Kaden's Big Achievement

After much insistence from Kaden that I take the 'little wheels' off his bike, I did. We had tried this earlier in the year and he could ride, but the starting and stopping gave him trouble. So we put the training wheels back on and waited awhile. Well now they are off for good! I took them off and he raced up the driveway. Later that day he beat Kolin in a bike race up the driveway. On day two he asked me to watch his new 'trick'. I was nervous but watched anyway. He went to the top of the driveway and took off towards me. He was going way too fast, then he slammed on the brakes and slid to a stop-DAY 2!

On Day 3 he stole Kolin's bike.

So today we went shopping for a bigger bike for Kolin and he is now the proud driver of a brand new bike named Rip Claw.

We are very proud of Kaden for learning to ride a 2-wheeled bike.

Night Moves

This is where the new chickens want to roost(on and in the nesting boxes).

This is where they are supposed to roost...

and this is what happens if I don't move them!

So every night I go out there after dark and move them from point A to point B. The older chickens evidently do not like to share the roost, even though there is plenty of room for everyone. I am considering moving the nesting boxes to the left wall and adding another roost along the back wall. Maybe that will make everyone happy.

First Harvests

It is hot as all get out, feels like August, but it's only the first of June. Lord have mercy on the rest of our summer, my garden and our grass. I let the boys play in the sprinkler on the lawn today to intentionally water it. I mowed it yesterday and it was crunchy by the end of the day.

The garden is growing! This year I am committed to preserving more of my harvest and letting as little as possible go to waste. Well, not wasted really, more like to the chickens or goats, but you know what I mean. So yesterday I did my research and this morning I picked, washed and froze some dill and then I shelled and froze peas that I picked a couple days ago. I've already had 3x's as many peas as last year and that was just my first planting. I've already started two other plantings. I hope they produce well in the heat but if not I'm happy with what I've gotten so far. I'll replant more peas in late summer for a fall harvest (they like cooler weather).

Blueberries are my next dilemma. Many of them are blue, but according to every source I can find blueberries shouldn't be ripe until July. So as much as I want to pick them I'm wondering if I should leave them on the bush for another month. But will they go bad? mold? I just don't know. They aren't terribly sweet but they aren't tart either. My Dad is coming tomorrow, I'll have him taste them and see what he thinks.

Ignore the date on the picture, I took this about 10 minutes ago. Konrad finished the wood work on the grape trellis, hopefully you can make out the 6 posts and the 2x4 top frame. He and a friend also built me another raised garden bed. Then we cleaned out the barn and filled it up with composted manure, can't wait to plant in it.