Asparagus!

Asparagus season has ended for us here already.  It was great while it lasted but now the plants are tall ferny things that lean over from their own weight and give something nice to look at in that corner of the garden.  We added about 6 new asparagus plants this year and at least 2 of them have sprouted.

The first strawberries have begun to blush and we may even get some soon if the new young chipmunk I was doesn't get to them first.

The potatoes we planted have all come up and look very healthy.  We put some more in the lower garden yesterday.

This year we have found a bit of return plants coming up on their own.  We have kale, tomato, sunchokes of course, ground cherry, squash, sunflowers, and of course all the standards, mustard, red mustard, lamb's quarter, dandelion, and more I am sure we will discover later.

The hens are all doing well.  A few of them are fond of the Sunchokes so we cut them up and feed them to them.  I never knew that chickens really like apples.

I don't think the fig tree really made it thru the winter the way we wrapped it.  There are a few small green buds on it in one place and we are thinking of letting it get thru the summer to get it's self a bit stronger and then transplant it into a pot and take it inside for the winter.  It may do better that way and we could put another cherry tree in it's spot.

We added a grape vine and two blueberry bushes to the family.  They seem to be doing ok so far.  The other 2 grape vines have little tiny grapes on them.  Very exciting.

This summer I hope to build a new and improved woodshed for our fire wood, one that actually looks nice as well as being functional.  Right now I am working on a woodshed in the work yard for all the milled wood that I have.

Lots of little garter snakes out right now.  They are kind of funny, some skittish others more social.  The dog likes to entertain herself by chasing them.

I've been using the SolarShower for bathing in the bath house in the afternoons, after the water has been heated by the sun and after I have worked all day getting dirty.  It is a very refreshing and comfortable thing to have the whole of the bath house to bath in and no furnace running to heat the water.

It's the best time of year right now.  This is the time that if you were given the chance to go somewhere, this is where you'd pick to go.  No need to head to the beach or anywhere else really.  We love it here at this time.

eating our yard

After a morning of painting, and chicken coop improvements we put together and then ate a great lunch that was mostly from our own yard.

Tomato sanwhich
fried potatoes
corn on the cob
sauteed kale, red pepper,onion and Chanterelle mushrooms

 The Kale is from the front yard
The Chanterelle mushrooms from the woods behind the house
We have potato & tomato plants growing in many different places.
Onions grow next to the kitchen
Peppers grow down in front.  So does the corn & cucumbers

Kale and Chanterelles.

For desert there is fresh fruit from the farm, peaches, cantaloupe, watermelon, canary melon, nectarines, & plums.
Because of the limited sun we get here our peaches and apples are still a ways from being ready to eat.  Most of our vegetables take as much as 4 weeks longer to ripen than the local farms.
After finding out that I am a vegetarian (who tends toward being vegan) people have asked me, "What do you eat?"  Really?  There is so much to be eaten and enjoyed.  For dinner it was burritos with beans and rice and squash and peppers in a tomato and onion sauce topped with fresh scallions and cilantro.  Really?  what do I eat?  I eat lots, and enjoy it all.