
Well,
What's been happening lately? Quite a bit actually.
-Goonie had her baby shower in August...a lovely event. And now, she is officially 37 weeks pregnant.
-We took the boys (Dweezy and Sputt-Butt) in to the vet to be neutered, but were informed by the vet that they are not old enough. We just assumed they were older than Tini, (who we now call Neener), just because they are double her size. So, their manhood's are still intact for the time being. :)
-We had some really nice weather near the end of August. 70 degree days, patchy clouds, light breeze, just heavan! Autumn is definitely in the air!
-The chickens are thriving under the loving eye of Rhubarb. Daily buckets of chicken scraps, keep them plump and happy. They especially love watermelon rinds and beef. Hopefully, by the end of Fall we should have our very own eggs!
-The garden is very happy. The beans are producing a large handful of beans a day, the corn...hasn't gotten quite enough heat...but still bears some pretty tasty ears. The eggplants have flowered and may squeeze in a fruiting by the end of the season. I just picked 5 cucumbers yesterday, and the tomatoes plants, (60 in all), are on the verge of bombarding us with fruit! I have picked a few tomatoes...but not enough to feel overwhelmed. The delicata squash have at least 10 squashies on them...something to look forward to; and the pepper plants, even though ravaged by deer, have pulled through, and I think we'll be able to get a few peppers off the plants.
-The herb garden is also very happy. The rhubarb plant has taken off and really dug it's roots in. The basil and parsley are insane, and the sage's are doing really well. All in all, a very nice herb garden for such a busy summer.
-Shmoage got hit by a car. We found him laying by the front door one morning, not getting up for his breakfast, (very unusual for him :) ), and discovered he couldn't walk, and he had some nasty lacerations where his bones and such were exposed. An emergency vet run revealed he had a fractured pelvis, and was one lucky dude to even still be alive. After six days at the vet's office he was ready to come home. He can't really walk right now, but will again in time. He has to stay contained in a small crate, get 3 doses of medications daily, and be hand cleaned for a while; but the doctor said in about 6-8 weeks he should be fairly close to normal...bodily functions and all. His accident couldn't have come at a more convenient time...baby on the way and all. :) But, he's my other baby...so he has us suckered.
-Our septic tank has been having issues. And after a rather massive indoor shower leakage, the decision has been made to put in another line. That should make any leakage nonexsistent. And that's definitely a happy thought!
-Rhubarb has expanded his fermentation projects to include the ongoing making and drinking of Kefir. If you're unfamiliar with Kefir, it's rather like liquid yogart. Rhubarb aquired some Kefir grains locally, and is now make it very regularly out of our unpasteurized goat milk. I prefer making it into smoothies...it cuts the tang a bit. But he's a purist about it...and drinks it fresh...with little refinement. Note: if you should visit Goonie Rhubarb Farm sometime in the immediate future, you may be asked to sample some of his Kefir. :)
-Goonie has been in full nesting mode, and has rearranged the living room, the bedroom, and the family room. With loving help from Rhubarb, obviously!
-It's almost time to light up the woodstove! Autumn is just around the corner...and we can smell it. And by next month there should be another addition to the farm...Miss Daphne Freya...who we all casually call 'Ducky' for short!
That's all for now.
CIAO
Goonie