Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop #92

Happy Farmgirl Friday Friends!

Sorry I'm a bit late to post, but we experienced technical difficulties today when my sweet hubby accidentally disconnected my internet cable.  We've been working on our new home this week, trying to improve energy efficiency.  Jerry is working on changing out all the old single pane windows, a room at a time.

The dining room was home to a ten foot wide sliding glass door built in the 50s or 60s that was single pane and left the back of the house very cool.  The door and wall sink at the corner making it very difficult to open and close the door.  This was an urgent problem to fix. 

Once he got the door removed Jerry started to see signs of termite damage, lots of it.  

 In the picture above you can see the "frass" or waste left behind by the termites.  It looks a little like the honeydew waste left behind by aphids, though not sticky.  More like sand particles.  Dry and hard.

 Poor Jerry.  This job just kept growing.  He had to keep going, removing and replacing every damaged board along the way.

We got very lucky.  It could have been MUCH worse.  I sprayed everything thoroughly, saturating all of the wood.  Then, after 24 hours I sprayed one more time.  Now, Jerry can begin to rebuild the wall and floor.  

Unfortunately, the sun faded and it got cold before he could finish so he put temporary walls up again for the night.  Hopefully, I will have a brand new wall featuring a small window and recycled french doors we got from a yard sale by the end of the weekend.

For fun this week... oh yes we PLAYED!

We took a drive up to the end of our road... 

 It ends at one of the prettiest campgrounds in the Sequoia National Forest Park.  Ladybug Creek Campground.  

 Along the route we were flanked by calves and cows.  Lots of beautiful moo moos.

Then, we took a drive up to a ranch to take a look at a young bred jersey cow for sale.

There was a setback in my plans for dairy goats this week.  The darling little Nigerian Dwarf dairy goat I was gloating about a few weeks ago, was injured by her mother and is not going to be coming to my farm afterall.

I have been waiting for two nigies since last summer and it's looking more and more like that is a dream that is not meant to be.  I am not giving up just yet though.

In the meantime, I am trying to research whether or not I can find a smaller jersey milk cow locally.  That led me to attend my first stockyard sale this morning.  I have to learn to do my own evaluation of body conditioning in dairy cattle so I can find a sound cow eventually.

We finally made it to the local nursery that everyone raves about late yesterday.

  I was very pleased.  It's such a clean environment and it was full of healthy plants...

I found so many wonderful bareroot fruit trees.  I had to resist the urge to overdo it.  I am going to be planting these by myself this week so I stopped at ten, for now.

I got fresh eating and cooking varieties for apples, peach, cherry, nectarine and apricot.  I then got a pear and plum for my hubby.  I plan to go back soon.  They will be getting boysenberries, blackberries, and grapes next week.

We got home just as the sun was about to set so I put them into moist soil temporarily, until I decide where to start my orchard..  Now, to watch the sun as it moves across my yard and within the giant oaktree canopy.  I need to select a spot that offers atleast 6 preferably 8+ hours of direct sun light daily...

Well, I could blather on and on for hours and bore you to death with all of my projects.  We are warm, well fed and happy on our little mountain.  I hope you are well this week too.  Now let's get hopping!

Heidi

Your Farmgirl Friday Hostesses are:

Deb of Deborah Jean's Dandelion House 

Dolly of Hibiscus House and me of course!

Now, it's your turn to link up for your weekly dose of farmgirl soul food!

 Here are the rules for the Farmgirl/guy Blog Hop! 

1.) Write a post about your farmgirl lifestyle and brag a little about your farmgirl talents while your at it! Share what being a farmgirl means to you. Include lots of photos of your farm, crafts, animals,  quilts, home decor projects and thrifty make overs, your backyard garden, chicken coop, recipes, studio or workshop. You get the idea!

2). Leave your entry in the  Linky tools space to your  Farmgirl Friday post.

3). Please include the Farmgirl Friday button ( or link back here ) in your post and remember to share this hop with all of your blogging friends!

4.) Enter up to three entries per hop! 

 DON'T BE SHY~  

Be sure to leave a note if you're new to the hop! If you haven't clicked that follow button yet, please join us and be sure to stop by our FACEBOOK page and like us there too! 
As always, thank you for your continued participation and welcome new friends and followers!
 

