CYBERSPACE Can't live with it, can't live w/o it? Tuesday July 23 2013

We went to the mall in Albany and into the Apple Store to attempt to solve the dead and dying laptop situation.  

To make a long journey shorter, we took a chance at Best Buy, and bought a Chrome Computer for less than it cost for one apple software program.

We are happy to have a working computer again!  

P.S. Of course, the last macbook was pronounced deceased...Long live the chrome experiment!

FUN! GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE!

It's MONDAY!  

I figured I'd check out Facebook, and one of my Sandgate friends posted:

just for fun, what day of the week were YOU born on?

Monday's child is fair of face,

Tuesday's child is full of grace,

Wednesday's child is full of woe,

Thursday's child has far to go.

Friday's child is loving and giving,

Saturday's child works hard for a living,

But the child born on the Sabbath Day,

Is fair and wise and good in every way.

here's a site to find out:

Day of the Week you were Born

www.mathsisfun.com

Ever wonder what day you were born on? Well, you can find out with this neat little script. Simply type your date of birth in the box below, and it will tell ya'...honest!

I guess you don't even need an almanac now that the internet is ubiquitous!

Catch you later with some farm news...

Thursday's Child has far to go

It's Thursday morning, the sixth of June 2013.

Remembering why thursday's child has so far to go?  (American Chants and Jingles)

Monday's child is fair of face,
Tuesday's child is full of grace,
Wednesday's child is full of woe,
Thursday's child has far to go,
Friday's child is loving and giving,
Saturday's child has to work for a living,
But the child that is born on the Sabbath Day,
Is wise and fair and good and gay.

Here's how to find out which day you are.  Using any popular almanac's perpetual calendar, you can look up the year in which you were born and then find the actual day!
Quick Farm news:
The weatherman is promising 3 inches of rainfall for tomorrow and we just don't need any more!
Working on the premise that the weatherman could be right, we moved the hen house as well as dug a trench to route troublesome waters away from the planted field.

and there's still more to post!

Wednesday June 5th 2013 - milkingthebean is MORPHING INTO A FARM BLOG

The more time I spend watching our family farm grow, the more I seem to post about it.

So much has happened since I started this milking the bean blog in search of the HEALTHY!

I've learned a great deal about the soy bean, it's uses and mis-uses, as well as a whole lot more about food production.  I have also begun to experience what it means to do the physical labor involved in food production--not so easy--I'd almost rather milk my old Jersey, Secret Soldier Daisy, twice a day in the Cow Palace than hoe, fertilize, plant, watch, pick bugs, weed, weed, weed, weed, wait, pick, wash, process, and finally package--all done in the sunny heat of the day--almost, because all my dread comes from a drilled-in sense of cleanliness drummed into some lil girls in the old days.

From what I gather, it's less wise (globally-speaking) to raise cattle than to grow plants.  There are more and more of us humans, fewer of whom choose to grow their own food.

(It's already the next day--6/6--better say less-post more!)

Wednesday May 29th Seems it's raining all the time...

It's got to be a love/hate relationship--farmers and the weather.
They're always watching it, waiting for it, hoping against it, cleaning up from it, planting in spite of it.

This blog is turning into a descriptive of some acreage growing into farmhood circa 20 teens.

5/*24-27/2013 MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND *early this year!

It's been a warm May.
Memorial Day can't come too soon.  Let's get to planting those veggies!

I've sworn to be of help, but, as I've confessed before, I do hate dirt.
I know it's soil, but I still hate dirt.
{so why am I doing it?  a debt of conscience.}

I eat, therefore I should toil in the d..soil.

Today  (5/23) we planted Kale & Swiss Chard.  Along side all that has already been planted.
To list:
 4/09         Favas, Dwarf Peas
 4/16         Red Potatoes-JR's own
 4/28         Beets
 5/02         Red Potatoes
 5/07         Yukon Gold Potatoes
 5/18         Eggplant, Peppers (Tented)
 5/22         Joi Choi, Broccoli, Tomatoes, Cucumbers
 5/23         Kale, Swiss Chard


We've also been working on putting up the greenhouse.
I always say that I will post some pictures.  (sure hope I do...)

Sunday evening April 28, 2013 Progress

It's been a busy beautiful day.  We seeded cell trays of lettuces, broccoli, cabbages, onions, chard, kale, as well as a couple of trays of onions, started, perhaps too early 3/22?  In the small garden, utilizing a seeder, we planted some beets.  The previously planted peas are beginning to show themselves.  Work on the greenhouse continues.  I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

Time to unwind and enjoy the evening.

Saturday April 20, 2013 Greenhouse progress

It was cold and windy but we got all the metal framing done.  Here's what it looked like when we finished this afternoon.

Tuesday April 16, 2013 Just beat the rain!

Everyone woke up energized. 

Today it was just warm enough.  We finished leveling off the greenhouse, then planted 2 rows of organic red fife wheat.  We were picking debris/rocks--just cleaning up, working up an appetite...I just picked up the last 2 eggs my from my hens and the skies opened up.

Suddenly it's April

Ahhhh April  

It's Tuesday 4/9/2013.  The hens are laying.

Lately, it has been a bit cold compared to last spring.  So, the endless wood chores, tree prunning, picking up brush, etc., has kept us busy til now.  Glad that has been chilly, perhaps the fruit trees will do better this season. 

Monday 4/8  We planted  Windsor Fava beans
                                          Dwarf Grey Sugar Peas (edible pod)
                      The garlic in the field was fertilized with Peanut meal.

.....and once again we are edified by the gracious help of friends and family!

Tuesday March 19, 2013 "UKKO"

Yet another hyped snow storm...but this time, there has been some snow!  Storms have names.  Meet Ukko--purported to bring 7 to 10 inches in two volleys.  We got about 3 or 4 inches.  This time, we plowed the driveway.  On the good side, it was a lovely snow.  It started with thin flakes coming down straight and eventually became strong big flakes...and wet--reminding me of the good snows of the 80s.

We have been doing wood chores, some tree pruning and a little sap collecting-until now!
So we hung out inside and began a mushroom spore experiment. 

February 8, 2013 Friday Fulfillment?

This snow storm has been hyped. 
Every school is closed from here to Timbuktu.  The chickens are not noticing how full their feeders are being kept.  The UPS guy called early this AM to make sure we would be home for their delivery.  I reassured him that we would NOT be leaving the homestead today and wished him safe roads all day long.
It's almost 9:30 AM
Not more than a flake or two yet...
Hope he gets here with the delivery!

February 7, 2013 Thursday in the Single digits

It was in the single digits last night.  I put the warm red lamp on in the hen's house so as to keep them a little warmer.  They don't seem to mind the cold as much as I do in the morning. 

There are predictions of a big snow storm coming.  Maybe even 3 foot of snow!
Can't wait to snowshoe!

Not too hot, not too cold

A few snow flakes have fallen.  The sun has come out intermittently.  Except for the lack of snow cover, it seems like a regular wednesday afternoon.  The hens are happy and laying well.

I guess we're planning for the myriad of farm projects bursting to start.

FEBRUARY 2013 Looking Forward

    

And a Happy 2013 to all the Sandgate Folks.  The weather has been tempermental so far, giving us a warmer than wished for January.  

The ground hog says that spring will be early this year.

So, what's going on in your corner of town?