Restoration of the Peace

Recently, the lovely Peace and Tranquility of HeartSong Farm was violently disturbed by the savage and murderous attack on my sweet young llama, Jagger, followed by an attack on me the very next day by the same dogs as I walked to my mailbox.  First shock, then anger, then a constant state of anger/shock took over my whole being until the following Sunday afternoon when I realized I could not let these feelings hijack me and erase everything I had worked so hard to create here in my own little piece of the World.

RESOLVED:  I will not allow the Evil That This Was to take control of my Joyful Existence here on HeartSong Farm. If I do, then the irresponsible neighbors win, and I lose.  I lose not only my Joy, Peace, Tranquility and Way of Life, but I will have allowed myself to be victimized one more time, and I will have lost my True Self. I feel like this has been a test by the Universe to see if I really have learned to stand up for myself, and my Self.  To see if I have really grown past the mental and emotional abuse that was my marriage, as I claim to have done.  A karmic reality test, mayhap?

Those first five days after Jagger's tormented death were spent in sleepless shock.  Thankfully, a week from the attack on me I woke up almost completely restored to my feeling of peace and tranquility after days of reaching out toward the strength and truth that would make that feeling happen.  Emails and phone calls from friends during the traumatic week helped me so much in regaining the wonderful atmosphere of my beloved HeartSong Farm.  Friends are definitely a Necessity of Life, aren't they?!

During that initial week following the attacks, I tried to find joy in my garden and with my remaining llamas.  I found I couldn't sit still long enough to find it.  Restless and unfocused at that point, weeding and cultivating and watering my garden was a chore instead of a pleasure.  And so the weeds had somewhat of a reprieve. Fortunately, we had quite a few nice rains, so that my lack of watering did not cause any harm to my vegetable plants.  I also had to keep my wounds clean and free from dust and dirt, so shearing the final two llamas was out of the question, as was mowing the yard.  Hanging my clothes on the line did little to lift my spirits, and I didn't even notice the heat and humidity coming through my open windows.

At this time, however, I can share that I have finally and successfully put all those negative feelings behind me, and I am once again at peace .... or at least 98% at peace .... I still have a twinge of fear several times a day, but the anger is gone and the fear that is left will just keep me on my toes, and will fade in time.

My longtime friend, Debbie, ordered Ben and me some pepper spray canisters from Amazon.com, and they arrived on the 19th with a message to "carry these and use them".  Yes, ma'am, I responded!  She said she likes my attitude!

My very own pepper spray, ready to use!

And for the time being, all is quiet on the Western Front, where the dogs and their owners live with their children. I was notified by animal control that the male dog had been released to the owners on the tenth day after the attack, with no evidence of rabies.  Nice to know!  I received my copy of the attorney's letter to the neighbors and it is eloquently written.  It states the facts succinctly, and is in no way combative or antagonistic. It states that they should not have contact with me about the situation, that I want to be reimbursed for my bills, and the pain and suffering of my young llama, and requires that the two dogs responsible be removed from the premises since nothing had been done to remedy the situation of the dogs getting out when I had originally requested it several times and several months ago. 

We have not seen either of the pit bulls in almost a week now, but I have heard dogs whining and yelping from inside the neighbors' home several times at night.  The people have mowed their lawn three times since returning from vacation (we haven't finished once!) but, since early this week, Ben and I have seen absolutely no outside activity over there at all.  We are grateful for the peace and quiet!

SO ..... are you ready for what is happening otherwise around here?!  I sure am ready to change the subject!

First harvest of 2014 Summer Season!  Two zucchinis, two patty pan
squash and one long bean.

Amidst all the drama around here with the pit bulls and their owners, that first week I was out in the garden only long enough to harvest the first veggies of the season.  At first I thought that I had left this zucchini on the vine a bit too long, but this variety of zucchini naturally grows much larger than the little skinny ones we see in the grocery.  I sliced these up and sauteed them with some purple onion and olive oil, then garnished it with grated Parmesan cheese and some slivered Greek basil from my garden. Talk about yummy! I later roasted the other squashes with a garlic, sea salt and olive oil drizzle in my little toaster oven and they were quite tasty, too.  Bring on the veggies, I say!  I am ready to enjoy!

