September on the Farm
Welcome to the farm! September has been a beautiful month. Evening shadows play across the yard as the days get shorter. The mornings are cool and brisk. You can smell the cornfields as they dry down and are ready for harvest. The garden is giving her last gifts. Everything around us is preparing for the change of seasons.
What I've been up to -
Caleb and I decided to try something new this year. We planted a second crop of green beans the first week of August. We didn't know if the beans would have enough time to fully mature, but we decided to risk it, since our spring planting of green beans were destroyed by pests.
Our second planting was wildly successful and we're harvesting green bean this week, to can, freeze, and (of course) to enjoy fresh. I think I may do a fall planting of green beans again next year. The warm temperatures in August made the plants grow quickly and there weren't as many insects or critters nibbling on the beans.
I've also been working to dry the last of my herbs. I currently have Lemon Balm, Thyme, Spearmint, Apple Mint, Mountain Mint, Lemon Verbena, and Rose petals drying throughout the house. The dried black beans are slowly being shelled. The apples picked and turned into applesauce. And the raspberry bushes pruned.
For my book this month I read Chasing Shadows by Lynn Austin. I don't usually prefer non-fiction books; however, this book was recommended to me and I really enjoyed the story of courage and faith in the midst of difficult times. If you're interested in WWII or just want some inspiration for persevering during difficulty this is a great read!
What Caleb's been up to -
This month we were greeted with an unusual amount of rain. We had a lot of flooding down by the creek. Caleb spent a lot of time fixing the lane and adding stone to fill in the washed-out areas. The rain also made the pasture grow like crazy and he's been mowing the area to keep it from getting overgrown.
I am fortunate to have a man who supports me in all my creative endeavors. Caleb helped me clean out the bank barn to host my herb club for an end of summer celebration. In addition, he's been helping to pick green beans, peppers, and apples to store for winter.
What Tucker's been up to -
Tucker had his 3rd birthday this month. He celebrated with a juicy stake bone, a long nap, and a game of fetch in the yard. Even though he manages to get himself into a lot of trouble, he's a good little companion and we love having him around.
(Photo of hot air balloon on far left courtesy of AE Balloon Flights, LLC.)
What the others are up to -
Mishka the kitten is getting quite adventurous. She's always somewhere on the farm exploring and chasing bugs or mice. The hens are enjoying all of the leftover scraps from the garden. They've been laying fewer eggs since the days are shorter and it's a bittersweet thing. I like having fewer eggs to wash, but I miss having the abundance of eggs to eat.
September is a lovely month filled with the joys of the last days of summer and the first days of autumn. We hope you've enjoyed getting a glimpse into our month. Leave us a comment and let us know what you’ve been up to this month.
Thanks for reading,
Caleb, Abby, Tucker, & the rest of the critters
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