Yeah for the bees - Eleagnus is in bloom!



Far view of the beehives Fall 2012

In the Spring of 2012, Chris bought three beehives (3 nucs - 1 with a queen, 2 without) and we set them up on the north side of the property facing the southern sun.  It is now fall and the one with the queen is doing great, one of the nucs is doing okay and one did not make it. 

The right one did not make it. 

Some of the struggles we have had is how much to intervene.  Chris and I want really strong bees and we want really strong bees to make more strong bees.  We have seen a lot of die off that appears to be pesticide poisoning and Chris started off giving them sugar water and then decided that even that would be too much intervention.  We have no intentions of harvesting honey from any hive unless we are sure they can make it so probably we will look spring to see if there is any to spare.  But it is nerve racking to see the summer blooms die and having no nectar for bees to forage.  Until the other day.  The air was thick with a flowery sweet scent and I walked over to the Eleagnus run that the park planted in front of our yard across the drive.  It was in full bloom and thick with honey bees. There is almost a mile of this stuff along our drive. Most people are scared of the invasiveness of the Eleagnus but from our point of view....YIPEE!



Picture of scale of Eleagnus - it runs along the drive for almost a mile

Honey bee on the Eleagnus










Jeruselum artichokes are blooming

September 10, 2012

Apollo the chicken god

Can you believe that this chick... 

Is now this rooster?





Apollo (started off as Iris before she became a he) is a gorgeous Silver Pencil Rock Cockrel.  This has to be the luckiest rooster on the planet.  So when we got our 12 chicks on Easter, we planned on harvesting all but one rooster.  We figured we would like one more than all the rest and that lucky rooster would be spared to take care of the remaining females.  Not only did Apollo win, but he was the ONLY rooster!  He now has a harem of 11 beautiful young hens (only 1 he is related to in any way) to protect and serve - and serve - and serve - and serve!  He is a chicken god.  You can't see it in the picture very well but he has enormous feet.  And he is a really nice bird.  Win for everyone indeed.



Milkweed or Dogbane?...that is the question!

So the catepillar has been identified as the tiger moth catepillar which feeds mostly on milkweed or dogbane.  Milkweed = good, Dogbane = bad.  I'm leaning towards milkweed on this one but I would have to return to the patch and break the stem to see if it is hollow (milkweed) or filled with milky white creamy stuff (dogbane) to be sure.  If it is milkweed...I read it is delightful!

Best cocoon picture ever!

Culain enjoying a beautiful Sunday afternoon!

Walnut Harvest: September 9th, 2012

Daddy with his baby girl Vivian

Today Chris wanted to try his hand at black walnut harvesting.  It's a messy job and I am glad he wanted to do it this year!  He walked around and collected the freshest walnuts that recently dropped from the trees.  He also harvested the spent ones in the hopes of discarding them to a different location to help minimize the black walnut toxicity. We definitely see a difference in the garden with the plants that are located closest to the walnut trees.  We had tomato plants growing one year that looked like it could be in that Verizon commercial showing the bars.  They were in a line with one end near the tree where the growth was very small and unproductive - leading further away to large, more productive plants.  

Here is how we harvest walnuts at the Blue House...

Taking the husk off the walnut

Step 1:  Only harvest fresh walnuts on the ground.  Completely green in color.
Step 2:  Use some sort of mallet/hammer (Chris used a brick hammer and I used a maul in past years) to break through the husk/hull and remove nut
Step 3:  Remove as much of the yellow fibrous material as possible (WEAR GLOVES and old clothes unless you like permanent stains on everything)
Step 4:  Lay walnuts out to dry in the sun for a few days.  Make sure they are completely dry before you put them up for long-term storage.
Step 5:  Let them cure for about a month before eating them.

Sunflower Harvest - September 8, 2012

Sunflowers were planted behind a row of corn that has already been harvested.

Sunflower harvest time!  I read that when the yellow petals drop, and the back of the sunflower turns pale yellow, and you can see the seed heads pretty good, then it's time to harvest for drying.  I think we are a little late (what's new?!!!) but it should be a nice start in getting some sunflower seeds for us and the birds.  This is definitely something I hope gets expanded at the blue house in the future.  Sunflowers everywhere!  We planted a lot more than actually came up but the birds kept taking them out before they got big.  But the row planted in with the corn actually made it through the scratch fest.

Drying upside down in the bunkhouse

It's difficult to keep this caption PG rated!

So today was harvest day.  Chris cut them with two feet of stem remaining and I hung them up in the bunkhouse to dry.  I'm not sure what will happen from there...seed-wise I mean.  I keep thinking I am going to walk into the bunkhouse and seeds are going to be all over the floor.  I figure I can just sweep them up.  The magic of having chickens.  They don't care where the seeds have been!

Moving the crew, a chicken update - September 8, 2012

Australorp "Jackie"

Black Copper Maran "CC"

 Today was chicken moving day.  They have been hanging out in the side yard in the perennial garden for a few weeks.  We finally doubled the electric fence so they can stay in a spot for a longer period of time.  This area was thick with bindweed and morning glories and I thought they would have a hard time getting around in the area.  They did just fine and to my great happiness have cleaned up under a lot of the plants.  The blackberry bushes are opened up as that was their favorite hang out space during the day and I don't blame them.  Perfect cover and fun sandy soil to toss up on themselves.  The bindweed was definitely trimmed away from the plum trees and sunflower/rosemary/asparagus area was cleaned up as well.  A definite win. 

