Countdown

How can we already be on the way to the first frost?

We are picking the last of our peppers and tomatoes, but the zucchini are still producing fruit like crazy.  We are going to experiment with preserving kale and chard through freezing and some fermenting recipes as well.

I've been sick for several weeks so I'm behind on a few things.  I still have to filter some of the honey we took from one of the hives, and bottle it all. I have to put feeder pails on all of the hives, and order the new insulated hive covers I'm going to try this winter.

We have herbs and flowers to harvest and dry, locust and elderberry trees to plant.  We need to start winterizing the chook palace and the backyard coop, and figure out if we need to start a major renovation on the garage where water and mice are damaging the wood.

I want to paint all of the black metal gates and stall bars in the barn since they are starting to rust, but since that's mostly cosmetic and not essential for keeping any of the beasts alive it's not at the top of the list unfortunately.

There are a lot of waste hay bales we need to move out of the barn in preparation for getting our winter hay put up.  It's been a tough summer for making hay, and both of my hay guys are weeks behind.  There is always rain in the forecast so they literally just have to let the grass and alfalfa grow because it would never cure in time for baling if they cut it now.  Makes me a little uneasy not having our winter supply in the barn yet.

I'm hoping to have Oakley drag the pasture where Glenn put all of the composted manure in piles. That section of sheep pasture seems to have the least organics and has received the fewest amendments since we've been here. If I get all of my other tasks finished today, then tomorrow we'll give it a go as long as he is healthy.  This week he had a major heaves episode likely due to pollen, and was in very rough shape.  This happens to him every year in August or September but it's still not easy to watch him suffer.

That's it for now.