Catch Up

After camping, we were home for just 2 days, which included a doctor visit, and then the youngest 3 and I were off again, this time to visit my family. We enjoyed seeing everyone, and spent a morning at the zoo.  

Now, we are back home, and I'm playing catch-up from being gone so much.  We had trunk or treat at church Sunday night, which was a lot of fun, so Monday and Tuesday I have been busy trying to catch up the laundry and do some things I've been meaning to do, like make beef bone broth:

It smells amazing, and I am making some beefy barley soup for dinner, so we shall see. I also had to cook my cushaw, and puree and freeze it. I need to get some more pumpkins, it just hasn't happened yet.  I also blended this jar of fermented peppers into the spiciest hot sauce:

It is delicious, but it's no joke.  It's too hot to just eat with chips, but it's delicious on tacos, in salads, and on many dishes.  This batch is a mix of serranos and jalapenos, so it is very noticeably spicier than the last batch.

I meant to get around to moving the last of the mulch, and maybe I will after dinner.  Or maybe that will have to wait for tomorrow. 

 

Camping 2026

 

Camping was so much fun.  Seven of us joined with Nathaniel's sisters' families, parents, and our dear friend's family for several days of camping.

We went to Spring Mill State Park again.  It's my favorite Indiana state park to visit. We did plenty of hiking, and of course, we checked out the Pioneer Village.

It was also Haunted Village weekend, so Lydia, Elijah, and Malachi joined some cousins on the haunted village experience Saturday night. They enjoyed it, but said that I am never allowed to do it, because there are too many fog machines and smoke.

Lydia, Kim, and I were able to see the mill run on our last day there.  They only run it for a few minutes a few times a day.

Getting a picture of these four on a bench was surprisingly difficult.

Overall, the younger boys were off with their cousins for most of the time. They are all old enough now to visit the campground playground by themselves, and they were eager to do so.  Groups of us did various hikes, and all of us spent time in the Pioneer Village, and we took turns cooking for the group.  I can't really cook over the fire anymore, but I directed the children in doing so. (And of course, Nathaniel helped out.)

Porch Geese!

 I have been looking for a porch goose for quite some time, and Lydia alerted me to these adorable concrete geese.  I love them!  This is how I spent my birthday money, and I have no regrets.

I am going to ask for a small army of baby geese for Christmas to complete the scene. 

Lately

 I had been preparing to write a happier post yesterday, before we lost Buddy Bean, so here is that:

Last week, my parents, Gyunay, Pilot, and I went to see Malachi perform in the orchestra.  We also visited his apartment and discovered that he had no bed:

He had said he didn't need anything, but he has been sleeping on the floor since August.  So Elijah made a trip up to campus the next day with an extra mattress from home.

While at his apartment, we met his roommate's 2 cats:

They are sweet and fat and fluffy.  

This weekend, Nathaniel and I took the dogs and younger boys for a nice, long walk in the woods.  I have missed the woods.

And Lydia and her friend had a great time at the Homecoming Dance!

And, for those who want some throwback Buddy Bean posts:

https://barefootkentuckymama.blogspot.com/2020/08/introducing-buddy-bean.html

https://barefootkentuckymama.blogspot.com/2025/09/buddy-bean.html?m=1

RIP, Buddy Bean

 He was the best rabbit we ever had.  He had so much personality!  Nathaniel buried him next to Katie this morning.  We will really miss him.

'Round Here

The dogs take serious morning naps.

I have been fermenting more peppers:

I made a hot pepper sauce about a month or two ago, and it was delicious.  Lydia and I have eaten most of it, so I started a new batch.  I am thinking of doing more, since my friend gave me a ridiculous amount of peppers.

Gyunay helped me set up the Respect Life October table again this year.  He likes having his picture taken!

And I don't think I shared a picture of the sweet potatoes.  These are purple Molokai sweet potatoes.  I've grown them before, and they are really sweet and delicious. These are now curing, but we will be eating some soon.

 

September Harvest Totals

 There is not much left in the garden, and we harvested all of our meat birds, so the Oct numbers will be miniscule. However, September was not too bad.

Beans, Dragon - 10.9oz

Cantaloupe - 2

Carrots - 7

Chicken - 110.3 lbs (26 birds total)

Eggs - 327

Peppers, Bulgarian - 3

Sweet Potatoes, purple - 17.8 lbs

Tomatillos - 13.1 oz

Tomatoes, Eva Purple Ball - 9

Tomatoes, Red - 33

Tomatoes, San Marzano - 4

plus cherry tomatoes, and herbs - parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, mint, basil, dill

I have been working on getting the gardens ready for next year.  I have been mulching like mad, and I expanded the garden a bit already.  I also have been working on the tree house garden, which I didn't really utilize this year. Planning, planning, planning.  I really love my gardens.