the closest, as it was getting too hot in there for them. They seem to be flourishing now. Hopefully everyone will be ready to go outside in two weeks.

We are moving the garden because of all the flooding. I don't know what to expect this year. Last year it was too cool and wet to grow successfully. Well 350 pounds of produce wasn't all bad, but it wasn't enough. Hopefully this year will be better.

see what I mean, lots of thoughts. Just one of those nagging days that I will be doing chores on auto pilot, thinking and plotting Pinky!

Forgive me, I lied

We weren't able to make it out to the farmstead because of the rain. We got 4 inches last night. Instead my mother and stepfather came over and while the men played welder, my mother and I went out chasing storm clouds.

Since I was driving I didn't get many photos. However I did get one of a shelf cloud when my mother yelled at me to stop the car. Ain't it a beauty?

Once we got home and my parents left, I started dinner and we had a local channel on. There where tornadoes popping up all over. And just as the weatherman told us to get to out shelters, the phone rang. It was good neighbor. He was stuck in the city and wanted us to go help out his mother. I sped over and got her out of the house. Good neighbor just called her and told her that one of us was on the way. She thought she was coming over to my house, I said, I thought you had a shelter. She did. I told her we had to go to her's, now. Just as we were climbing down, the rotating wall cloud passed overhead. I shut and locked the door, and we listened to the radio and the wind. Within a few seconds it was gone, and I gave her the all clear. We made it back into the house just as the back side of the storm hit. 70 mph winds and sheet of rain. We turned the news on and watched the weather for a few minutes. I left shortly after, telling her to call if she needed anything.

Good neighbors Jack Russel bit me for my efforts.


I got up this morning to find this

that would be my house and flood waters.