Camp out and other updates

Hello all :) we are finally done with the numbing heat. All week we had beautiful temperatures in the mid 20th. We even got some rain and nature just seems to take a deep breath. 

The kids and I started our week with a fun camping night in the backyard. We are in a fire ban right now so it wasn't quite perfect since we couldn't have a bon fire but we had fun anyway, with a movie and popcorn. I just recently bought a 6 person tent at a flea market and the kids have been wanting to camp out since we got it, of course. We all snuggled up and slept peacefully through the night. I love sleeping outside. I love the fresh air, all the noises u can hear at night..especially living on a farm where everything comes back to life after a hot day ... we heard horses munshing, cows moooing, donkey braying ... the roosters started to crow at 5am ... but being farm kids, everyone slept through all the noise until 8am. It was a real fun night. 

The next day we went blueberry picking. We've been enjoying blueberry pancakes for breakfast for a while now. I am not one to pick and freeze. We pick and eat whatever we want to eat and when we have enough we stop picking. Sharing with others and especially the bears that are waiting, just like us, all year for this yummy treat. 

The garden. Well, it is growing but not really. It is such a weird year. The spring was so cold and then it got soooo hot all of a sudden. Everything is dried out and for whatever reason nothing is growing as it should be. This was my lunch from the garden the other day. The cucumbers are still very small and I just picked this one because I was craving it and didn't want to wait any longer. The Kohlrabi was delicious. I only picked one so far. Do you like them ? I love them, raw or cooked, just yummy. 

My first zuccini. There are a whole bunch still growing and I only picked this one because the skinny top was starting to get squishy. I was hoping for some ripe tomatoes to eat with the zuccini but they are far from turning red. I have lots tho. 

The beans are growing but there is just not as many as there usually is. It was the first time that I planted beans and peas in buckets and maybe it has something to do with that, I don't know. 

My kale is growing fine and so is the lettuce. The beets are getting bigger but the carrots are tiny still. 

oh well, every garden brings something new to learn and experience. 

This year I am just grateful for the farmers market. 

Sky took on a big project the other day. Him and his hand saw. I wanted to prune this maple tree and he said he would do it for me ... this little person with his little saw. And look what he did in a couple of hours ....

ta daaaa ... he was so proud and I was so please with the result :)

Baby goats are growing like weeds. Exploring the barnyard with their mommas. 

I have all the babies sold . I am glad they will be going all together to a lady in Thunder Bay who has a wonderful place for them and more goat friends to play with. I am really really sad to see them go at the end of August but happy this worked out like this. 

I have a little buck lined up to rebred the ladies in the fall. He is a tiny little guy and I am not sure if this will work out but if it does the babies will be a whole lot smaller which I wouldn't mind at all. I would like to breed the size down a bit and maybe keep a couple girls of the next batch ... if there is any ... hopefully ;)

pretty girls are getting so big

Our two lady cows seem to have been successful with dating the neighbours bull. Neither one of the two has come into heat which is a good sign that they are both pregnant. 

Our little Calf Belle is not so little anymore. Her, her momma and her auntie Clarabelle love to hang out in the indoor riding arena during the day, laying in the hay, away from the bugs and out of the sun. 

Horses and burrs, will be my fight for the rest of my life it seems. This time it is the minis who all kinda look like Milly here in the picture. This will take lots and lots of baby oil, patience, itchy fingers and lots of treats to get all this nasty prickly burrs out of their hair ... grrrrr

The turkeys are awesome. They are so easy and smart. They know their daily routine so well and never give us any trouble. So ... I just found out when I made an appointment at the butcher for the meat chickens that they don't process turkeys or geese ... actually noone here processes Turkeys or Geese ...

Can anyone guess what that means ??? This will either be our first time butchering ourselves or the Turkeys and Geese will live a long happy life with us, which was not the plan. 

So far we are determent to do it ourselves. We will see whats gonna happen when the time comes ;)

Having a breakfast snack before going to to graze all day 

The geese go out again as well and have not ended up in the manure puddle again. However it is a little hard to leave them in the barn yard . They follow all of us around like puppies ....

Just this morning I found them right outside the door. They went under the gate and came down the driveway ... lol I thought it was funny finding them all sitting on our deck ...

Good thing is they also follow us back to the barn. I guess in a few days they will also know their routine and hopefully stay where they are suppose to be. I think they are just the cutest. 

We have big plans for the rest of the week. Friday our foster son will be moving out. Of course that needs some organisation and celebration. Shopping day on Wednesday, my least favourite day. 

One day of this week we have to make a little road trip , couple hours north from us. I bought a used kitchen buffet that I want to restore and finish for our dining room. I am very excited about the find ... I've been looking for a long time for just the right one. 

On the weekend we will have a friend here with an excavator. There is so many little projects that require professional muscle power .... things need to be torn down , levelled out, cleared out, fence posts need to be set, sand for the riding arena needs to be dug up etc etc ... I am very excited for this and I am sure I will have some pictures by next week !!!

until then, take it easy !!!