Kids, Lakes, Loons and Pines

in the garden:: harvesting beets and herbs

Yesterday was a busy and productive day on the homestead!  After a fun weekend trip to the Twin Cities we spent a day catching up - feeding and watering animals, mowing the lawn, washing piles of laundry and tending to the garden.

I will be heading off on a solo-trip tomorrow, attending a school training on the East Coast, so I have an added sense of urgency to get as much as I can in order.  Yesterday, in the garden, that meant a harvest of beets and herbs.

This year I enlisted the help of my three older children, and they were an amazing help, lightening the load for this mama - and learning while partaking in the process themselves.   While I was cleaning and chopping herbs the kids had their own assembly line with the beets.  The beets boiled and softened while I mowed the lawn.  Then we pickled, canned and dehydrated finishing everything with enough time for a refreshing dip in the lake at the end of the day....not bad for a Monday!

 

garden Notes 7/24- a photographic garden journal

::garden love::

raspberries, kale, pumpkins, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, & carrots!

summer days

Oh summer.  I love you.

 

inside my beehive - July

 

Sharing some snapshots of honeybee goodness today.  With my investigation I found evidence of a relatively strong hive with developing brood, nectar, capped honey and pollen.

 I am happy with what I was able to see.  

garden Notes 7/13- a photographic garden journal

Today I harvested some herbs from our garden.  I have an abundance of chives, which have been growing wildly in the corner the last couple of years.  Today I decided to cut and dry some for use over the fall and winter.  

I also made an herbal wreath, a project that I have been wanting to try for a while now.  I have it all set and drying flat with intentions to hang it in our home for decoration and use.  It was easier project than I thought it would be.

Between rain showers I also weeded the garden.  I was happy to see our garden raspberries starting to ripen.  I am anxiously awaiting our first raspberry harvest, but much occupied right now picking wild blueberries from our backwoods.

summer goodness

Showcasing a highlight reel from early in the week as we are currently stuck in the house on a hot, humid and rainy day tending to children with fevers.

Soon enough everyone will be better and we will be back out in action enjoying the abundance of beauty and pure summer goodness that July in Northern Minnesota brings.

blueberry goodness

Life is good when mornings can be spent filling up buckets with wild blueberries!

 

Garden Notes 7/2- a photographic garden journal

 

 

The garden is coming along!  

New this week:  green tomatoes and many blooming flowers.

 We welcomed also have been welcoming  the bunny into the garden for some fun, exercise and foraging.

*bunny notes:  When we adopted this bunny we really did not know much about him, I was told he may be part Angora rabbit - and he does have super-soft fiber that I have been collecting to spin in the future.  However, researching rabbits a bit more I am coming to the conclusion that he resembles an American Fuzzy Lop rabbit much more than an Angora rabbit.  Because he has been in a couple of homes during his life, we will probably never know or he very well could be some mix.  Regardless we are happy with his addition to the homestead and I am enjoying my first experience with a fiber animal.