The White House

The White House

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Progress Despite Football Season

Somehow this little girl is turning into my best friend…just as Nick was, but now he’s grown, has a job and can’t hang out with me all the time. Actually, the similarities between her an Nick are amazing….we’re going to have so much fun!!

Today we harvested carrots. A lot of carrots.

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I made cucumber bread. Yup, just like zucchini or carrot, but with cucumbers. Apparently they love it because I only have a couple slices of the big loaf left.

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Just the beginning. Olivia and I had no idea what we were getting into.

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Right after we got the closest bed emptied and rototilled I took this photo. Watch to see what changes there were today.

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When Em got home she helped us finished. It’s actually a lot of work to dig the carrots, wash, weigh, clean the bed, rototill, add compost, till again….to get ready for winter. All in all we harvested  51 pounds 2.05 ounces of carrots. Whew! And to think a couple of summers ago I couldn’t even grow a carrot!

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This is the seed packet I spilled. The Rainbow carrots taste the same as everything else, but are so much fun. Olivia really like the one that was red on the outside, but orange inside.

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What was done? My husband got another row of boards on the second bed and the ends done on the right. And he watched a lot of football. It’s okay, though. He works a lot and deserves it. I’m just panicking about winter. I got four beds completely ready for winter and Spring planting (harvesting, weeding, rototilling, adding compost, rototilling and tidying). I also loaded and packed two trailer’s full of rock to the waterfall area. I am only a few rocks short of completing that section!!

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Millie was going nuts again. The Mama was back and this time we could see her two babies.

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She is very nervous which is unlike the moose who have previously hung in the yard. She looks fairly young and she sure is jumpy.

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Amazing how animals so big can just disappear in a few branches.

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I had a hard time getting a shot with all three together. The smallest one (darkest one, too) kind of wandered from the other two.

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Still hanging on. Only a few more days and it has to be cleaned out. Supposed to be a low of 35* tonight. Not sure if that was here in the hills. It drives me crazy to pull up perfect flowers, but it goes from okay to frozen over night. Last year I waited too long and couldn’t pull the plants up. Really made for a lot of work in the Spring that delayed my planting. Ug! And it needs mowed, too.

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Thought I’d try two shots…one with the moose blurred and one with the flowers blurred. Honestly, all I notice is the nasty dirt bank that isn’t finished. I should learn to drive the back hoe.

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I fell tonight on the hill on the wet grass, land flat on my back on Homer’s tools and hurt myself. I'm worried that by morning I won’t be able to walk/work. I hope that I am wrong. I have so much to do.

Apparently Emily took some photos on her way in the house with my camera.

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See the stink bug?

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She played Wii with her brother and sister while I unloaded the last trailer of rocks.

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Hello Trixie.

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Today in between all my other stuff I made 14 quarts of Dill Pickles. Still have quite a few cucumbers to process.

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Today Emily also shoveled out the chicken coop and added new straw to it and the nest boxes. Her help was greatly appreciated. I know I couldn’t do it on my own. Homer also hung their food bin today. Now we have to put in the ventilation fans, lights, new furnace and roosts….so much work!!!

Tomorrow is another day….hope that I am able to move!

6 comments:

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Good morning Gayle ~ I'd be pooped and barely able to move after all that you did, before falling and landing on my back on tools. Sheesh! I hope you are fine today and are able to get a lot done.

You have such fine helpers and they look like they are enjoying themselves. What a load of carrots.

I'd say for getting a late start, your gardens gave you lots of produce and flowers.

Have a GREAT day ~ FlowerLady

Lori Skoog said...

You are some trooper!

Holly said...

you have moose in your garden?! that is beyond amazing! (..or is it? I live in a city in England so have no idea...are they a nuisance to have so near? do they eat the veg and trample flowers?)
You did so much work today (and every day) - hope falling didn't hurt too much and Olivia keeps the gardening bug for next season, now shes seen just what it can produce.

Queen-Size funny bone said...

Wow that's a lot of carrots

Kim@Snug Harbor said...

I got excited to see buck in the forest the other day, but you get Moose! Awesome! Tell Emily she is turning into quite the photographer - love her close ups of the flowers. When you're all done canning for the season I'd like to see a photo of ALL the canned stuff. Very impressive.

Janie said...

so cute to see Mama moose and the kids.
YOu have such sweet little garden workers.