Spring is in the air

 My young hens have started laying again and needed nest boxes. I am not good at building so I had to improvise. I had an old box step out of a trailer sitting in the yard so I took it and nailed two nails in each end of the step. I also put a nail at the top of the chickens lean to spaced apart the same length as the step. using a chain, I hung and secured the step at the same height as our other nest box. I nailed a board across the front and put three creats inside that I filled with shredded paper and leaves. The chickens love it and I am rewarded with 3 big brown eggs a day

 I haven't been able to till the garden yet due to rain, but we couldn't wait any longer to get started. Last year my husband built our son a small raised garden bed. He planted tomatoes in it last year but they didn't do very well. This year He is going to try his had at carrots. He planted the seeds then covered with a light layer of leaves to keep the wind from drying them out.

We also transplanted our garlic to a raised bed so the rest of the garden can be tilled to get ready for spring planting.

These are images from last year's garden. After breaking my arm nothing else got done.

 Here is my chicken compost. It was nice of them to make it for me without me having to lift a single pitch fork.

 Our okra had a rough start because rabbits liked to eat the top out while they were small.

It was not a good year for tomatoes either. Most people around here didn't get any. I did but they were late in the season.

Since Valentine's day is coming up I decided to share how to make this valentine box.

Materials: 1 cracker box
                5 toilet paper rolls
                10 baby food jar lids
                2 pencils
                2 film canisters
                2 Popsicle sticks
                1 Velveeta cheese box
                paint
                miscellaneous cardboard

Cut 1/3 of Velveeta box . Cut a strip of cardboard as wide as the Velveeta box and as long as the 1/3 box laid horizontally and the 2/3 part vertically and the cracker box with the open end of the cracker box at the end and opening out to the sides like the doors of a semi. Hot glue the boxes on the cardboard strip. This makes the cab and trailer.
   Next glue the baby food lids on each side of the toilet paper rolls. These are the wheels. Paint then black then glue them under the cab and trailer. The film canister are glued under the cab. The Popsicle sticks are glued to the inside of the doors on the trailerto add stability to the doors. The pencils are glued behind the cab for smoke stacks.
   Paint the truck any color you want. I think red and white would be the best color but my son didn't want anything girly. Paint on detail such as the window, windshield, doors, handles,the front grill, and headlights.  This trucks name was Wind Breaker and it delivers for Valentine's Express.
  My son continued to play with this Truck long after Valentine's day until his big sister say on it and it was finally beyond repair.

OK so I haven't been on here in a while.  A lot has happened to us since my last post. I will not try to fill you in on everything but will let you know what we have been up to lately. After breaking my arm in October I haven't done much I am just now able to crochet again. So I found this pattern online for a ruffled scarf and decided to try it. Although slow even I am impressed. Here is the link to the pattern I used http://littlesliceoflife.wordpress.com/free-patterns/cascade-scarf/. I changed to a slightly thicker yarn for the single crochets on the last row which gave it a little more body a the difference in color adds interest. I also used a 6mm hook instead of a 10mm.

Peanut beans

 This is a little late.  I have been telling you about trying to grow sweet potatoes from my own slips.  well I grew the slips and we planted them in hills.  It has rained so hard lately that I haven't been out there to  take new pictures but they are finally taken off.  Not all of the ones we planted survived but I still have two hot beds with slips more that what I can use and I think it is getting to late in the season to plant more but I am going to plant some more and see.  sweet potatoes are better after a frost anyway and although we could see one in October we usually don't until November or December.  I have never had much luck with sweet potatoes so I will keep you posted.

A friend gave me some new kinds of beans.  One called Peanut beans and the other Anasazi beans. Neither seem to be common.  The plants are up and starting to see runners but no beans yet.  Keep your fingers crossed.  The Kentucky wonders I planted in the corn are finally starting to take off. No beans yet but the corn is almost done and I don't know how I am going to work this one.  I also need to find something to plant where the corn is coming out of.  I don't want non productive space.

I love vegetables

 My tomatoes are finally getting over the blossom end rot.  But now the rain has not let up the last couple of days.  We needed the rain everything was drying up and I was trying to keep the garden watered.  But now with the rain things like my tomatoes are getting to much and starting to crack and bust.  I'm starting to get enough to can.  I love home made canned tomatoes.

 The corn is ripe.  We have been picking some for supper.  I cooked some last night.  I haven't had the time to put up any yet but i need to get on it quick. What we froze tasted wonderful last winter.  I froze most on the cob then creamed some.  we didn't like the creamed corn. I pick up all the flavors from the freezer but the stuff on the cob was all eaten

 I have froze some peas and snaps already this year.  I need to freeze a bunch more.  This was one of my dad's favorites when he comes to visit.  Mine too.  I didn't have much of a garden last year due to just moving here but where the telephone company dug to lay the phone line i planted peas all the way down.  I was expecting and couldn't walk down the hill to check them so i kept asking my kids if they were ready.  The kids said no.  Then it was time to turn the cows in the field.  I asked my husband to please check one last time before the cows got them.  He brought me four groceries bags full.  I was so happy.

I start picking mine young.  The plants continue to put on peas and you can shell them and snap them. Most people wait until they dry in the vine but I prefer them green.

squash, squash, and more squash

 I keep track of the weight of the vegetables that we get out of the garden.  This way I can tell if we are doing better from year to year. I also like to find out the current price to see how much money i am saving by growing and putting up our own vegetables. So I went by the stores and no one has fresh okra.  So I got online and the only fresh okra I could find was $25.00 a pound.  That can't be right. So why does no one sell fresh okra.  I have plenty that I could sell but what would you charge for it.  Not $25.00 a pound.

 I have a freezer full of squash but am still getting alot of squash.  I think I am going to try some different recipes and make some chutneys and squash pickles.  I have to do something with it.  I don't want anything to go to waste this year.

Brussel sprouts are being eat up by worms.  I can't spray the plants with anything because it just rolls off the leaves. I really need to figure this one out.  The kids love brussel sprouts.