She Who Will Be Obeyed!: where has the time gone?

April 11, 2008

where has the time gone?

Gosh, I have not posted for awhile. I guess I need to get back into this. I've been doing stuff - going to seminars on farming, planting seeds in the basement, watching the baby chicks and ducklings grow, taking care of Willy and Petey and the dogs and cats and Satchmo and stuff. I've also been taking my pottery classes and stained glass classes. And last week, I mowed the yard (I have no idea how large our lawn is - I'm guessing 1 and 1/2 acres, maybe 2) and I planted about 750 Walla Walla onions in raised beds and a whole bunch of Yukon Gold potatoes and Superior White potatoes.

I have 6 different tomato varieties, 5 different hot pepper varieties, broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, peppermint, basil, cinnamon basil, dill, fennel, rosemary, hollyhocks, larkspur and marjoram growing like crazy under grow lights in the basement. Oh, and pole beans and sugar snap peas and snow peas.

I have about 500 seedlings that need to be either put out into the garden or potted up for selling at the Farmers Market in May.

I'm pretty sure I can probably sell a fair amount of herbs in 2 inch peat pots. I might have some green onions and lettuce ready for selling by May, and hopefully, I'll have some of my pottery finished by then that I can try to sell, along with maybe a few stained glass things.

So, I've been busy. Oh, oh oh -

I forgot!

John bought us a spa! It's wonderful! We just got it installed and running on Monday, and despite all the storms and rain we have had, we've used it twice, even in the rain - at least until lightening starts, then we hop out and I make a beeline for bed while John puts the cover on.

I can't believe how much I enjoy it!

Oh, another thing - it is morel hunting season. So far, I've chased off two carloads of people who had our farm on their map - they apparently found the mushrooms while the previous owner was still alive.

It's too cold to go looking for morels anyway.

Posted by Beth at April 11, 2008 5:10 PM

Comments

Beware of these mushroom hunters, ma'am. We have them here in Oregon, and they are known to pack weapons and shoot each other for their stashes of 'shrooms, which can be worth up to $30/lb for some varieties. I am on-call for various of the relatives on Blanche's side of the family who come up here from CA to the mushroom hunting grounds just east of me in the Mt. Hood National Forest, up the Lolo Pass, but I don't go as a guide, I sling a shotgun and a pistol and go as an armed guard.

Coordinate with someone else when you go to toss these poachers off the property. And go VISIBLY armed.

These aren't the cow-pie magic-mushroom hippies you may be used to. These pricey edible mushrooms are like gold, and many of the hunters are like Barbary Pirates.

You and John might consider taking some extension courses in identifying mushrooms (the key is in the smell, and you can't get that out of a book or a video). They add marvelous flavor to most things that you cook, and if you have them right on the property, you're good to go. They would also bring HUGE $$$ to you if sold at the Farmer's Market, providing that you can convince that group that you know what you are doing and you aren't selling toadstools.

Posted by: Rivrdog at April 12, 2008 1:17 AM