A Beautiful Summer Day

We ate breakfast out on the porch this morning.  What a beautiful morning.  We went into town to the Farmer's Market.  It was funny to be there with no money in hand.  But we were really there to pick up the cherries that we were "owed" from our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) or Farmshare.  We talked to a lot of people at the market.  I met a really cool couple who look like they are a bit younger than us.  They moved to the area to take care of the guy's grandmother.  They are using the time that they have to learn to farm.  They have chickens...6 of them...and they have planted a garden.  They buy goat milk from the librarian in town and they use essential oils to make soap, deodorant, lip balm, etc.  It was fun to talk to them, because they are still in the process of figuring things out and we are right there with them.  They told me about a book called The Backyard Homestead.  They said it was a great book for beginners.  I will check it out. 

Who else did I talk to?  Two ladies who spin fiber into yarn.  They told me that there is a "spinning guild" that meets here in town at the high school.  It is amazing what you can learn at the Farmer's Market.  :-)  They have alpacas and they spin their wool into yarn.  Very cool.  I always thought that I should save Bear's undercoat in the Spring when he was shedding and spin it.  I just didn't know where to start.  The lady has a Great Pyrenees like Belle to watch her alpacas.  She assured me that as Belle grows, her undercoat will grow too.  Maybe a second chance? 

And then I talked to a lady who has a nursery down the road from here.  She had some lovely things.  My favorite was a hanging basket, you know like everyone gives to their mothers on Mother's Day?  And it had draping tomato plants in it!  What a cool idea!  Wish I had had some money with me because she had marked them down too.  Oh well, I can dream a bit and then maybe go back next weekend.

That lady had a variety of herb starts as well.  We need to get an herb garden started.  Tim is a wonderful cook and he uses lots of herbs. Fresh herbs, yum! 

Our garden is growing well.  We have little tiny carrots and a few different kinds of lettuce.  Our Zuchs and Summer squash are getting big.  No actual veggies on there yet, but should be pretty soon.  The onions are growing.  The tomatoes and peppers...um, not so good.  But oh well.  The rabbits pretty much ate all of our rhubarb. 

SO...this is where we have come from our starting place of just wanting to make sure that our weeds were not up over our heads this year.  

As an update to our eating habits, we have pretty much moved over to as organic as we can get.  Our beef is grass fed from the farm we get our veggies from.  They aren't certified organic, but they use no pesticides and only organic fertilizer on their starts.

We are using mostly organic cleaners and body products.  It is a good start.  We don't juice as much as I would like, but honestly it is an acquired taste. 

That's all for today.  Hope you have a safe 4th of July.