Busy Weekend

We had beautiful weather yesterday, so I spent a lot of time outside.  I finally started working in my garden.  Yes, this is really the first I’ve worked on it this year.

I got most of the old dead weeds piled up, but there’s a bit more.  Weather permitting, I’ll have a large bonfire in the next couple of days.  I still need to pick up the remains of last year’s planting (don’t judge me, 2012 was a rough year).

While working in the garden, I did notice the apple blossoms are just about to open.

I keep watching my big shade trees.

With the warmer weather, they are finally starting to get some leaves.

That’s a good thing.

I wanted to move the bovine to the Back Forty this weekend, but I had to wait.

Maxine is enjoying the sunny weather today.

Our temperature tomorrow is supposed to be 95*F.   I can’t move them until they have some nice shade trees completely leafed out.

For now they will have to use their cattle shed for shade.

The goats have their barn for shade.  They all have tanks with plenty of water.

Hopefully, I can get them back there in the  next couple of days.  Okay, after we get past our one really hot day.  They’ll all be happier when they have shade trees.

That heat is also going to be very hard on my really pregnant goats.

With the up and down temperatures, some of them still have at least part of their winter coats.  This wet month has also been hard on their feet.  My son was good to me and held some goats yesterday while I trimmed hooves.  That’s all I wanted for Mother’s Day!  We’re supposed to finish that task this evening.

Linking to Clever Chick’s Blog Hop, Homestead Barn Hop, Ruby Tuesday 2, Barn Charm, and Tuesday Muse.

Backyard on the 1st

It’s the first of November, and that means it’s time to look at my back yard and see what’s going on out there.  Surprisingly, the grass is green and tall.  It’s just that there’s a blanket of leaves over it too.

The tree yesterday’s acrobatic squirrel lives in provides a lot of shade for the backyard, which means it also drops a lot of leaves in the fall.

I tend to be natural with my yard work.  Of course, that’s just my way of saying, I never seem to get around to raking leaves in the fall.  I never seem to get my garden properly put to bed either.  It’s still full of weeds and dead plants and tomato cages.

I did find a couple of gourds.  That surprised me.  They were volunteers from last year, and I never had any last year because of the stinking squash borer worms.

It was a nice surprise.  One of the best things about the back yard right now, is just hanging out and watching Marley play with big sticks on the other side of the fence.

He has a lot of fun.

Linking to First of the Month, Friday’s Fences, Thankful Thursday, and Farmgirl Friday.

Linking to Camera Critters.

How Did October Get Here So Soon?

There’s many beautiful colors around right now, and I’ve been taking pictures of them.  I was so into it, that I forgot about my First of the Month post.  Today, you get to see my back yard.  No great splashes of brilliant colors here.

My oak trees just don’t get those bright colors that many other types of trees display.

The plum tree has almost lost all of its leaves already.

The grass is as green as its been all summer, and it actually needs mowed. Might have to think about that eventually.

I still haven’t figured out why they would have planted the apple tree so close to the oak tree.  It certainly does make it hard on the poor thing.  The oak tree it’s growing beneath actually does have a few leaves turning.

I can see the corn has all turned and is just waiting to be harvested.  That should be pretty soon.

My garden has been largely forgotten.  There are a few ripe tomatoes.

I have quite a few green tomatoes.  This plant has been touched by our earlier frost, and it will likely be killed by frost by the weekend.

Finally, as we head back towards the house, I can see where the wind has scattered mallow seeds.  With the lack of mowing, they’ve actually gotten big enough to blossom.

They are about the last splash of flower color I’ll see this year.

I’ll have to share more of those great fall colors tomorrow.

I’m also linking to Wordless Wednesday with Project Alicia, Live and Love Out Loud, Create With Joy, Tina’s Wordless Wednesday, and Sarah Halstead.