Hello Autumn, Goodbye Summer

The projects have been slowing down as Fall starts. We aren’t struggling to fit so much into our evenings and weekends. The cooler weather has been glorious. The reduction in the bug population has been wonderful. The ragweed? Not so welcome.

Greenhouse: the hoops have been secured to the frame, the fabric has been laid on the ground, the plastic covering has been ordered. The plastic will be installed next weekend, hopefully.

Garden: the fall garden has been planted and the seeds have sprouted. The last vestiges of the summer garden (the peppers) are still going at it. We still have one more cowhorn pepper, a few more serrano peppers, and several mini bell peppers on the vine. It seems like every time I pull some off, more develop. That’s a happy occurrence in the garden!

Brick bed: I planted Kale in the brick bed so the chickens have fresh greens to eat this winter. We cobbled together the framework of a cold frame from available wood scraps. This will be covered with plastic to protect the garden bed from winter weather.

Chickens: the dogs have not been around since we put up the trail cam. $300 – $500 for electric fence netting and equipment is not going to be in the budget for a loooong time so the poor chickens can only be outside when one of us can stand guard. That means they have been out of the run very little, especially since there is only 20 minutes or so before it gets dark after I get home from work.

Miss Piggy has been struggling with crop issues. We’ve tried several treatments but it persists. I would give her Nystatin to treat the yeast infection but I’m not willing to incur a vet bill to get the prescription. I have ordered some Oregano Oil though. It is supposed to be a natural fungicide. I hope it does the trick as, if it does not cure her problem, she will not live.

Fun with Food: I went to the Farmer’s Market and bought a bushel of apples (yes, just one) and some cucumbers for pickles. Fortunately, I had limited cash and most vendors don’t accept debit cards. Otherwise, I would have also brought home blackberries for jam, tomatoes for salsa, and who knows what else. In truth, I don’t particularly feel like processing pickles or applesauce; however, I will do it because it is an important task for increasing my food storage.

Orchard: a while back I ordered a nectarine tree from Guerney’s. When a package arrived I was excited to get it planted. This is what was in the box:

I am happy with what has been accomplished. That’s not to say we are done. We will never be Done. I’m not sure Oscar understands that his grandma’s mind is always thinking of the next project.

If you are interested in the Emergency Preparedness and Food Storage side of being Self-Reliant, check out those menu tabs at the top of the page. I have begun slowly adding things, so check back regularly.