Cold Weather Scenes

The chickens aren't minding the colder temperatures.  They do wait until closer to 9am to get busy in the garden, but once they are out, they stay busy outside all day.  Jacques is a fine and handsome fella, isn't he?  He's second in line to the throne, but he takes every opportunity to shoot for the moon, jockeying himself into the alpha position.

Our alpha rooster, Claude is the clear leader, and he certainly straightens Jacques out in a very firm but non-violent way.  He's a lover not a fighter :)  The 2 "boys" crow all day back and forth in competition until they are hoarse and their voices crack.  We all laugh so hard ~ cheap country entertainment...

As you can see below, we've got a nice deep litter layer on the garden for winter protection.  Spent greens, leaves, manured wheat straw and finally, flax straw.  All we need is a nice blanket of snow to tuck it all in under a protective cover for the winter.

The greenhouse freezes at night, but during the day hovers close to zero.  

In it, I've got lettuce, beets, celery, herbs, broccoli, onions and a few other things struggling to grow...  It's doubtful that I'll actually see much of it reach harvest size, but a girl can try, can't she?

 This is the second 900 lb bale of organic flax straw that I've had delivered recently. I'm using it as protective mulch for new plantings and also as grass killer.  Where the bale sits now will be a HUGE flower garden come fall of next year.   I'm lazy and don't want to dig out the turf so by spreading the straw thickly now, I'm hopeful the grass will die off within a year just in time for fall planting in 2013.  The Honeycrisp apple tree in the foreground is toward the north of the property, and the crescent shape strip of straw is planted with Saskatoon bushes, curving to capture the sun from the south.  They will grow to 10' tall and will (fingers crossed) provide some shelter for the new flower garden by way of a microclimate.  Time will tell - I'm probably being overly optimistic :)

Indoors, it's obvious that it's Fall - apples and pears grace the fruit bowl,

and the very last of the tomatoes are finally ripening.

 Woollens and fleece have come out and are put into daily service

 as are the cozy fleece sheets.

Lego and beading projects are spread out after a long summer of them being packed away.

Mommy's "toys" are coming out of storage, too - fabric and sewing await my calloused gardening hands.

I've got a baby quilt to sew - our first Grandchild is due in ONE week!  Hop to it, Grandma!  Stay tuned... :)