It has been a while since I shared anything. Suffice it to say, this year was a bust with very uncooperative, cool and damp weather well past the time for planting. We've put it behind us and are planning for next spring already, with a nice tunnel house for tomatoes their family members on the must acquire list.
I spent yesterday afternoon taking trimmings off the fir, cedar, and spruce trees and holly around our place to start making wreaths and swags for Christmas. The Blue Spruce is especially tough and prickly this year, my scratched and poked hands are proof of that, but the holly is lovely this year with lots of berries.
I used to make wreaths a lot - by the dozens - for a church fund raiser for several years. I haven't made any in awhile, not even for myself, so it will take a small search to find all my supplies - wreath frames, pine cones, outdoor ribbon, and such. I know they are here, by like all things that we don't use on a regular basis have gotten pushed to the back of some shelf, drawer, or shed.
The cold is not very kind to this activity, but I'll have to persevere. I'm planning to make a few for far off family, and if I get back into the rythm of assembling them, hope to have some for sale by the 5th of December. They're really lovely, if I do say so myself. Lush, full, and fragrant. If the weather holds - cold but dry - I can hang out in the yard to do this.
Was delighted yesterday to be able to actually be outside and be comfortable without boots or a heavy coat. The brief period of sunshine was wonderful. Raked some of the overly abundant leaves out of the flower beds - and was chewed out by my four year old for doing so. She informed me that raking leaves is her job, then thanked me for starting it for her while she was using the bathroom.
I wish the leaves would compost faster. It is always aggravating to have a huge pile of leaves still decomposing when spring arrives. We are due for a new mower this spring though, so hope to get one that is especially good at mulching. That would help a lot.
It is always so quiet around here in the winter. Not too much to do but dream of spring planting and make sure the animals have plenty of food and water and stay warm and dry when it gets really nasty. My horse is approaching what is considered 'senior' in age and the llama is of unknown age, but she has been on the farm about 20 years, so it is important that they both get the care and shelter they need.
Funny chickens - hardly an egg all summer, and now we are averaging two a day. Still not great for what we put in to them, but we do have one egg eater. She would end up in the oven if we were a little more hard hearted, but we'll be finishing up a nice poultry run in the spring and get her separated from the rest. Her little problem doesn't seem to have spread to the others, thankfully. Our goose is tending to two eggs, but this seems like an effort in futility for her. The third time they have had a clutch of eggs and most likely they'll give up on these before too much longer as well. They'll be getting their own space this spring too and hopefully a nicer area to nest will make them more comfortable in tending their eggs.
Lots and lots planned for spring and sooner - I'm looking forward to a busy and productive year next year. Hope everyone has a joyous and peaceful Christmas.
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