Yard Update

 So the septic system is installed.  It tore up more of the yard than I expected, but they smoothed it out nicely.  They will come back to finish grading after it rains a couple of times.

As you can see, my Mexican sunflower and tomato bed survived, but just barely.  They scraped right up against the blocks to that garden.

The green there is the remains of the herb circle that has been there since we moved in.  We had Malachi and Elijah remove the bricks, so when they do the final grading, it will just be part of the yard.

Now this area is going to be my new garden next spring.  I have to remove the rest of the vegetation around the edges, and I'm going to seed it with clover and buckwheat for a cover crop.  

Out front, the tanks are barely visible.  The pipe carrying the treated water runs underground until emptying into the small pond.

In other news, the chicks are doing great:

And Emry wanted his picture taken with Acorn:

July Harvest Totals

 Our July harvest totals are very pathetic.  All of our hens were eaten by raccoons, as well as our Rooster Sam.  The garden has suffered from heavy deer and squirrel nibbles.  Still, there were a few things to list:

Cabbage, Hitton - 1

Eggs - 34

Garlic - 31 bulbs

Jalapenos - 3

Potatoes - 8 oz (These were volunteers.  I didn't plant potatoes this spring.)

Radish - 1

Tomatoes - 2 (Kentucky breakfast tomatoes)

Plus, some cherry tomatoes and lots of herbs - basil, cilantro, mint, oregano, sage, and thyme.  I could harvest some nepitilla, too, but I haven't decided how to use it yet.  (I got the plant from June.  It's an Italian herb, and it's growing well out front.)

In happier news, our meat chicks arrived yesterday, and they are well settled in with the other chicks:

The light yellow puff balls are the meat birds.  The chicks are doing great.  We have 20 meat chicks and 18 layer chicks, some of which may be roosters.  We did lose 2 chicks, one rainbow and one turken.  

Septic

 We have some big news: the septic is finally going in!

That green tank will be going into the ground today.  Our old septic system failed, and we've been waiting on the state permit to put in the new one.  Work finally started yesterday and should finish today.  Here's the view from the back deck, right off the stairs:

The trench is a bit over 6 feet deep.

This new system will not have a field bed, so garden changes are coming next year.

Also last night, Lydia had her concert:

She and Malachi have done the summer strings again this summer, and they played beautifully last night.  Malachi ended up playing with both groups, although he had only practiced with one.  He's good enough at sight reading to do that now.  They really enjoy orchestra together.  It's a shame he's too far away during the school year to play with her then!

Chick Fun

The boys are more interested in holding the chicks and checking on them than the last time we had some.  

I'm hoping they will be more involved in them as they grow, but we will see.  It's nice to have more chicken lovers around here.

The Mexican sunflowers out front are now blooming and attracting hummingbirds.  The mimosa tree is also attractive to the hummingbirds, and it is just across the driveway from them, so I am seeing them more.  We've just started getting some cherry tomatoes.  Most of the herbs are ready, too.  I've got some big tomatoes and peppers getting closer to ripe, but the squirrels have taken some of the tomatoes.  The deer ate most of the beans.  They also ate the first batch of cucumber plants, but so far, the second batch is getting big and nearly ready to set fruit.  My friend gifted me pounds of cucumbers, so even if the deer eat the rest, I at least canned relish and bread and butter pickles.

 

Chicks!

 

Last night, Elijah, Emry, Gyunay, and I went to Rural King and got our new chicks!  

We got several new kinds that we've never raised before.  All are dual-purpose chickens that lay 250+ eggs a year (according to the signs).  Some, like the Cinnamon Queens, we've had before, and are great layers.  They are also pullets, so we should have more hens than roosters overall.  Some kinds, like the Rainbow, are new, and are straight-run.  

Here is one of the two Turkens we got.  We also got Mystic Rocks (little black chicks), which should be similar to our beloved Barred Rocks.  I grabbed a couple of Sapphire Gems, which we love.  They are pretty gray hens.  I also got a couple of Starlight Gems, which are supposed to lay green eggs.

In all, we have 20 new chicks living happily in the shed in their brooder.  We are still trying to catch the raccoon that killed all our hens. 

In other news, Malachi and Lydia came home last night.  Nathaniel pulled up with them just as we were unloading the chicks, so they joined the excitement.  Everyone loves chicks!  Pilot hasn't seen them yet, as he is out of town with friends, but even he likes to see chicks.  (He's never had much interest in the chickens.)

Mission Trip

 Lydia and Malachi are on a mission trip in eastern Kentucky this week.  He's sent me a few pictures. 

