I can’t believe it is already mid-July! Where has the summer gone? Like I hope all of you did, we had a great Fourth of July overall. However, we did have a tragedy at the homestead. We experienced our first death on July 3rd. Well, our first unanticipated and unplanned death. One of our black and white young Brahma’s had an unfortunate accident. I would like to believe it was an accident and not an intentional killing, but the only ones who really know that for sure were in the chicken house when it happened.
We were picking beans (yummy green and yellow wax beans) in the garden and we hear this awful commotion in the chicken house. No real squawking or regular chicken noises, just a lot of banging around. When we went to check, there was the body. A dead chicken with a broken neck. No blood, no mess, just dead. I must say, I was strangely affected by this. For some unknown reason, I honestly believed that the only way our chickens would die was by our hands. It never occurred to me that they would die all by themselves! But, alas, she did. I think she was either attempting to keep possession of her nesting box or was attempting to take over one and there was a scuffle and she got her neck broken. But that’s all speculation on my part. The only evidence I have is a dead chicken with a broken neck in a nesting box where there were two chickens in the box earlier that day. Here are the things I know for sure: I know it wasn’t done with a wrench, candlestick, lead pipe, rope, revolver or knife. I know it wasn’t Colonel Mustard, Mr. Green or Professor Plumb. I know it wasn’t done in the study, the kitchen, the hall, the conservatory, the lounge, the ballroom, the dining room, the library or the billiard room. Therefore, it could have only been Miss Scarlett, Mrs. White or Mrs. Peacock in the chicken house with no weapon. Or it could have just been a dumb chicken accidentally killing herself. I guess it will remain one of those great mysteries. While we mourned her death appropriately, we were able to move on and have a great weekend including a spectacular fireworks show on July 4th courtesy of the Hubs.
Our second tragedy came due to those pesky rabbits. You remember those suckers, the ones that left everything all alone except for my awesome swiss chard? Apparently, rabbit fencing doesn’t keep out baby rabbits that jump through the larger holes in the upper part of the fence. Looks like another use for chicken wire next year! Anyway, if you remember, we pulled out the lettuce and planted more radish seeds in that row. They really were doing well. I had to thin them a couple of times they were doing so well with beautiful leaves on them. Then, they were gone. All. of. them. The rabbits ate all of them in one fell swoop. I haven’t had the heart to dig into the hills to see if I have actual radishes under there yet. Who knows, maybe we can salvage them after all. I will let you know.
Triumph! We have managed to create a garden that is crazy successful. We have picked at least 9-10 gallons of beans, I have canned 14 pints and 1 quart of tomatoes, I have made 4 batches of tomato, cucumber and onion salad and two batches of gaspacho and I still have at least 5 gallons of tomatoes left over. We have frozen at least 8 quart size bags of zucchini, have cooked another gazillion and I have made six zucchini bread loaves and two dozen zucchini bread muffins and we still have another gazillion to eat. We have grilled them, baked them, sautéed them, boiled them (for pesto pasta, silly). Yep, just like those shrimp in Forrest Gump. You know you were going over that list that Bubba made on the bus. Thankfully the chickens love the zucchini too. The absolutely huge ones we get because somehow we can’t see them (what? really? how do we not see these!!!) we give to the chickens as these are too bitter or too bland to eat. We have cucumbers out the wazoo and have been able to eat a spectacular cantaloupe. The lima beans are exploding, the sweet potatoes are growing, and the butternut squash is beautiful. We haven’t been able to get a ripe watermelon yet, but that will be soon. We have decided what we can cut back on for next year’s garden (tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers) and have decided to put in onions, garlic and beets in that opened space. I anticipate we will be planting some fall lettuce and will probably try some of those beet seeds, too. At least we aren’t spending as much on chicken feed since they get lots of veggies! It seems to make them lay more too.
The bees are requiring a little more attention these days because we are in what is called the summer dearth. That means there is no nectar flow, so they are bored with not a lot to do but to be agitated. Kind of like kids, right? That means the queen slows down in her laying, too. I have added some frames and some food for them to use to draw comb onto those frames so we can build up the population (it will give queenie more room to lay if they will draw it out). One of the hives has filled a box meant for brood with honey. I had put it on there for them to use it for brood, not honey. Those silly bees, they just keep doing what THEY want to do…at least they will have a lot of honey for the winter. I am hoping they will draw the frames out in the honey box and fill it with brood and then put the rest of the honey during the fall flow in the honey box that I put on for them. That’s what I want to happen. They of course will be the ultimate decision makers of course. If all goes well, I will have some honey frames left over that I can use next Spring to split the hive and make a new one. The only question for me (well, not the only question, but an important one anyway, as there will never really ever be just ONE question, right?) will be whether I let them make their own queen for the new hive or do I buy one? Haven’t decided yet. Kind of putting the cart before the horse. Actually, I am not doing that since I don’t have a horse or a cart. And really, don’t you want the cart BEFORE the horse? That way the horse can pull the cart since the cart would be behind the horse? The point is, I have some time before I have to make a decision. They have to survive winter first.
Speaking of winged insects, turns out I found out the hard way that we have a yellow jacket nest in the tomatoes. How did I find this out, inquiring minds want to know? As I was minding my own business and picking another 5 gallons of tomatoes they came to greet me. Out of their underground lair they came. A lot of them and they let me know, in a not so nice way, that I was not welcome. Look, I expect to be stung by My girls, it comes with the territory. But I did not invite these winged devils into my garden. These suckers are a type of wasp, not a bee so I cannot sing their praises. At this time of year, all they want is sugar. They aren’t helping to keep caterpillars and other bugs off my plants and they certainly are not pollinating anything. So, while they stung me, I cursed their little yellow selves. A lot. And I said nary a nice word to them. So there, yellow jackets. You will rue the day you made your home in my garden!!! If you haven’t been stung by a yellow jacket, count yourself lucky. These guys don’t die when they sting, they live to keep stinging and biting. Yes, they bite too. Suffice it to say, I am not a fan. Since I have a gazillion more tomatoes to pick, these guys will be getting the boot sooner rather than later. Another new adventure. Good thing we have a bee suit! Bees to the rescue again!
That’s all folks! Until next time, enjoy your summer!