State of the Homestead

If it's spring, it's rock and roll time on the homestead. That's normal for this time of year. The season stops for no man and no drama. Despite all the heartache we've endured, the work has to go on.

Goats: We finally finished the goat pen from hell. It's big and roomy and hopefully secure enough to keep the coyotes out and the goats in. We started "window shopping" for goats last week, but so far we haven't found the right ones.

We're looking for Boer goats (bred mostly for meat), but they don't have to be registered, which is what everyone wants to sell you for more $$$. All I want are good, healthy foundation stock.

Gardens: If you follow me on Facebook, you caught a short video of Greg trying to pull out a stump in the middle of Garden II. The second garden is mostly for our root vegetables, corn, and sunflowers. I call it the critter garden because I'm hoping it will supplement the chickens and goats so I don't have to buy as much commercial feed.

The main garden has the more traditional veggies: several varieties of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, peas, beans, and eggplants. I'm also experimenting in shadier parts of the property with big planters where I'll grow berries, lettuces, bok choy, and asparagus.

Harvest time around here is going to be insane. I ought to consider taking applications for harvest-interns to help me put up food this summer. LOL.

So far everything is growing well--but the grasshoppers have returned. Since I don't use chemicals, I am killing them by hand left and right. They decimated my potted plants last year. I'm determined not to let them get the upper leg on me this year.

Chicks: If all goes well, we should welcome a new flock of chicks the first week of May. I'm not hatching many. Mostly, I'm trying to breed for more green egg layers--and fried chicken. :o)

The homestead is coming along. Every year we get a little more done.

Looking out my window

Surprises: I had a NASTY surprise Saturday night. This is one of the windows surrounding my office. And that, my friends is a snake! Around the corner is the doggie door, so I shut it in case he managed to push his way in.

I was chatting with Greg on the phone when I looked out the window and saw this fiend looking in. He's a good snake (in that he hunts for rodents) but I don't want them anywhere near me. They give me the creeps.

All my life, I've had the uncanny luck of always running into snakes. It doesn't matter where I live. They find me. I must speak parseltongue in my sleep.

View from the outside

Non-homestead stuff: Working on edits for Mistress of the Stone. My editor says this is the cleanest manuscript she's ever worked on. Color me proud! Her suggestions were simple ones and I should have this finished in a couple of days. 

The Frugal Books: I know I promised them in April, but the homestead has to come first. The books are done, but since I need to do some auxiliary marketing for them, I can't put them out just yet. I don't want to slap-dash them out without a proper send-off. It's important to me that I do it right the first time.

Soon, though. Soon.

And how was your weekend? Anybody want a snake? (I'll bet they eat voles, Marianne Arkins.)