Busy Day - July 2, 2024 @goldenoakfarm

On Tuesday I was up at 4:45AM and the moon was high in a deep blue sky as the dawn appeared. I got the post up and was out in the Big garden by 6:30AM.

I started at the south end this time and got the kale cleaned up. The bugs were really bad on it this year. I think not being able to do the foliar spraying each week and getting 7” of rain in the last month is taking its toll.

The broccoli was right next to it and the bugs weren’t as bad. Only 1 had started a head. The beets were doing very well, no bug pressure and are ready to harvest. I took the tiny flowerbuds off the basil and I hope my brother will want to get some pesto made soon.

The celery is not doing well, I think it needs the foliar badly. But the leeks are doing well, even though they had been very weedy.

The mesclun beds have a lot of flowers but there’s still a good amount of greens in them.

I finished the Big garden by 7:30AM and moved over to the Back Porch garden.

I’d pulled the biggest weeds a couple weeks back, but it had filled in since then. I hadn’t gotten very far when my brother came out at 7:45AM and wanted to take his car to the garage for repairs. So I followed him up in my car and he brought me back home and headed to work in my car. He’ll probably have it for the rest of the week.

I got the little garden cleaned out and brought over plants to plant:

4 Allyssum
2 Snapdragons
1 Wallflower
1 Sweet William

I got cleaned up outside and rested inside to cool down for a short while then went out to pick green peas.

There looked to be enough to justify doing the job.

I didn’t even do a great job as I was hot and tired and I got this huge bowl full.

I was back inside just after 10:30AM, hot and sweaty and wanting a shower. But I had to do mowing in the yard and I knew I’d just get hot and dirty again, so I sat and rested until 11AM. I had to walk to the barn to get them mowers and mowed until the BuyNothing person arrived at 12:45PM.

While I waited outside for her, the clips for the hoophouse were delivered. I started replacing the clothespins with the clips when she got here. She took a lot of seedlings and when she left, I finished putting the clips on. Now the doors will stay open and I won’t be hunting clothespins that got pulled off. I took the mowers back to the barn and walked back.

Hot and sweaty again but Tom was bringing the Kubota at 3:30PM and I knew I’d be hot again. So I set up on the couch, put in the old movie Miracle of the White Stallions, and my supervisor and I sat and shelled peas until nearly 4PM.

I filled a large colander of nice size peas. I got set up and the water heating to blanch them for freezing.

I was done by 5PM and had 5½ pints of peas. I made leftovers and the half pint of peas for supper.

Tom arrived at 5PM with the Kubota and we got it unloaded and in the barn. Now I can order the wood chip mulch for the New Herb garden walkways.

My son had started the weedwacking of the yard.

But he only got behind the shed and this far in the wood area. Hopefully he will finish on Wednesday.

I edited all the photos from the day, finally got a shower, and was in bed by 9PM.

On Wednesday, I plan to thoroughly pick both types of peas and then clean up the Small garden before the squashes get to sprawly. I have to clean the kitchen as it’s a disaster. And I should get the laundry folded and put away. I have to order the mulch and I need to call to see what the results of the meeting on Tuesday were regarding my helper situation.