too HOT!!!!

June 30, 2012

Last day of June and it's already very hot and dry.  The first hurricane entered the gulf, and while we didn't wish for any severe weather, we prayed we would get a little moisture from the only chance of rain in the forcast.  While some areas around here were lucky enough to catch an afternoon shower last week, here on the hill it's been pretty dry.  My grass is now crunchy and brown, trees are turning brown and dropping leaves, and the garden is now done, with the exception of a few peppers and parsley.

Take a look at all these leaves.........Looks like fall around here.....

I have been trying to water some areas of my yard to keep a little green oasis nice and green. I also have been making sure the animals are kept with cool water, and their mineral buckets are full, which they need in these extreme temperatures.

I guess this little girl was trying to escape the outdoor heat as well.  She found a spot in the shop and decided to build her nest in a tool bag hanging on the wall.

Maybe these will be popping out soon................................

Have a good weekend, and stay cool................................


             Live Simple...................................Sheryl

new arrivals

June 28, 2012

I wanted to share with you the new arrivals to the farm.  Sunday we went to pick up two 3 month old ewes.

These are the first purebred registered St. Croix ewes we have on the farm.  We have been on a waiting list to get one for some time. 

Well now we have two...........They are settling into their new home.

Jolie is the one standing in the rear to the right (pic above), she is our Katahdin/St. Croix cross born in February, if you haven't been following along.  We put her in this pen with the new girls to wean her from her momma. 

It didn't take long before they were eating from our hands. 

I love raising these lil lambs........They are very docile and a perfect fit for a small farm. 

Follow along with us and watch these young ladies grow and raise babies of their own.

Thanks for stopping by...................

Linking up to Lil Suburban Homestead for Saturday Homesteading, please join me.

Live simple........................Sheryl

struggling to get a harvest

June 23, 2012

Hi, hope you all are having a good summertime weekend.  We have been busy with summer activities and farm chores.  I thought i would share with you today some of what we have been harvesting out of my struggling garden.  I have battled potato beetles, worms on my tomatoes, and plants that just drooped over and died.  Not sure what that was all about, being that it happeded to just a few plants in different beds.

I did loose a few tomato plants, but still have a few that survived and while waiting for this beauties to turn red, i had to deal with this......................

And I think these were to blame..............................................

My lovely ladies..........

Not you too "Lou Lou"...............

I didn't want to think it was them, until i saw them jump up and peck at my tomatoes.  I didn't have this issue last year with them, they would just walk around the garden eating the bugs and not messing with any of my plants.  Guess this year they couldn't resist, or they needed this in their diet.  Hmmmmmm funny how things change in the garden from year to year.

The garden is always trial and error and always a learning experience.  When you have a really good year and an abundance of one thing, and death and destruction of another, you can expect that it will almost be the opposite the next year.  I always try to rotate my crops by planting something different in it's spot the next year round.

This year there was an abundance of green beans, I planted a variety called "rattlesnake", it's a heirloom variety, which means i can save the seeds to replant in the future. 

Love the purple coloring through these.

I was able to get a little patch of corn grown and harvested.

We did get strong wind and rain storms at the begining of the month, but it didn't knock it down too bad.

It makes me feel good to be able to bag some of the harvest for future meals.

Hmmmm corn soup in the heart of winter made with homegrown corn.


I grew some peas, a variety call "Mississippi Silverskin".  They grew really well without any bug problems.

My only problem is.........................I didn' tplant enough of them.

One benifit of gardening here in the south.....is our long growing season.  So what i didn't get accomplished in the first planting, i will try again with my second planting.  I did plant twice last year, and was very successful with cucumbers, peas, squash and i tryed a heat resistant tomato.  By planting again you sometimes miss the life cycle of insects, and they are less of a problem...sometimes.

We feel blessed to be able to grow some of our own food

Hope you're gardens are plentiful this season....

Live Simple.........................Sheryl