garden, chickens, rats...

 

So here she is, our lovely garden!  We are awfully proud of her and all the veggies we hope to harvest from her all summer.  This year we are growing tomatillos, a few varieties of tomatoes, string beans, snap peas, cucumber, zucchini, summer squash, pumpkin, butternut squash, melon, carrots, beets, turnips, kale, chard, onions, radishes, greens, several different herbs, potatoes...and even taking a stab at corn!  In the past week the garden really has started to grow and we are hoping for a nice warm & sunny week to keep it up.  This year things made it into the ground a bit later than we had hoped so we are a few weeks behind some, but still happy with the progress.  Our corn, however, was not "knee high by the fourth of july".

summer squash

 

baby tomatoes

And then there are the chickens.  Who still need a proper roof (hence the tarp) and a nesting box.  The nesting box is on its way to completion, siding & insulation has been purchased for the outside and we are still trying to manifest roofing material to magically appear at our doorstep.  Not really working though...

work obviously needed...

Additionally, the birds are eyeing our garden (that is conveniently right next to their home...and so easy to jump/fly into)....oh all those little baby vegetables look so darn delectable to them...I suppose I don't blame them and their curious beaks.  But man...if you plan to peck off the baby peppers...eat them!  Don't just leave them for me to pout about.  Basically this means that we need to come up with a better plan for the chicken run (which we knew would fail eventually)...we are thinking some mesh for the top should do the trick.

snow white...who turned out to be a prince charming

he had better be charming or he'll find himself in a pot...

one of the rhody reds checkin out the beet greens...

And lastly the rats.  I strongly dislike them....and we have them.  I mentioned them before...and i'm not sure "rat proofing" will ever happen.   Because of the set up by the chicken coop (a barn and lots of tall grass that makes for plenty of rat hideouts) rats were inevitable...but seriously so gross.  We have been taking in the feed at night but I am thinking some rat poison might be my next step.  I honestly just wish rat proof feeders were a bit cheaper....but oh well.  

So there, that is the update on the homestead.  Still patiently waiting for that first egg and to harvest veggies.  And of course pondering what else me might want to add to the list....
more birds?...more rats... who knows.