Spinach

We are pretty sure these plants went to seed, but we are not exactly sure why. I think they are diseased and infecting our beets. Don't know what to do next. I guess we'll look it up and ask around because there's not much left to do. 

Papa's little helper

Matilde helped Papa scoop out rabbit pellets to fill the feeders.  She is such a big help when it comes to her animals! 

Green Onions

These puppies are really taking off!  They have been batted down by the hard rains lately, but they are growing pretty tall. 

Anyone notice Evan pulling weeds in the background?  I hadn't noticed that until I was ready to send it to all of you. What a big help that was! 

Catching up

As part of our attempt at self reliance, we wanted to build our own shelves and storage spaces. It started with a floor to ceiling bookshelf along our front wall and didn't stop!  One of my favorite custom pieces was this cubby hole coat rack. The cubbies are now packed with paperbacks and the hooks are filled with bags, scarves, and coats. It's a strong rack build with love. It also has a matching trough to rest your wet boots. 

Here is a close up of the hooks Andy carved. They were low hanging branches from our maple tree out back.  That poor little tree finally grew tall enough so it is just out of Andy's reach!  

Andy again needed to make use of space and quickly put this dust buster holder together. The girls helped measure, hammer nails in, and paint it!  All I did was ok the final product, color, and location.  It is at a height handy enough for all of us to reach. 

Tomato failure. 👎

Today, I decided I would can diced tomatoes. I'm not a canning expert not am I an experienced canner, but I've read a ton of publications on the matter. I went into this task WAAAAAY too confident!  I clearly need help because this is a photo of what I found inside my water bath! 

So....HELP!!

I think I over-filled this jar. It was the last one and I really wanted to preserve every. last. tomato. Could that be why this jar exploded? Any and all advice or in-home canning demonstrations are welcome!  👍

Not too bright, but still cute! & Raspberries

I dug up the front boxes today and the girls "helped" me move the grass. It was a good idea, but they didn't make it too far! 

----

The raspberries are now boxed in and protected by a net. We'll see if it helps to keep the hens from eating up all future growth.