On Saturday!
We have ridden together our whole lives. What do you enjoy doing with your seestur/twinster?
Thursday Thoughts #216
Tag Archives: virginia farm gal
Autumn Gardening
I enjoy Fall gardening far more than summer gardening.
“There are not as many vegetables,” my husband tells me. Correct statement, yet it does not change my opinion over preference. I enjoy the cool temperatures, magnificent blue skies, and no bugs.
I worked in the garden over two hours today and never broke a sweat! Ahhhhh, such joy! In summer, ugh! So much sweat and bugs.
The garden officially has been ‘put to bed’ for the season. All planted in winter rye that is coming up beautifully, covered with leaf mulch.
However, I decided to plant onion and garlic. I am anxious to see how they turn out. I may even plant beets.
of onion and garlic.
Other fall crops could be planted, but I’m going to pass on them this year, i.e., lettuce and leafy greens. Perhaps next season.
Garden decorations are in all the gardens.
I am sure by the time Spring comes around I shall be all ready for the hot, lush, summer gardening.
How about you? Do you garden? What do you like grow?
The Real Feel of Retirement
My husband retired this past February. We are nearly 70 years old, so I would say it is time to end that phase of our lives.
What I would also say though is that it has struck me in ways I never really thought about. Such as, how do I describe my husband when people ask me about him? For nearly fifty years I would say, He is in Telecommunications, in Sales. Now what do I say?
The usual remark, He’s retired suffices, I suppose. He was so good at his job that that answer just does not seem enough. Is that what it is? Too simplistic? I’m not sure I know yet.
We purchased a couple rental properties years ago. Because he traveled so extensively, I managed them. By Gods good grace, they both were vacant this summer, and now my husband is the Property Manager.
I stay out of them entirely. He seems to enjoy this new responsibility, and I am grateful. They fill the void retirement created, as one of the properties needs a good deal of fix-up.
The other issue is just being retired. How odd it is to simply say that. The paycheck has stopped, period. That is big. Life is different in retirement. It is a whole new ballgame that I am still trying to figure out. We both are for that matter. Filling our time, paying bills, how to manage our household and farm, are just a few of the big questions to answer.
I recall a finance man I listened to for years over the radio, Dan Celia, who passed away in 2022, saying that retirement depends on what one has built over the years, because eventually the paycheck stops. Boy, does it. It is what one has built and saved that carries into retirement. I am thankful, so thankful we took his advice. It has made all the difference in these, our retirement years. I believe we shall get adjusted to this new phase of life just fine.
Here is an adage to surely live by:
Antlers here at our Farm
I’m participating in Sunday Stills, hosted by Terri Webster.
Sunday Stills Animal of the Month: Antlers, Horns and Hooves
Triplets!
She seemed quite rotund for her first time pregnancy, the little dwarf goat named, Cookie, that our daughter and her husband own.
There is such excitement in waiting for a new baby of any sort. Anticipation is such fun. Being a first timer for baby goats made our daughter pretty anxious as birthing time neared for Cookie.
She knew the signs to watch for and had her birthing stall all ready. She’s going to be a good midwife I thought to myself last week when I was there for a visit.
As we were preparing lunch , we heard an odd sound from outside.
“What was that?” Helen said. I did not know, when suddenly she exclaimed, ” It’s Cookie!”
She was right, for Cookie had birthed her baby in front of the grain barn.
Helen quickly got to work rubbing down the big baby with a towel.
She needed to be in her birthing stall away from all other livestock. So we pushed and pulled Cookie into her stall, where she gave birth to number 2 baby.
Husband Jon and I were running around doing birthing jobs, while Helen tended to momma and babies.
Number two was healthy and responding well, when suddenly Helen announced the third baby coming!
Helen did a fine job of the attending midwife to momma goat and her sweet newborn babies.
To me birth of any sort seems a grand miracle. You did a great job, Helen, and Cookie is one good momma!
It was great being a midwife assistant!
Oh, the joy and mystery of birth! Thank God.
Save Your Seeds?
Do you save flower seeds for next season? Several garden flowers and vegetables are easy to save their seeds.
Cosmos seeds are easy to save. They grow happily anywhere it seems. However, late in season mildew can be a problem on their leaves. Spray if you desire.
Coreopsis are just as easy.
Truly, I have success with sprinkling the seed simply back in the bed. They will winter over and produce next season. I also put some in a marked envelope, save for next season or share with friends.
Allowing lettuce to go to seed will produce enough to share with others next season.
Note: Saving vegetable seeds works only with Heirloom plants. Hybrids are not dependable, only purebred seeds.
These big, full sunflowers heads dry on their stems. I will cut them, save some seed and leave the flower head in the garden for birds. It is fun watching the Goldfinches eat from them.
There is much joy in sharing too. Would you like some? Let me know. I would be happy to mail some for your garden!
Happy end-of-season to you!
Thursday Thoughts #207
Thursday Thoughts # 206
On Friday!
What is your favorite daily thing to do?
Thursday Thoughts #203
We enjoy afternoon coffee. Do you?
A Small Herding Dog
Do you know any of the small herding dogs? There are several breeds, and we have one of them, Pembroke Corgis. Affectionally know to many older folk as “the Queens dogs.”
As well they should be. It was because of Queen Elizabeth II that the Corgi officially became a registered dog. Someone wisely decided the Queen should have registered dogs, after all she bred them all her life, and she was the Queen of England!
I must like herding dogs too (of mostly mixed breed) as I have had several over my lifetime. They are energetic, active dogs—most certainly not lap dogs.
For the first time we now have purebred ones, the Pembroke Corgi. HoneyPie is five years old, Buster is three.
They came from breeders in south-west, Virginia. We waited a couple years before getting Buster because we still had our good, old mixed-breed herding dog, Dandy.
We purchased Buster two years later. Bill wanted a tri-colored, HoneyPie. I wanted a gold and white one, so we got Buster.
I have always admired the herding dogs ability with livestock. Sheep trials are thrilling to watch the way those well-trained dogs and owners work sheep together.
It interested me to train our dogs to herd. With only articles off internet I worked at training mostly HoneyPie. We do not have sheep. We have chickens. The articles I studied said it helps to have the flock (in my case) know where they were to go. This was very helpful because at dusk chicken head to the henhouse.
She learned as well, I suppose, as any greenhorn could teach her. We have had fun. She will do right nice with the cattle as well.
Having a second dog made for more difficulty with training two dogs. Buster is exuberant, but not as well disciplined. That is my fault.
They enjoy bringing the horses in, though they would never win any herding competition.
Really, they are far from being a good herding dog, but we have enjoyed learning and trying.
Have you ever gone to sheep dog trials?
