Another Season

Hello Dear Readers,  yes, another season upon us here in the valley. Leaves are falling, but they are not very colorful yet. We have not had rain in a month. I am so thankful for the springs we have with unlimited supply of water, as I have been watering our back orchard for many weeks now.

We are getting somewhat ahead from our being behind with the two month hospital stay back in the spring and then helping a relative for 5 weeks just recently. I think our calendar is clear for the moment. I, grandson and adult child have been working the gardens, with weeding, laying down wood chips as in the very successful Back to Eden gardening method. When we are very low on the wood chips, we use some good hay that has zero seeds in it. This also works well.  We are hoping for a productive gardening season next year.

Even though it has still been warm during the day, some of the nights have been chilly enough to warrant a fire in the Pioneer Maid in the early mornings to get the chill out. I simply love my Maid, she is a wonderful delight that I miss when it comes time for her to take leave in the spring.

I dried some white willow bark and leaves for winter. I am trying to drink it instead of taking several ibuprophens  a day for a painful knee.

With so much catching up, I have gone to once a day milking of my Elsie. She is doing great and still giving me 2 gals. a day. I read an article on the subject a few years ago. This is the second time I have gone to doing this when things get too hectic. Some say it is not good on a cow, that they must be milked twice a day,  but I have not seen any negative results. In fact, as it has been so very hot this summer, I did notice Elsie's breathing had become very labored when time for milking am and pm. She did not seem to want to eat as she normally does either and her milk production had gone way down.  As I began thinking of the heat, how it is 'work' for her to make milk and her production,  I decided to go with the OADM (once a day milking).  A cow can become overheated and stressed by the heat that it can kill them. I did not want to have that. As long as she is doing as well as she is, I may continue with my present schedule of her through winter.

As I have stated before, on a homestead, there are ways to make your farm work for you, your schedule, etc. Every farm/homestead is different. Think out ideas, read, try out the ideas, if they don't work, go for something else and sometimes, you have to just say, 'it won't work for us.'  I am finding this out with getting hogs. I want to get a few, but seem to can't figure out a place for them. So for now, I have left it. One simply can not do it all, have it all, on the farm. Therefore, I state again, do what you can, as you can. A little here and a little there, is always better than doing nothing at all.

I am gathering rose hips, applemint for drying. Rose hips are very high in vitamin c. Applemint is a very delicious tea, cold or hot.

Praying each are continuing to strive for a better way, peace and contentment where you are.

In Joy