Post by JR on May 23, 2012 22:00:01 GMT -6
Well folks hope this finds all of you in a pleasant mood and having good weather and fun on the old scooter. 
Myself I'm busier than a cat covering it up! Ball games, mowing, flower beds, and of course my gardens and orchards. Thank goodness school officially ended for the summer yesterday, now I'll get help!
But it's dry in Arkieland! When I say dry I mean I have had no measurable rainfall in my part of the state now in 4 weeks! All my rain barrels are empty and I've got miles of hoses strung out everywhere and I'm not kidding there either. Not going to go all out on the work and let it die to no water!
The temps are slowly crawling up but so far only the low 90's have hit here.
But dry or no dry the harvest is coming in, had a bumper crop of strawberries and glad that's over for a year even though I'm watering them to keep them alive.
Been getting some of the early crops like this:
I've frozen over 20 big bags of broccoli and cauliflower, my kids love it, canned 14 jars of sauerkraut and still got at least 10 more cabbage to pick as they mature.
I'm also having to start digging these,
I love the yellow Yukon Gold potatoes and the Pontiac Red ones too. Have already dug 8 five gallon buckets of each and still have two more rows to dig. starting to pull onions, yellow, white and red some over 4" across! Still getting lettuce and radishes too.
Next is these;
Got two rows of Blue Lake green beans and they are loaded will start picking early next week and grand kids don't know it yet but they are the green beans snappers!
I cut back this year on my tomatoes and only planted 92 and only 22 pepper plants, various types.
Tomatoes are loaded!
And then there's my popcorn, peanuts and sweet corn all coming right along;
Got all of my hot weather stuff planted, cucumbers, watermelons, cantaloupe, zucchini, pumpkins, and MC's favorite yellow squash!
All my sweet potatoes are planted and about the only thing left is I'm going to plant a lot more sunflowers for the seeds that I use to feed birds in the winter and for the pollen it provided for my hives of honeybees! Here's some ones that are just volunteers that came up by themselves;
Also going to plant a row of speckled butter beans, almost forgot that.
Here's what I'm going to be picking and putting in the freezer tomorrow;
That's right early Red Haven peaches! Going to save enough out for some good old home made ice cream tomorrow as my grand kids have a birthday Jonathan tomorrow the 24Th and Savannah on the 28th this Monday.
Also if I can keep enough water going I've got other things and lots of them;
This is one of 12 apple trees and they are loaded!
One of four pear tress with the limbs sagging with fruit.
MY grapes are loaded too;
Blackberries loaded!
Yep going to be a bumper crop! But here's a good one for you guys? Look this tree over and see if you can tell me what it is!
I've got 5 of these trees, don't have a clue to what they are? They are covered up in thorns also!! The round berries are about 1/2" green and hard as a brick. Any ideas guys?
For sure it's a coming in!
JR
Myself I'm busier than a cat covering it up! Ball games, mowing, flower beds, and of course my gardens and orchards. Thank goodness school officially ended for the summer yesterday, now I'll get help!
But it's dry in Arkieland! When I say dry I mean I have had no measurable rainfall in my part of the state now in 4 weeks! All my rain barrels are empty and I've got miles of hoses strung out everywhere and I'm not kidding there either. Not going to go all out on the work and let it die to no water!
The temps are slowly crawling up but so far only the low 90's have hit here.
But dry or no dry the harvest is coming in, had a bumper crop of strawberries and glad that's over for a year even though I'm watering them to keep them alive.
Been getting some of the early crops like this:
I've frozen over 20 big bags of broccoli and cauliflower, my kids love it, canned 14 jars of sauerkraut and still got at least 10 more cabbage to pick as they mature.
I'm also having to start digging these,
I love the yellow Yukon Gold potatoes and the Pontiac Red ones too. Have already dug 8 five gallon buckets of each and still have two more rows to dig. starting to pull onions, yellow, white and red some over 4" across! Still getting lettuce and radishes too.
Next is these;
Got two rows of Blue Lake green beans and they are loaded will start picking early next week and grand kids don't know it yet but they are the green beans snappers!
I cut back this year on my tomatoes and only planted 92 and only 22 pepper plants, various types.
Tomatoes are loaded!
And then there's my popcorn, peanuts and sweet corn all coming right along;
Got all of my hot weather stuff planted, cucumbers, watermelons, cantaloupe, zucchini, pumpkins, and MC's favorite yellow squash!
All my sweet potatoes are planted and about the only thing left is I'm going to plant a lot more sunflowers for the seeds that I use to feed birds in the winter and for the pollen it provided for my hives of honeybees! Here's some ones that are just volunteers that came up by themselves;
Also going to plant a row of speckled butter beans, almost forgot that.
Here's what I'm going to be picking and putting in the freezer tomorrow;
That's right early Red Haven peaches! Going to save enough out for some good old home made ice cream tomorrow as my grand kids have a birthday Jonathan tomorrow the 24Th and Savannah on the 28th this Monday.
Also if I can keep enough water going I've got other things and lots of them;
This is one of 12 apple trees and they are loaded!
One of four pear tress with the limbs sagging with fruit.
MY grapes are loaded too;
Blackberries loaded!
Yep going to be a bumper crop! But here's a good one for you guys? Look this tree over and see if you can tell me what it is!
I've got 5 of these trees, don't have a clue to what they are? They are covered up in thorns also!! The round berries are about 1/2" green and hard as a brick. Any ideas guys?
For sure it's a coming in!
JR
..BAD TO THE BONE..
