Summer is winding down

I have to admit I'm a bit depressed to see summer end. Although it has been trying at times with the lack of rain, we haven't really missed mowing the lawn. The only thing growing around here is ragweed. And my nose is paying for it. I'm currently covered in an itchy rash on most of my exposed skin from harvesting turnips yesterday. We finally ditched our zucchini plants too and the cornstalks are cut and drying in time for fall decor for our friends. My first soybean harvest was a success, we should have a few lovely pots of salted edamame this week and the stalks were excellent supplements for the pigs. Eggplant was a bust this year, the plants withered and died for some unknown reason and the fruits were stunted and bitter, also good food for the pigs, although they prefer tomatoes.

We harvested just about as many small buttery yellow potatoes as we stuck in the ground this spring, kind of a bust also. Our first foray into sweet potatoes yielded several large lumpy bump things that look as though they were slashed repeatedly by aliens or something.We'll see how they taste...

In other farm news, the girls are starting to act like hussies, hanging out by the boys' pen and teasing them. Breeding season is looming as the nights get colder. The boys are already in full rut, stinking to high heaven, blubbering and mounting each other, spraying urine to and fro and being generally charming.

6 hens-a-laying... well, more like 25. The old have been successfully incorporated with the new. It was quite the endeavor, we were like seasoned sleuths sneaking up on them at night once everyone was roosting and resting for the night. We first sprayed them with an old bottle of Calvin Klein perfume we found to 'scent confuse' them into not recognize the newbies. They smelled fabulous. After the transfer, one by one (by Rog of course, I wouldn't willingly grab a chicken if my life depended on it) we loaded the coop and run with tomatoes and watermelon chunks. We were told by a chicken friend that the red color would distract them from fighting and pecking at each other. So far, so good except for a few minor skirmishes.

Tasty chicken on the way in less than 6 weeks! 30 little peeps hatched on August 1st, boy those buggers can eat! 50 lbs of feed every 5 days or so. We were gifted with one 'rare breed chick' as a bonus on our chick order. No idea what breed or sex, to me, he/she looks a little like a penguin. The meaties are outgrowing him by leaps and bounds but so far they are getting along. Not quite sure what I'll do with him in the future. If it turns out to be a rooster, it will be dinner. If its a hen, will eventually transition to the laying barn.

Baxter and Bettina are growing by leaps and bounds. 4 weeks after their arrival they are standing about 18 inches tall, they are starting to develop more mature features with reddening throats and little knobby things on their noses. Should be right on track for Thanksgiving.

A good way to use excess eggs...dutch pancakes with fresh raspberries from the garden.

Little Tinder had her first bee sting yesterday on her left front paw. After crying actual tears for a while and clumsily hobbling on 3 legs she settled in her bed but still elevated her left paw for sympathy. 

Kaelyn stood guard during Tinder's recovery period.

I recently experienced the noise, dirt, food, sweat and glamour *insert sarcasm* of the Lorain County Fair where we left with several goatie-awards. More to follow...