Fall

It's fall and I've already started to put the garden to rest! Tomato plants are down (not a great crop this year), cucumbers and beans are done (great crops from both). In fact, we had so many cucumbers this year I finally started to "put up" veggies. Bread and butter pickles, jalapeno carrots, dilly beans and mixtures of assorted veggies in both cider and white vinegar. Oh yes, some salsa and we froze TONS of jalapenos and pesto (basil as well as parsley using either walnuts or pecans - I'm not a big pine nut fan). We planted some carrots, brussel sprouts and lettuce in September but only the lettuce is looking good.

The chickens got broody a lot this August since it was so rainy and dark, but we still enjoyed eggs most of the time. Never get Silkies unless you're willing to put in the extra work. They each go broody about 4 times a year! Which means that they want to sit on eggs and don't lay any. They fluff themselves up to keep their undersides really warm (which would be great if they had eggs to hatch - but they don't). We have a wire cage with a tray underneath which we put them in and then lock the cage in the shed in the backyard for 3 nights - that usually cures them. Here is the coop with the "brooding shed" in the background

The chickens are adorable though and people in the neighborhood arrange their schedules so they can walk by and see them in the front yard during the day.