Something to Cluck About

In between several biodiesel-related jobs last week, the fab shop worked on creating these gates. Their client gave them a few pieces of metal he asked them to incorporate; otherwise it was up to them. This is the design J came up with, which the client was extremely happy with. There was also a smaller gate to go along with these large ones. They're some talented guys, I tell you!

Seed Starting Fun

Seed starting has begun in earnest. J has planted carrots, kohlrabi, beets, spinach and rose orach in the garden. The orach is similar to spinach, though more heat resistant. It is the first time we've grown it, and in reviewing directions, he may have planted it a bit early, as it should be planted 2-3 weeks before the last frost. That is rather optimistic, but you never know! I started seeds in pots.

The varieties planted were:

Tomatoes:
Homestead
Marglobe
Brandywine
Tiny Tim
Stupice

Tomatillo:
Mexican Husk

Eggplant:
Pingtung Long

Brussels Sprouts:
Catskill (Long Island Improved)

Cabbage:
Early Jersey Wakefield

Broccoli:
Calabrese
Pinetree Mix

I also planted Viola Yesterday Today and Tomorrow and Lavender Hidcote Blue. The Wintersown plants are still looking promising. The photos were taken last week, and more have come up since. Daffodils, forsythia, scotch broom and one of the hellebores are blooming. I need to get all my pruning finished up, as many buds are fattening up around the homestead.

I should clarify yesterday's reference to our new "toy". J had been dealing with an abominably slow laptop, whose screen darkened to black whenever it took a notion. This spiffy new model is fast, and enables him to do drawings, which he's already used for fab shop jobs. Very cool. *Sorry about the post layout in the beginning. I played with it, but never figured out how to fix it.

Wordless Wednesday

Pottering About

The men got the last of the siding on the fab shop over the weekend, and it's looking good. Things are moving right along.

The past two days, I've done more massage work than I've done in several years. So today is going to be a "pottering" day. Straightening up, laundering those many sets of sheets, and hopefully starting on my newest fun project.

On the way home last night, I decided to stop by Goodwill, and see what treasures my tip money could buy. I found one I'm especially fond of. It has many possibilities, and I'm deciding how I want to use it. I think I'll take some pics, and see what ideas you might come up with.

Sunday Progress Report

The overnight temperatures brought a skim of ice to the animal's water bowls. It is beginning to feel like winter here. I've been adding new items to my shop... lavender sachets, a holiday dessert stand and new, sample sized soaps. The men are hard at work on the fab shop, which is coming right along. J hopes to be working in it by the end of the week. I'm pondering tonight's meal, and thinking it feels like a pumpkin pie is in order. I've got to do something to use up that whipping cream :o)

Fab Treasures

I wanted to pop in here to share a most excellent treasure I found this week. For next to nothing, I might add. I love all the character and history. The pieces each have tape with a handwritten name on them. They're faded, but the names are different....hmmm. I suppose the names are so it makes it home after a potluck, or maybe when it has been left at the home of a bereaved neighbor. Well, I'm off to assist on the fab shop project. I'm thinking about an apple cake. I'd love to know your favorite recipes.

Brewing Fruit and Ideas

It's been a fruity kind of morning. I juiced another 3 cups of passionfruit, which I've been freezing until I can come up with a good recipe. I'm thinking I may make jam or jelly with it, possibly with berries, but may do some sort of dessert. Or both! Anyone have a recipe to share? I juiced a few more pears and added it to a batch of pear cider, or perry, I began on Monday. This is our first try at perry, and we're using a simple recipe. Just the pear juice, and yeast. I believe the yeast is a Sweet Mead activator, from Wyeast. There's about 3 gallons of pear juice, in a glass carboy with airlock. J has been the one researching it. If I remember correctly, the primary fermentation is done in the carboy, then sugar added, and put into bottles for the secondary fermentation. It will be a slow process, taking several months, but hopefully worth the wait!