Front yard garden

So where to next?  The winner is the front garden area with the hazelnut trees (actually I should say hazelnut sticks because they are so small and young), herbs like lemongrass and basil, serviceberry bushes (they don't look very good right now at all) and lots of amaranth, lambs quarters and bindweed.  I can't wait for them to work their magic in that garden!  Go chickens go!

When we moved the fence and coop I noticed that I couldn't find the old buff orpington named Honker.  So I started looking in the perennial garden for her and look what I found buried in the rosemary...

Clutch of eggs in the rosemary bushes in the side perennial garden

Those little boogers have been holding out on me!  I've been waiting and waiting for the eggs from the paddock crew.  I've been getting one or two here and there.  I kept saying...just be patient.  All along they were secretly laying in a cozy spot in the rosemary bushes.  I don't blame them.  I would like that MUCH better than the coop myself if I were a chicken.  Oh well, gotta rethink the nesting arrangement.  That is the thing I love about this whole permaculture thing...you just wing it and whatever isn't working you just tweek it until it does.  Chris and I have talked about having portable nests that we can place in strategic locations.  Might be a good idea.  For now I think I would like to focus on making the nesting boxes in the coop better.  

Shitake! September 8, 2012

Back in October we cut down a small oak tree in the back woods and dragged it down to the creek with the idea that it would be perfect mushroom territory.  We busted our humps and managed to innoculate 4 logs (don't laugh til you try it...that took a long time).  We drilled 1 inch holes in the logs and hammered in sawdust that was innoculated with shitake mushrooms.  Then we sealed them with beeswax and arranged them in a square elevated off the ground.

 Since Chris and I take the "natural/lazy" approach we let good ole mother nature do her thing.  We didn't dunk them in water or hit them on the ends with a hammer.  We didn't even visit them very much.  Funny thing about the natural way...definitely way less productive and other mushrooms joined in on the fun which I find a little scary.  But low and behold...almost a year later...we got one!  Ha ha ha ha! 

The shitake is on the right side top log, closest to the camera

Yes, a lone shitake finally reared it's head out of one the holes in the log.  Of course there are mushrooms popping up all over the place right now and the only way I even trust it is the fact it was coming directly out of one of our drilled holes.  So in one week we got an oyster mushroom at the house and a shitake from the woods.  Funny thing is that I think these very items are growing wild in our woods but I am way too chicken to go there. 

Tonight, we have to feed 9 people and that little mushroom will be placed lovingly on top of one of the homemade pizzas. 

May Pop! August 2012

Pole Green Park offers a lot of diversity in "wild edibles".  On one of our outings with the dogs, Chris and I noticed a strange vine growing only the edge of one of the fields.  Later we identified it as May Pop, otherwise known as the passion flower.  Of course we decided to keep watching, anxiously awaiting the fruit that comes with this vine, and on one of walks in mid August we actually saw blooms.  What an awesome flower!  The bees were loving on these UFO inspired blooms!  I will let you know if any changes...

September 10, 2012 - FRUIT!!!

Corn Smut - August 2012

So it appears we were able to grow a true delicacy - corn smut!  This little fungus supposedly is worth a lot more money than corn.  I'm a little afraid of cooking with it for now though.  Maybe one day.  It is just interesting to see it and know what it is. 

First egg from the pullets! August 20, 2012

So the chicks we got in the last week of March before Easter finally started laying on August 20, 2012.  That puts them close to 5 months old.  I do believe based on the color and chicken behavior that this egg is from one of the Australorps named Goose.  Apollo has been paying particular attention to Goose.  Since this photo we got a few more eggs and then a week break.  Then two green, leathery, soft eggs possibly from the olive eggers and two eggs yesterday, September 3rd, one light one (lavender orpington probably) and one a little darker which I suspect is from our silver pencil rock Gaylord (thank you Stella for the name).  I guess they are slowly coming online while the house crew is going offline.

The house crew has one broody silver pencil (10 months old), one silver pencil that just got over being broody, a wandering Rhode Island Red and two chickens - a Rhode Island Red and a Buff Orpington - that won't come out the coop at all right now.  They seem to be coming out of a molt and definitely do not want the attention of Owl, the Americauna rooster who desperately needs some hens to love.  I feel bad for him. 

I'm thinking about switching around the paddock crew and house crew.  I think the australorps are designed for foraging.  They are very good at it and would do well with the house crew which is true free range. I'm just worried about upsetting the balance we have now.  You know how it is...mess with a chicken's world and you won't see an egg for weeks!

Harvest Photo - beginning of September 2012

Harvest photo: September 4th, 2012:  I lost my color picture ability on my phone today.  Bummed.  But it is important to note that there are oyster mushrooms in that basket.  With some asparagus beans, close to the end of the tomatoes (mostly romas) and a few peppers.  Also, after a long hiatus, Ginger, our Rhode Island Red started laying again today.  I suspected she was laying elsewhere but everyone stopped and appear to be molting or broody or both!  We have a ton of chickens and very few eggs!  I'm sure we will get swamped soon!  Oh yeah...and lets not forget our first tomatillo harvest.  Volunteer plants along the outside of the fenced in garden.  Now that is easy food!

Harvest Photo - End of July 2012

Harvest July 20, 2012 photo:  Looks like squash, peppers and an early sunflower from a rogue chicken feed seed.