The second harvest, last weekend:  beans, basil,
tomatoes, patty pan squashes, and the first yellow

squash of the season.

Yesterday's harvest:  crisp corn salad greens, a
tomato, and a couple of the patty pan squash.

Today's harvest was a few more beans, some Thai and purple basil,
a mess of chard.  This became my supper alongside some new

potatoes from my friend Judy's garden, and a small batch of the shelled

asparagus beans.

Shelled asparagus beans.  They seem to go through several color
stages as they grow in the pod.  The smallest looking much like a

black-eyed pea, then turning red, and finally black at the largest.

The asparagus beans are really growing fast now, and each measures about 26 inches in length.  I have discovered that you can either harvest them to eat as green beans, or wait a day or two and harvest them as shelling beans. I have already shared with you that one of my favorite things to do is hang clothes on the line to dry.  Well, another one of those favorite things is to shell peas and beans!

I do not know exactly why these activities bring me such joy, but they do.  I feel the same way when I am spinning, weaving and working with fibers and fabrics, as well as chopping and cooking in the kitchen.  They seem to cause me to stop and breathe slowly and experience what is going on around me, and to appreciate the little things that I love so much. The hectic pace of the world seems to slow down, and I am in a world of my own.

Blossom of the asparagus bean. They bloom early morning, and by
noon they have closed up.  The bees love them!

I harvested my garlic and was pleased enough with the results considering that I planted cloves from garlic bought at the grocery store just to see what would happen.  They are drying out on my back porch for a week or so in order for them to cure before using them.  I knew that the possibility of getting a large harvest was far less using the grocery store garlic due to the probability that they were a hybrid that would not reproduce well, if at all.  This is something that can be avoided by purchasing "sets" from a seed supply company.  

First ever garlic harvest on HeartSong Farm

In the fall, I will order and plant garlic sets, and that way I will be sure of what I will harvest come this time next year.  I can then save some of the smaller buds or cloves from that harvest to continue my year to year plantings. I must say, though, that the garlic I planted last fall was very easy to grow and if you have just a little bit of space for growing anything, and don't want to invest in purchased sets, it is well worth having fun growing some garlic from the grocery for yourself!  You can grow them in pots as well as the ground.

A new and quite interesting friend came visiting two Saturday afternoons ago to pick up some of my "rogue" chaste trees that the bees and butterflies love on my farm.  When Ellen arrived she said she would "just be here for 30 minutes, tops."  But two hours later, we were still having a wonderful time on the back porch sipping iced tea, swatting flies, and sharing stories before she left with 8 little trees to take home and plant for the bees!  We met through a mutual friend on Facebook.  Thanks, "Gracie Lou!"  And thanks, Ellen, for planting more trees for the bees! 

Crepe myrtles and the original chaste tree, quite large now.  You cannot see, but all of the above are just covered with honey bees, bumble bees, and several other varieties of bees.

One of the "rogue" chaste trees that pop up in my yard near the original tree.

Readers, are you doing your part for the bees?  They need us!  They really do.  On HeartSong Farm, two of the current bee attractions are the chaste tree and the crepe myrtles.  Butterflies are also attracted to these popular trees. Why not plant some in your yard to help attract and sustain our winged visitors?!   A list of bee-loving plants is forthcoming here on my blog, but for the time being you can "google" and discover them for yourself.  Be careful, however, where you purchase your plants!  I suggest to get them from a friend, neighbor, farmers market or a plant nursery because the major retailers such as Walmart, Home Depot and Lowe's (yes, my dear sweet Lowe's!) have plants that are treated with a substance that kills bees along with the actual pests the substance is touted to keep out of your garden!  Be wary!  Without bees there would be no pollination, and with no pollination, no good veggies to enjoy!

