STAYCATION 2023, DAY 2 – THE SET-UP

I took one last look around the house before leaving for the farm and found an open window. I had been up since 5:30, and once the Jeep was loaded with food, devices, fabric, reading material, we were ready to go. It was just after 8:00. It was an easy trip – very little traffic headed my direction. We drove through a shower or two, and it appeared to be raining in earnest as we arrived at the farm. However, it didn’t last and wasn’t enough moisture to settle the dust.

My goal for the day was just to unpack and organize. Mike always unloads everything from the Jeep before doing anything else, but I got sidetracked. Bess is out of sorts with Mike’s absence, so I offered her a walk, and she opted to tackle Plank’s Pitch. “Okay. Better now than later when it’s warmer,” I thought.

When I arrived at the top of the pitch, Bess was waiting for me.

“Let’s go to Pete’s Pond,” she said, dancing all around me.

“NO,” I said emphatically. “I don’t want to.”

“But I do,” Bess said, herding me in that direction. 

So, we went to the pond, but before we got there, Bess went on point.

“Come on, Bess!” I called.

“I’m tellin’ ya,” she said; “there’s something in there.” And she knew what she was talking about. A wild turkey got up and flew off.

The grass has grown tall around the pond. “Stay out of tall grass and watch where you step,” my old daddy’s voice boomed in my memory, and I resolved not to do this again. I gingerly walked around the edge of the field until I got to a point where I could access the road. Bess was there ahead of me.

Back at the house, I finished unpacking. At least, I thought I did. I watered the gardens and picked a cup of strawberries. I carried my sewing machine and a table downstairs and set it up. I hung the wreath on the front door and stood back to admire it. In the words of Meredith Willson: “The prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be on your own front door.” It’s true of all seasonal decorations.

Late afternoon, I realized that I had left my sewing toolbox in the Jeep, and when I went to retrieve it, I discovered the zippered cold/hot sack full of produce sitting there in the hot car. “OH NO!” I exclaimed aloud. I was dismayed that I had overlooked it, but the produce seems to have survived. So glad I didn’t leave it overnight! KW

STAYCATION 2023 – DAY 1 (THE PREP)

The goal of this staycation is to handle the activities of a stay at the farm by myself, and it IS a challenge. Usually, I pack the coolers, crates, and baskets, and Mike does the lift and carry and handles so many details. Now I must rely on myself.

Mike left about 7:00 a.m. on Saturday (June 24). I took care of Bess, put the final touches on the shopping list, and headed out for my favorite strip mall – Dollar Tree, JoAnn, and Albertsons. JoAnn’s is beginning to look a lot like autumn, which means that summer things are on sale. I bought a nice wreath at 70% off, or about $20, and that’s what it’s worth to me. It’s a staycation gift, of course.

I also shopped at JoAnn for fabric paint, which is a little spendy and would make a great staycation gift. However, I found a variety of such products and decided to research in order to make an informed decision. I might have purchased except that I didn’t like the deal: “buy one/get one” (or get one half price). Nothing discourages my purchasing like a BOGO if I only need one. Don’t they know this?

At Albertsons, I bought food for my staycation, first thinking it was too much to pay and then reminding myself that Mike is eating out. My cart was loaded. It was after noon when I arrived back home. I put the groceries away since most of it was dairy, produce, and meat and will have to be packed in the morning.

Perhaps I should have loaded the Jeep and headed to the farm, but instead, I opted to go Sunday morning, hopefully after a good night’s rest. Loading and unloading is stressful, and I just deal with things better earlier in the day. But time was heavy on my hands in the afternoon. So much of the packing must be done at the last minute. KW

HAPPY SUMMER

Not quite so green

The past week was cooler, and mornings were especially chilly (low 40s). No matter the daytime temp, the summer sun feels hot.

Swathed cherry tree

Mike and I came to the farm on Thursday (June 22). He mowed and I watered, and that just sounds way too easy for the effort we expended. We also swathed the Lapins sweet cherry tree, and Mike sprayed weeds.

