The Farm Life!

Since moving up here from the cities and enjoying the country/farm life...Well, I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

The Latest Happenings....

The Garden

Back in May we had tilled, raked, and put up the Greenhouse. Moved small rocks to put around the inside as a border. Then we planted.....Cilantro, Green Beans, Radishes, Onions, Carrots, Peas, Tomatoes, Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Peppers. Then Barry tilled an area on the other side of the fenced in garden and there we planted Squash and Watermelon. Then behind the barn he tilled up another area where we have planted Sweet Corn and Cucumbers. We watched as everything started to grow. Weren't sure how the soil was going to be for planting. So far the only thing we have down and tilled in is compost manure from the piles that we have. Did a test to see if we had to do anything more. We didn't, but will everything grow? It did! To date: I have just picked the Green onions and the Cherry Belle Radishes. Now I have 2 other types of radishes to plant which I will do shortly.

Baby Birds

Barry and I bought a couple Bluebird boxes because we noticed Bluebirds flying around. I looked online for information for the proper placement of the boxes. We hung them out towards the road on the fence posts that are there. Really the only good location. While Barry worked I watched and checked the boxes pretty much weekly. Thought maybe is wasn't a good location after all. One day I finally looked and a nest was in the process of being built in one box and an attempt in the other. Talk about excited....Bluebirds?! Well, I probably looked in the boxes, at least once a week or longer. I finally noticed small eggs in one box. But they were not Bluebird eggs, because I noticed what kind of birds were flying in and out of the box and they were not Blue. I looked in that trusty bird book and found that the birds nesting were Tree Swallows. Okay...I was a little disappointed but after awhile I got over it and thought of baby birds anyway. Then I noticed that there was a full nest in the other box. Tree Swallows again? Not this time! I started watching little blue eggs appear. Five total. Finally a Bluebird is using the box! An update....Today I went out there and we have Baby Tree Swallows and Baby Bluebirds. I am a little worried though because I noticed that there were all kinds of feathers all over the ground and it looks like something snatched a female Bluebird. If she was the one who laid the eggs, I just hope the father steps up to the plate and feeds them. This box I will keep an eye on. What took the female? Probably a hawk.

The other nest we have is a Robins nest. Dumb bird built the nest where the door opens to the pasture and barn. This is where we bring the horses in and out, to and from the stalls. There are now 3 Baby Robins. The news is when I was going to go out and take a picture of the nest full of the young ones, one of the Babies flew/jumped out. Oops! So Barry and I found it and we were going to put it back. Decided to let it sit on a branch in tree and close to the nest. Should have seen how mad the parents were!! They were dive bombing Barry as he was trying to help the baby bird out. We do have other nests....the Sparrows have all kinds of nest in the barn/garage. Have see some Barn Swallows but haven't see their nesting sights yet.

Flies

Oh how we hate the flies! Not so much us but the Horses. This year we decided to try those Fly Predators. So far it has helped but there are only certain flies these predators eat. So we still have to find a way to control some of the other biting insects. We bought some NASTY smelling liquid stuff (it smells like rotten fish), put in some of that and water in pop bottles with holes at the top and hung them in areas such as the run-in shed. You certainly do not want to touch that smelly stuff. It takes a while to get it off the skin. YUK! We may try to create our own attractant by going fishing and put the fish remains and heads in some water. I knew someone who did that. Seems to attract the flies faster than the way we do it.

Hopefully I will get around to posting some pictures of the Garden and Baby Birds.