I have to admit: the pace that I’ve been maintaining for the last three weeks is catching up with me. I spend the mornings reading, and then at about 10am I head outside to work on my various projects until about 5pm, at which point I take a shower and hopefully have just enough energy left to put together dinner. I’m incredibly sore and tired, but I’m so happy with the progress I’m making.
Food Production
The garden is coming along; the tomato plants have quadrupled in size, the cucumbers are putting out their first flowers, and beans are stretching towards the trellis. The weeds are growing just the same, but a quick daily pass with the stirrup hoe has kept things reasonable.
My major pest so far has been cucumber beetles, which are also plaguing my adopted mom’s garden just 300 feet away. This isn’t usually such a problem for us; it’s interesting how different pests can fluctuate from year to year. I’m squishing as many as I can, and I started applying a diluted Dr. Bronner’s soap mixture as a deterrent.
I have continued to spread wood chips, although it’s slow going – I focused on finishing a few other tasks this week that limited my wood chip time.
Resource Acquisition & Preparedness
Last year, I froze all of my tomatoes with the intention of making sauce over the winter. I finally made sauce. It is July.
I threw everything in the slow cooker, peels and all. After a couple of hours, I ran everything through a fine mesh strainer to remove the peels and seeds, and then returned it to the slow cooker. I used to have a food mill, but the fine mesh strainer paired with a little pressure from a ladle just works better. It cooked down for about ten hours while I worked on other chores, and the next day I finished it on the stove.
I had attempted this before and made enough to can, but was never enthused about the product. I understand now where I previously went wrong; I didn’t let it cook down enough, so it was too watery and thin. Oddly, I feel that my experience with maple sugaring helped me make better tomato sauce! This time, the thickness is just right. Before eating, I will simmer with basil, oregano, and garlic to enhance the flavor.
Aesthetic Utility
I didn’t realize it until I sat down to write, but it was a big week for this category!
The week started with two rainy days, which I spent organizing and cleaning in the basement and barn. While my homesteader’s pantry in the basement will be a larger project for a different day, both spaces are much more functional now.
In rummaging through the barn, I found some old lengths of copper pipe and a pipe cutter, which I used to make hose guides for the garden. Between the retractable hose and the hose guides, watering the garden has been as easy as I ever could have hoped.
I finished mulching the landscaping beds. (For my future reference, I ordered 7 cubic yards of mulch in the ‘forest blend’ option, and while I was able to use it all, I could probably get away with 5-6 cubic yards instead.) I am so relieved that the mulch pile is gone and I am very happy with the results.
I also finished putting in the posts for the chicken run. Setting nine posts with a 36 inch depth in rocky New England soil was not for the weak. Some posts took 30 minutes, others took two hours. I can’t be proud of myself yet… I need to finish the run STAT. It’s time for those chicks to get out of my extra bedroom!
When I moved across the country in 2021, I brought my parents’ brass table lamps but discarded the dated, faded shades. I figured I’d buy new shades, but I couldn’t find ones I liked. That means I’ve been living with bare bulb lamps in my bedroom for five years.
I ultimately decided that an updated style was in order and have been searching for lamps for two months. Who knew normal lamps were so hard to find! Despite a willingness to spend a pretty penny, I wound up finding the perfect lamps for just $100 each from IKEA.
Moving Forward
Now that the birds are five weeks old, the most important pending task is the chicken run. I am hoping that it will come together quickly now that the posts are in, but I am entering uncharted territory.
In between that and continuing to spread wood chips, I need to start stocking firewood. I’m already behind; I didn’t mean to make it three weeks into summer before bringing in my first load.
Talk soon,
KC