Finally...

We've been re-doing the fencing, decreasing the goat area to make room for more corn, and finally are at the place where we can plant.  I'm still sore from a week of leveling and organizing the areas.  Goat manure is really good fertilizer, so I expect great things out of the new area.  The block wall dh started along one edge incorporates parts from a trampoline as posts, the block wall being 2 blocks high, and the posts being used for field fencing.  We'll do more block as we're able on other edges, but this is a big step out of the way. 

I was able to get 12 tomato plants and 9 pepper plants in Saturday night.  Also a couple each of watermelon, cantaloupe, and zucchini plants.  The rest of the squash, watermelon, and cantaloupe were planted (seeds).  Yesterday, I got my cucumber seed, Jahrradale pumpkin, and some assorted broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, and spinach seed in.  DD helped with radishes and carrots, and the little boys helped with green onion and basil.  I think I also got some Swiss chard and beets planted. 

I have an order in for the remaining seed that I need.  It may seem late, but we've planted some things late May to mid-June the last couple of years, and those things did pretty much as well as the things planted prior.  With corn, especially, I've found that the plants from mid-June catch up with the end of May plants, and produce right around the same time.  Anything much after that doesn't do well.  Same with my squash and pumpkins, so I think we're good.  I didn't have tomatillo seed, but I won't be surprised is wild tomatillos sprout;  I ordered some seed, and I'll pull the reseeded plants...don't want to replay last year's mess.  We're going to try to do more beans and peas this year, and we're looking at ways to create a shading or greenhouse over the tomato area!  It's an ambitious project, to say the least. 

In the meantime, the turkeys are getting big.  The duck eggs haven't produced any chicks.  The chickens haven't turned out to be very good brooders either.  We tried handling the piglets last night, and they are so skittish.   They hide behind their mama, and you have to chase her a bit to get them separated enough to catch one.  There are 4 girls, 2 boys.  DH has a new area he's fencing for the pigs so we can take down the remaining block from Chloe's current pen; we'll reuse the block for the garden fencing. 

Lazy days of summer?  I think not!

Blessings from the ranch!