NEW ARRIVALS-CATNIP-SWEET PEA’S

GREETINGS

We had glorious rain over the weekend  and we still need more.  It perked the gardens up but didn’t fill the rivers.  The cooler weather the rains brought was welcomed.  We are in for another hot spell and my friend Susan will be at Brimfield during it.  She will be at Quaker Acres look for The Plant Lady.

NEW ARRIVALS

PRUDENCE

My friend Patti is moving to Ireland soon and I have taken her hens Prudence and Beatrix.  Follow her on brookwoodshire.wordpress and learn about her adventures.  The girls came on Friday and are settling in .  There was some excitement on Saturday when Prudence had to lay an egg and decided to go home and do it.  My grandson Tyler (the chicken whisperer) caught her in my sons yard.

BEATRIX IS EXCITED ABOUT NEW FRIENDS

 Now there are (hopefully) no escape routes and they are  both laying.  They are separated from the rest pf the group and there has been much bantering going on back and forth.  Soon I will  open the gate some to see how things go.  Olive my last hen to arrive has taken over the leadership role in the flock so it will be interesting how things unfold.

 

CATNIP

Patti brought me this wonderful bag of catnip.  I am drying it and the house smells wonderful.  The cats are enjoying bits and pieces of it too.

SAMMY AND THE ELUSIVE CAT BABY ARE RESTING AFTER SOME AFTERNOON CATNIP

Patti’s cat Merlin is moving to Ireland too so I will pack him a good supply of cat toys.

SWEET PEAS

 

Yesterday I needed to get hay and discovered these wonderful sweet pea’s that John’s Mother has grown for years.  Against the stone wall they are so spectacular.  She gave me a bouquet.  These don’t have the delightful smell of some but nonetheless they are beautiful.

SUMMER BOUQUET

Many thanks for reading my blog on this wonderful summer day.  I will be at the Tuesday Greenfield Market today from 1:30- to 6:30 located next door to Greenfields Market.  Carole

 

THE SKUNKS ARE GONE-THE LAVENDER FESTIVAL-THE EGG-THE TUESDAY FARMER’S MARKET IN GREENFIELD

GREETINGS

HOT and humid weather is with us now, it makes the garden grow.  Much needed rain may come tonight and tomorrow,  What we really need is a day of gentle rain.

THE SKUNK’S ARE GONE

 

To my sadness I found that they have been trapped and killed.  These joyful little things running and playing are now gone and  I have spotted one river  rat in my barn.  

The most shocking thing I found that My own state allows this to happen.  A person has the right to trap these animals and they MUST kill them immediately.   So now in my neighbor hood we have no skunks or opossums  Both may dig up lawns so they are not wanted.  Now we have ticks and rats..  I live in a country and community that think they can do anything they want to do with nature, kill anything they want to ,over fish the oceans and there will be no consequences.    Well there are consequences and they are here and all over our country.  Karma will and has come back to bite us all.  Fortunately there are many people who care about the land and animals and do their best to protect the environment.  But  there are lots of unintelligent people who do the opposite. I have sought help from the environmental Police but so far only information has come forward.  It’s all politics .  Anyone have any suggestions?

THE LAVENDER FESTIVAL

The weather was perfect, the crowds the best ever.  It was a wonderful two days.  I met loads of wonderful people and saw many old friends.  There were new vendors, sheep and Angora goats and a potter it was perfect.  Mark you calendar for the end of June next year.

THE EGG

I don’t know who laid this wonderful egg but its weight is off the scale

TUESDAY FARMER’S MARKET IN GREENFIELD

Located near Greenfield’s Market

Come on down, fresh veggies, yarn, soaps, salves, hot sauce, honey and so much more.  Today I have some cute pot holders and I will be working on a rug hooking project. Hope to see you there.

These pot holders will be there

THE WOOD PILE AND THE SWEET PEA VINE

Slowly the wood pile is getting stacked.  I may not have to buy wood this year, my son and I are thinning out some trees.  

I bought the sweet pea vine last summer.  It was  almost dead but revived but never grew much.  I don’t have luck with sweet peas but I love them so much.  This vine is dong so well, I can’t wait to see the flowers.

Many thanks for reading my blog on this cloudy, humid day. The bleeding hearts have gone and now the beautiful wild roses and Lilly’s have taken over.  

