Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween folks!  I expect people to send in pictures of their kids and dogs in costumes so I can post them on the blog.  Also, in order to help combat childhood obesity, I urge all of you to eat your kid's candy loot,  or for those smart enough to not have kids, swipe the neighborhood kid's candy bags. Have a fun and safe weekend.

By the way, I picked about 3 pounds of green beans yesterday.  Along with a squash, a massive cucumber, and a few radishes.  Grow baby, grow.

The Food Chain

This is the scene I found yesterday in my driveway when I pulled up to my house after work.  Don't worry, it's not one of my chickens.

   

Try Andy's Tri, 2010

I went to Houston this past weekend to watch my big sisters participate in the 18th annual Try Andy's Tri sprint triathlon, which has become somewhat of our new family tradition.  The race is a 300 meter swim, 10 mile bike and 3.1 mile run.  This is a fun race because it appeals to all levels of athletes, from elites rolling on $3,000 wheels to first-timers on old school banana seat Schwinn's. The ages of athletes range from 6 year-olds to octogenarians. This was Ashli's 3rd time competing and Kelly's 2nd.  They both improved on their previous year's time, but more importantly...they didn't die.  Mazel tov ladies!  I'll be sure to slap your tushes next year as I blow by you on the course.

transition #1 or transition #2?

Body Marking

        

 

   

 

  

It's like magic

All of a sudden, vegetables are starting to pop up everywhere.  Rachel compared it to magic...you put a little seed in the dirt and then poof, food starts appearing. The bit of rain we received this week didn't hurt, either.  While I only picked 1 pickle-sized cucumber yesterday, the potential for cucumbers is evident below by the number of flowers growing.  I'm really looking forward to experimenting with different pickling recipes.  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

The cucumbers will be bountiful

 

Kentucky pole beans in all of their glory

Onions

Georgia collard greens/swiss cheese.  This was before the Sluggo battle commenced.

Sluggo 1   Caterpillars 0

The cauliflower has seen better days.  Damn you caterpillars!
I'm hopeful this plant will make a strong comeback.

Salad mixes

Cilantro

 

Weekend Update

An update from last weekend up until today...

1. A chicken died. I buried it.  It's the cycle of life.

2. What did you do last Saturday morning? Well, I was knee deep in a dumpster filled with horse shit and stable shavings, which now makes up the bedding material in the chicken coop.  After a while, it will find its way into the compost bin and then finally into the garden beds.  Win-win situation for everyone.  The horse stables let me have as much stable shavings as I want for free, the new bedding gives the chicken a form of entertainment as they spend countless hours scratching through looking for bugs and such, the shavings keep the coop tidier and smelling fresher (well, except for the faint hint of horse urine) and I get to eventually add all of this to the compost bin complete with horse and chicken manure.  End result = happy plants and full bellies.

Those are the bags I use for transporting the horse stable shavings

Why pile it like this?

Because within 2 hours the chickens have done my work for me, spreading the bedding out while looking for bugs. 

 3. I planted a few transplants that I bought from the local farmer's market.  I planted cilantro, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, and a variety of greens.

Transplanted greens including lettuces and bok choy

Cilantro

Cabbage and Cauliflower

4. I picked up some garlic and a variety of onion bulbs to plant last weekend....75 garlic cloves and 100 onion bulbs (a mix of yellow, red and white).

Onion bulbs

Half of the bed is garlic and the other half is onions.
I planted 9 garlic cloves per square and 12 onion bulbs per square.

5. Thanks to the advise of Mr. Bootwell, the cucumbers are growing happily on their new trellis.

1/2" electrical conduit

 

Happy Cucumbers

 6. The pole beans look great.  The greens do not. The caterpillars have wreaked havoc on all things green, especially the kale, collard greens, and swiss chard.  Don't fret, I have contacted the local expert on all things organic and he graciously brought home a sack of Sluggo (Product description: The only snail slug control product not based on metaldehyde. Organic, breaks down in the soil into fertilzer. Can be used around domestic animals and wildlife. Labeled for use in vegetable gardens.).    Oh snap, now it's on caterpillars even though you're not listed on the front cover of the product...oh yes, it's on. 

Fall plans

Redleg and co. have requested a list of vegetables to be planted right now, so with no further ado:

1. Cabbage
2. Broccoli
3. Swiss Chard (hope you have better luck than mine)
4. Kale
5. Collard Greens
6. Radishes
7. Garlic (takes about 9 months or so before harvesting)
8. Carrots
9. Spinach
10. Lettuce

While these are the vegetables I plan on planting this fall, which I recommend you try the same, I am also planning on being at the theater when this movie premiers.  I realize those of you born before 1975 might not remember Rod Belding--the long, lost brother of the principal of Bayside High, Mr. Belding.