It's Going to be a Quiet Summer...

Rebecca left Saturday morning for Halifax.  She'll be on the Shearwater base doing her Navy basic training for 9 weeks. She was so excited to go, but I haven't heard from her in 2 days so I don't know how she's doing.  We are very proud of her!

This morning Zachary starting working full-time for the summer at the P&H elevator in Langbank.

Hannah will be busy cutting grass and working with her horses all summer.  I think she has a few shows planned and is taking some horses to a kids camp for 2 weeks.

It's going to be very quiet here... and I like it!

Except... the garden.  I have no one to help me weed, except for Lyle.  It is finally dry enough in the garden that we can get out there and start killing weeds.  We used the tractor yesterday to rototill between the wide rows, and Lyle is using the walk behind for the narrower rows.  The weeds are thick so we have to make a big effort to get things under control.  Believe it or not, there are seedlings under that solid mat of weeds.

It was announced that this spring was the 3rd wettest spring ever.  I thought last spring was bad but this year is worse.  We did get our oats seeded though, which was an improvement from last year.  We have had rain everyday for the last three weeks.  It's very depressing to get up every morning and see rain clouds.  Portions of my garden are under water.  I guess I'll have to write off everything that was seeded on the east side.

I've been busy mudding in tomatoes.  It's slow going and it's too wet to even weed.  On the bright side, the peas are loving this cool wet weather.  They are thriving and I expect flowers soon! 

It was a sunny morning when I went out, hardly any clouds in the sky.  Not sure what that large yellow orb is up in the sky.  It did cloud over later in the day and we got more rain and hail!  Who said market gardening was easy.

Vegetable Box Program

Do you know where your food comes from?  Do you know what chemicals and pesticides were applied when it was being produced?  Why not sign up for our vegetable box program and receive locally grown, chemical free produce delivered right to your door on a regular basis. You will also be able to add  free range eggs and farm raised meat (beef, pork and lamb) to your order.

Cost will be $10.00 per week for 1-2 people and $20.00 per week for the family pack.  Eggs are $2.50 per dozen.  Meat will be based on availability.

Contact me for more information and a registration form.

Mom and I got home last week from our trip to Israel and Finland.  We spent 10 days in Israel and then went over to Finland to visit family for 10 days.  It was great to meet many of Mom's cousins.  We had a wonderful time getting to see the countryside, visiting and hearing stories from the past.  I'm hoping many of the family will come to Canada for a visit so that we may return the hospitality.

I was very anxious to return home though, as it's difficult to be away from the farm and gardens in the spring.  My garden and greenhouse were overgrown, I'm going to have to spend a serious amount of time out there getting everything under control ( think lots of weeds!).  All the spring babies came before I left in May except for the cattle.  The few cows that we have calved while I was gone.  Even the milk cow - #19 - calved with a nice heifer calf.

The old girl is turning a little gray on the face but otherwise she's in good shape.  Can't wait for strawberries and cream, fresh milk, butter and ice cream.  This year I am going to try making cheese.  I have been milking cows since 1990 but never attempted cheese - so this is the year! 

Mom and I are now in sunny Israel.  This is the view of the Mediterranean Sea from our hotel room in Haifa.  We've been here for 2 days now and I think I've recovered from jet lag.  The last two days have been very tiring, but today we are venturing out on our own so I should have lots of pictures for the next post.

I've been working many hours and now, finally, have the garden seeded.  Lyle will put the potatoes in this week while I'm gone.  All that will be left are the transplants, and I'll do them in June when I get home. 

Last year I had Reggie out helping me in the garden.  He was a real nuisance but he was fun to have around.

This year I have these squealing little porkers.  They sure make a mess when they get in the greenhouse.

Our first calf of the season was born this morning.  We had the cows bred to a Galloway bull last year.  This calf is a little different looking then we are used to.  He's only an hour old in this picture so he's still a little wet.

Why is it, when there are hundreds of puddles after all the rain, that you must swim in the goat water troughs?