Farmer Fitting : Update

So after weeks of being away, I'm just now taking stock of my once-glorious vegetable garden. Sadly, I think that it might need some serious help, even though I thought a few weeks away from me might actually do it some good.

So after tallying up the points between Mother Nature and myself? I think it might be a draw.

Winning


Look what I harvested yesterday!!!

One zucchini, that I rescued from what might be a dying plant, and that I'm not even sure was finished growing yet. Whatever.

A gazillion little Yukon Gold potatoes, all from one potato plant that looked like it was ready. This of course assumes that I know what ready looks like.


An Egg!! YAY! I still only have one hen that is laying so far and we are getting about an egg a day but it's still awesome. The nice thing is that it's really so small it's only half an egg, so it makes feeding the kiddo that much better.


There is more winning -

A few tomato plants that are giving tomatoes.

The strawberry plants have continued to kick ASS, as long as I drown the predatory slugs in beer. Who knew that Lagunitas had more than one use? They love the stuff! 

The rest of the potato plants are growing like crazy and the rosemary is taking over like the vile weed that it is.  And we have CITRUS! Its not ripe yet, but what the hell... it's been known to help the flavor of a Pacifico now and then.

FAIL 
Um, yeah, while some of the tomato plants have some fruit on them... the rest of them look like they are about to croak. Not so bueno. Any ideas people? And please don't say water - they have microdrip and we think they may be overwatered, but since I suck at this, it's anyone's guess.

The arugula has gone to seed, along with half of my herbs. This is in spite of constant pruning to prevent it.

The spinach all died.

The cucumber met his untimely death as well.

A moment of silence please for all of the vegetables that met their fate at my hands.

*****

I am disheartened by my garden this year, not gonna lie.  I do think that I got a little overzealous with my veggies and had a tendency to cram things into the planter, as opposed to picking what would work and planting that, but I didn't think it would be this bad.

I tried to lay out what I wanted to plant for the summer but things ended up a little bit crowded. I tried to get uber farm-like by using seeds instead of starters and ended up fighting a losing battle with the birds (why is it always birds that plague me). After Armageddon of my seedlings I thought what had survived was all basil. Once again, WRONG. I am now the proud owner of about 10 dying tomato plants.

I feel like I tried a lot this year but not much worked. Hopefully next year when I start planting it will come out better, but for now, I'm going to say that Mother Nature has made me her bitch.

Sigh.

But at least the chickens are all still here.

The only chicken that is worth ANYTHING.

Building a Better Mousetrap

Hello?

Oh, Hi... I have a blog? Crap. Who knew?

Yeah, so things have been a little bit hectic 'round these parts for the past 3 weeks. You've seen the BlogHer nonsense... I mean have I stopped talking about it for a minute? Yeah, not so much.

But while all the madness of trips to Tahoe and San Diego and parties and drinking have been going on, we did have a completely amazing moment here at It's Fitting.

I received that picture from my husband during the Haute Green party and just about keeled over and DIED. The world's most difficult and expensive chickens have finally started laying.

Well, let me rephrase that. The chicken has started laying. Only one of the four. So while I'm SUPER excited that we now have an egg a day, I would love it if the other difficult little shits would start as well. Because people, these things have cost quite a bit lately in both money and man (read: husband) hours.

So you remember the issues we had with them getting out? And the joy with which we put up bird netting and watched them puzzle over it and lament their situation in life?

They outsmarted us, again and again, until we not only had the one, most bold, chicken getting out (Thelma), but all of them. Every night into the redwood tree. And pretty much giving us the finger every time they did.

I thought the hubby was going to lose his MIND.

So more money was thrown at the problem... and a super-structure was constructed. I do believe that his manly pride for wielding tools and building shit was damaged by our insensitive winged friends and that this was just something that he HAD. TO. DO.

So, a bazillion dollars later, we have built a better mousetrap. The girls are no longer getting out (for now) and that one egg a day that we are getting? Is the most expensive egg we have ever eaten.