SUFLOWERS, PUTTING FOOD AWAY MORE HAY COLLECTING SEED PODS

Hello

SUNFLOWERS

 

Well the sunflowers are almost done.                I still have to cut out leaves and glue them to the sticks.  These sunflowers are very time-consuming but I do love them.  They were popular at the show last year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HAY

I am getting another 50 bales of hay on Sunday. That will last me through Thanksgiving.    This is good hay and the sheep love it.

 

PUTTING FOOD AWAY Today

I froze the green beans, and 10 ears of corn. 

Tomorrow I will finish the tomatoes and cut up the peppers and get them into the freezer.  I have a vegetable soup going for  supper tonight, that sure will taste good on a chilly night.  I guess we didn’t have a frost this morning but it sure did come close.  I will be working on getting the chickens inside over the weekend.

COLLECTING SEED PODS

The other day I collected these seed pods from the purple runner beans. 

There weren’t many of them and the purple runner beans took so much longer to grow and flower  I think that the front of the house where I have grown scarlet runner beans in the past gets more sun.  I will plant these seeds in the front next year.

I hope you have a wonderful day and thanks for reading my blog.    Carole

SHEEP & SHAWL-MORNING GLORIES-MINNIE-MOM

Hello

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I woke to gentle rains today, we sure need them. The morning glories have overtaken the bird house.

SHEEP & SHAWL

Yesterday I had a full day.  I gathered up things to take to the new shop.  Its located in Deerfield, Mass. and is full of things for the wool lover.  All kinds of yarn and soon to be filled with local yarns and there are some very special yarns from Scotland which in limited supply.

Special yarns from Scotland

 

 

 

 

 

 

I brought down some salve, the small packages of fleece , and large packages of fleece, some cards of Lottie and some lavender.  It is a wonderful place to shop, there are books about crafts and some beautiful felted and woven pieces.  More to come. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a knit Nite on Wednesday from 7-9.  The website is http://www.sheepandshawlcom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris and Ricky

The boys are coming back for a short stay tonight and then they are off with their Father for an adventure of deep-sea fishing.  An annual end of the summer event for them.  I hope to get the chicken house done and set up before they leave and get some tubing on the Deerfield River too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MOM

Mom is doing so well at her new place.  She has come back from the brink with the help of Mary the owner.    She still knows who I am although she is confused in time and thinks my Grandmother visits her often.  There is nothing wrong with that.  She is often in the land of happier times. I couldn’t wish for anything better than that for her.   I miss my visits with her and will see her soon.

MINNIE BISBEE AND LILLY PAD

Minnie has really flourished upstairs.  She likes company but is used to being on her own some of the day.  She now sleeps right next to me, it has taken her quite some time to trust, I just can’t imagine her life before.  Finding the perfect food for her is still a quest for me.  She is still way to thin.

 

Lilly Pad is still visiting, she really loves my Grandmothers Quilt..  She will be her a few more weeks, she is a delight.

Many thanks for reading my blog today and I hope you have a lovely day.   Carole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE HEATH FAIR-MRS. BROWN’S NEW NESTING AREA-FLOWERS

Hello

Ricky is here.  The boys and I went up to drop my things off at the Fair last night.  I am hoping to finish my chicken nesting house there.  We are in a tent and every year we demonstrate spinning, weaving, rug hooking , quilting , knitting and other things.  We also sell a few things.  Its great fun and nice for the people to see what is going on in neighboring towns.    I visited the Heath Library tent and gave them three bags of books and in turn bought a few.   $1.00 for hard cover and $.50  for soft covers.

 

 This is always a stop for me, as I love books so much.  Last night was the tractor parade, it’s so interesting to see all the tractors and after this they have a tractor pull and fireworks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today we are back at the fair, its much busier today, the boys watched the horse pulls and I worked on Mrs. Brown’s new nesting  basket.  I worked on it for over 3 hours, I just have the back to do.  Its made out of oat grass.

Its a little wonky but I think I will soak it and try and reshape it when its done.  The top will have a point .  I left the oat seed on thinking Mrs. Brown might want a snack while laying her egg.

  Would do a lot of things differently and a lady mentioned that cat tails would make a wonderful one.  Years ago I braided cat tail leaves and made baskets in the winter.  I really think I will try that.    It was a fun day for all of us.  Tonight we are have smores cooked over David’s fire pit.

FLOWERS
I think the flowers are exceptional this year.  I caught a bug just leaving the rose.

 

 

 

Thank you so much for reading my blog today and I hope you have a wonderful day.