Yours, in farmgirl spirit.
Deb, Heidi and Dolly

    

FarmGirl Friday Blog Hop! #53

Welcome Friends!

My peeps are growing like weeds.  They're two weeks old, flapping their wings, showing off for eachother, and mugging for the camera.  This is Princess...

She's the little chick that got sick after I brought her home.  She's doing great now.  In fact, she's kind of a tiny bully.  

She's still much smaller than the others so they don't mind her behavior too much.  

They're all so cute at this stage, they've really stolen my heart.   A few of them like Princess above and the little gal to the right here, I am calling her Penguin so far...  

They seem to enjoy being cradled in my hands while I sing to them, off key of course... 

They are so curious of anything I do, my every movement.  Their collective chirps and cheeps are so cute.  I love to listen to them chatting with eachother. 

Even my big strong husband enjoys them and gently cradles them while he coos to them.  It's quite sweet and silly to see.  We don't mind making fools of ourselves.  We do it quite often.  I can't help it, I love babies...  all babies.

My honey bees are hanging in there, even with this crazy weather.  They fly in and out during strong winds (as long as there's sunshine) carrying back lots of pollen.  They are an inspiration.  I wish I had the strength and energy to do just a fraction of what they get done each day.  I don't.  I get tired just watching them.

I ordered bees for my second hive and a new queen for the first hive.  This time I chose a New World Carniolan/Russian cross package.  They are cold hearty, mite resistant, and slow down brood production in winter, unlike the Italians I already have who will keep producing and nursing young all through the scarce months of winter requiring lots more stored honey, support and supplemental feedings.  I plan to compare and contrast the two for a while.  Once the new queen gets settled in, she will increase the genetic diversity of my little hive and hopefully improve the Italians housekeeping skills.  We'll see.

We're expecting snow to start soon and for freezing conditions to last for much of the weekend.  It is almost two weeks past our regular frost date. Laugh!  Last spring was strange too. We had a freak freeze with snow and ice on May 21, 2011, that killed almost everything.  

I have hoops for my raised beds this year so I am hopeful things will be different this year.  Okay, I have gone on for to long.  It's YOUR turn to SHARE what you have been working on this week at your farm...

Here are the rules for the Farmgirl/boy Friday Blog Hop!
1.) Write a post about your farmgirl/boy lifestyle and brag a little about your farmgirl/boy talents while your at it! Include lots of photos of your farm, crafts, animals, quilts, home decor projects and thrifty make overs, your backyard garden, chicken coop, recipes, studio or workshop. You get the idea!
2). Leave your entry in the Mr. Linky space to your Farmgirl/boy Friday post.

3). Please include the Farmgirl Friday button ( or link back here ) in your post and remember to share this hop with all of your blogging friends!

A Very Special Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop #52

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY to the FARMGIRL FRIDAY Blog HOP!!!

It may be hard to believe, but this week concludes one full year of weekly Farmgirl Friday blog hopping.  Wow!  Time really does fly by when you're having fun. 

I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you for each and every linky contribution, and comment.  

I'd also like to say congratulations and thank you ever so much to Deb of Deborah Jean's Dandelion House, founder of Farmgirl Friday, for planting the creative seed that has grown to become such an important source of inspiration and ideas each and every week. You hold a very special place in my heart Deb.  I love ya sister!   Here's to another great year full of new ideas and helpful links for the farmgirl or farmguy (Clint) in each of us...   

Here are the rules for the Farmgirl/boy Friday Blog Hop! 

1.) Write a post about your farmgirl lifestyle and brag a little about your farmgirl talents while your at it! Include lots of photos of your farm, crafts, animals, quilts, home decor projects and thrifty make overs, your backyard garden, chicken coop, recipes, studio or workshop. You get the idea!

2). Leave your entry in the Mr. Linky space to your Farmgirl Friday post.

3). Please include the Farmgirl Friday button ( or link back here ) in your post and remember to share this hop with all of your blogging friends!

Now, let's get hopping!

FarmGirl Friday Blog Hop! #51

Happy Friday!

The Buzz...

