Sunday, June 19, 2016

Gardens, Bees and Chicken Feet




Summer is a busy time around the Usher place,
never a moment's rest until the gardens are put
to rest and the winter months arrive, more 
quickly than anticipated-- or wanted.

Saturday morning began at 4 AM, preparing to help
 our neighbors butcher their chickens, as they
helped us last weekend.  It is great to share the workload
and set up an assembly line to get the job done faster.

Afterwards it was back home to can a few pints
of Aunt Mary's hot pickles with the pickling 
cucumbers that are starting to come in.
We set up a trail cam to find out what was 
able to penetrate the fencing and bite off cucumber
stems that are about three feet high, past a 
4 foot+ fence in narrow garden beds.
A deer would have trouble, with the beds so narrow,
jumping into the other side of the fence and it would
have disturbed the dirt and other plants.

Truthfully, I was thinking a giraffe, but not sure how
many we had running around wild here.  Or tame for that matter.
Maybe an ostrich or am emu?
Just kidding, probably birds or our raccoon friends, but
I would think a raccoon would eat the fruit, not nip off a branch. 
There was also cilantro bit off from the top, romaine too.



Our visitor, probably the one that comes to 
the porch and eats the leftover cat food.
With black bear now in our area we may have
to rethink that plus our chicken food storage.


I will tell you that the Cornish Cross chickens have the
BIGGEST FEET EVER!  Our neighbors were saving them,
dehydrating for dog treats.  I don't have a dog and not
interesting in eating them so we didn't keep ours.


The flower garden had been doing well with the cool spring and
wet weather but I am having to water now that temperatures have
hit near 100's.  It has helped the vegetables though, peppers have
doubled in size from last month.


I have flowers and herbs planted in the larger garden
for the bees. They have salvia, zinnias, lavander, 
snap dragons and of course the flowers from squash plants
and the tomatillos, elderberry and blackberry plants.



They seem to be doing well and they don't bother
me at all while I am at the garden. They may buzz
but don't sting.  I don't care for them to be at face level
though and I now make sure I keep my shirt tight 
around my waste so they don't fly up.
What would I do then?

Well, it's my birthday so at some point today we 
will go eat --at Denny's--because they send me a 
coupon for a free breakfast which is served all day.
I can't eat the pancakes anymore so I will choose 
something else.  Then it's back to the house for more work.

See you all later.











6 comments:

HIBISCUS HOUSE said...

Happy Birthday my sweet busy friend!

Gorges Smythe said...

Happy birthday!

jewlz said...

Happy Birthday! Hope you enjoy that free meal!

LindaG said...

A belated Happy Birthday to you, Kathy!

Yahoobuckaroo's Blog said...

Speaking of raccoons, I walked out the basement door three nights ago about twilight. My truck sits near the door. I walked up to my truck and peered over the other side and saw the prettiest raccoon I ever saw. He was a lighter gray than most and looked just barely full-grown. There were fireflies all around, and he was trying to catch them, standing on his hind legs, slowly bouncing from one foot to the other as though he was swaying to some music. Cutest thing I ever saw. I'd give anything if I would've had my camera shooting video of it.

Kathy Felsted Usher said...

That raccoon sounds adorable! I too wish you would have had a camera, or something to take video. How sweet.