The Country Homemaker Hop #37

Life on my Little Mini-Farm in the Suburbs

Things are BUSY in the hen house.  This week my young hens have been on a roll.  I have been averaging about 10 fresh free-ranges eggs a day. WOW! This is exciting, but I really need to figure out more egg recipes so I can use up all of these eggs.

This is my tiny, mini chicken Woo. A salmon favorelle.

In The Beehives- We are planning to move the beehives to a permanent place inside my small fruit tree orchard.  They'll have slight mottled shade from a few peach and cherry trees and they'll be right in the middle of the first action of spring, fruit blossom pollination.

My hubby made me three great cement foundations that back up to the railroad tie retaining wall that I can use for support during our strong winter winds.  There are windmills allover here for a reason.  I plan to move them during the evening one night this week and start preparing them for winter.

I am still not feeding syrup.  I know many folks are.  I have come to the conclusion that when my bees have been allover the plants searching for pollen within my yard, that has been when I have observed them eating their stored reserves.  Whereas, when I have not seen them congested, running around inside my flowering plants they have left their own stores alone.  My conclusion, when they are experiencing nectar dearth they search high and low at home in search of it, or perhaps when there is pollen abundance?  Not certain which, but I took a peak inside yesterday and all three hives stores are full.  This is a good sign.  Maybe I will take a frame or two when I move them...

In the garden... things are humming along well in spite of a recent change in weather.  It feels like fall as our night dip lower and lower each week.  Tender plants are dying or are starting to shed leaves.  My new project this week is featured in the pictures above and below.  You may be able to see that I am tilling a narrow bed inside the grass.  It runs the entire perimeter along the wall.  I am planting lavender plants for the bees.  In a few years maybe we will enjoy a nice lavender harvest.

Today I am tilling the front yard the same way.  I want all my grass patches lined with the lavender. It's so expensive to buy and dirt cheap to raise.

In the kitchen- More canning, and harvesting.  I have been eating yellow jubilee tomatoes so much this week I think I can taste them in my sleep.

They sure are sweet.  I have two more gallon bags of grapes to process.  I opened a few of those grape juice cocktail quarts I canned a few weeks back using Canning Granny's recipe found HERE and though it is supposed to steep for about 6 more weeks, it tastes fabulous already so I know it's going to be a hit around here during Thanksgiving.  They can only get stronger flavored as they sit in a jar. I think I'll even be able to dilute them and extend the joy a bit more.  I am so grateful to Canning Granny for this new favorite recipe.

My son came for a quick pit stop on his way to a great adventure with his BFF Ryan.  They are driving a truck full of horse tack to upstate New York for Ryan's Dad this week.  His eyes look terrible because his riding glasses flew off on the freeway and he kept going 100+ miles down the road... on his motorcycle.  It's things like this that make my heart skip a beat... him riding the motorcycle and refusing to stop and buy more eye protection.  I hope he learned his lesson.  I love him, that crazy kid old married man.

Things have really been great here this week. I've been keeping busy.  I shared some of my surplus apples, grapes, and tomatoes with friends this week in exchange for some canned goodies. Thanks Debbie and Vicky!

How about you?  Anything new or exciting happening at your place?  Please link up and share...

Have a GREAT week on your homestead.