Homestead Update-June 20, 2011

This morning around our little homestead Jeff and I  both woke up at about 4:15.  He to work at his home business and me to deal with allergy issues which also led to finishing up the laundry from the weekend.  It's just before 6 A.M. on Monday morning and I only have two loads left to wash!!

I just woke up the big boys and can hear Jordan gathering up the trash to load the garbage cans in the back of the truck.  He will haul them down to the road to be picked up by the garbage men later this morning.  The boys have lots of work in the garden this morning.  The garden peas are finished.  The vines are dying in our 90+ temps.  We never got enough to "put up", but have enjoyed them on some salads.  This was a first for us.  Next year or this fall we will plant three times as many in hopes that we will have some to freeze.   The bed that the peas are in is very nicely composted soil and we have some pepper plants that need some attention so the boys will be transplanting 16 pepper plants to that bed this morning in the hopes that they will grow better in the richer soil.

Jordan will also have to build a trellis for a row of winter squash that are taking off.  I first tried growing winter squash last year without success.  This year we have many small squash already hanging from the trellised vines on another row.  There is also another bed of squash that needs to be cultivated and fertilized this morning as well.

With over 75 tomato plants Jordan is staying busy getting them staked or trellised.  He will need to trellis several this morning as well.  I do hope we have a good showing of tomatoes soon.  We have many green tomatoes but have yet to have a red one.  I am looking forward to a tomato sandwich from our own garden.

One type of lettuce has bolted and I think we will leave it to reseed the same bed for the fall.  We have greatly enjoyed having fresh lettuce almost daily and have really appreciated not having to buy lettuce for the past three months!!  Kaelan will gather the rest of the lettuce that has not bolted so we can enjoy salads this week.

There are also blueberries that need to be picked from our mature bushes.  Only one of the bushes has berries that have ripened, but we have already gathered about a gallon from it with much more to come.  Our other mature bush is a different variety and while heavily laden with berries they are not ripe yet.  It seems our young blueberry bushes have developed rust.  Jeff googled to see what do to about it as one has already died.  The recommendation was to cut down all hemlock trees in the area.  We live in the deep south!!  I don't think we have HEMLOCK trees!!  We have pine, oak, hickory and cedar here on our homestead.  Any suggestions about how to take care of our endangered blueberry bushes?

We will also gather basil today and make up a big batch of pesto to freeze in half cup portions.  Does anyone know if you can CAN pesto?  If you can buy jars of it in the stores, surely you can home-can it?

I will also try canning pickles for the first time this year.  We have lots of cucumbers that are growing up a trellis.  Three plants have already given us about 10 good sized cukes and there are 16 others plants that are coming up strong with lots of flowers on them as well.

I'll head to the kitchen soon to make up a large batch of blueberry muffins for breakfast.  With all this work to be done, my crew of helpers will be hungry!

Devin will be coming home today after being away for Suzuki teacher training in Ohio for the last 12 days.  She went up to Columbus, Ohio for training so she could stay with my sister and her family.  My other sister and niece drove up last week and this weekend they were able to do some fun things together as Devin's classes were over on Friday.  Her 23rd birthday was yesterday and this is the first time that I can recall that we haven't been together on her big day.  She was actually born on Father's Day in 1988 and was probably my best Father's Day gift to Jeff ever!!  She's a great young lady and we will all be glad when she finally gets home....We've already been notified that the first leg of her journey has been delayed due to fog, so it will most likely be a long day for her.  Maybe she can get a little sleep on the plane as they wait for the all clear!

On an island tour of Lake Erie...

I also hope to spend some time this week doing school with the children and making up notebooks for the next semester of school for my three oldest students.  Lots of copying to do, hole punching and organizing!  We really need to get back into somewhat of  a routine as soon as possible.  The days are quickly passing by and we have so much to accomplish.  Now, off to the kitchen I go!

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