Garden news, chicken cleaning, good friends

While we were on the Polk Ranch over the weekend the owner asked me if I would like some garlic. There was patch in the front year of the old ranch house that she wanted to get rid of but did not necessarily want to throw out. Her husband dug them up Saturday morning as we were out for our ride so I packed them in the bed of the truck and hauled then back to Chico.

I planted them in the garden yesterday evening as Mama and I were straightening up around the house and in the back yard. There were more than I had anticipated. All in all, there were about twenty bulbs. If Mama and I are careful we should have garlic for our personal use for many years to come.

Speaking of the garden, Mama and I will have to dig potatoes this week. The plants are dying above ground so we know they are finished below ground. The last time we dug just two hills we ended up with enough potatoes for a couple meals. I do not know how many pounds of potatoes we will get out of the five rows we will dig this week – but it could be more than we are prepared for.

Mama will also have to pick strawberries in the next couple days. We put out thirty plants and now have about seventy five. If the weather holds for a few weeks we should be able to make our own strawberry freezer jam with the strawberries from our own garden. That’s exciting! I will get to pick figs shortly after we get back from Alaska – probably enough for a couple jars of preserves. That’s exciting too!

Mama and I took time last night to dust the chickens. We found mites on one bird so we treated the whole flock. We got a pretty good dusting ourselves as we tried to put the Seven Dust on each of the birds. I believe we mostly succeeded but next time we will wait until after dark when the birds have settled on the roost. They may be less prone to fight us at that time.

As Mama and out were out working in the yard our neighbor to the south stopped by. He had invited us to put Daisy and Dash with his cattle so Daisy could get bred by his bull. We were going to let down a patch of fence so she could mingle but he told us that he has the cattle on a second separate pasture right now.

In order to get her to the herd he is going to come to our barn and load her and Dash up in his stock trailer and take her to the pasture where he is keeping the bull. That is a kindness way beyond what we would have expected – or would have ever thought to ask. The Lord has given us very good neighbors here in Chico. That should happen Thursday night.

Mama and Victoria are going to pick up Victoria’s car today. It has been at the mechanic in Bowie. He found the problem she was having and corrected it in the most economical way he could find. We now know the root problem and can quickly address it if the same issues develop again. That’s a good thing since Victoria is heading to Florida to stay with Cori as she struggles with issues with her pregnancy.

Victoria got a leave of absence from work so she could get the time off. It will do both sisters good to have that time together.