This week has been so much fun.  I got my first beehive operational.  Our little Italian ladies are making me so very proud.  I check in on them several times a day looking to see that they are happy, not being robbed, and I jump up and down with excitement every time I see some fly in with full pollen sacks.  

Our fruit trees are really going to be bursting with fruit this summer, and that's a welcome reward.  My BFF Michelle lives only a block away as the crow flies so I am hoping my girls help her trees too.

It's still freezing here at night so my hubby made the hive a makeshift insulation blanket from an old solar water heater jacket.   (The gals came from a warmer climate.) I am so lucky to have him.  It's working great!  

We've got chicks!  

My BFF Michelle went with me this morning to be a helper and she fell in love with the only blonde Americauna of the bunch.  They were inseparable.  Needless to say, she's Michelle's new baby chick.  I'm babysitting her until she's old enough to hold her ground against Miss Priss...  If not then she'll be number 16 in my hen house.  

Our little hen house will be a rainbow of colors.  We have Americaunas, Barred Plymouth Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, Silver Laced Wyandottes, Black Australorpes, Buff Orpingtons, and Salmon Faverolles.  

Michelle and I are sure enjoying watching them.  They eat and drink like world class athletes.  Jerry is going to get started constructing my hen house this weekend, so it will be ready for the chicks to move into in about 4 weeks or so...

I will post progress as it goes up.

In the Garden...
Today, the local big box home improvement store was having a BIG sale in the garden center.  


I picked up a few flower packs and planted them around my front door to enjoy.  


I even managed to squish a new garden wheelbarrow inside my tiny car somehow.  It was on sale for half price ($19.99) Wow!  I intend to use it for a potting soil barrel in the greenhouse.  It's BIG and deep.  


I love springtime flowers.  I look forward to watching these little beauties grow.   

The seedlings are all growing steadily, but nothing's big enough to transplant yet.  I am getting antsy.  



Michelle gave me her lemon tree.  It has to live indoors up here, but it can go outside during the day.  


I am really looking forward to trying to get it to set fruit in the greenhouse.  With a little help and a lot of luck, maybe... We'll see.

I participated in a MaryJane's Farmgirl Sisterhood book swap this week and got these wonderful goodies to enjoy.  Thank you Melody!  I am really enjoying this gardening book.  It's full of recipes too.   

The mini quilt behind the books was my reward for participating in the New Beginnings Mini Quilt swap.  It's so pretty.  I love asian fabric, purple and lavender.  This quilt incorporates all three.  Thank you  Jennifer.  It's a beautiful quilt.  

If you haven't yet had a chance to share something you've sewn this month for a chance to win the monthly giveaway, please link up HERE before it ends in a few hours...


Well, that's what's been going on at our little homestead.  


What have YOU been working on this week at your homestead???


1.) Write a post about your farmgirl lifestyle and brag a little about your farmgirl talents while your at it! Share what being a farmgirl means to you. Include lots of photos of your farm, crafts, animals, quilts, home decor projects and thrifty make overs, your backyard garden, chicken coop, recipes, studio or workshop. You get the idea!

2). Leave your entry in the Mr. Linky space to your Farmgirl Friday post.


3). Please include the Farmgirl Friday button ( or link back here ) in your post and remember to share this hop with all of your blogging friends!

I am linking up my Farmgirl progress on the Homestead Barn Hop!

  

FarmGirl Friday Blog Hop! #50

Wow!  Can you believe it's been 50 weeks already???  Time flies when you're having fun...

Happy Friday!

I am having a bit of technical difficulty this morning, so please excuse the mess...  but here's my farmgirl progress this week.

  








Yesterday, Jerry and I trecked up to Fresno to pick up my beehives.  Today I am going to get busy sealing the exterior of the beehives before I bring home my first nuc of bees tomorrow.   It will be my first time splitting hives.  My mentor and I will be splitting 60 hives, if time and weather permits...

 I am having a tough time getting anything to load today...sorry.

My seedlings are doing well.  The greenhouse provides the perfect combination of sunlight and warmth.  Everything is growing like weeds. I am starting to see signs of true leaves developing in a few buckets, so I think I will be transplanting/separating them soon.  Exciting!

I got another mini-quilt swap done and shipped!  Yippee!

