Too Early for the Great Pumpkin

A couple of months ago I went out to the volunteer squash patch (that grew from the old compost pile) to find several small green globes running amok. A few days later the green globes had become orange globes, therefore certifying their identity as pumpkins. Pumpkins? In August? What's up with that? Apparently some seeds know no calendar. It has been fun plucking the squash from their little nest, but I don't know what to do with them now. I want pumpkin in October and November, maybe September, but certainly not August when summer is still in the front of my mind and stomach. I want fresh tomatoes and lettuce, cucumbers and peppers. Yet here they are, the winter squash brigade, clogging up the garden space. Ah well, I guess I'll have to find a way to use the bounty, if not now, then put up in jars for later. We've found the butternut squash to be really tasty as a stir fry up with onions, and they melt in your mouth in a soup. I suppose it is a blessing no matter the season.






The chickens are doing very well. The Wyandottes are moved every few days to a different part of the pasture. We got a super light, portable electric fence that most of them agree to pretend is actually stopping them from leaving. A couple have figured out that if they fly up and over the fence it won't shock them. I think it is time to clip their wings. I haven't had to do that in a few years because my flock was small enough to contain, and the bantams can fly even with clipped wings, the little snots. The turkeys can fly like jet airplanes, so we are very careful with them when they are on pasture. They like to fly into the dog run and that would just be a tragedy in the making. I've no idea why the chickens and turkeys find the dogs so interesting. The ducks always keep away from the fence, but our Gang of Five Cochin roosters just love to stand at the fence and mock the dogs. They should be more careful, but since they are roosters I'm not too concerned about them. Eat or be eaten, they'll find a place someday.



We hope to have an open house in September and will invite everyone we can think of to stop by for a bit. More info on that later.

See you on the farm!