Biodiversity On The Homestead

Hello, friends.  While I was working my last Saturday at the pottery last week, J harvested the sweet potatoes.  As in previous years, some have been munched on, but we're happy with what we've got.  I never got around to braiding the garlic, so he cut off the stems and put them in storage, as he needed that shelf for the sweet potatoes to cure.  I was hoping he'd find more butternut squash or melons in the nearby patch, but not so far, as all we got was the one immature squash and one misshapen watermelon.  Hopefully, we'll have better luck with both next year.

I learned beauty berries were edible a couple of years ago, and have been munching a few during walks ever since.  To me, they have a slightly sweet, floral flavor.  I'd read about making jelly from them, and did that this week, which turned out a pretty color.  I wanted to do something with our ripe pears, and decided to make a pear pie.  Golden paste was made for the pups.  Laundry was dried on the line.  Thanks to reseeding, we've got some nice kale patches.  Two more people in the neighborhood wanted pawpaws, and I froze some more.  I saw a new method of prepping them, which I tried.  Though it's still time-consuming, I believe it did save a little time, and it's not quite as messy.  You freeze the pawpaws, let them thaw 20 minutes, peel them, then cut the seed and pulp apart.  

While heading to the chickens one day, I noticed a Pandora Sphinx caterpillar on a grape leaf, which was kind of wild looking.  I'm happy to see plenty of biodiversity here.  I have to renew my license this month, and am dreading going this week, as I expect they'll tell me I need glasses.  Since the last renewal, I began using readers, which are pretty much a necessity for me now.  Ah well, it's small stuff, and I'm so thankful to be as healthy as I am.  Speaking of which, the last cleanse moved me forward in getting eczema-free, so I'm in the midst of another.  I follow folks online who are doing this cleanse back to back for months, to fully heal other issues.  I'd miss cooked potatoes too much, and once it gets cooler, it's hard for me to do all raw foods.  Though I'm sure that could change, with more serious health issues.

This is the bouquet sent by my daughter in spirit.  Isn't it lovely?  I've been wrapping soap, and putting together Garden sets, getting ready for Friday's show.  J bought seedlings of cabbage, broccoli, collards and lettuce at the feed and seed store.  He tilled up a spot, and planted them all, plus seeds of winter greens mix.  Our green peas are doing well, and have lots of blooms on them.  While cleaning up the garden for the seedlings, he found another butternut squash, which made me happy.  When I went to gather eggs yesterday, I found a rat snake in the nest box, which required alerting my personal snake wrangler.  He's been doing it for years, so it doesn't phase him.  We then rehomed it.  Our little bit of excitement for the day.  Wishing you only good surprises this week.