The strawberry bed rewarded me with 1 ½ cups of berries. And I was elated to see a yellow crookneck developing. In fact, all the garden plants had grown since last week. The carrots and lettuce sprouted, too. I don’t know to what I owe this success. Fertilizer? Cooler temps? Protecting the beds with netting? Keeping the faith? Planting the tomatoes with crushed eggshells? All of the above? I just don’t know, but at this point it IS the best garden I’ve ever had.

For years I have wanted a pair of garden shoes, so it seemed like a logical staycation gift. I ordered these “Sloggers” online. So many colorful designs to choose from! I offered daughter Hallie a pair as well, and she chose a sedate indistinct floral design on black. Honestly! No telling some people’s taste. She could wear them to work. She probably will. KW

Lapins sweet cherries

A WORKING STAYCATION

Thursday morning (June 15), Mike and his motorcycling buddy left on a 3-day trek to Missoula and other Montana locales. I, of course, staycated with Bess. I was going to spend it on the farm, but at the last minute, I decided just to make a day trip to the farm on Friday. It would be easier, I told myself, and give me the opportunity to do garden work here in town on a cooler day. That happened.

Wheat crop looks good, I think

Friday morning, I was up before 5:00. Bess and I walked around our long block. I had 2500 steps before I started to load the Jeep. We can’t carry as much in the Jeep as we did in the pick-up, so, besides checking on the raised beds and watering, this trip was an opportunity to take the stuff that always gets left behind – my projects – to the farm, including the large wedding portrait of my maternal grandparents. (I wonder what they would think if they knew it will now hang in my paternal grandparents’ house.)

Bess and I were at the farm by 8:30. The clocks were an hour behind, so at some point, the electricity had been off, probably the result of a storm. I found one mouse in trap. It’s Mike’s job to take care of that, but in his absence, I did it. (Better than the alternative.)

Wild roses at the pond

We toured the pond first thing, and then I set to work. I refilled the hummingbird feeders, and then I picked a pint of strawberries. (That’s farm talk for 2 cups.) The netting saved most of the berries, and they are lovely with more coming on. After watering, I covered the strawberries with a better piece of netting. The squashes and beans look good, and the carrots and lettuce have sprouted. I hung out two medium loads of laundry and  also ran the dishwasher.

I brought transplants from the town yard for the bank behind the house, but I didn’t get to that work until afternoon, and by then it was HOT. As I think about it now, I might have just tossed them and no one would have been the wiser, but I worked away until they were all planted.

Bess found a bone on our walk

At 2:30, my Fitbit buzzed to indicate that I had met my daily 10,000-step goal. I was tired and ready to return to town, but the clothes weren’t quite dry. In the meantime, I offered Bess another walk, figuring that she would opt for the pond. She NEVER wants to walk anywhere with me but at the pond, but this time she sashayed down the lane – the last thing I wanted to do! We just walked to the Plank place and then back to the farmhouse. Mike’s routine is to play fetch with her after the walk, so naturally, she expected this of me. I threw 10 balls with the Chuck-It.

Teakean Butte barely visible

Long story short, I finished up my chores and loaded the Jeep, taking care not to forget the precious strawberries, and about 4:00, we left for town.

As I slipped into bed, my Fitbit showed 15,993 steps. Yes, I got up and walked another 7 steps for an even 16,000. KW

LOTS OF RAIN / YELLOW ROSES

Scattered thunderstorms brought lots of rain to our region over several days at the end of the week. We were at the farm. The first storm hit Thursday evening, and it just poured for about 20 minutes. As I worked at the kitchen sink, I saw a flash of lightning right near the porch. The subsequent thunder shook the house. We had another heavy rainstorm Friday afternoon. 

The good news is that the lane didn’t wash out, though the ground is soft.

Rain refreshes the vegetation in a way that watering doesn’t. This morning I noticed that the squash and bean plants had grown ever so much since the hot days mid-week.

Mike and I attempted to transplant two young sprouts from under the Lapins sweet cherry tree to our orchard. Mike laid ground cloth and then placed tubes to protect them, but as you might guess, a whitetail took the top off one as she passed through the yard. It’s disheartening, but on the other hand, this is why we like to transplant our volunteer vegetation.

