Last Garden Journal Post

I started this blog as a way to try and find a good garden record keeping system. I've tried to use the blog in a variety of ways, but, in the end, find that simple, old fashioned pencil and paper calendar work best. Computers are great tools, but even with filing and labeling, I find that the more information I have to organize, the more difficult it becomes to keep track of it. Then too, having to make the time to go online and make my daily updates became more of a chore than a help. So for now, I'm going to set this blog aside. I'll not delete it because my link collection is still very useful to me, and, I hope, to others.

Rain Totals 2013

2013 Total Rainfall: 84.65"

January total: 12.55"
Wk 1: 0.75"
Wk 2: 5.8"
Wk 3: 4.35"
Wk 4: 1.65"

February total: 5.65"
Wk. 1: 0.7"
Wk 2: 1.1"
Wk 3: 0.35"
Wk 4: 3.5"

March total: 4.5"
Wk 1: 0.5"
Wk 2: 1.1"
Wk 3: 0.6"
Wk 4: 2.3"

April total: 6.65"
Wk 1: 0.55"
Wk 2: 1.05"
Wk 3: 2.35"
Wk 4: 2.7"

May total: 6.75"
Wk 1: 3.2"
Wk 2: sprinkle
Wk 3: 1.05"
Wk 4: 2.5

June total: 9.35"
Wk 1: 5.7"
Wk. 2: 2.65"
Wk. 3: 0.9"
Wk 4: 0.1"

July total: 14.05"
Wk 1: 6.95"
Wk 2: 2.65"
Wk 3: 2.2"
Wk. 4: 2.25"

August total: 11.2"
Wk 1: 5.65"
Wk 2: 1.95"
Wk 3: 3.25"
Wk. 4: 0.35"

September total: 4"
Wk 1: 0.25"
Wk 2: 0"
Wk 3: 1.25"
Wk 4: 2.5"

October total: 2.05"
Wk. 1: 1.65"
Wk. 2: drizzle
Wk. 3: 0.4"
Wk. 4: drizzle

November total: 4.45"
Wk. 1: 0.05"
Wk 2: 0
Wk 3: 1"
Wk 4: 3.4"

December total: 3.45"
Wk 1: 0.95"
Wk 2: 1.4"
Wk 3 & 4: 1.1"

December is approximate; the rain gauge was knocked over once and I was out of town for awhile as well.

More Rain

I went out to check the rain gauge this morning after two days of rain. But the ground had sogged out and the gauge was fallen over!

Rainfall for December week 1 was 0.95"
Rainfall for the past few days (this is a guess) 1"

I got 7 pullet eggs today! Looks like our egg drought is over, but Surprise isn't giving much milk anymore.

Not much going on in the garden. I'm going to start on some freezer canning (jellies), also the cushaw. I have more bone broth from the last batch of chicken bones, so I'm thinking more soup! We're heading for another week of lows in the 20s, so good warm soup will be welcome. Maybe it's time to perfect egg drop soup.

Weird Winter Weather

Low: 65 F
High: 73 F
Rainfall: 0.25"

Felt more like spring than winter!

Fog, Drizzle, & Rain

5 Acres & A Dream The
Book: The Challenges of
Establishing a Self-
Sufficient Homestead

Here's the reason I haven't been blogging here much. It's taken a lot of work to get my new book off the ground!

Besides our fog, drizzle, & rain we've had mild temps! After our week of recent frigid weather I was wondering what the winter will bring. This week it's been mild and soggy.

November rainfall total: 4.45"
Rainfall today: 0.7"

The garden is producing greens: kale, broccoli, collards. My lettuce seeds are just now sprouting thanks to the rain. The other day we harvested 6 chickens: 2 roosters and my 4 oldest hens. I froze the roosters who were still fairly young and canned the hens. Defrosted a chevon shoulder and am trying a marinade in red wine. It's from a buck, which is a little strong flavored, but not bad. I'm curious to see how this will do.

Winter Has Arrived

Yesterday's rainfall was 4/10 of an inch.

This morning, the temperature was 23.

Thanksgiving was warm and cozy, however. The corn bread stuffing was from home grown corn as was the eggs and whey in the cornbread, and the sweet potatoes. Even though we only had a modest garden harvest this year, we still have a lot to be thankful for.

Rain, Rain, Rain

Everything is brown

Rain comes and opens the skies

Leaves are on the ground.

Rainfall: 3.0" by sundown and still falling.