There are so many things to discover on the land in the Rocky mountains. Indian prayer tree. Ute Indians lived in these mountains. This is an Indian prayer tree on my mom's property. There are several categories of Ute Indian prayer trees. Read all about them here: https://www.castlepinesconnection.com/ute-indian-prayer-trees/ From what I've researched: This one is … Continue reading Life In The Rocky Mountains
If you are in a position to look at a device to help you make tomato paste or sauce, seed different fruits and remove skins, do I have some advice for you! I have made paste from tomatoes before. I used to own a Foley food mill and used it regularly. (Like: an original Foley … Continue reading Tomato Paste
I have never been to the hot springs in Colorado. I didn't know much about them. My best friend and her partner took my mom and I out to the springs in Moffat, Colorado. We skipped all of the lower temperature pools and got into the hottest one they had. Apparently, we were brave because: … Continue reading Fun In The Hot Springs
I'm enjoying a vacation. First time in twenty years that my kids and husband are not along for the ride. I came to visit my mom and my best friend. It's so beautiful up here where my mom lives. It's healing. My best friend, my mom and I are planning on going to the hot … Continue reading Out In Colorado
So, I ran some dripline around to the front yard, to the new pawpaws. Last night I installed the emiters. My youngest son was helping me by yelling over the fence, to tell me if the pressure was too high, and if I blew the line. First vacation sans husband and kids in twenty years. … Continue reading Pawpaw Update June 2024
After trying and trying for the last twelve years: and getting close to zero globe and beefsteak tomatoes, I went all in on plum (Roma) tomatoes. I've gotten Romas to produce before but I've never planted an entire bed with them. I fully expected to get a small supply from the six plants, that all … Continue reading I Withdraw My Assertion That I Cannot Grow Tomatoes
Weird little puff mushroom. I see these all over my yard in summer. Our store is open! Come see what we have!
I have heard a lot of things, from people I know, who were touting the new hydrogen gas infused, water craze. There's already hydrogen atoms in a water molecule, but this is free hydrogen atoms added to regular tap or filtered water. Some of the people I have heard glowing reviews from are: doctors and … Continue reading Hydrogen Water. Healthy Or Hype?
Have you seen this farming family's channel? Based out of Azerbaijan? No? What!? You must watch it! https://youtube.com/@country_life_vlog?si=adfBXIRFHZx0Wr8B I'm going to add photos of my food forest. Some of what they do is achievable. But even I am jealous of the variety of food they can grow. This is a pomegranate flower. I accidentally stumbled … Continue reading Crazy Good Link
Summer is officially bearing down on us down here in South Texas. Boy, is it hot! If you garden: you sure don't want to do it in the middle of the day when it's over 100°F! However, all the things down here that I choose to plant will usually sail through the heat as long … Continue reading Summer Sun And The Fruits Of My Labor
I finally got all of the figs I froze out of the freezer and made wine. It had come down to: make wine or don't have room for this year's corn! I have the carboys out of the way, by my fireplace. Definitely don't need to use the fireplace right now! Figs thawing. So I … Continue reading Fig Wine
Well it's a day for a storm. The heat has been bullied back into its corner and I was free to do some work outside. The dripline I'm running is brown. It's really rubbery and easier to force onto the emiter posts. The downside of working in the rain is: the thick clay gets slippery … Continue reading I’m Digging In The Rain, Just Diggin’ In The Rain…
The heat was getting to the papaws. This is the north side of my yard and this area only gets about half a day of direct sunlight. It wasn't enough shade. I was noticing some thinning of the leaves and some stress that was showing up as lighter colors. Pawpaws before the heat set in. … Continue reading Pawpaw Follow Up
I created this bed in a traditional hugelkulter. Dug the trench, laid the logs, filled it in. Never again. I've been building my style of hugelkulter for over a decade. But I finally tried making one the way you are supposed to make it. I have a vole highway under these trees now. I'm setting … Continue reading When It Gets Too Hot For A Fruit Tree
I have a vole problem in my hugelkulter bed. I built the hugelkulter, for the first time, like you are supposed to... and I hate it. I've been building "hugelkulter-like" beds for twelve years and I've never had voles. But I didn't use logs, I used mulch. (See how I do it here: perfect raised … Continue reading Vole Holes Day 3
So I have voles tunneling around my high density fruit tree bed, inside the hugelkulter base. Under these trees is a real hugelkulter set up. Never again. I own some poison peanuts. Which I read the instructions on: post purchase. They aren't meant to use around fruit trees. Then I have a couple of mouse … Continue reading Vole Hole
My paste tomatoes are starting to blush! If you lose tomatoes to animals, pull them as they just start to blush red, and ripen them on the counter. Then you won't have to share! There's tons more in the garden that aren't ready to bring in. Great year for tomatoes for me! That's super unusual. … Continue reading Paste Tomatoes!
This is not a good harvest for me, but as you can see: it wasn't a complete failure. Despite this being a poor year for corn for me, I still had a decent harvest. Definitely will not start corn late ever again. Usually I'd have twice this amount and the ears would be fully pollinated. … Continue reading Corn!
Because of our heat, and the fact that our main hummingbird variety will not share with other birds: I use really small feeders and place them all over my yard. On the way out the door with fresh hummingbird food. I usually have five out at a time. In our feel like 112° heat, they … Continue reading My Favorite Hummingbird Feeders
Crazy Green Thumbs 