Chickens/Berries/Weeds

Let's see..... A month of farming-- Well, the chickens are doing great! The are healthy, active and Big. They have three shade structures and they all have a places to go to stay out of the sun. I lost 2 birds to the Sun one afternoon. The decided to keep their heads in a cool shady place and leave their bodies in the sunlight. I felt so bad. Earlier I had walked right by them and did not make them move. So the next few days I came in and gave rain showers in the afternoon to keep everyone active. Lately the air temps are down and it is raining more, so there are no repeats. During the hot week I let the birds sleep out overnight. Then my neighbor told me he lost two chickens at night to something...... We have a lot of coyotes here and they are fearless. So I am back to bundling them in every night. My little wire fence isn't that good. More lessons for me.

Oh, the raspberry patch was just GOLD! It is about 100' long and 3-10' wide. Every mature bush was loaded! What a sight to lift a branch and see 20 big berries. I don't think I have ever had berries like that. So I have been picking practically every morning for 2 weeks. It doesn't get old either. I put my can on my belt, step into the canes and pick. What a wonderful thing... a few hours in another world. My problems dissolved and my busy brain slowed way down. Maybe it wasn't the temperature that slowed me down, it was the raspberries..... Then at night I fill a big mug with berries, drown them in milk and enjoy the best desert ever! Their season is pretty much over. Thank you Hamburg!

So then weeds ...... In early July I had things pretty clean. A week ago the weeds declared victory. They forgot about the lawn mower. I mowed between the rows and gained back some control. Now I am weeding the rows that are in the most need. Maybe in a week their victory will be a stalemate! The idea of gardening from 7-9 am seems like a plan. The summer produce is really starting to ripen. Green beans today!

I'll try to walk all around the land this week and see if I can understand what is going on with the fields, and the season. There is change out here all the time.