Click here to learn more about my “55 Things” and here to view previous posts in this series.
Since my last post showed a look outside my kitchen window, I thought I would show you what is inside that window – on the window sill.
Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. I Corinthians 16:13
It’s likely these encouraging words need no explanation. Recently I have been thinking that I should have this verse tattooed on the back of my hand – universal instructions, so to speak. ( I won’t because tattoos are not my thing.) Maybe I just need to wash more dishes. 🙂
For longtime readers the flashlight is likely understood as well, but if you are new here or are wondering why in the world I would leave a flashlight on my windowsill or you have never read my flashlight sermon post, please click here. I do think it is worth your time to read.
Click here to learn more about my “55 Things” and here to view previous posts in this series.
It was this post in 2016 when I first wrote about being visited by a cardinal. Since then we have a pair of cardinals who regularly visit our court yard. I see them often during fall, winter and spring but then they tend to disappear in the summer. This guy, who visited today, looks young so perhaps he is their offspring. I am looking forward to seeing more of him.
It’s hard to believe that a whole year has passed since I last wrote about having the garlic planted. This is something that I blog about each year, mainly so I have a record of when we planted, how much we planted and how the weather was.
If you are curious about how we plant garlic you can check out this post from 2016.
Relying on the 7 day weather forecast it’s always a gamble, but I must say that our plan came together quite nicely this year. It was Wednesday, a week prior to planting, that I looked at the forecast and noted that we had a nice weekend coming up and temperatures were suppose to remain good through the following Wednesday, October, 14. Monday night was supposed to bring rain followed by dry days Tuesday and Wednesday.
It would have been prudent to plan our garlic planting for the weekend, as my husband suggested, but I really wanted to have the kids over for a picnic since I didn’t know when we would have the chance to do that again. We decided to roll the dice and wait to plant until Wednesday. Monday and Tuesday were prep days. On Monday My husband tilled up the ground where we were going to plant and I began splitting the seed bulbs into cloves. We had rain, as predicted, on Monday night, but Tuesday was warm and mostly sunny giving the ground a chance to dry up some. I finished splitting up the bulbs on Tuesday.
It was shortly after 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday when we made our way to the farm to begin planting our 2021 garlic crop and it was right around 5:30 when I said “WOO HOO! the garlic is planted,” followed by a short prayer “Lord please bless our efforts.”
In that 3 1/2 hours we planted nearly 1100 garlic cloves. The soil was moist and loose making for ease of planting, but having to continually chase chickens out of the area, so they didn’t dig up the planted garlic, slowed us down some. We also lost some time when I had to take the boys home after Ranger decided to run though a patch that we already had planted. After all the garlic was in the ground we enclosed the patch with a temporary plastic fence that will deter chickens and dogs and deer that may be wandering in the area.
Today I am even more grateful that we planted the garlic on Wednesday since we had rain again on Wednesday night and on and off on Thursday. Friday and Saturday were dry but the rain started again last night, continues on and off today, and is in the forecast for each day in the 7 day forecast.
It may seem odd but I have begun to think of garlic planting as the beginning of our growing season – almost like the New Year – something to be celebrated. Perhaps next year we’ll have champagne and fireworks. LOL.
For anyone who may be considering growing garlic next year, in northern parts of the world now is the time for planting. Garlic takes about nine months to grow and we try to plant about 6 weeks before the ground freezes. This gives the garlic time for it to establish roots. Ideally the garlic will not sprout green leaves before the freeze comes, but in past years when we have had this happen the garlic did not seem to be damaged by the leaves freezing.
Click here to learn more about my “55 Things” and here to view previous posts in this series.
Look who’s riding shotgun.
According to Wikipedia the term “riding shotgun was used to describe the guard who rode alongside a stagecoach driver, ready to use his shotgun to ward off bandits or hostile Native Americans. In modern use, it refers to the practice of sitting alongside the driver in a moving vehicle.”
In the old west having a Ranger ride shotgun was probably a good thing. I’m not so sure it is today. 🙂
Summer has transitioned into fall and the scenery seems to be changing a little each day. These are some of the scenes we have observed over the past few weeks.
I think autumn is my favorite time to decorate. We did a bit of this at the farm. The cut sunflowers didn’t last long though. The weather was still warm and they began wilting the next day.
The pumpkins and corn stalks will last throughout the season – assuming that a hungry or curious deer doesn’t decide to take a bite.
The outdoors really doesn’t need much help with decorating though. Nature does a fine job. Maple trees seem to show their fall color early.
From pale yellow to bright red, they make an gorgeous display.
The red leaves on this oak tree had me baffled. It wasn’t until I got close that I realized that the red leaves were not oak, but a Virginia Creeper vine that was climbing on the tree.
Despite our early frost there are still wild flowers in bloom.
Some of our hardy annuals are still providing color as well.
Even a few hibiscus buds have continued to open.
The leaves are beginning to coat the ground
and drift on the water.
Under an oak tree is no longer the best place to picnic – unless you don a hard hat to protect yourself from the falling acorns. Upon seeing and hearing the nuts fall I mentioned to my husband that I suspected there was a squirrel in the tree throwing the nuts down at us. He laughed and assured me that these nuts were just falling naturally as nuts do this time of year.
Interestingly there are no hickory nuts this year. Last year we had many hickory nuts and fewer acorns.
The frost turned the forsythia leaves a dark purple color.
Yet the lilac leaves remain green.
The deer are still comfortable grazing in the field.
They tend to disappear mid November once firearm season begins.
Thanks for visiting.
Do you enjoy decorating for the different seasons or holidays?
Don't Eat It! Soap and Skin Care 