::I will travel great distances to obtain good organic scratch and feed for our chickens. Our local source has run dry, so the kids and I hit the road yesterday and drove over 200 miles round trip to the manufacturer of our favorite chicken feed. This is highly unusual behavior for me - I avoid driving whenever possible. I must really love my feathered friends.::
::The food we don't mean to grow might just be the food we grow best. This lovely squash is thriving in our makeshift compost pile. I'm thinking that perhaps I should just fill all of our raised beds with our kitchen compost and see what happens.::
::Certain members of my family have decided to only eat seeded watermelon. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find an old fashioned watermelon these days? Most grocery stores around here only carry seedless watermelons or personal sized watermelons. Thank goodness for a local family farm that still grows a few good watermelons. We'll definitely throw these seeds in our compost garden.::
::Don't judge a yarn by it's appearance in skein form. We inherited what I considered some of the ugliest yarn I'd ever seen, but my mind was changed when I saw the finger knit I-cord Avery made. I'll never look at a multi-colored skein of yarn with disdain again.::
::I love our neighborhood high school track at dusk, and I might not hate running as much as I thought I did. OK, I can't actually run, but I can jog. The track, in the dark, is a lovely place to practice something at which I'm not very good, while discovering that maybe I can enjoy something that doesn't come naturally to me.::
I hope your weekend is full of discoveries. If you have a chance, take some time discover The Moth. It's been one of my best discoveries this week.
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ReplyDeleteWe search high and low for seeded watermelon, as well, mostly for the seed-spitting contests in the backyard... My girlfriend puts on this event in the city, and if you like The Moth, you may want to check it out!http://www.porchlightsf.com/
ReplyDeleteThankfully the farm store up the road sells organic feed. It's not out on the shelves, however, you have to ask for it at the counter.
ReplyDeleteI'm also knitting a skein of inherited yarn that I thought I wouldn't like. However it is turning into a cute pair of little girls socks. (Well it is almost one sock - we'll see about the pair ...)
I am not a runner either - more of a jogger with ambitions to run. I've not been out for a month and a half ... thanks for the reminder to get back to it.
Oh yes - and how was your egg? I can't wait!
the picture of you standing on the bleacher is beautiful. maybe if i tried running in the dark i wouldn't mind it so much either. matt is a runner and i wish it was something we could share. maybe i should give another go. good for you for getting out there!
ReplyDeleteYour photos are always so inspiring and lovely, but not contrived or unrealistic. I appreciate this about your blog. Just wanted to tell you that.
ReplyDeleteHa! My friend drives to Modesto Milling from Oakland for organic feed. She's probably going as far as you are, but from the opposite direction.
ReplyDeleteI so admire talented storytellers. Are you visiting The Moth to listen to the stories online? Wow--I sure wish I could hear the stories of some of those headliners!
Somehow those weird ugly yarns seem to get better when turned into i-cord.. perhaps that is just what they are meant for!
ReplyDeleteI love seeded watermelons and The Moth, too. My kids don't understand my love of old fashioned watermelons.
ReplyDeleteBut I did manage to share with them the joy of a greased watermelon race this summer. Cover watermelon in Crisco, throw into a body of water, and the kid who carries it onto shore gets the first piece.
I made a new raised bed this year by putting cardboard down, a layer of sawdust, and 14 inches of compost. The zucchini, marigolds, cucumbers love it. I think this works best with crops that really like it hot.
ReplyDeletebeautiful post molly, what a great mamma you are! i am so happy that your summer is going well. sherry
ReplyDeleteyikes - 200 miles. I have two sources of organic feed both within 10 miles. Yes, you do LOVE those chickens. I love mine too.
ReplyDeletefunny you should mention the watermelon. i was just having this discussion with a friend the other day and we both think the seeded watermelons are more "natural" thus better to eat. lol i've yet to learn how they actually plant a seedless watermelon. with a seed? it seems oddly against nature to grow something that doesn't have any chance of reproducing itself, no?
