More Kitchen

The proud builder!



More pictures of the kitchen- the more I am around the soapstone, the more I like it- it feels almost velvety- not slick and polished. It is natural right now- if we decide to oil it the color will be a very dark green/black/gray.




Looking through the front door, through the dining/living area (use your imagination) and into the kitchen. The wood stove will go in the far right corner. The doorway on the right leads to the sunroom.

Kitchen

Kevin installed the soapstone countertops, the sinks and added all the trim around the windows- including a really wonderful deep windowsill. After the refrigerator and range were rolled into place- (gotta love those casters!) it is really looking great! Just have to figure out what we are putting on top of the island. The reading nook under the stairs is looking like a doghouse with Daisy's bed in there!

Fun at the Pond

Never mind that it is the middle of March, the girls wanted to go swimming, so in they went. They only had a half day at school today and were itching to do something fun.































Daisy couldn't figure out what in the world was going on, but it wasn't long before she went right in after them.





Maybe we could train her to be a duck dog?

Pony Cart

We had too many horses. The fact we are getting ready to move forced me to accept this. I sold three of them, and this weekend I did some "horse trading". That is similar in some ways to "going to see a man about a dog". That means no one will know what you are coming home with, including yourself.



What I came home with was a pony cart for Moonbeam, (the pony) to learn to pull. I am pretty sure he is not going to be thrilled by this.

But the girls certainly were.






































Teaching Daisy to pull the cart.

That flexible corrugated black pipe is the most horrifying thing my horses have ever seen and they are terrified by it and the noise that it makes when it is pulled over gravel. I make them pull it around until they get used to it being around them- they can wig out as much as they want and no one gets hurt.
















Daisy teaching Isabelle to pull the cart.

With gas prices being what they are, maybe I should open a rickshaw service.

Isabelle received a harness for Moonbeam from Santa, and we have been teaching him to drive. However, that rattling cart is a whole new experience and he is not sure about that *at all*. I think another post at another time on that experience will be good.

New Garden- Raised Beds

When you are faced with poorly drained soil, raised beds are wonderful. They also allow you to grow some things, like certain herbs, that would not thrive in wet conditions. Mainly, I just love how they look. I am using rot resistant cypress boards that are not treated. They are 10"x12' and most of our beds will be 8' x 4'. We did build two beds that are 12' x 4' for the asparagus.

My helpers............

My materials and tools.......

My materials cut into proper lengths.......

8 x 4 raised beds for vegetables and ornamentals. And filthy little girls.

I only have these stacked for the sake of neatness, the beds will not be this high. Three 8x4s and two 12x4 asparagus beds. The girls had fun helping to drive the screws and then playing house.

Maybe this will make them eat their boiled turnips.

Not really.

New Garden- The Site

Here is where the garden will be.

As I mentioned, we have red clay and have imported a mountain of cow manure and pine fines. Hopefully, those mixed together will produce something that all the plants will adore.

Red mountain. Did you know that red clay can make you jump higher........................

................and run faster

than other people?

A study in oranges. Hair. Shirt. Dirt. Tractor. Shirt. We love orange.

Thank goodness for bleach. Well, never mind the bleach- there isn't enough in the world at this point. Thank goodness for old playclothes. Do people wear "playclothes" anymore?

Or throw dirt clods?

Black mountain.

A shame all children cannot enjoy playing in a huge pile of cow manure.

This is what the feet of happy children look like.

Next..........raised beds.

New Garden- Plant List

Patiently waiting.

My plant list. This is what I have so far- currently everything is heeled in at our rental house. I hope it will all be OK- the plums and apples are blooming.

Muscadines: 7: Big Red, Darlene, Pam, Supreme, Late Fry and Cowart
Raspberries: 12: Anne, Heritage, Autumn Bliss, Nova
Blueberries: 6: Alapaha, Brightwell, Powderblue, Climax, Tiftblue
Blackberries: 7: Apache, Chickasaw, Kiowah, Navaho, Natchez, Chester, Triple Crown I should have gotten more plants and a fewer number of varieties. All the descriptions leave me breathless!
Kiwi: 3: Issai, Anna, male
Apples: 2: Anna, Dorsett
Pears: 2: Orient, Seckel
Asian Pears: 2: 20th Century, Hosui
Plums: 3: Santa Rosa, Golden Nectar, Beauty
Figs: 3: Brown Turkey, LSU Purple, Celeste
Cherry: Black Tartarian, Ranier
Pomgrante: 1: Angel Red
Peach: 1:Redsomething- I can't remember

New Garden

We are getting close to finishing the house, so I am starting my garden- it is a bit late, but anyone who has ever built a house knows there are delays and hey, better late than never. We have red clay so I have taken delivery of a mountain of pine fines and cow manure. I will plant mostly in raised beds, we started building them yesterday. I thought I would post my current planting list and "raw clay" photos and try and keep updating as we go along- I did this with my last garden and really enjoyed having a "progress bar" to go back to when I felt bummed that I was not getting enough done. I would *love* any insight and/or suggestions, successes/failures- I am excited about trying some things I couldn't before- some experiments- things people have told me probably wouldn't grow here but that I cannot resist trying like raspberries, apples, cherries and asparagus. I am so excited, but trying not to bite off more than I can chew because I am also doing the other landscaping around the house as well. Anyway- off to build more raised beds! These photos are of a little bit of Spring that Rosemary put together in a container.

I thought she did a great job!

Unwelcome Visitors

The farrier came today to trim the horses' hooves. When he was about halfway through I noticed something out of the corner of my eye- it ended up being the most enormous skunk I had ever seen. I didn't get a photo of that one, unfortunately, but it wasn't long before another showed up, and I was able to snap a few pictures. They were both on a mission, I assume they were looking for each other, as this is the time of year they seek each other's company. They investigated every vehicle, the horse trailer and most unfortunately, us. They found Isabelle especially interesting- and vice versa- and she is just enough of a daredevil that she pushed her luck and was chased back to the house in short order. It doesn't take much of a threat from a skunk to make you rethink your intentions.

For those of you who aren't around skunks often, I can tell you- well, actually, I cannot think of a word that will convey to you how unbearable their odor is. Not only when they spray, but constantly- I suppose when they do spray enough of it stays on them that it will make your eyes water at 50 yards. Unbelievable.

Needless to say, this put quite a kink in the farriers' routine, as we would have to stop and move out of the way as the skunks came over to see if we were hiding the skunk of the opposite sex. You don't tell a skunk where to go. I have never seen as many skunks as I have since we moved here. While they are interesting in their own way, the assault they inflict upon my senses keeps me from ever wanting to investigate in depth.

Rosemary's band concert