Gardner’s California Homestead

[GardnerHomestead]

At least you can get close to "Kevin" our two " pork chops" are still keeping a safe distance from us at the moment, but they still have some time to "warm up" to us ...till they go to freezer camp...

Those pork chops are smart lol. Kevin is very food motivated, i think thats the only reason he isnt super scared of us.

 

[GardnerHomestead]

The gravel fairy paid us a visit yesterday, my husband and youngest daughter were out checking the mail and i hear this big boom, start walking outside to investigate and my youngest comes running in saying a truck crashed. i run out there and my husband is talking to the truck driver who had just lost half his load into our yard. He had gone to far over and went into the culvert.

Kevin survived the catastrophe by about 15 feet, the fence was bent a bit but nothing that cant be repaired. and they said we could have the gravel if we wanted it. Its probably about 10 yards. We have been needing to regravel our driveway anyway, to bad they couldnt have tipped over there lol. So all in all it worked out, no one got hurt.

 

[GardnerHomestead]

Summer is creeping along, been over 100 for the past week with no end in sight. Extracted honey for the summer last weekend. 115lbs this year from two hives. Puts us about 70 lbs higher than last year. The nectar flow is slowing and bees are mainly after star thistle now. The honey is much darker this year and our blackberry "crop" has at least quadrupled from years past. My husband took honey to the neighbors for being so accommodating with our bees. They all put out water barrels for them in their gardens we are lucky to have some great neighbors mostly.

I picked up a few lavender guinea chicks in exchange for a bottle of honey, they are beautiful. I will have to get pictures. Our guinea hen is sitting way down in our blackberries on about 15 eggs, been two weeks, two more to go.

Garden is producing well even in the heat and ive started preparing for my fall garden, first time for that so it will be an experiment this year. The kids are basically living off of ripe blackberries and strawberries lol. Going to make them some smoothies for dinner so i dont have to cook.

The goats ate back alot of the blackberries next to the creek this year and we found two pear trees and a cherry plum hidden in there. So exciting. Ive never canned pears before but will have to learn how. Peaches will be picked soon. We are in fruit heaven over here.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Pear preserves are wonderful!!.........just sayin'....

 

[GardnerHomestead]

Pear preserves are wonderful!!.........just sayin'....

I will have to look this up. Ive done peach preserves. A friend gave us some pear sauce that i want to try too

 

[GardnerHomestead]

Wow its been a long time since i posted. Summer garden is winding down and im clearing out the stuff the gopher wasnt able to get to, the animals are loving all the extras. My tomato cages werent big enough and so that whole box is a huge mess. Whatever tomatoes get missed in the tomato jungle are given to Kevin (who is now over 200lbs) , which he loves. Ive used up all my cherry tomatoes making sauce, yum! The watermelons have come out amazing, kids favorite. Tried out a zuchinni relish recipe with all the excess zuchinni,

Tractor supply lured me in with .50 cent cornish cross birds around the middle of august, already almost two weeks old so even though we were done with meat birds for the year 10 more fell into my cart. Butchered them yesterday. 40 lbs of meat. Great deal. They are resting in the fridge and will be put into the freezer tomorrow. One ended up being an imposter, not a meat bird after all, so she got put in with my other laying birds. I think she is a white rock. My spring chicks arent laying yet but their combs are reddening considerably so hopefully soon. I had two orpington hens go broody, both hatched about the same time so they are coparenting 6 little fuzzballs. So cute! Daddy Russell Crowe is very good with them too.

For the first time this year im trying a small fall garden, kids help me plant peas, a second batch of carrots, beets, broccoli, potatoes, and spinach. I also have garlic on the way which im very excited about. I could put garlic on just about everything. We are feeding the bees now in anticipation for winter. Temps are still lower 90s here but food sources are limited this time of year for them. We have been stacking wood for a couple weeks now, the kids least favorite chore lol. Fall is on its way. Trying to soak up the last bit of summer.

 

[thistlebloom]

Everything looks great!

Daddy Russell Crowe is very good with them too.

That's funny! I had a Russel Crowe rooster too. A big handsome Barred Rock.
I wonder how many roosters are named after him?

 

[GardnerHomestead]

Everything looks great!


That's funny! I had a Russel Crowe rooster too. A big handsome Barred Rock.
I wonder how many roosters are named after him?

Lol My rooster before this was Wyatt Chirp, horrible attitude on that one. Russel is kinder so far. Barred rocks are beautiful roosters.

 

[Finnie]

I named my Swedish Flower Hen rooster that because he was a russet-like color. I didn’t want to name him that, but it fit too well.

 

[Finnie]

Everything looks great!


That's funny! I had a Russel Crowe rooster too. A big handsome Barred Rock.
I wonder how many roosters are named after him?

(I botched getting the quote in the same message as what I wrote. Oh well. )