Today I heard those buzzy insects for the first time this summer – cicadas, are they? Is that supposed to mean something, like the first frost will be 6 weeks from today? That would be September 9th, so we’ll see.
Despite the persistent weeds the garden is producing marvelously, albeit later than most other people’s. Colorado potato beetles have struck one patch of potatoes. I see ladybugs on the potatoes now, so hopefully they are eating eggs and preventing the hatch of the second generation. I ordered some bt to spray, hopefully it will arrive soon. Froze 25 quart bags of green beans last night. It’s such a good feeling to be stockpiling this stuff in the freezer for winter. Tomatoes are starting to set, as are green peppers. Cucumbers are about 1/2 inch long – so cute! I have a long “To Do” list for the garden right now – stake 300 tomato plants, pull the radishes to give the carrots room (probably a bit late already), pull the bolted lettuce and spinach and pak choi, pull the peas and make a second planting, order lettuce mix and spinach seeds for a fall planting, keep picking green beans, be ready to do pickles, and of course, WEED!. This weekend I have to get ready for chicks again – they arrive next week Thursday. Need to sanitize the waters and feeders and set up the brooder. My goals this time are to keep better records, and have a smaller death loss.
I laugh at the cows – they know when it’s time for Matt to give the feeder calves their corn. They might be clear across the pasture, but they look up here to the building site and start bellowing. They’re jealous! I hope we have 7 pregnant cows soon. It doesn’t seem to me that the bull looks very “busy”. But maybe he does all his business at night.
