Hot air pours in through the windows early in the morning. We run from room to room, shutting the windows against the heat. The weather report has indicated that the temperature may reach triple digits today, so we need to be proactive in order to protect the crops and animals.
Outside, cold water refreshes each potted plant and garden row. Hydration and sunshine make plants grow!
We have been picking tender summer squash for over a week now. The spinach has finally started to bolt, and Nelson has already planted a second crop. The eggplants and peppers are covered with fat blossoms, promising a multicolored harvest in the coming weeks.
On the south slope, the many delicious tomato varieties are heavy with shiny green fruits; the earliest ever for us! Wicked little cabbage butterflies flutter around, frequently landing on the cole crops. A light dusting of diatomaceous earth will take care of their larvae without harming the ecosystem.
We fill a five gallon pail with ice cold well water, then laugh as the dogs jump around like puppies, biting at the stream of water while the hose washes down the floor of their kennel. When the thermometer reaches 90 degrees, the dogs will be brought inside to lie on the cool kitchen floor.
Next, it’s time to refill the goats’ buckets with cold water. Oreo, Millie, Bart and Lisa lounge in the shade of the tall fir trees scattered around the front pasture, happily chewing their cud. The nine chickens who share a section of the pasture are thrilled with their fresh lettuce trimmings. They chuckle and cluck while strutting around their grass area, looking for bugs and grasses to munch. Each has a name, as well as a distinct personality.
The Red Hampshires are: Violet, Eunice, Fern and Charlotte. The three Ameraucanas are Henny, Penny, and Betty. The Brahma is named Guinevere, and the Sussex is Oprah.
Each hen has promised to provide us with some lovely eggs starting in a few weeks. In return, we provide a dignified life on a rotating pasture and clean water. Their diet is supplemented with flax seeds for omega-3 fatty acids, and ground oyster shells for calcium. We rotate their grazing area often so the hens always have a clean area and fresh grass. Their little red house has windows, a roost bar, and little nest boxes for the anticipated eggs.
Tomorrow is “picking and packing” day for our shareholders. We will need to get up very early to beat the heat so that the veggies will be firm and fresh. Life is good.