writing

Survived Thanksgiving.

Took a look at a few more houses but nothing is lining up yet.  I am not sure how long it will take to get our house sold.  We are thinking about taking it off the market for the rest of the winter so it will come up fresh with no days on market in the spring.  Its just very disheartening to have the house on the market for two months and only have one showing.  I have gotten to the point of not keeping the house in as ready of a state for a showing as I should.

Not only that but now I am worried that once we get a house with some acerage I won't be able to make any money as selling the veg/fruits and animals from it.  I am probably just being paranoid but I don't know what kind of market there will be where ever we end up because our price point is so low and the land requirements are so high.  Yet at the same time I know everyone has to eat so hopefully they will want what I have to produce.

Been working on the first school story.  I think the beginning has a better hook to it now.  I am wanting to tighten up the plot but as I am reading through it I am not seeing much I can do, granted I am only a third of the way through the edits.  So far most people that have read it enjoyed it, but they aren't professional editors or agents though.

I need to start outlining the third book in the series.

But for now ... off to chop wood.

No go

Well the bank went with another offer on the house we were looking at, and actually I am ok with that.  I didn't want Mom and Dad in any sort of financial pinch for that house and they might have been until we sell this one.  Besides if I can find a property already partially set up with some outbuildings and fencing for the right price it means I can get to work filling those acres with a garden and livestock sooner.

And Dad bought me a tractor.  Mom is frustrated over the spent money.

I know he is doing what he thinks is best and perhaps in the short term a tractor would be better.  But in the long term I want a team of horses to do most if not all of the things I would want a tractor for.  Simply because I know a horse will start on a cold morning without any ether or warming etc.  I know if a horse throws a shoe how to get the work done without it, unlike if a tractor's tire goes flat and there is no quick way to fix it.  I know what to do if a horse comes up lame, and don't have the first clue as what to do if a tractor won't start.
I know horses eat all the time and a tractor only needs fuel when used, but at least with horses most of their 'fuel' can come from the land they live on.

There are the old ground driven farm devices that can still be found and some three point implements can simply be towed behind a fore cart.  And if there is something that must have a PTO I would prefer having an engine mounted on the fore cart to power it.

On another note ... I just emailed off my story to an 11 year old.  I am not sure how wise that was but her parents assured me she was allowed to read it.  Now all I have to do is wait for the scathing reviews .... hehe.

ARRRrrrrrrr!!!

Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day!

In other news: Dentist is done.  Don't want to talk or think about it again....

House is getting closer and closer to being ready to sell.  I thought maybe I would have it done in the beginning of September but now I am seeing I will probably have it done at the end of the month.

Garden is still producing.  I got two watermelons, one of which I had to pick because it split open - basically grew too big for its britches.  TONS of tomatoes on the vines, just hoping they ripen before the frost.

Edible?

Found some mushrooms growing in the garden.  Trying to find out if they are edible.

Cooler Weather

With the cooler weather the garden is starting to produce again.  Even with the water I was giving it - I think the plants were just trying to survive in the weeks of 100 + heat.  Now that it has broken below the 90s the plants are fruiting.  Even the Cherokee Purples are putting out tomatoes again.  I see two watermelons so far and the tomatillos look like they are making a go of it too but nothing substantial yet.  I am very happy to see the garden coming back after I had given up on it producing anything more this year.

My two baby watermelons - I will be keeping a close eye on them.  I think they are sugar babys.

The tomatillos are making their paper shell - kind of like an onion but their fruit is more like a tomato.

And the tomatoes - I hope the cool temps will keep them from cracking so bad.

Missed it?

So there was this awesome looking 131 year old farm house for sale, 10 acres, a barn and a pond.  $69,900.  I mean DAMN.

But our house isn't quite ready for the market (I still think I can get it on the market in Sept) and we weren't ready to move on any property.  So that awesome short sale farm - in a contract.  Likely not see something like that again for awhile.

But at the same time I have learned that while land isn't made anymore (except for islands etc), there is plenty out there.  There is a point where you have to trust in the cosmos, fate, god(s) - whatever - that things are going to work out for you.  If you have a plan or at least a good idea, then you can work towards something.  I'm not saying that everything will be perfect but at least you can measure success with a goal in mind.

