Okay, so another whole month without a post. I really suck at this. Here are some photos of July’s happenings:
I spotted these humongous mushrooms growing in the trees a few feet from my deck at the beginning of the month. After doing some research and talking to a knowledgeable friend, we figured out that they were King Boletes (related to porcinis), and are considered to be one of the best tasting mushrooms out there. Sadly, by the time we figured that out, they were already being devoured by insects.
I left them to deposit their spores where they were, so hopefully there will be a repeat performance.
Miss Shadow seems to have gone wild with the warmer weather, and only returns home at night for cuddles and treats.
I found this bizarre, shell-less egg under one of my Ameraucanas a few weeks ago. Thankfully, they seem to have gone back to normal.
Speaking of hens, one of ours has started getting up extra early and crowing while the rooster is still asleep. (No, I’m not crazy, and yes, I’m sure she’s a she). My daughter and I both woke up to the strange crowing several mornings in a row, and then I finally caught her doing it. The funny thing is, Dolly (a Delaware) was very obviously the head honcho before our rooster matured, and now it seems she’s tired of playing second fiddle and is gunning for his position.
This shed is our latest building project. Its main purpose is extra storage, but I’m thinking it’ll make a really nice goat shed when the time comes (wink, wink).
We’ve been spending lots of time a the beach with, you guessed it, friends (photo credit to my daughter).
We tried paddle boarding for the first time recently. I would show you a photo of me, but they’re all blurry (probably because my husband was shaking with laughter at my attempts to stay upright).
Most of the bedding plants that I started from seed are doing well (although the heliotrope didn’t work, for some reason). Will definitely do this again next year – so much cheaper!
Our kids have been asking for a swing for ages, and we finally found the perfect spot.
It’s hidden among the trees in the most peaceful of settings…
…with a view of the house and property that makes it perfect for spying.
I was thrilled to harvest an armload of garlic yesterday from last fall’s planting. All that chicken manure and compost must have done something to improve our soil, because they’re considerably larger than our first attempt.
It’s a good thing the garlic has done well; the weather has been so cold and wet that everything else has suffered greatly this year. I’ve had multiple plantings of basil, lettuce, beans, and squash eaten to the ground by the gangs of slugs that have taken over the garden (it’s downright biblical). My potato plants are withering before they’ve even flowered, and my tomatoes are showing signs of blight. It’s hard to watch all that hard work amount to nothing.
If you’ve got any slug assassination tips for me, I’d love to hear ’em!
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Sorry to hear of the slug plague!
In the past I have set out little dishes (I cut the bottoms of some old Tupperware and other plastic containers) of beer and that worked well. Make sure they are level with the ground and the slugs will go in for a nip and never get out.
Cheers!
Beautiful pics by the way!
Thanks, Shannon! π