Spring Babies!

Time to overwhelm you with cuteness!

Memorial Day may have just passed but with all the rain (No one is complaining here after last year's drought!) the agricultural calendar is about two weeks behind. The strawberries are still in the flowering state, the cherries are still green but we do have rhubarb.

What could be better this time of year than the new babies? 

We lost quite a few of our girls this year to a pesty fox who did all he could to break my storm door that serves as the coop door. We lost three including my beloved Morninglory. She was too headstrong and decided to get out of the coop one Tuesday morning and all I found were the feathers. Poor baby.

But, time to pull up the bootstraps and replenish the coop. This year I bought two of the Easter Eggers, two Copper Morans and two Andalusians. Aren't they cute?

Forgive the redness... heat lamps.

We also added a new furry family member. Meet Tori cat, 2lbs of furry energy. Babygirl climbs on everything and annoys her older brothers excessively. 

She's very much loved. 

FIESTAWARE

In general, I try not to have too many things in my house that are not usable. I have very little free time to dust and polish any more than I have to (I'd rather be making something!) so the fewer knick-knacks around the better. 

There are usable collections however....







Every April, there is a wonderful tent sale in Sutton, West Virginia and this year we hit it right during our vacation time. While I've been there twice, I've never once made it into the store because the tent sale was so wonderful!

Pitchers!

Bowls.. and in so many colors!

Genuine Fiestaware!

Cereal/soup bowls!

Fiestaware is not cheap by any means but you pay for quality. This is an American made product and it's very hefty and long lasting. 

 

However, during this tent sale, the factory sells it's 2nd run. Sometimes this means a little dibit in the bowl or a place where the glaze did not cover even. Many times you can not see where the supposed "error" is. Tons and tons of boxes of plates, mugs, casserole dishes, pitchers, salad plates, gravy boats, serving boats in one huge tent! There were what I guess to be a few mom and pop restaurants outfitting their businesses with boxes of them!

The costs for these is as much as 75%-80% off. I don't think most of the bowls, etc. were over $4 with most of them about $2.75 or so. Young couples, young people outfitting their new home could come away with almost an entire set for next to nothing. As they are seconds, the colors will vary and be limited to what is on hand but as you can see below, they have a lovely amount to choose from. 

Now I'm not telling you this to brag. I'm telling you this to share the wealth because when I was down there last, I was told that there will be another tent sale in August. So if you are in the area and in need of dishes, check out this tent sale. You'll be glad you did!*


*No I do not work for Everything Fiesta or anything associated with Fiestaware. I just love to pass along a good deal!

Winter Sowing

Until February of this year, this lifelong farmgirl had never heard of "winter sowing". After reading about it in Cappers Farmer magazine, I decided, what the heck?

Winter sowing is based on the idea that in nature, plants will germinate and begin growing at the proper time, not before, not after. So, if you plant your seeds in a protected environment and set them out into nature, they'll go through the normal thaw/freeze cycle that they normally would if the plant just dropped the seed and begin growing when the environmental factors are right.

Essentially, lazy gardening.

Be like the lazy cat....

Oh boy am I in!















Figuring I had nothing to loose but a few seeds, I gathered all my old milk jugs and some seed starter soil.

Step 1: Clean out your old milk jug, juice jug, whatever. 

Step 2: Puncture some drainage holes in the bottom and top of your chosen container. Slice from handle to handle a cut about 3/4 ways from bottom. 

Step 3: Fill with soil starter and sprinkle your seeds on top. Cover with a thin layer of soil and water.

Step 4: Tape your milk jug back into a solid piece with some straping tape. (You will remove it after the plants start to grow
a bit). Take the top off and put them outside into the elements. I put mine in my herb garden, don't treat them in any way special. It's time for mother nature to take over.

Cucumbers

Cilantro

Broccoli!

Now, for a couple of months I saw nothing and thought, "Gee, lost money on that one." But lo and behold, all of a sudden I saw growth! And on things I never can get grow, like broccoli and lavendar!

Lavendar, I think...forgot to label it..

So I'll give it another month and we'll transplant these into the garden. I'm excited this worked! For anywhere from $.99 to $3:49 I'll have hopefully more plants than I would if I bought them at the garden center! Next year, give this a try...



































Of course though, I did hedge by bets. I grew quite a few tomatoes as well.