Happy Harvest Blog
The insects are back
First bumblebee window rescue of the year. There will be many more. The mosquitoes are back, but they aren't at plague proportions yet. The blackflies are back, with their horrible parasitic bite, like they are drilling into your skin with their head, which is what it feels like. The ticks are back but are either just beginning, or my guineas are shielding me from the full horror show. The bittern is gallunking; the peepers are singing. It is almost time for the screen doors, the window screens, and the secondary line of defense- the mosquito bed tent
serene afternoons
The chickens are getting used to living both in and out of the greenhouse. That's good. You're supposed to implement change slowly with chickens, let them get used to one thing at a time. I was transitioning the GH today, hanging the screen doors (this year with orange snow fence to better help pollinators find the doors, cleaning out all the winter chicken crap- all the ugly snow fence and sticks, and the greenhouse looks bright and spacious again. Just hay, the composting coop cleanouts in the feed sacks (not sure what garden they'll go to), and the tomato safe.
Roos of the woods
Eviction is in progress. We lifted the coops out of the greenhouse, and I'm "encouraging" the birds to all transition to living outside now. You'd think they'd be all gung-ho to spend all their hours out of doors and get their vitamin D. But no, they are resistant to being encouraged. They all find their way back into the hothouse by the afternoon. The GH is at its worst these days. It's (past) time for it to assume its primary function, sheltering growing food, so high time to move all the chicken-related detritus out.
Unexpected visitors
I was shifting recycling at the house door when there was suddenly a great flapping of wings. And then 20' away on our path, there was a young duck couple! So cute! She's so very well disguised. They were obviously young, obviously, a couple, and so confused, wonking away. wonk. wonk? wonk! Why did they land right here? I know the paths are just big long puddles these day. They pattered back and forth, following each other around, and then, woosh! They burst back into the air.
Bunch'a house sitters
The chickens like to stand around all afternoon on top of their houses. All of the houses are fair game. And a bale sitter. I love this hen. The little silver adventurer. She's the best. She needs a name. Cream Puff. They are just, just about to get evicted from the greenhouse. And those old dusty poopy houses will get a good rinsing in the next rain. And then the birds can't sit around all afternoon indoors. They'll have to play outside. Right now they wander around outside for a few hours, and then like they're slacking off work,
Lush
There's that green. The world is overwatered right now and the grass is growing with all its might. Expect to see it in the eggs soon - the chickens are free-range again (fair weather only). HW comes home and says " Where'd all these starts come from!?" "You grew these?" Yep, they're the same ones as were there yesterday, and the day before... "They're so big!" Yes, they are. And so green. Ready to go outside. I was shuttling tomatoes and set a box down for one second to empty the wheelbarrow....oh...oh!
Well, I'm back
Back on track. I survived my alarming and exhausting 5 days of wretchedness. It started out a big rain day. Only Cleopatra is out there wading for worms. The barred rocks say Nah, too wet for us. The first broody hen of the year has her own box, finally. She's been determinedly trying to warm eggs in the prime nest box of the big coop for a week, but I haven't been able to manage to get her own box. That means that the big hens have been laying eggs right on top of her some of the time.
Sprouts emerging
I'm going to make it. I'm better today. There's so much to be done! The first broody hen of the year needs some privacy and coddling; calls, emails, cleaning; starts need to go out, get potted up, and divided, galore... things have been growing even while I've been down, and there's been much emerging. The peanuts are popping up. Most amazingly, these cells of pie pumpkins are TWO DAYS OLD! 3" tall! Astonishing, nay, aggressive seedling vigour. Yesterday I saw them break ground like these just did. Outside, it's pouring rain and grey.
Grub Generator
On the inside of the tub, there's a vacuum cleaner hose with a bunch of holes cut in it (that part is a bit tough), held onto the side of tub with zipties. It's arranged at a slight angle in a spiral around the tub, for the grubs to climb along on their bid for freedom. Because they do that. Yep.It's a grub escalator. They will climb to the top like pilgrims, and then drop out, into the catchment bottle. Surprise, no guru!
Seedling disaster
If this happens to anybody else, that you think your tomato seedlings might have frozen in the night, although they look ok in the early morning, supposedly if you splash them with water or dunk them before they are thawed by the warming day, they may survive!
Instagram.
I may not make a blog post every day, but at least I Insta.
Bite size.