The adage - god (universe, nature, fate) helps those that help themselves - I believe in strongly.  You may not have the resources to get something done but if you ask around you might find a way to do it.

So - getting help with painting some of the interior of the house, getting ready to get this thing on the market, and then - hopefully - finding our next home.

Cheers, good luck, force be with you - and all that.

They Moved.

So my friends moved one mile from their apartment to their first house together.  Very excited for them.  Thankfully I didn't have to sweat much for them since they hired movers.  I did not envy those guys.  I would hate to do that much labor in dangerous temperatures of 100+ heat.

I don't mind sweat - it means you are alive and doing something ... even if it is just surviving in the heat.  What I do mind is if it gets in my eyes.

Bathroom is finally done and it is WONDERFUL!!  Rob doesn't have to duck (6'3") to get under the shower head.  We specifically raised the head of the shower when we gutted the room just for him.  It fought till the very end but we triumphed ... strange how simple jobs like screwing in a bathtub drain get complicated.

Going to help get Allie and Jimu's house ready for their girls coming home from Texas (visiting relatives).  The girls know nothing about it.  They didn't even know Allie and Jimu were looking for a house.  They will be so excited when they find out.  I can't wait to see their faces.

Trying to coax the garden along in this heat is becoming more difficult.  I almost want to just let it die.  This drought is really tough on the little garden, I can't imagine what farmers are doing when that is their lively hood (except if they have crop insurance).  You find a way I imagine.  If the garden was more important to me than just a few extra tomatoes (at this point) then I would probably put in more effort.  But most of what I grew I have harvested already or the bugs ate.

I am very glad I started so early this spring.  It meant the vegetables were done before the drought got really bad.  I can only hope Nature takes pity on us soon and lets the rain in.

What drought?

Japanese Hulless Corn
 I popped some but it came up really small - I could eat it - the kernels weren't hard at all.  I will try popping them a different way to see if that helps - I kind of just think that they will be small though.

Red and Yellow Potatoes

Cherokee Purple Tomatoes!!

Home!

Back from vacation at parent's house on Table Rock Lake.  Love it there.  Had tons of fun and was spoiled by Mom and Dad.  Our friends Allie and Jimu also got to come down for a weekend and had a blast.

Now back home and going to get back to work getting the house prepped to sell.

Oh also I have ripe tomatoes and they are yummy!  I picked my popcorn Japanese Hulless Popcorn and will be trying out some soon.  The rest of the garden suffered in the triple degree heat but I hope with a little break in the heat ... ya know in the 90s instead of 100s ... I can bring it back.

Corn

I only picked this one this morning and ate it this morning.  Very satisfying!  This corn - fresh from the stalk had a milkier taste to it - wonderful!  Also I think I left it on the stalk to long, there were some kernels that were already denting and harder than I would have liked.  This one was the driest looking of the sweet corn though, but also one of the largest.  I will pick the rest very soon.  Possibly take some down to Mom and Dad's.

I think when I get back I will try planting some more.  I think there is enough time in the season to grow another crop of sweet corn.

Wonderful thing, knowing that one kernel from one cob can grow a whole stalk.

I can't say for sure if this is a totally GMO free corn because it is from Burpee and Burpee is owned by Monsanto - which I didn't find out until a few weeks ago - but at least there are no added chemicals of insecticide, herbicide or fertilizers.

Onions

Honest I didn't grow it on purpose

So I had this plant growing with my tomatoes and peppers and such and I thought they might have been some surviving eggplant - so I let them grow. They did produce these odd looking tiny tiny green tomato looking things that eventually ripened to black... so I did some research.

This is what I have http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/weeds/plants/black_nightshade.htm

More Rain!

Hurray we got another bout of rain!  The garden dirt doesn't have that cracked desert look any more.  Even watering it every other day it was going dry.

I got some diatomaceous earth to help take care of the bugs.  I hope it does the trick. Wasn't too bad in price too - just 9 bucks for a descent sized box.

Tomatoes are still doing well - I can't wait to see them start to ripen.

The bathroom walls are being tiled - it is looking awesome.  Dad has been working really hard on it (even on Father's Day).  Payment of beer and chocolate is being made.