Naturally, Lydia has found a dog!

It looks really beautiful.

Summer Fun

The boys have really been able to enjoy the summer.  They've had two pool parties, plus some group pool time at a friend's pool.  We have had some fun trips to the Lake and to visit family.  It's hard to believe that there is less than a month left before school starts!

 

Blooming!

 

I got my first tomato today.  It wasn't much to look at, since slugs ate at the bottom of it, but after cutting that part off, it was delicious!  Mostly, right now I have flowers blooming.

I think this hydrangea was blue when I planted it.  Apparently, the soil is on the acidic side, at least here.

And Midnight was trailing me through the gardens and yard, demanding attention.  She was not happy that I was gone for two days, and she needed many pets and belly rubs.  It's obvious why Lydia and I sometimes call her M'Lady d'Midnight.

I'm sure you remember my last pictures of the Mexican sunflowers.  This was this morning.  This is only one plant.  They just keep branching and blooming.  I love this plant.  Here is the view from the top:

It was a bit rainy this morning, but last night, it was covered in butterflies.

I do have some vegetables growing that the deer haven't ate.  Yet.  Above are pumpkins (which deer like and may chomp at any time), and below is a cabbage, which deer tend to leave alone.

I also have some zinnias (a few were chomped).

I have marigolds blooming well, too, but I must have not gotten a good picture of them.  The peppermint balsam is just starting to bloom, and it looks good, too.  

Gardening

 My garden has been slow this year, and I didn't plant as much as I originally wanted.  Still, I have quite a few green tomatoes now.  These are the closest to getting ripe:

There are also several peppers getting there.

And I'm going to have to find a better place for Mary.  The flowers are pretty, but they are taller than her, and blocking her.  I haven't decided where to place her yet.  

Garden Updates and the Ultimate Survivors

My Mexican Sunflowers have started blooming!

I have not done very well with the garden this year.  My tomato plants do look great, but I have few actual tomatoes growing.  I'm hopeful that I will have a good, albeit late, crop.  Here you can see the Mexican sunflowers next to some tomatoes:

I have several more Mexican sunflowers in the front cottage garden, and the deer must not love them, because they are growing very well, undisturbed.  The deer have munched some of my other plants, as usual, but I've planted more herbs out front because they don't seem to like any of those.  

In sadder news, a raccoon wreaked havoc on our coop and killed all but two of our chickens.  Only the two Wyandotte hens are still with us, so they are the ultimate survivors.  Nathaniel had to completely rebuild the coop door, and we are finally at the point where it seems they are safe.  Our tiny flock will increase when we add more chicks, but that will take time.  We have to buy chicks and keep them in the brooder for several weeks before they can join the Wyandottes.

 

More from Turin

Nathaniel recently uploaded his pictures from Turin to my computer, so here are a few.  It appears he took a lot of pictures of me in restaurants.  In this first one, we are drinking bicerin in our favorite chocolate shop.  Bicerin is a local specialty, with chocolate on bottom, a shot of espresso in the middle, and cream on top.  I'm not a coffee person, but I did drink a couple of bicerins on this trip.  (I still don't like coffee.)

That, in my mug, is chocolate.  Liquid chocolate.  It was divine.

Apparently, when we travel, Nathaniel always finds giant balls for a photos.

This was in a cute little Ukranian restaurant that had the best dumplings!

 

June Harvest Totals and post-VBS

 June Harvest Totals:

Eggs - 135

Garlic scapes - 3

Pea pods - 1/2 c

Tatsoi - 2c

Obviously, this was not the kind of harvest I was looking for!  Deer and severe heat were both issues, and eggs are lagging because a raccoon took out 4 layers and our beloved Rooster Sam.  It's not been fun.  We have re-secured the coop, but we now only have 6 hens.  I was looking to raise meat birds and a few regular chicks, but we will have to increase the number of layers, so more chicks will be forthcoming.  

Last week was Vacation Bible School week, so Lydia, Gyunay, Emry, and I helped out every morning.  Here is Emry getting ready for a skit with the rest of the cast.  He was so excited that he got to be Saint Juan Diego, one of his favorite saints.

On Friday, we had an epic swim birthday party for Gyunay.  His birthday is actually this week, but we celebrated early by renting out the aquatic center and inviting the homeschool group and our family.  He had so much fun.  The weather was great for it, and it was really nice.  It was so nice, the homeschool moms are considering pooling money to rent it again next year. 

On Sunday, five of the kids and I headed to the Newport Aquarium, where we met up with my family to explore sea life.