Finally, I'd like to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU to everyone that has shared and contributed to Farmgirl Friday.  Many of us use the insight we gain from your posts to start our own homesteading ventures.  Your articles and the wisdom gained from your elbow grease are invaluable tools and gifts.  Thank you!!!  

Okay, no more gushing, now's your chance to share what you've been up to on your homestead this week.  

FarmGirl Friday Blog Hop! #49

Welcome Friends! 

This year, we are trying to increase our garden area, and that requires time and lots of elbow grease.  I really need the exercise, and that's an additional benefit.  Though some nights my shoulders complain... getting old is making me whiny and achy too.

We have been trying to beat a huge winter storm that's due to hit soon and freeze everything hard.   

Focusing on the area where the greenhouse used to sit (pictured above).  The greenhouse was there for a decade and the soil was hard like concrete.  

My wonderful hubby Jerry agreed to help with this task and he rototilled it with our big tiller.  After several passes, he barely broke any soil so we soaked in some gypsum.  After a few days he tilled again and it was a bit better.  It took another application of gypsum and one more tilling before he was finally able to turn the soil and mix in some organic compost.  That was the hardest soil I have ever seen.  I expect to have to keep tabs on the area until it's repaired.  That may take a few years.   

My honeybees are going to be housed there under two coastal redwoods.  My raised garden beds are located on the terrace just above, and this is the middle of my place.  In the soil where the greenhouse used to sit, I am planning to plant alfalfa to help rehab the soil and maybe some bee friendly plants too.  I had been hoping to put the "Three Sisters" corn, squash, and beans up there, but I'll put them somewhere else this time.  

I have transplanted 300 onion bulbs into the raised beds this week and I companion planted them amongst garlic, carrots and radish for now.  They will eventually sit with the garlic amongst tomato plants.   

I also set in several rows of quick growers like mescluns, lettuce, spinach, pak choy, endive, escarole, and arugula.  In preparation for the snow that's on its way, I put on the plastic covers for the hoop houses to three beds.  

I harvested lots of yummy crisp broccoli this week for stir fry.  

I'll be finishing off some cabbages soon too and then get that bed ready for summer tomatoes.

                                                      I checked my newly transplanted berry canes and saw lots of good signs.  New canes and buds allover the plants.  Yippee!!!  I had a big scare a few weeks ago when we went from 70 degree days to a one day 6" snow drop and a week of freezing temps.  They had only been in the beds a week when it happened.   The boysenberries all sucked in some, but they're alive, thankfully.


Look at these lovely blossoms.  I am going to lose them soon, when the snow comes.  I am so glad that the apples, pears, almonds, pecans, and crabapple are still dormant... 


Peach blossoms 

and Apricot blossoms... 

 Here is my new bird feeder.  My hubby got it for 25 cents at a yard sale recently.  


I washed it up, filled it and they are coming all day long... 


So many birds, lots of new little guys, so pretty and unique.  Red ones, black ones, striped ones, blue ones, and brown and yellow ones...  I love looking at them, but I am sorry I cannot seem to catch a picture.  They fly off as soon as they see my hands move...


In the kitchen last night, I altered Michelle's wonderful white bread recipe HERE by exchanging whole wheat for the white flour and I mixed mine in the bread machine.  
It was perfect and 100% whole wheat. Thanks Michelle!  

I used another batch to make the cinnamon rolls to the left.  I just rolled the dough out gently onto a floured surface after the first rise, and basted it with butter and cinnamon sugar, rolled them up and cut them.  I let em' rise until they doubled in size and I baked them up for 35 minutes at 350.  They are almost gone already...


My Victory Garden seedlings are growing nicely.  I hope this experiment works.  I have a few hundred seedlings in less than 4 days, yikes!  This method is faster, for sure, but my individual pots haven't arrived in the mail yet so I hope they stall a bit for now. Lol.


 


My new greenhouse shelves arrived today and I hope to get them put together before the snow starts falling...





 Having night time heat inside the greenhouse has been exciting.  I check the little digital gauge almost hourly because I just can't believe how nice it is now.  


It's been so warm this week that I have been venting the windows during the day to keep it below 80... I better quit typing before I write your ear off...


What have YOU farmgirls and boys been up to this week???