Tubing, Corn, and Rooster Farewell

We had a delightful day trip adventure last week to Helen. An impromptu outing for my 30th birthday. Some of my mother's side of the family drove up from Georgia and some of the Farmer's family drove down from SC to join us in a ride down the river and a picnic lunch. We managed to get all 10 of us strapped together, but eventually the rocks and rapids scattered us about. A few were even dumped into the river. Family that didn't float down the river grabbed us a picnic shelter at Unicoi State Park to help set up the picnic potluck.

After lunch some folk had to head home, but a few of us went back to Helen to poke our heads in the tourist trap shops and acquire some fudge. We came home with a cute farm-themed miniature pillow to place in the child-sized rocker my grandfather made for us grandkids back in the day. Also, the Farmer couldn't turn down some fudge, so we came up with two hunks that may or may not have been consumed already...

Our popcorn crop was harvested this week! The Farmer noticed the husks were starting to mold, so he brought them home to be husked and sorted. It looks like our experiment crossing the 'robust' popcorn variety with the 'Cherokee long ear' heirloom cultivar was a success. The colors of the Indian corn are so beautiful! I especially love the rusty orange and reds. Purples too! We'll try to seed save the colored popcorn if we don't eat them first! Also, our berry crop has been coming in one little berry every couple of weeks. ha!

Our tomatoes are continuing to produce copious amounts each week. One of them was a little over a pound in weight! We've begun selling them to chefs and at the farmer's markets to keep up with all the supply! The 'summer of love' cultivar is living up to its name. The tye-dye pattern is beautiful inside and out!

We turned some of the tomato seconds that were too flawed to sell into a vegetarian gluten-free minestrone soup. About 90% of the stuff in this soup we grew ourselves! Tasty enough to repeat to boot.

Speaking of farm work, I had fun working on the market's chalkboard sign this week.

Also, our sunflowers have continues to wow us. One at our farm plot was LOADED with flowers. The Farmer harvested it to grace our table and sell bouquets at the farmer's market. The rusty-toned sunflowers we have here at home are a lovely sight as I pull up each evening after work. Impressively, they continue to produce additional blossoms, so the bees, goldfinches, and the chickens are happy too. And our purple dahlia has been breathtaking this year. Even a little nymph watched one bloom.

Our young roosters went to their new home last night. The light grey sweetie we named Merlin even though his 'beard' never got as big as the unnamed boy's did. Merlin had a cute short tail too, although I'm suspicious that the big boy was pulling out feathers as a couple of our ladies were missing feathers too. While the farewell is bittersweet, we are excited to welcome two cream legbar pullets to the flock next week!

My Farmer surprised me a few days ago with a funky cactus. I'm loving the eclectic collection forming on the window sill. ^.^

Before I go, Daisy would like to assure you all that she is as spoiled as ever. We wore her out 4th of July week with so much fun that she couldn't even pick up her head to eat a pretzel. She has also been loving this one small strip of pig skin. She's carrying it out side, toting it along for an entire walk. She even tucked it underneath me while I slept to keep it "safe."

And I'm almost finished cleaning off nearly a month's worth of miscellaneous photos from my phone. ;-) I had a hitchhiker to and from work the other day. I was pretty impressed at this funky caterpillar's strength! And speaking of bugs, we've been invaded by ants. By the time I caulk one entry point they find three more. Anything on the counter for more than a few minutes is covered. They've found Daisy' dog food bowl in the bedroom. And I still haven't figured out where the ones coming in and out the backdoor are going...

Also, I donated my old K5 through middle school yearbooks to the library this week. I scanned the important 3-5 pages of each to keep for my own future reminiscing and freed up shelf space for books of the future. Also found blackmail...I mean cute...photos of my previous and current pastors, the realtor that sold me my house, and a coworker. Good times!