Busy Season on the Farm

Howdy from the farm!

Please forgive my absence. We have been so busy on the farm with spring/summer issues and of course, my health, that I haven't written much lately.

Friday we were driving down one of the old roads in our little community and found some Sand Plums on the side of the road. We asked the owners of the property if we could pick them and naturally they said yes. We came home and I made my first, ever, batch of plum jam. Oh my goodness it was tasty. The process was a little long but once the jam set up and I tasted it I just couldn't believe it. 

Yesterday I decided to make some Jalapeno jam. Oh what a treat that was. The house smelled really strongly of peppers so I can actually say the jam was breath-taking. 

I woke up this morning to a water leak so we had to head to town to get a part to fix the leak with. As we were driving down the country roads we found a massive thicket of sand plum trees. We stopped and asked if they used them. The older man and wife told us they planted them 10 years ago, made jam once, and we could always pick them when they were ready. What a treat. We gathered what few bags we had in the truck with us and went to picking. Today we ended up with 13 pounds picked in just a few short minutes.

I will have to wait until tomorrow or Tuesday to process these but they are here at the farm to be dealt with. I will probably go Wednesday or Thursday to all of our "approved" spots and do another picking so we can set back even more jam. The only cost to us is the pectin, the jars, and the 50 cents worth of gas to drive to pick them so I am pretty pleased with that. 

This past spring we had a tree get hit with lightening. It has finally started to give way in the good parts so we cut the part that was hanging down today and decided to go ahead and cut that up for this winters firewood. Morgan was hard at work.

Like with all things here on the farm we all must work, including the chickens. They were hard at work cleaning up the bugs, dust, and all kinds of goodies.

In true homesteading spirit we threw the limbs over to the goats to eat the leaves before we will cut the smaller stuff down for starting fires.

Every single piece of the tree has a purpose and will be used on the farm in the next 12 months. Absolutely nothing will go to waste.

Most of our animals are pretty good about doing their jobs without much coaxing like my little Turken Rooster.

Some are photogenic

There are those who just like to "hang out" and have good conversation.

And sometimes they demand attention and love to a degree that most people wouldn't believe.

BEFORE going back to work in the garden eating insects.

or before watching your sister do all the work while you just stay on the sidelines.

Please forgive the messes on some of the outskirts of the photo's. Morgan was working in the yard, cutting trees, and moving things around while I was trying to take photo's around him without disrupting him. He was pretty understanding of my desire to have the camera out today so I am tickled about that. 

Hope you have a blessed week full of exciting, new adventures.