ReplyDelete;)
~Tara
i've been listening to podcasts of the moth for over a year now, it is good to know there are others who find it interesting, intriguing and entertaining. love the yarn!
ReplyDeleteI'm laughing at the surprises in your compost! I put compost under a few new bushes, and a squash plant came up. Those squash seeds are tough little buggers!
ReplyDeleteI was SO surprised to hear you were DRIVING so far! I refrained from asking WHY? So glad you cleared this up! Don't forget we have a wonderful feed store here in Vacaville. If there is something they have you need we can work it out!
ReplyDeleteTell George I've been enjoying his brew VERY much!
Love Dad
I've been there! ;D
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I just discovered The Moth as well. We enjoy listening to the podcasts after the kids have gone to bed.
Thanks for sharing, I love your site!
Thanks for the tip on the Moth! The next event is at a place my hubby and I went on one of our early dates...late and loud music. Early storytelling sounds about my speed this summer!
ReplyDeleteI like this post so much : ) It is fun when seeds grow right before our very eyes in unexpected places as if by magic! And to think how much time and energy can be put into gardening when nature can do it so effortlessly on its own in the 'wild'! I was so happy last year to find bunches of sunflowers growing up strong in big pots that I had stuck a bird feeder in. Now when I actually 'planted' sunflower seeds I sat and watched birds pecking at the ground and eating each one : ) You should try throwing some heirloom watermelon seeds into your compost ; ) Fedco seeds has some really neat varieties then you can save them each year!
ReplyDeleteI *so* miss real watermelon with seeds. It tastes way better than the so-called "seedless", and the seeds are way easier to spit out. *sigh* (I don't want to eat those wimpy seeds that are in the "seedless" types, regardless of how soft they are.)
ReplyDeletewe disdain “seedless” watermelons at our house, too. we bought a real watermelon at a roadside stand this week, chilled it in the fridge and ate it for the next two days — so delicious!
ReplyDeletenext year we’ll grow our own. i have a strong recommendation for a little round dark green variety. if only the raccoons wouldn’t interfere...
Oh running (or jogging.) Why does this activity evade me? It seems like it would totally get the job done, if you know what I mean. I like the idea of a track in the early nighttime. I'm certain I couldn't handle it in full sun, but maybe the oddness of the time of day would propel me to keep putting one foot in front of the other quicker than usual.
ReplyDeleteSeeded watermellons are definitely the best. I love your photography as usual!
ReplyDeleteOur compost area usually sports a "volunteer" plant or two as well and like you said, it's the hardiest looking one of all!
ReplyDeleteI too, never would have thought that I would love chickens. But I do. :)
Again, I love your photos!
I totally agree about the "real" watermelons. I was delighted to find that the ones available in Luxembourg are the "real" ones, black seeds and all! My oldest wanted me to take the seeds out and I explained that everyone should know how to spit out watermelon seeds. Simple pleasures.
ReplyDeleteHi Molly,
ReplyDeleteI have been away from home for a few days, and was scanning the new posts of bloggers I follow. When I saw your picture of Modesto Milling, I had to investigate right away--I grew up in Modesto, and wondered if it was your town, too. I found that it wasn't of course! Hmm... "A FOOTHILL Home Companion." ...
I enjoy your blog, and I wish you many more discoveries. And that rainbow yarn worked up wonderfully for Avery's project!
I agree! So do our chickens! We are all worth good organic food!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, do plant your entire fall crop with compost--just interplant with a few things you know you didn't toss into the pile this summer ;)
AND yes, the high school track at summer is my spa night. :)
Oh, Molly, keep running! It may very well turn into a passion. It's never too late to discover a hidden talent. And you may find out along the way that it was a natural talent all along - it was just waiting to be invited to the dance...
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of a compost garden! We dded out own kitchen compost to our raised beds this year for the first time and have had tomatoes pop up as well as some mystery plants that we are waiting to see what they might be. It appears to be some type of squash or melon, but we're not sure. :)
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