I'm going to get the dehydrator going, for some apple rings. I like them as snacks, and J likes to break them up into his oatmeal. I've had some ideas brewing for new handmade items for my shop, and am excited about starting on them today. Here's a peek at the new fab shop, as it begins to go up.

A Good Long Run

The days feel like they're whirling past. J & I got all the sections of the metal building loaded up and brought here on Friday. The fab shop began going up on Saturday. Our first hard frost arrived this weekend. I'm sorry to see the flowers, basil and tomatoes go, but the garden had a good, long run this year. We had our first winter salad last night, which was a delicious consolation. I took this picture of the cosmos last week. Have an enjoyable week!

Fall Colors

The mountains were beautiful. I had a grand time with Teresa, and in class. While I had some long days in class, the scenery, good food and good people made the trip enjoyable. The first photo was the view from our room. On one of the days, T brought back a bounty of antioxidant goodness from The Chocolate Fetish to share. If the toffee, and the dried cherry and walnut round are any indication, I'm almost scared to try any of the truffles. The Center was lovely, with a wonderful innkeeper, excellent food, enjoyable guests and a nightly fire in the great room. We had the best intentions to enjoy the hot tub and sauna, but ran out of time.

The second delivery of concrete arrived early this morning, which finishes the pad for the shop. I manned one end of the screed board again, and Joseph is finishing up the trowel work. There has not yet been anything other than a light frost, here and in the mountains, so there are still perennials blooming, along with the changing leaves. I'm enjoying all the color, while it lasts.

Forward Progress

Progress is being made on several fronts. They're all good, but it's especially exciting to see the fabrication shop taking form. Yesterday, the first concrete pad and both footings were poured. I acquired a new skill during the process, that of manning (or should that be womanning :o) the screed. Next week, we'll get the remainder of the concrete delivered, and finish that piece. Next will be the moving of the building. We're dismantling a large metal building, moving it and setting it up here.

Tomorrow, I'm headed to Asheville, for some massage training. I chose this class after the class in Virginia Beach was canceled. It will make for some long days, but I'm taking a extra day to head back, stopping in Black Mountain along the way. The autumn leaves should be lovely, and the colors may even be peaking. I hope to get some good pictures to share with you.

Plants and Projects

There have been many projects to keep us busy around the homestead lately. One of them has been creating new flower beds. The first was created where the last of the sandpile was, along the path to the house. Joseph thought pansies would look pretty there, and I agreed. I also put a hyssop there. That one was finished just a couple of days before the Mom's arrived. Perfect. This weekend, several plants had to be moved, because they were in the way of the new fabrication shop Joseph is building. That bed went in the same area as the other, but along the driveway. It has several baptisias and daylilies in it. An astilbe and a squill went to a shadier area, where I expect both of them will be much happier.

This morning, I planted kale, collards and what's known in these parts as salad mix. It's a blend of kales, canola, mustards and turnip greens. We love a flavorful winter salad made from these. I'm definitely later than usual planting these things. I held off a long time, as things were so hot and dry here. I do have patches of mixed lettuces and spinach that are growing happily. We'll likely buy a few cabbage and broccoli seedlings this year. There is one chard plant up, & I replanted some more last week. That will pretty much do it for our winter garden.

The fabrication shop construction is moving along. Rick came out on Friday, and he & Joseph moved some earth around, leveling things for the cement pad. Yesterday, Joseph & I got pieces of plywood in place on the side of one of the footers, and got the soil leveled and tamped in that footer, so it is now ready for cement.

In case you're wondering, yes those are tomato cages all around the flower bed. To keep the chickens out. While creating the bed, we'd totally forgotten how the chickens had decided pansies were a delectable treat last year, and how much of a chicken magnet that loamy soil would be. Thankfully, Joseph's memory kicked in before we let the chickens out, so we headed that one off at the pass. We'll definitely be putting something more aesthetically pleasing around the bed, but for now, we're happy to have pansies.