Chaste trees can be kept small and bush-like, or allowed to grow as tall as they can, which you can see is quite tall. It is best to trim them during the fall if you wish to keep them small.  They grow very quickly, and they have a second, smaller bloom in August.  I got my original one at the end of the season in 2001 at Sutherlands for $1.19 with no tag and no one knew what it was!  What a deal, huh?!

Butterfly on one of the small chaste trees in the pasture.  I should know the name of this winged lovely, but I can't think of it right now!

Tried to capture a photo of a Giant Swallowtail but it kept moving away from me, a bit wary of the human with her camera!

During this past week, I also spotted a kingfisher on an overhead line next to a large pond near the highway. Folks, I was overjoyed at the sight!  These interesting birds are solitary, and when I first moved here in 1998, I regularly saw one on my way to and from town.  After Hurricane Rita blew through here in 2005, I no longer saw it, and I was so sad.   So, this sighting has brought me immense joy to know that they have returned to my environment.    



AND, 

I have finally finished getting everything sorted out, filled out, applied for, and received, and I am now 100% ready to be on Medicare come July 1st.  It is a Rite of Passage, don't you know, and I am excited.  And, only 24 months to Retirement, Glorious Retirement!


And so, thankfully, Life is getting back to normal here on HeartSong Farm....

Growing forward

A few weekends ago, with the help of some very knowledgeable folks, I made a decision on the location of my greenhouse. Thanks Scott and Chelsea!  I appreciate your helping me with this, and look forward to the design and construction of a workable, efficient, and cost-effective 10' x 12' greenhouse in a few months! Scott and Chelsea are wanting to have a greenhouse of their own someday soon, and we will experiment with mine first.  Great idea, huh?!  They are part of the Naca Valley Vineyard that is being cultivated just north of my farm in Nacogdoches County.  My friend, Wanda and her hubby, Buzz Mouton, are the driving forces behind it, working hard towards fulfilling their dream of operating their own winery on family land. You can visit their site for more info here:  https://www.facebook.com/nacavalley.winery  It is quite an exciting adventure!  

Scott and Chelsea are in the foreground, Buzz in the back.  To the right are some of
the rows of grapevines planted.  This photo was taken in very early spring, I believe.

As for my little greenhouse, we chose a nice, fairly level spot in Jagger's old pasture beyond my backyard fence .... in the same general area where I made the new raised bed for the asparagus beans and am also growing the squash, eggplants, and melons in pots.  The greenhouse will be to the east of that planting area. The location is south of my home structure and away from the large pine in the southeast part of my back yard that would have blocked some of the winter sun that I will need to fall on the greenhouse.  It will be out of the way of the north/south wind tunnel directly behind my parking pad, and far enough away from any shade trees in the pasture and near the house to allow for plenty of sun in the spring and summer.  A bit of shade at that time of the growing season will be fine.

Greenhouse location!  I have already removed one section of the
fence separating my immediate back yard and this former pasture.

It will be built out of pressure treated wood and either fiberglass or the new type of plastic panel now available.  I need to go check both out face to face at Lowe's soon, and decide which I like best visually as well as which will hold up better in the long run for me.  I have gotten quite a bit of information from this website:   www.littlegreenhouse.com     The site sells greenhouse kits and equipment, and offers some tips for construction of the foundation and such.  I was particularly excited about a lever that will raise a roof panel for ventilation and it is powered by the outside temperature .... no electricity and no batteries needed! I think that is way cool!  Sort of like solar energy, but not exactly!

I have decided that the floor will be made of this great recycled rubber mulch I found at Lowe's and have tried out in between two of my raised beds this year.  First I hoed all the weeds out of the pathway, then lay down 6 layers of newspaper (not any of the shiny sections like the ads/flyers) over the bare ground.  Then I thoroughly soaked the newspaper before laying down about 4" of the mulch.

This is the recycled rubber mulch I used.  It costs about $10/bag, 
but will last much longer than the usual bark type, and doesn't soak
up water or attract termites and bugs.

