The Not Fall Garden

Oh, my poor dried up picked-over garden space. There has been no human activity within it's fences since the end of July. Lots of chicken activity, though...

We had to come to the realization this summer that we built our garden over a misunderstood property line, and that at some point before the end of the year it must be relocated. Part of letting go of the space- for me- was letting it go to crispy oblivion... and letting the chickens pick it apart.

I've stopped weeding.

I've stopped watering.

I haven't planted anything new since the spring.

Soon I'll have to be out there digging up the surviving perennials and transplanting them somewhere so the fence can be disassembled and the stones and soil moved to a new location. Soon, but not quite yet.

So for the immediate future the remnants of this once special space are up for grabs for the Red Ladies, and I'm sitting at the drawing board, trying to make my brain start from scratch... somewhere else... which is all at once quite overwhelming and a bit exciting. So much work to redo, but so much potential!

*sigh*

Worker Bees

My Littles have been... well... busy as bees! When my hives came in the mail, only the bottom deeps were assembled. The four medium supers that'll make up the rest of my hives came assemble-them-yourself style.

They also came with a note- packed inside the box that you couldn't reach unless you'd opened the box- that said 'Once box is opened assemble supers IMMEDIATELY or wood will warp!'

Well OK then. I was about to make dinner, but the note was in italics and there were words in all caps... we'd better not ignore it.

As soon as I opened the box of nails and dug out my hammer I was surrounded by willing helpers, and in no time we had ourselves some mighty fine hives, if I do say so myself.

The only thing left to do now (not including designating and prepping a bee yard) is to paint them, which Audrey absolutely will not let me forget to do. She has already decided that they should have bees painted on them so the bees know that these hives are for them.

I think she might be right!

VIP Fall Cleaning

This weekend, despite it still feeling like summer's grip is around us, we tackled the chore of cleaning up and airing out the playhouse. It was neglected practically all summer long because air conditioning in a playhouse seems a little over the top to me, so it was just too hot for them to get out there much.

Plus there were tons of brown recluse spiders as big as quarters who had set up residence in the neglected kid piles. It was a chore Mama needed to help with, for sure.

I wish I'd shot a 'before' photo because oh my, you should've seen it. But after three buckets full of play dishes, all with mud and pebbles and dehydrated, rotted plants baked onto them, and one huge and just as dirty load of doll bedding, pillows, towels, and rugs, we got it spic-and-span.

They even got a new 'Welcome' mat, bumped off the front porch of the real house by a spiffy new replacement. Good thing my Littles love hand-me-downs!

It seems all the occupants of this little house needed was for it to get a fresh fall cleaning! Their love for being out there has been rekindled, and they've been out there ever since we placed the fresh clean rugs and such back in their places...

...after all, VIP stands for Very Important Playhouse, right?

A Happy Autumn

My most favorite season officially arrived yesterday, and with it our usual traditions: pie making, wreath donning, pumpkin gathering, squash eating. The temperatures- as usual- have not transitioned out of summer mode yet, but I'm sure they'll get there. For now, with the air conditioner on and the pumpkins placed here and there throughout the house, it feels like fall... as long as you don't go outside.

For now.

Here's to a happy Autumn!

I Got Hives.

My beehive components came today, y'all! Those poor UPS guys had to make five trips up our long, winding front walk to carry up the bulky boxes, and because I wasn't expecting my hives so soon I was completely mystified by the growing pile of boxes on my front stoop! But then I saw this:

...and broke in to my happy dance, right there on the front porch, door wide open, UPS guys still in the driveway. I don't care yo, my beehives came today!

I ordered pre-assembled deeps with IPM bottom boards and black foundation for my brood boxes, and assemble-them-yourself-style medium supers with basic whitish foundation (two supers for each hive... I hope that'll be enough for me in the beginning). I also got two top feeders and plan on building two screened inner covers for the summer, but yeah, beehives! Here! In my living room!

Also in my living room: an insane amount of packing material and four big empty boxes. That'll be fun for the kids... and Rory, apparently...

Something for everyone!

Weekending

We hunted treasures; my mom found a coat rack and I found two books. Back at home, some holes were dug (one much deeper than the other). It rained a lot, and now it's very humid. We made and ate ice cream. The kids will go to bed late tonight.

You know, just good weekend stuff.

Hope everyone's is just as good! Happy weekending.

Drillin'

Guess what will be preoccupying us all weekend? 

Have a good one, y'all!

Bye-Bye Old Well...

The well-drilling rig was parked on site yesterday, y'all! This drilling thing is really happening!

I have to pinch myself every time I look out the window at this giant machine parked out in the yard; it's been a long time coming, this well drilling operation of ours. What a relief that it's now only one permit away from gettin' done.

It was almost dinnertime when the big drilling truck rolled up the driveway, and the kids rushed out to stand on the sidewalk and gawk at it as it maneuvered into place. When we were done eating they wanted to rush right back out and inspect every inch... and honestly so did the grown-ups...

The thing's huge, that's for sure, but I guess you'd have to have something pretty substantial to drill into the earth 800 feet! We can't wait to see it in action...

...and we can't wait to cap and tear down the old dysfunctional eye-sore preexisting well! Bye-bye old well, hello new well... finally!

Right Now

Right now, I'm...

...listening to Henry play with action figures, giving them voices and conversing with them. It's adorable.
...crossing my fingers that all goes well this morning and we can have a crew in our yard this afternoon to begin drilling a new water well! Yes!
...hoping the weather will hold this week so there will be no more hangups with the drilling.
...feeling giddy about bees- I just ordered all my hive components, and next month I'll place my order for my buzzy girls!
...loving that my feathered girls are starting to ramp up their laying again- a few of them had a hard molt, we had a touch of fowl pox thanks to the mosquitoes, and most of them were a little overwhelmed by the summer heat, but now 7/10 of them are laying again. So glad!

Right now I find my days more and more consumed with the bustle of late summer/early fall, and at the end of these days I usually realize I didn't snap one photo to share in this space! So if I fall silent again as September wears on, just know I'm out there running around with chickens and children and heavy machinery, and I'll come back soon!

Happy Tuesday!

Working on a Revamp

I've been kicking around the idea of revamping Audrey's room for a while now, and with her seventh birthday right around the corner, it seems like the right time to start making it happen. The first thing that needs to change: the mini stool from Ikea that has been acting as a night stand for almost 2 years now. That's no way for a big girl in first grade to keep her alarm clock and such! Nope, a real nightstand is definitely in order. So that's what I've been working on, and I'm liking what's working out! Hooray for thrift store tables, 50 cent books, and rainy project days!

Next on the road to revamp: finding her a desk and moving her (sweet, beloved, handmade) table to the playroom!

It will be fun to move all these pieces into play while she's at school the Friday before her birthday and having a big reveal when she gets home!