In late March, FD and I began the big task of landscape cleanup at the rock house. After having many large trees removed in the year since my mother-in-law passed, we were left with a lot of overgrown shrubbery, wild vine, and small saplings growing in iris beds that FD’s grandmother had established more than … More A Tale of Spring Romance
Early yesterday morning while I was enjoying a cup of coffee on the back porch, I noticed some odd movement down in the canyon near the dry creek bed. Fetching my binoculars I observed a fox squirrel rolling around, flipping, jumping straight up, and then back to rolling in the red dirt. I wondered if … More Squirreling Away
In late August, I happened to be in the front flower bed snipping fresh basil for a batch of my roasted tomato sauce, when I noticed a Green Lynx spider perched on a basil plant that had gone to seed. For years, I saw these spiky, green spiders all around the house but never did more than … More A Killing Freeze
When we moved on this place eight years ago, gardening was a fairly simple undertaking. All I needed was a small, tilled up section of ground, sunshine, and a little rain supplemented with water from our well for irrigation in the dry months of July and August. Spring fertilizer came from seasoned chicken manure from the year before. … More Roasted Tomato Sauce
Last fall, it became apparent that FD and I would have to deal with a dead walnut tree between the old barn and our metal storage building. Not only could strong winds and ice bring limbs down on either building, they could also fall and injure any critter that might have to occupy “Daisy’s pen” … More Nature’s Gym
FD and I had to rethink our garden plot this year. I thought this would be the year I would kick back, put my energy into writing the Daisy deer book, and let the biggest part of the gardening go fallow for a year. Ah, the visions I had of having that morning cup of coffee on … More Gardening With A Certain Deer In Mind
“Love is the flower of life, and blossoms unexpectedly and without law, and must be plucked where it is found, and enjoyed for the brief hour of its duration.” D.H. Lawrence Spirit investigates the petunias. © Day by Day the Farm Girl Way…
My husband, FD, announced last night that he and his friend Hoot would not be working on the cabin this weekend. In my last post, “How I Lost My Husband to An Old Wooden River Bridge”, I lamented a little about spending so many weekends alone over the past year, while FD and Hoot worked … More The Untimely Arrival of the Honey Wagon…
Just as the Oklahoma heat set in a few weeks back, I noticed the potato bugs were attacking my garden in full force. This has certainly been a year of pestilence, and I have fought insects of all sorts on nearly every vegetable I planted this season. Despite using an all-natural product along with diatomaceous … More Harvesting the Potato Crop… with “help” from Daisy Deer!
When the local weather report promised a very breezy day today, I knew that washing our bedding would have to be my task for the morning. I always try to take advantage of a nice breezy day to snap my sheets crisp and dry. I started my load of bedding early, but as I stepped … More Wrongfully Accused!
Yesterday morning, I headed outside with a dozen projects in mind. The day had begun with an overcast sky, but the clouds were already breaking up by mid-morning. Stepping outdoors, I felt a strong need to get myself going with my projects if I was to beat the heat that would surely arrive by … More Turtle Time…
Day by Day the Farm Girl Way... 