Teresa & Mike CHS - Our journal

[Mike CHS]

I need to call them and at least touch base. I want to get a few more good ewe lambs when/if they have some available since we are culling some of the crosses. It's getting higher on the to-do list so hopefully soon.

 

[Baymule]

You can dehydrate some of those potatoes. I cut them in hash brown strips with a mandolin and put them in water so they don't turn brown. Then I blanch them, drain, run cold water over them, drain and dump out on a towel. I dehydrate them, when ready to use, I just soak in hot water for 20-30 minutes.

 

[Mike CHS]

I'll have to do that. I think we have dehydrated most everything but never thought about potatoes this year.

 

[Bruce]

Or maybe freeze some just before the dehydrating stage, for hash browns (not real fond of rehydrated spuds) You might end up with a commercial freezer with all your garden is producing!

 

[Mike CHS]

I moved some of the netting to let the boys finish cutting part of the lawn. It's almost cruel doing that. The Aussie just casually watches the ram but the Border Collie stays locked on to the ram the whole time he is in the netting. They are never allowed to herd the ram so it has to be doubly frustrating for the dog. One part of the netting is only about 15' from the kennel and it seems Ringo spends a lot of grazing time there.

We got the last of our onions pulled and hung today. We have a weighed total of 74 pounds but we have been eating some for over a month that we didn't weigh.

I have a half dozen mildly hot peppers called Sweet Heat that I'm planting in the same beds and these will be used for canned peppers. The cloned tomatoes that we started a couple of weeks ago are just about ready to plant.

 

[misfitmorgan]

Poor Ringo!

Nice onion crop. We couldnt get ours from last year to dry down for some reason...i think it just wasnt dry and hot enough for it. We ended up using them fairly quickly because of the not drying problem.

 

[Bruce]

I don't think it is Ringo that is suffering @misfitmorgan

I guess herding dogs don't have an "off duty" switch?

 

[CntryBoy777]

That is a good amount of onions....Joyce's didn't do near that good, but the garlic sure makes up the difference. I like peppers, but she doesn't and since I don't spend much time in the garden, there aren't any to be had. I bet Ringo enjoyed the fresh grass....Prof Lance is always ready for ya to just say the word, and Sassy is too, just a different approach. I bet watching the "Young Bloods" doing work is quite enjoyable too....

 

[Mike CHS]

We cut up and freeze the majority of our onions. We are going to dehydrate quite a few since we are just about out of onion powder. We planted 2 bundles of storage onions that have cured really well but we make it simple and set them on the retaining wall to cure after we pull them.

Lance is the Border Collie and Ringo is the ram. Lance just thinks he wants to herd Ringo but Ringo would make short work of him. He has no fear of dogs and will attack a herding dog that tries to herd him. He gets along good with Maisy but she leaves him alone except when they are both in the shelter and then they snuggle. They are enjoyable to watch Fred but we haven't been able to work them as much as they need. Lance has a good outrun but is hard to control in close. Sassy is good working in the handling area but I don't know if she will ever be able to work in a good size field. Our sheep scatter when she goes at them which confuses her.

The Aussie (Sassy) is a goof ball and they don't have the 'hard' eye like the Border Collie so less intensity.

 

[Baymule]

The bounty of the garden! What a blessing! It sure will taste good when it's cold and yukky outside this winter.