Animals
How amazing is it that one day you have 20 or so pepper plants loaded with all different varieties and the next day they are gone? Chalk that one up to a killing frost. The past couple of nights have brought Bee Haven Acres temperatures in the very low thirties....low enough to wipe out Summer's remaining produce and flowers. And so my day was spent removing old plants and weeding the vegetable garden in preparation for Winter slumber. What I experienced today was in stark contrast to just a few short weeks ago when the garden was teeming with plant and insect life. Today the garden was almost silent. Just a few bees remained - searching for just a drop of remaining nectar. But alas....no nectar was to be found. The frost had seen to that. While sifting through the weeds, I found several grasshopper carcasses. Their life cycle complete, the frost had gotten to them also. It felt almost eerie...the absence of life. However, I found that just scratching beneath the surface of the earth revealed tons of earthworms...protected from the frost by a blanket of rich soil.
I was not lonely in my labor, however. As always, my two closest friends remained close by my side...first basking in the warmth of the sunlight and then retreating from it in the shade of the asparagas. The wonderful thing about dogs is this...no matter what I suggest for the activity of the day, it is always their favorite thing to do. They are a constant source of enthusiasm and companionship.
- Control Freak
If you've read my blog for a while,you might have figured out that I like a certain amount of control in my world.And if there is one thing that farm life has taught me...it's that there isn't much in life over which we actually have any control...
- Autumn Harvest
Sadly, the summer gardening season is coming to a close...quickly!We are having nights in the 40's now.Frost is just around the corner. Our hay is cut and drying. If only the weather would cooperate.(It is to rain for the next few days.)Hopefully...
- Looking Ahead
Yesterday we woke up to the first hard frost (yes, we've had snow, but not a frost like this). All of the critters' water buckets were frozen. I guess it is time to plug in all the heated buckets. The leaves have finally turned, so the countryside...
- Minerva, Master-weeder
Amazingly, since Minerva has taken up residence in the garden, it is virtually weed free (we won't mention that I spent the entire past week on my hands and knees). Regardless, the garden is the best it has ever looked at this point of the season....
- Frost On The .......
...Strawberries. Unbelievably, our ever-bearing strawberry plants are still producing. I am sure that this will soon come to an end as we have had 4 frost for the last 4 mornings. Old Man Winter is tapping us on the shoulder. Very soon, we will tuck...
Animals
Goodbye Garden
How amazing is it that one day you have 20 or so pepper plants loaded with all different varieties and the next day they are gone? Chalk that one up to a killing frost. The past couple of nights have brought Bee Haven Acres temperatures in the very low thirties....low enough to wipe out Summer's remaining produce and flowers. And so my day was spent removing old plants and weeding the vegetable garden in preparation for Winter slumber. What I experienced today was in stark contrast to just a few short weeks ago when the garden was teeming with plant and insect life. Today the garden was almost silent. Just a few bees remained - searching for just a drop of remaining nectar. But alas....no nectar was to be found. The frost had seen to that. While sifting through the weeds, I found several grasshopper carcasses. Their life cycle complete, the frost had gotten to them also. It felt almost eerie...the absence of life. However, I found that just scratching beneath the surface of the earth revealed tons of earthworms...protected from the frost by a blanket of rich soil.
I was not lonely in my labor, however. As always, my two closest friends remained close by my side...first basking in the warmth of the sunlight and then retreating from it in the shade of the asparagas. The wonderful thing about dogs is this...no matter what I suggest for the activity of the day, it is always their favorite thing to do. They are a constant source of enthusiasm and companionship.
- Control Freak
If you've read my blog for a while,you might have figured out that I like a certain amount of control in my world.And if there is one thing that farm life has taught me...it's that there isn't much in life over which we actually have any control...
- Autumn Harvest
Sadly, the summer gardening season is coming to a close...quickly!We are having nights in the 40's now.Frost is just around the corner. Our hay is cut and drying. If only the weather would cooperate.(It is to rain for the next few days.)Hopefully...
- Looking Ahead
Yesterday we woke up to the first hard frost (yes, we've had snow, but not a frost like this). All of the critters' water buckets were frozen. I guess it is time to plug in all the heated buckets. The leaves have finally turned, so the countryside...
- Minerva, Master-weeder
Amazingly, since Minerva has taken up residence in the garden, it is virtually weed free (we won't mention that I spent the entire past week on my hands and knees). Regardless, the garden is the best it has ever looked at this point of the season....
- Frost On The .......
...Strawberries. Unbelievably, our ever-bearing strawberry plants are still producing. I am sure that this will soon come to an end as we have had 4 frost for the last 4 mornings. Old Man Winter is tapping us on the shoulder. Very soon, we will tuck...