What a vacation

Took a week off of work to do some backyard camping and hiking.

Our first night was great, the second two days of vacation were spent watching it rain. On the third day, I put up a tarp, and we made a giant pot of tomato sauce and canned it outside. We got ten quarts, and enough for a big pot of spagetti. It turned out really good.

After another day of rain we took a little hike. The next day was going to be the big day of vacation, with a trip to DC to check out the monuments and Smithsonian. We made it about 1-1/2 miles before we were in a car wreck. A guy ran through a red light and right into us. Luckily no one was hurt other than some bruises.

This ruined the whole day, and the next day was spent trying to get a rental truck. After finally getting our rental truck, we tore down camp, spent the night inside, and left early the next morning for a family reunion. It was a good time and we got to go on a hike at Trough Creek State Park.

view from one of the many ledges on the Ledges Trail.

Good Work

Wow, remodeling is hot and dirty work...but the reward at the end keeps us going. Sort of makes me think of gardening. All the planning and tending a garden requires. We battle weeds, pests, and weather...definitely some dirty, sweaty, sometimes back-breaking work. Funny thing to enjoy so much. The reward isn't just the harvest though, it's so much more.

For me, it's the magic contained in each tiny seed. The hope that it grows strong, and the excitement of seeing it reach it's full potential despite everything it's up against. There's a sense of pride too, knowing that we do our best to help them along.

Putting seeds, or our own plants, into the earth is good work. It satisfies something deep inside. Pulling the weeds on a muggy summer day, then stopping to look at the garden afterwards always brings a smile.

Garden work is almost like a moving meditation for me. My mind slows down,and for just a little while...I'm free.

Rabbit/homestead update

The eight kits are doing well. We've taken out the nest box. It's really amazing how fast they grow. The temperature has been perfect the past week, in the low 80's during the day and high 50's at night. It makes it nice not having to keep taking frozen bottles out for them.
Here they are at a month old:

We made some tomato stakes out of some old lumber my dad gave us, and got the tomato plants staked up finally. Our garden so far is mostly bug free. I pick any bean beetles off of the bean plants in the morning and at night, so far four has been the most I've picked at one time.

We got the woodpile area of the yard cleaned up, and ready to start cutting and storing wood, until we get enough to have a splitting party.

Last year we cut wood, and got some from a tree trimming company, and stacked it until we had enough wood for the winter. We had some friends come with their log splitter and spent all day splitting, and the night drinking homebrew.

Last years wood pile:

We finally got the corn planted in the garden our neighbor is letting us use. It should be ready to pick in the middle of September. Planted more greenbeans, black beans and cow peas there also.

Living room remodel

Finally getting around to painting our living room. I decided that if I was going to paint, then I'm going to do it the right way, and fix everything I don't like in the room. The ceiling had old 1'x1' tiles that I absolutely hated. The plan is to tear those out, put up drywall and possibly trim it out to make a coffered type ceiling.

Since the only light in the living/dining room is from a switched receptacle we decided that adding a ceiling fan with a light in the middle of the living room and a light or two in the dining room area while the ceiling is opened up is a must.

Two of the walls are plaster and have so many holes from wall anchors and cracks in them that I decided tearing those out and putting up new drywall will be faster and easier than trying to patch them.

Our front door and especially the storm door are in horrible shape. So my Dad and I are installing a new door and storm door this weekend. Then I'll get started on hanging the drywall, hopefully with some help from my neighbor.

Once the drywall is hung and the painting done, I'll be renting a floor sander and refinishing the hardwood floor. The plan is to have all this work done by August 1st so with work, gardens, yard work, and rabbits this is going to be a busy couple of weeks.

Bread class

Last Saturday we took a bread making class at our local homebrew store. We've taken wine making, beer brewing & cheese making classes. The hands on experience has really helped us.

In the breadmaking class we learned how to use the spent grains from home beer brewing to make breads, pizza crusts, bread sticks and cinnamon rolls.

The women teaching the class made samples for everyone to try, and the pizza crust and bread sticks were amazing.

Cant wait for the next batch of beer we brew so we can try out some of her recipes.

Rabbit Update - 11 days old

The kits are eleven days old today. They should be opening their eyes anytime now.

Out of the nine born we still have eight. A couple days ago when I went out to the shed, there was one on the floor that the momma must have kicked out. It was a runt and not in very good shape, so I got rid of it.

The temperature is back up in the 90's for the next couple of days, so we'll be watching them carefully. We have the jugs of water frozen and ready.

This is our first litter that has made it this far, we only had one other litter and they didn't make it. If it keeps going good I think this fall we'll be adding another doe or two.

What We've Got Growing 2011

HERBS
Basil
Chamomile
Chives
Dill
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Rosemary
Sage
Tarragon
Thyme

FRUITS
Blueberries
Grapes
Pears
Raspberries

VEGETABLES
Beans - Black, Cowpeas, Green, Pinto, Yellow Wax,
Beets
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots - 2 kinds
Cauliflower
Collards
Corn - 2 sweet varieties
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Garlic
Kale
Lettuce - Buttercrunch, Red Sails, Romaine
Mesclun Greens
Onions
Peas - 2 kinds
Peanuts
Peppers - Bell, Carribean Red Hot, Cayenne, Chocolate Habanero, Hot Pepper Mix, Jalepeno, Lemon Habanero, Red Mushroom,
Potatoes - Desiree, Nicola, Purple Majesty, Yukon Gold
Pumpkins
Radishes
Rhubarb
Spinach
Squash - Butternut, Spaghetti, Zuchinni
Tomatilla
Tomatoes - Amish Paste, Al'Kuffa, Beefsteak, Black Krim Cherry, Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Delicious, Golden Jubilee, Mortgage Lifter, Mr. Stripey, Roma, San Marzano, Sub-Arctic

WILD BACKYARD EDIBLES
Dandelions
Violets

PICK-YOUR-OWN AT NEARBY FARMS AND ORCHARDS
Apples
Blueberries
Cherries
Strawberries

I don't think I missed anything.
We may add more later as space opens up.