Other Happenings

About a week and a half ago, my chickens FINALLY started to give me eggs again. So far, I am only getting 1 or 2 a day, but at least I won't have to buy them anymore! They started laying just after one died. I have no idea why she died, and I was sorely disappointed. She didn't give any signs of being ill or anything. I took a day off, and when I came back, she was laying there, stiff as a board.

So much for taking a day off!!

We had our first hard frost last week. Then it warmed up again. I am hoping it will stay warm enough for my peas to develop... they are soooo close! If I had been able to plant when I wanted, they would have been ready just on time. Hopefully my water situation will improve next year.

I am starting to plant a Leylandi Cypress hedge on the west fenceline. In about 3 years, this will become deer control. Over the next 2 or 3 years, I will be planting a good portion of the fenceline, one step at a time. If the deer can't see in, they won't come in, and a hedge is much, much cheaper than a new fence. I planted 21 last week, and 36 today. I have 18 more to go for this year, unless I have a fit, and get more to plant... if it stays nice for a bit longer, I may do just that! The hardest part is clearing all the wild roses and brambles off the fenceline before I can even dig my holes. It's hard work, and my hot tub just died, so my recovery time may be a bit slower these days!

I have also been working on putting manure in all the garden beds, in preperation for spring. Already, I can't wait for spring... I have such big, big plans! I have decided to become a CSA farm. This stands for Community Supported Agriculture. People buy memberships into your farm, then get a nice big bag of fresh naturally grown produce each week of the growing season in return. It's nice, because the farmer gets paid in advance, so the possibilities of expanding the farm faster increase. I am only going to do 3-5 memberships the first year, just as a trial, and so I don't take on too much. This will give me an idea of how much to grow, and of which crops.