Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day, friends...
and a happy kick-off weekend to start the summer.

Even without picnics, parades, festivals and the normal Memorial Day
activities, we managed to have a fun and adventure-filled weekend.

That is definitely one of the lucky things about life on the farm.
There is never a lack of adventure.


Our weather cooperated with temperatures up to 80 and
down to the mid-fifties.

I had a little planting to finish up.
Last week's freeze, even with Hubbs trying his hardest to save the garden,
caused a few of my tomatoes to fry.
Luckily I had more in the greenhouse,
(See?  There are some advantages to planting 100+ tomatoes!)
so I replaced the toasted plants with fresh ones.
Now, we just water, weed, and wait!
Our peppers are looking a little burned as well (from freezing)
but, I have noticed new leaves at the base of the plants,
so I believe they will rally.


One thing I have learned over the years is to expect
the unexpected, and not let it get you down.
And... always have a plan B!

It's funny.  We seem to have a unique micro-climate here on the farm.
None of our neighbors' vegetables froze on Wednesday night.
For some reason, here in our little area of the countryside,
the temperature plummeted to 32 degrees and stayed there for
much of the night.

With the cold behind us now, we march onward!


As for the weekend adventures...

We had a duck escape on Sunday.
Yes, the runners are still being confined.
Liberation day for all of the birds is this coming Saturday.
Hubbs feels pretty sure that by then the foxes will have moved on
to other hunting areas.


This poor little gal somehow made it through the fence and was
stuck on the outside looking in.
She tried going through the fence to get back in, to no avail.


I called in our official duck wrangler.
(She's done this several times already this week.)


Hubbs, gently grabbed her as she tried her best to escape his clutch...


and he placed her back with her family.
Whew!  What a scary ordeal... for a duck.
You'd think she'd learn!


I spent a little time on Sunday grooming horses.
I concentrated on Ollie who tends to have diarrhea...
thereby pooping down the back of his own legs and tail.


After a long winter of not being able to bathe him,
he finally got a back-end scrubbing.
I also trimmed his mane and tail,
and worked on shedding out some of his winter coat.

Finally clean and shiny,
he repaid me by rolling on the dirty stall floor.


Knucklehead!


We've been eating daily from the garden.
Asparagus and kale are the mainstay of our vegetable diet right now...
with lots of fresh lettuces and radishes for salad.
We are still having Sunday Farm Breakfast, but,
it's been just Hubbs and I since the very beginning of March...
oh, how I miss those big family breakfasts.

Regardless I try to make a special Sunday breakfast each week.
Yesterday I took some rhubarb from the garden and chopped it...


mixed it with some of last summer's frozen blueberries
and a little sugar...


and made blueberry rhubarb jam...


to go on fresh homemade popovers.


The combination of rhubarb and blueberries is delicious.
I use a very small amount of sugar,
and this combination gels very easily.
So simple... so yummy.

Comments

colleen said…
Happy Memorial day to you too. I will be so happy to see the Runners out around tending to their business... when I see them I always try to imagine what they are saying to each other :). I've never had rhubarb and blueberries together but I'm surly going to try it. xoxox
Anonymous said…
The day looks wonderful!
jaz@octoberfarm said…
such typical horse behavior! i made my yearly memorial day party food and am delivering it to the porches of everyone that would have attended the party. we can all pretend to be together.
This N That said…
So glad that you had plenty of Tomatoes and that you didn't lose anything else..Our foxes are still around and will probably stay..This is their home..Glad "Jack of all trades" rescued the duck..Can't be easy to catch them.WHat is it with animals when they are all cleaned up that makes them roll in the first available spot?? Mollie does that when I get her from the groomer..SHe doesn't even make it to the car..Your popovers look delish..
Lynne said…
Quite a transition from cleaning up a poopy behind
to homemade blueberry, rhubarb jam.
Brought a smile from me for sure!
Love the back roll Ollie had to show his appreciation!

Nothing like fresh veggies.from the garden.
No garden here but many markets and fresh veggie roadside stands.
Fresh asparagus grilled is our treat tonight.
The JR said…
Ollie, I cracked up at you on the ground. Oh now I'd like to give you a belly rub.
Ooh those popovers look grand with your delish jam! I need to make some!
Unknown said…
I luv your Motto: "To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow"
Hugz
>^..^< gracie