Sunday, May 09, 2010

Homesteading

Well, first these little guys came in.

Then we finally worked out a day to do the plowing. Above is where we began and below is the handiwork about 2/3 finished. Of course it is also the handiwork of years adding to that soil and working it and growing in it.



And then this was a supper -- pan blackened chicken. Not our own chicken but delicious nonetheless. Must do it outside to do it right.

Soon the rectangle garden will be harrowed and then planted. Perhaps this will be the year we'll actually harrow it in the fall and plant a cover crop and all? I never actually feel badly about it as the weeds make the cover crop but it might be nice to deal with fewer weeds?

All this took place in the past week and here it is Mother's Day before I get it posted and I just have to say that I am so glad to be in this place, with these people, to grow these roots and these wings.

9 comments:

Heather Jefferies said...

That's wonderful. Happy Mother's Day. xxoo

Mr. H. said...

What a fine life, what an amazing way to grow food. The only cover crop I have ever used is weeds...mostly chickweed and clover.:)

Anonymous said...

I thought of you today as my grandson and I were eating locust blossom fritters! :-)

Wendy said...

Nice!

We spent the weekend cleaning up the yard and burning scrap wood so that we could clear a place to put up the new fencing for the poultry yard. While we had the fire going, we figured it would be a good opportunity to use our iron tea kettle to heat up some water for tea, and so my husband built a tripod and we suspended the teapot over the fire.

I'm sure the tea wasn't as good as your chicken - but it was a good day, nonetheless ;), and it was nice to be outside and working on our little "homestead" :).

Like you said, "I'm glad to be in this place ...."

Dylan Taunt said...

Where could a fellow find one of those unusual stoves/grills, seen in the bottom picture?

CG said...

Wal-Mart? It is just a cast iron hibachi type grill. I think it is a Hodge. We've had it for years and managed to break the grill part last year but wired it back together. I want a whole outside kitchen so I can cook with wood all summer -- that's an idea that has been theoretical for a long time but has taken on more substance, more concreteness,lately.

Dylan Taunt said...

I can't believe Wal-Mart is selling a grill that won't rust/burn through in a couple of years , especially when burning real wood and not little charcoal briquetts. The grate looks like something Lodge sells. Wasn't sure about the base.

CG said...

well, I can't say for sure but I think that is where we got it. In the camping section which is strange because you couldn't carry that thing if you tried. We've used the dickens out of it and it never comes inside. Oh, yeah, and that is Lodge not Hodge! LOL! (if you people only knew how exactly like me that mistake is, how many dozens of them I make in a day!)

Dylan Taunt said...

Thanks for the info!!