Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Hay-Making Weather!

It doesn't take long when the sun finally shows for a few days at 30C or so.  The clay that was a dark brown menace that threatened to suck in and absorb the new little cria is hard-baked to the consistency of...well...pottery. 

It doesn't take long for the line up at the new dust bath. 




Even the hens are enjoying a good old sand bath.

 I'm having to water my garden.  Look, things are growing!  I have been doing pretty good at staying ahead of the weeds, considering my schedule.  We have enjoyed some lettuce from the garden so far.  It would look like we will be eating quite a bit of lettuce.  Then there should be purple beans, yellow beans, tomatoes, squash and cucumbers.   The purple beans, squash, and lettuce were from heritage seeds from Soggy Creek Seed Co. from nearby Nipissing, Ontario.  The tomato plants are organic, purchased from Mrs. Artan at the North Bay Farmer's Market, who grew them from seeds that have passed down in her family for 4 generations.  The yellow beans were a commercial packet from the local garden centre and were labelled 'organic'.  The cucumber plants were half dead bargains that the garden centre had in their end-of-planting-season special corner.  The experiment is whether I can actually make a quantity of good tasting food from this garden....you know...actually FARM something that grows up from beneath the ground.
See what I recycled to string the bean hangers on?

I don't play favourites.  The little white girl got her close-up in the last entry.  So, here is the little dark girl!  Isn't she cute?  (She will grow into those ears!)
My family is making the most of the good weather and spending a lot of time on the lake these days.  The hay is in the loft and the cria are running in the field.  Time to enjoy some summer.

I hope you are enjoying yours!


2 comments:

Azure Accessories said...

Do tell Norma...have you had a "sand bath"? :~)

Your garden looks great...you should be proud! Who would have thought to use ski poles? You I guess...

The little dark girl is very cute and my I sure hope she does grow into those ears... :~)
Enjoy the gorgeous weather.
Cheers

Zenitude said...

I feel like picking up Miss white cria and telling her to keep that fiber clean!! Oh well, it's all part of being an alpaca I guess.
My lazy summer days are spent with great reading, lots of sewing and a bit of knitting.
Keep at that garden, it looks great.