Monday, May 24, 2010

On the Homestead...

Everyone and everything seems to be growing up this Spring. Our 5 week old chicks moved outside, and they are getting so big! I never realized how sweet and endearing chickens could be... but they are so gentle and even though they aren't too smart, they do have a lot of personality. Who would have thought? And I don't feel too bad that chicken seems to upset my tummy right now, because eating chicken gave me a little tinge of guilt when I thought of our little feathered flock.
Our coop has a little fenced area for them, but the Brahmas (our family favorite and the whiteish ones above) always seem to escape! They are the most adventurous and brave chickens in our flock. Unfortunately they can't find their way back in, so when I come by, they are waiting at the gate for me to let them in.

These are all my tomato and pepper seedlings!!! There are about 30 tomato plants and I am seeing salsa lining our pantry shelf this fall! This is the most success I have had with my seeds indoors. I have never had any luck with peppers and my tomatoes never seem to get this big by June!! :) We also have lettuce getting close to picking-age, I transplanted some Swiss Chard that is growing beautifully, my sugar snap peas are over a foot tall (I drool when I see them!!), carrots tops that are just poking above the ground, and I harvested my first 3 radishes the other day!! This is the most success I have ever had gardening, EVER!!! We are trying Square foot gardening this year, and we moved the garden closer to the house so that has helped with pesky bunnies... which I haven't seen yet this year.

In other news, Anastasia completely potty trained herself... overnight!!! We have been talking about using the potty for a very long time now, but she wanted NOTHING to do with it. She completely refused. Then for a couple mornings she woke up and used the potty and one day, she asked to wear her underwear and was potty-trained! I put a diaper on her to sleep in, and it is dry every morning but the one night I gave her underwear she wet the bed. Ooops. We have had a few accidents but overall it has been a HUGE success. My life seems that much easier now!!! So Isabel is back in cloth diapers and hopefully we won't be spending so much money now! Woohoo! :)


And we are starting our goat fund. I am dreaming of quilts I want to make. I need a quilt circle to sit with on my newly-cleaned porch in the heat of the summer sipping iced tea. *sigh*


8 comments:

Annie Hatke Schap said...

I haven't read your post. When do you find out baby's gender??

Clare said...

Haha, actually I hope in another month or two... we are kind of in Dr. limbo right now! lol

Annie Hatke Schap said...

Booo. OKay, now I've read your post. Are you going to name your goat Thor, in honor of your BHM inspiration?? LOL!

Good job with the gardening!

So Martin might have Nick beat in the survivalist firearms category, but you definitely have me beat when it comes to the survivalist homestead. JEALOUS!

Clare said...

LOL I probably won't name my goat Thor. Maybe Fred. :)

I feel like my life is one big biology experiment! haha!

Ben Hatke said...

I have always wanted to name a goat Amaltheia for the goat that raised Zeus on nectar and ambrosia. (sigh--someday)

Clair your seedlings look so amazing! Wow, i just bought mine from lam-o Springtime garden. When did you start yours and where did you keep them?

Oh and tell Nick to keep his ammo ready. We have already had two fox visits.

Anna

Clare said...

Anna- I started my seeds mid-March in a seed starting tray. I put it on the shelf above our table in the window. It worked marvelously! When they got their second set of leaves I moved them to bigger pots and kept them outside during the day, and brought them in at night. Now I just need more garden space to plant them all! lol.

Someday we will all have our goats! haha... and we will be blogging about them eating out seedlings! lol.

-susanne said...

someday when i'm rich and can buy a helicopter i will fly over to your house and we can be a quilting group...

Clare said...

Can you please get rich soon then?! :)