Week of 6/30/09

Monday 06/29/09
Hattie gave 2 gallons.
I traveled for meetings today, it was a busy day.
It rained tonight!!! It was dark when it finished so I have not checked the rain gauge yet. What a relief to get a nice long, heavy shower!! I stood out on the back porch taking pics and getting soaked; thoroughly enjoyable.
The figs are ripening!

Tuesday 6/30/09
Hattie gave two gallons of milk today.
The rain gauge measured ½ inch of rain last night!!
Yippee!!
The garden is petering out. The tomatoes and cucumbers have drastically slowed down despite the watering. Oh well, cows, kids, everyone was happy with it while it lasted!

Wednesday 7/01/09
No milking due to travel. Dave watered like crazy today and discovered several soccer ball sized watermelons growing in the melon patch!
Dave grilled sausage on the grill; no heating up the house is a good plan. It was 104 in the shade of the porch today. Dave and I went to look at hot tubs this afternoon; we put a down payment on one. I don’t think we will need to turn the heating unit on any time soon. I am looking so forward to cooling off in it! Sure beats running the garden hose over one’s head.

Thursday 7/02/09
Hattie gave 2 gallons this morning.
Charlye emailed that they dissected a sheep brain a few days ago and today they went to the Body World exhibit. She is having a great time!
We went to a send off party for our friend Janeen that is moving back to NY State in a few weeks; I am so happy for her! She has been accepted into the program she wanted and gets to be close to family.
My online college course is going well, almost finished the first one, the next one starts next week. I am getting back into the swing of it, finally!

Friday 7/03/09
2.5 gallons this morning! We picked up the beef from the butcher this morning. The processed weight was 735 pounds; thank goodness some friends split it with us! The freezers are adequately full!
We harvested 3 eggplants, 4 cucumbers, a handful of tomatoes and a handful of berries.

I went out this afternoon to take pics of the ever increasing melon vines, and growing fruit. All was well until I got to the large fruit outside the fence and noticed to my horror a snake just a few inches away from the melon! I gave Dave the frantic “come-hither-it-is-a-snake” sign (without screaming this time). He took a shot at it, one melon exploded and the snake stayed in the same weird position. Turns out he was caught in the fine poultry netting—woven in and out of it actually, and was unable to move. Dave cut him out, and beheaded him (my hero)! I won’t be going into the melon patch without boots on.
We had seafood gumbo and garden carrots on the side for dinner. I’ll thaw some new beef tomorrow.

Saturday 07/04/09
Happy July 4th!!
Hattie gave 2+ gallons this morning, the dogs and cats got an extra allotment (no complaints from them).
I spent the day doing laundry and cleaning house, this afternoon I power washed the back porch and repainted it. The heat is good for helping paint dry at least! It will likely need another coat tomorrow.
I am picking and eating half a dozen figs a day; the abundance will soon overwhelm me I’m sure.
Josh and I did not do much for the 4th, cleaned house, watched a movie and went out for ice cream for dessert. Charlye sent a video clip of the fireworks she watched—very cool!
Max went nuts when the neighbors shot off their fireworks. With the drought I was hoping they would resist the temptation this year, no such luck.
I grilled teriyaki beef on skewers for dinner (the new beef), it turned out great! I grilled corn and eggplant too, also delicious.

Sunday 07/05/09
I skipped milking today.
I watered the garden and put another coat of paint on the deck. By this evening it was dry and the deck is put back together.
I spent time indoors studying between excursions outside to do chores.
Max dug up a nasty bone he buried 2 days ago, ick!
Baked chicken for dinner.
Rested and relaxed, ready for the week ahead!