Hopeful Spring

We had a really hard summer here in South Texas last year and I know we were not alone. As we headed into winter we started getting a little rain. The winter went on and the rains continued little by little. Every little bit has helped, but it still hasn’t been enough. The winter in [...]

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Sunday Photos: Winter

Now the winter seemed long. Laura and Mary began to be tired of staying always in the house. Laura Ingals Wilder (Little House in the Big Woods) *** Chiot’s Run is in NE Ohio so we have LONG winters. I’m not quite to the point where I’m ready to get out, but I’ll be there [...]

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Dead-out

We’ve had a fairly cold winter so, unlike most years, I have not been able to simply look outside and see if the bees are flying to know they are ok. I prepared the bees this fall by treating them with various things to make sure they were healthy, I made sure they had plenty [...]

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Sunday Photos…fire and ice!

This week we are looking at the things of this winter season…the ice that is on our troughs and fence posts…and the fire that is in our woodstoves, firepits…and in the sky! Happy New Year…New Decade! This is shot from the shores of a lake that our cabin is on…I call it Fire Water! Ice [...]

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Not Making Hay

On our 10 acres we have just over half in use.  Most of it is pasture for the animals, the orchard, garden, and house occupy the rest.  The remaining land is wild and we have it hayed each year.  We then buy back the some of the hay at a much discounted price.  It works out very well [...]

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A Different Winter Plan

Each year I wait out winter with a very long lists of things I must and things I want to get done around the garden.  There are trellises and fences to be built.  Things to be painted and stained.  Reordering and rearranging to be done…. I sit watching the rain and wait…and wait some more. [...]

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Simple Season Extender I’ve got Bell Peppers!

I have always wanted to extend my growing season.  I have not wanted to invest the money in a greenhouse.  Well if there was money I suppose I would!  Anyway I have found and easy, cheap, simple way to extend my zone 8 Pacific Northwest season! My tomatoes have long shriveled and turned black from [...]

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