It's been three years since our last... supersaturated spring, but that's what we're facing this year.  In the month of May, we received over 30" of rain, most of it in 3"+ downpours.  I think it's so funny that people bemoan the water like it's never happened like this, but I know it has.  I remember when James had to race home from work to fish out chicken coops from our lowlands, which were dramatically flooded.  We've learned not to move the chickens down there until later in the summer.

My labors to lay down mulch last summer and fall have been washed away, as you can see in the background of my blackberries.  These are on higher ground so they look great.  I'm finally getting them cleaned up and trellised properly.

 We planted some extra potatoes in with the mint in our one raised bed, and they may be the only potato harvest we have this year since the other potatoes are probably rotting.

 The weeds are taking over, as it has been too wet for us to get in and weed.  This week we began laying slabs of soaked straw in the walkways so that in the next week of rain, we can still get to the plants to pull weeds.

 The pond is bursting its banks, and I can only imagine the mosquito spawn breeding right now.

 And here are the garlic rows and onions.  This was a week or two ago, so the weeds are bigger, but we're beginning to get them cleaned up.

Our driveway has washed out twice, despite new gravel and repairs.  I think James has found a way to keep the water from destroying the entire drive now, so it will be safe to drive in and out.

I've made a big list of chores for the summer, and we are trying to plow through them now while it's cool.  I have no doubt that, come July, it will be so hot we will miss the rain.  Farming is not about calm weather, but about making the best of the weather we get.

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.

It's Been a Little Rainy

With the rain still falling last weekend, it's getting a little wet.  We aren't complaining (thanks be to God for the rain!), but the pond is a little full...  Just Saturday I took pictures of the pond.  This is Sunday.  The pond rocks are almost completely covered.

1.5" of rain will do that.

 There's nowhere for the chickens to go that's dry!

The driveway is in rough shape.

As is the only road into our neighborhood.

 Bridge out!

 This fellow thought he could go through.  He drove in to his wheels, and finally stopped.  I was afraid he'd keep going, and the water is at least 6' over the bridge in the middle.  Stupid, stupid, stupid.

What will tonight bring?  More rain, of course!

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.

Fencing, Weeding, and Purgatory

After weeks, even months, of intermittent work, the fence encompassing the front 20 acres of Purgatory Ranch is complete, gates and all.  The barbed wire on the easy end will remind me of the location of the  dreaded poison ivy.  (Speaking of which, how have I stumbled into it three times this summer with tiny patches?  No major outbreaks, but itchy nonetheless!)

 Weeding this year is a battle.  JoJo is a most delightful baby, much more cooperative than Jimmy ever was at this age, but I still can't seem to get ahead of the weeds.  James set out to help me today... But before that story, bask in the sight of my not-quite-so-empty north potato bed.  At one point, I thought I had lost 95% of this bed.  Now I'd estimate my losses at 40%, which is much more reasonable and will undoubtedly yield more potatoes than we can possibly consume.  I enjoy extras when it comes to food.

(The exuberance of tree onions always fascinates me.)

And the purgatory of the title can be summed up as... A once-friendly neighbor may have irreparably damaged our friendship by calling James some terrible names and attempting to bully James to solve his own problems.  Thus, James spend 6 hours burning brush piles.  I even have sunburned forearms to prove my participation in the excitement.

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.

Weeding in the Mud

Not many potatoes up in the north bed yet, but plenty of weeds,

mostly grass.

Our former entrance onto the land, from the neighbors' field.  It's a good thing we didn't have to drive that way today.  I'm not feeling good about our odds with the mud.

The garlic looks amazing!

The kids' garden potatoes are growing by leaps and bounds.  I am a little concerned since I spied buds on a plant, and it's awfully early to be flowering!

More potatoes that are up! 

I can see how much the compost application improves the soil.  Can you tell where the compost heap was last year?

We have a new favorite tool, called the Rogue hoe, recommended to us by a friend several years ago.  It's taken a while for us to remember to order when we could actually afford to pay for an expensive hoe.  Yes, they are significantly more costly than a $5 hoe from Walmart or Mendards, but you know what happens to those around here, right?  I ordered three different sizes, one of which is massive and another of which is miniscule, as I wanted us to test which is best for us.  James and I will probably choose different favorites, but he's taller and stronger than I, so no surprise.  I can say I love that they can take out honey locust saplings in one good whack (or maybe two, for me!).

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.

Plowing

 Saturday, "plowing day," in three parts.

Part I, 8 am delivery of 6 tons of compost at less than $15 a ton.  It was chilly, in the 30s, but once we started working, I had to take off my winter coat.

6 tons of compost.

Preparing to sell our mower, as we have no tractor for it currently.

After Mike the compost guy left, we began felling red cedars.  Why, you might ask?  Red cedars are considered a noxious week and make it hard for us to plow up larger plots for our food.  When we bought the land over two years ago, the previous owners had cut and burned the largest of the cedars.  Our original plan had been to burn our front 20 acres, thus killing all the cedars and any other not-so-pleasant undesirables, but county regulations had other things to say.  Since we are within a mile of an air strip, we are not allowed to burn.

Plan B?  Axes and bow saws.  Next time, I'm using loppers.

Excellent camouflage, no?

Our tree hauler!

Early in our tree piling, before James used it as a resting place,
 only to discover I had also been cutting down honey locusts!
(Ouch!)

 Unfortunately, I failed to snap a picture of James as he felled cedars with one blow.

The end of the pile, over 100 trees.

 Intermission, we attended a nearby auction when we learned that the man with the plow would not arrive until 12:30.  It should be noted that we (James in particular) are not to be trusted alone at most auctions.  Last time, we bought a tractor that nearly killed James.

This time, being more prudent, we only bought a tool box and a fence post driver.  (I really appreciate the Google search engines for things like this.  Fence post driver?  We called it all kinds of things as I didn't know its proper name!)

Part II, in which I fail to take pictures of the tilling.  My dad asked that we plow this year, as our heavy clay needs to be broken up, but he found a man who thought we only needed tilling (again... James still maintains we never needed to plow) since the ground was soft from all the rain.

Wow.  The two plots look amazing.

Supervising the plowing and assisting with his own hoe.
Doesn't the drive look lovely with gravel?!

 After plowing, we showed the girls how to plant sprouted potatoes left from last year's harvest.  It will be their own little garden to care for, and will hopefully keep them busy!

Next week, planting!  We have 6 varieties of potatoes, including All-Blue.  We're going to make a party of it!

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.

Planting, hacking, and weeding

A week late is better than never, right?

Our garlic was supposed to be planted by Columbus Day, but I forgot.  Then, I received a notification that our Jerusalem artichokes had shipped, and since those were due to be planted at the land too, maybe it was a good thing I forgot.

After school on Tuesday, we packed up and drove to the land, where I marveled at how quickly weeds will grow.

After hacking down the honey locusts attempting to control the drive, we hacked the foot + tall weeds (yes, next year, we'll be planting a cover crop.  Immediately. after. digging. potatoes... speaking of which, we uncovered another 2 pounds).

Then we planted our artichokes, garlic, and tree onions.  I love planting, freshly dug ground, and doing something to further our self-sufficiency goal.

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.

Didn't you ever play in the dirt when you were little?

Check out her stance.

Lacking-a-Name Pond
also lacking water

Hard to see, but there's a pesky stump in the middle of the picture.
It had to come out before we could safely drive on our new access point.

See how much trouble we would have been in?
We are grateful to "Uncle" Bruce for loan of his tools and teasing.

After.  Isn't it beautiful?

First use of our new access point to the land.
No more driving over the neighbor's hayfield!

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.