Dog Days of Summer Update

August means the beginning of transitioning our crops and gardens towards fall or eeking out a few more summer crops. Our cherry tomatoes have been producing slow, but steady. The yellow pear variety has produced two "mutants" that look like little elves that have been fun to watch ripen. The chickpeas we planted as an experiment have been fairly happy. The old Jacob Cattle beans didn't germinate well, and it was also too hot the week we tried the mizuna. Oh well, we'll try again once the heat breaks.

The more eggciting news on the homestead is one of our new ladies just started laying! Still not sure who is sneaking the tiny blue eggs into the nesting box, but they sure are beautiful. Speaking of hens, sweet Amelia has gone broody yet again this season! She sounds so sweet when she calls for her imaginary chicks to eat scratch grains...unfortunately we have to keep evicting her from the nesting box. The rest of the ladies just demand food at the backdoor all the time.

Last weekend I had two sets of surprise visitors! HB was in town for the weekend and was able to sneak away from the kids for tea time at Kilby Cottage. It was lovely to have our weekly chat in person rather than over the phone. Then on Sunday my aunt and uncle came to Greenville for a day trip and we enjoyed ice cream and exploring Falls Park.

This past week we were blessed to enjoy a fancy dinner out to Rocket Surgery in downtown Travelers Rest. The Farmer has recently been delivering produce to them and it was so much fun to sample so many of their dishes. The chef kept sending more and more food to sample that it even filled the Farmer to bursting!

Daisy would like to update her fans that she has been having a great summer with extra trips to the farm for fun sniffing and frolicking. So much so that she is exhausted and is enjoying her beauty sleep.

A few natural wonders large and small this week include a rainbow over Cherrydale, pondering why our mint and lemon balm are COVERED in flies when those herbs are supposed to be pest deterrents, and as unattractive the Mexican Torch sunflower plant is in its current location, the butterflies are LOVING it.