No Excuses

In spite of my good intentions, the last three busy weeks at Beulah Land have raced by at a pace that has left my head spinning. The garden is planted and growing as are the rabbits and goats. Spinach, rhubarb, and lettuce is ready for harvest and the snow peas will be blossoming soon. The flower gardens are almost weed free.

We have found homes for Bluesky and her twin bucklings and they will be leaving us in about two weeks. The rabbits will be weaned next week. My second Buff Orpington hen is setting on a large nest of eggs and should be hatching soon. The first hen didn't manage to hatch any of her eggs. I don't know what the problem was. Maybe they got too cold.

Cold isn't a problem this week. I've been rummaging through my closet for hot weather clothes as I really wasn't expecting it this soon. Two weeks ago I was still wearing layers of clothing as I did morning chores. Only in Nebraska would it be 90 degrees with 45 mile per hour wind gusts a short time later. After several days of the heat and gusty wind the new garden transplants are looking a little worse for wear, but I think most will come out of it.

The laundry room is full of home made soap waiting for the festival on June 26th. This week I'll be working on my Miracle Salve and some natural flea powder.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Where does the time go?

This is the story of my life. I promised myself to update this blog at least weekly but that didn't last long. This time of year there are never enough hours in the day. There are so many things I want to do. I've been making a batch of goat milk soap every day off from work to sell at a festival at the local winery on June 26th so I'm getting down to the deadline. I've ordered some ingredients to try goat milk lotion. I can't wait to see how that works out. I've been weeding, weeding, and weeding the flower and vegetable gardens. We've started milking our yearling goat Mariah once a day since her single doe can't keep up with the milk and on the other side Bluesky is barely able to keep up with her two bucks who are growing at an amazing speed. She will be going to live with my friend Susan when they are able to be weaned so I'll have at least one registered Saanen buck kid for sale if you are interested.

Today I went on our annual field trip for the ladies of our church to the Bluebird Nursery in Clarkson Nebraska. It great to laugh and visit with the ladies as we shared gardening tips and dreams for our own flower and vegetable gardens. We were honored to be able to take Miss Lyda Jane with us since we took the church's wheelchair accessible van. She is one of the residents of the local nursing home that attends Faith Family Baptist. It was a long day for her and she was tired but happy as we returned her to the home with her new bird feeder and flowers. Most of my purchases were herbs but I did manage to stick a few flowers in the cart with them.

I'm adding a picture of our little bunnies. The are the first litters of our meat rabbits. My husband will take over caring them once they are weaned so I don 't get too attached to them. He was the one, however, that brought a little smokey gray baby in the house to our grandchildren, suggested we name him Shadow, and asked them if they thought they could talk their parents into letting them keep him for a pet. Sometimes I wonder just who the soft hearted one really is.

This week I'll be making freeze ahead meals and steam cleaning may carpet getting ready for house guests later this month. Mother's day weekend will be spent taking a trip to the Pella Tulip Festival in Pella Iowa with my mother, daughter and grandchildren. Next week I'll try to post some beautiful pictures of our trip. Happy Mother's Day! Terri Donnelly