As you can see, it has worked very well keeping out weeds, which
had been a major battle for me for years. And it looks nice, too!

I have tried numerous things over the past few years and this stuff is the best for my needs.  It comes in two other colors, I think, and I chose the brown.  For a person who loves to be barefoot, however, I have had to remember to wear my clogs into the garden when I need to go down this path.  The rubber really heats up in the sun!  Like asphalt!  This may be one reason why it does a good job as a mulch .... the weeds can't stand the heat!  I do get a few brave weedlings here and there, but they are easily removed, and not anything like what I have battled before!

Because of the heating up factor,  I plan to use it as the floor of my greenhouse!  In the winter, with the sun shining through the roof, this rubber mulch should heat up and hold its heat to keep the inside of the greenhouse nice and toasty, and, hopefully, I will not have to install a heater that uses electricity.  

Meanwhile, I have pretty much given up on my Brussels sprout plant and the fava beans this year. (sigh)  I need to move on.  I pulled them all up this weekend, and, of course, added them to my compost bin.  I need to do more research on the cultivation of the B.sprouts and other members of the brasica family because I really enjoy eating them and they are a wonderful source of good things for your health.

As for the fava beans, I have enjoyed watching them grow and bloom, but the weather here doesn't seem to be conducive to them, or at least the weather we have had this year.  It has taken FOREVER to have any pods large enough to harvest, and the winds have beaten them down numerous times, snapping their stalks in half or bending them low to the ground where they have ended up rather moldy and muddy.  This is even though they were caged with wire fencing for support.  The plants themselves are stalks that do not form tendrils for clinging, nor do they bush out for strength at their base.  In fact, they tended to be quite top heavy, especially in the rain.

This is one of my typical weekly harvests of fava beans from about

20 plants.  Fairly scant, wouldn't you say?!  This is after shelling them

from the pods, but before blanching them to remove the outer casings.

Here, on the left, we have a bowl of those same fava beans with the
outer layer removed after blanching, and, on the right, is the outer layer

casings.  That is right!  You have to shell them twice!!! And all I got for
all that trouble was what's in the bowl on the left!  They were good, tho.

I won't say that I am not interested in them enough to try again, because so far what little I have harvested were really quite tasty, with a buttery, nutty flavor. But, I think that I will stick to growing the more common types of peas and beans next spring, instead. Gardening should be a fun adventure, not a frustrating one. Don't you agree?!

The vegetable plants are doing very well, especially after a recent week of heavy, soaking rains.  Ben and I added an arbor over the path between two of the raised beds so that the cucumbers on both sides of the path could grow up and over it!  I love the way it looks!  In my mind, there will be a race to see which side reaches the top first!  Which type of cuke will win?  I'll keep you posted .....

The cucumber arch with slicing cucumbers on the 
left and the lemon cucumbers on the right.

Tomatoes and marigolds.

Asparagus beans beginning to climb their trellis!

Bed mates and cousins, okra on the left and cotton
on the right.

Squash plants doing very well in the plastic raised
bed containers.  Once a week I add water to each

through the watering tube that leads to the bottom

of the container.

Beefsteak tomatoes ... can't wait for a tomato and onion and fresh
basil sandwich on multi-grain bread!

Cute little baby patty pan (button) squash.

And, just as cute, a baby acorn squash!

My gardenia bushes bloomed profusely this week,  more so than in recent year!.  They must have really enjoyed all that rain we had. I have two bushes next to the parking pad, so when I drove up after work each night,  I was greeted with their wonderful fragrance that I love. It always reminds me of the beginning of summer and school being out for the summer!  I am thinking of trying to root some in my greenhouse, so that I can plant a few outside my bedroom window.  I usually still have my windows open in the house during their bloom time. Can you imagine how wonderful it would be to fall asleep with the fragrance of gardenias on an early summer night?!

Mmmm! Deep breath! Can't you smell them!

Life is so very good here on HeartSong Farm!