Speaking of volunteers, for years, we have considered how we might entice the wild yellow rosebush located out by the mailbox to grow in our yard, but its stems are so full of spines that transplanting is out of the question. I carefully took a cutting one year, but it didn’t root. As we walked at the pond on a recent evening, I noticed yellow buds at the edge of the water. “What is that over there?” I asked Mike, but he was too far ahead to hear. So, I approached the “yellow,” and to my delight, it’s a yellow rose bush. In my opinion, self-seeding is far superior to transplanting, except for grass and weeds, of course.

Neighbor Pete said homesteaders from South Carolina brought that yellow rose to this country, and it was much admired by the neighbors. When that family moved on, neighbors took cuttings from the bush. So, we do see that rose here and there in the neighborhood.

In approaching the yellow rose bush, I startled the Mallard family. Heretofore, I had not seen the chicks, and they are adolescents now.

Looks like we’re going to have a neighbor at the old Plank place. A great-grandson of an original homesteader is preparing a homesite, and we count our blessings that this “new” neighbor is a friendly young man with ties to the community. KW

PUTTERING

Misty Morning (Tuesday, June 6)

The farm grounds keep us busy. At the same time, we just can’t take it too seriously. It is what it is.

Once again, my garden didn’t sprout. I thought of my dear old dad who said during one of his last summers, “Kathy, something ate the corn right out of the ground." We didn’t have corn that year.

The beans came up but are being nibbled. The carrots, lettuce, and beets are sparse to nil. Disappointed and mystified, I researched online gardening sites for advice. Does something eat the seeds right out of the ground? Yes, probably. Does something eat the sprouts? Yes, probably, and while it could be bunnies and rodents, it’s probably the birds. 

So today I replanted lettuce and carrots (I’m out of beet seeds) and interspersed some beans. Then I covered the larger raised bed with netting. We’ll see what happens.

The tomato plants and summer squash look good, and I’ve already picked a handful of strawberries. I have to pick them on the green side or the birds get them.

Workers arrived at 8:30 Tuesday morning and replaced the front dormer windows. They were finished and gone by 9:20.

I spent the afternoon in the kitchen yesterday. I made Golden Graham chews, strawberry pretzel dessert, and vegetarian lasagna. The good part is that today we can eat leftovers.

“It’s almost dark – time for bed,” said Mike last night. That’s the way it is on the longest days of the year. KW

NOTES FROM THE FARM

Here’s an update and some photos on activities at the farm last week.

 As previously mentioned, the county road department had dumped gravel on the road that adjoins our lane. The grader came in on Tuesday (May 30) and smoothed out the ruts where the road had washed at the bottom of the lane. Naturally, that doesn’t solve the problem, but we are pleased nevertheless. The ditch and an eroding bank need to be addressed, and we hope that happens this season.

We sprayed the young apple trees in our orchard – twice, one week apart. We hope the apples are now protected. We also sprayed the pear tree and some of the old apple trees – just not thoroughly – so it remains to be seen if this is effective. We hope we can organize this effort earlier next year and perhaps even spray the big “winterstein” tree.

In summary:

·      We have seen tiger swallow-tail butterflies and bumble bees in our orchard meadow.

·      We've seen only a few deer (whitetail), and we wonder if the wasting disease is affecting the herd in our area.

·      A pair of mallard ducks might be nesting on the pond, but sometimes the water fowl move on. I suspect Bess makes them nervous.

·      We still have gophers and pocket gophers (etc.) in the yard, and I am rapidly becoming familiar with their ways.

·      So far, if we’re going to trap a mouse, it will be in the utility closet under the stairs.

·      We have yet to sight a rattlesnake.

Some transplants from the town garden to the orchard/meadow at the farm have been successful, and we will do more. Mike purchased a plant identification app for his phone last year, and it’s wonderful. We have identified certain plants (weeds?), and if we find them desirable, I place markers.

Little Silas is scheduled to visit next month. I understand his parents will come with him. I am planning activities for his entertainment and edification. And maybe some other grandchildren will visit this summer, too. We hope so. KW