Oh How the Garden Grows...

So, on July 2nd, I took a bunch of pictures of my garden for everyone to enjoy and never posted them.  Life got in the way and retreated into my hermitage for a while to adjust to the many changes happening.  This created a very real problem.  My photos have become out of date.  The garden is growing crazy fast in this heat, so the photos are useless if you want to see how my garden looks at the moment.

Knowing how sad everyone would be at not seeing some pictures, I decided to do a sort of before and after.  Below I will present to you what my garden looked like, and what it looks like today.  This way, all my effort will not be wasted and we get to see how quickly a garden can change in such a sort time.

However, I took less photos and didn't realize most of them were blurry or too dark to use until after I got inside.  Oh well.  We can deal with that.

Before: Potatoes!

After: Potatoes + bonus shot of Jack's big bum.

The potatoes are huge.  They are so large now that they have fallen over in their towers.  I'm hoping for oodles of taters!

Before: Corn!  Look how tall it is!

After: Corn with many ears almost ready to eat!

The corn is huge.  Its about 6 feet tall and many stalks have multiple ears!

Before: Peas!

There is no after shot that is not blurry.  The peas are mostly dead but with some new growth that is producing a second crop of peas!  Hubby is very excited.

Before: Broccoli

After: Broccoli

We were able to harvest all the heads of broccoli and are waiting for these new ones to mature a bit more.  Turns out, we harvested the last batch a bit late and they were a tad bitter.  I love (raw) broccoli, so I will definately be harvesting these ones sooner.

Before: Spring, yellow, and red onions

After: Spring, yellow, red onions in reverse order and different angle

The spring onions are ready to be pulled and eaten!  I can't wait!  The red and yellow ones all had their stems fall over, so I figure they will be ready soon as well.

Before: Carrots

After: Carrots

We pulled all the carrots shortly after the first photo was taken.  Hubby is in charge of the carrots and he was picking them one by one based on their estimated size.  As a result, he left them in the ground to get larger and ignored that his only mature to about 6 inches in length.  In the end, the extra time in the ground made them a bit woody.  I've planted 2 more rows since then and the first of those is sprouting.

Before: Pumkins

After: Pumkins!

 The picture does not show you how massive the pumpkins have become.  They are taking over the yard.  Their tiny pumpkins are now larger than a fist and only getting larger.  They are taking over everything.

Before: Lonely radish

After: Massive, but lonely, radish

For some reason, only one radish grew from my last plantings.  He's big enough to eat, so I guess that's what I will do.

Before: Cucumber

There is no after shot.  They were all too blurry.  The only cucumber on the plant is a few inches long and looking tasty!

Before: Celery

No after shot of the celery, but it really hasn't changed.


So, there we have it.  I will do this all again next week, but only to show the massive size of a few of the plants.  Hubby doesn't like these photos and gave me some good ideas for what to do next time.  If you want more photos and almost daily awesomeness, check out my instagram.  When I'm not on here, I'm there.  I take my instagram semi-seriously you know.

Now that we are done marveling at the fact that I kept all these plants alive for more than a week, lets move on.

In an attempt to post more frequently, I have added a few new ideas to my blog.  First, over at  Miranda Creats, she has started a series of posts every Friday that consists of a single photo capturing a moment from her week that she titles "This Moment".  I ripped off her idea (didn't even change the title of the post) and I, too, will post a photo on Fridays.  I think this is a lovely idea.  I also think you should check out her blog.  Her kids are freaking adorable.

As well, I will be trying a new Thursday post that should be interesting.  I got the idea from April who likes to satisfy her curiosity by asking a lot of great questions.  On Thursdays, I will attempt to answer them in my own way.  Since I don't like telling people how to do something and I never will claim to be an expert, I will set these posts up more as a run down of how I do things over here.  I will call it "How Laura Do".  Flawless!  Don't forget to go check out April's blog.

I hope these new changes will get me on here more often and give everyone else an idea of how my life operates.  In the meantime, have a great week all.

Short Garden Update

I have nothing new to write at the moment, so have a short, pictorial update of the garden!

Pumpkins are huge!  Can't even see the tiny cucumbers.

Sad radish and happy celery.

Earl's carrots on the left, my rainbow carrots on the right.

2 types of onions, broccoli with green onions hiding behind.

Super large corn.

Lettuce hiding in the corn and peas.

So many potatoes.

These photos were taken over a week ago, but I had huge problems with my internet and couldn't get them up sooner.  That being said, everything is bigger now since we had a few good rains.

As well, hubby is making us a new shed to put our garden supplies!  He's using reclaimed wood from small barn he helped tear down.  I'm pretty excited!

 

How is everyone else gardens growing??  

Long Time, No See, Friend...

Why hello.  Its been a while.  Terribly sorry about that, but I haven't been feeling well recently.  Let me give you a couple of highlights to catch you up.

I had a few wonderful blacksmithing lessons!  Pictures are coming.  Both projects are unfinished, and once they are, I will post some pictures for all to see.  I will tell you that I made a tomahawk and am finishing up an ornamental snail.  Its pretty cute.

In sad news, and the main reason I haven't posted, is the Hen I adopted passed away yesterday.  Her recovery was such a rollercoaster.  She did better, then got worse, then got so well I was thinking of naming her, then disaster struck.  On Monday, I saw a mite on my hand when I was feeding her.  I treated her for them, knowing that mites will impede her recovery, and hoped for the best.  Tuesday, she looked depressed.  Not moving, but still eating.  Wednesday, she was very ill.  When I picked her up to examine her, my arms were covered in mites.  I looked at her chest, and her skin was black and moving.  She was infested.  Her comb and wattle were white, she was anemic, and she was in pain.  They were sucking the life out of her. 

This was a desperate situation, and I took desperate measurements.  I got stronger chemicals and applied it under her wings, on her chest, and around her butt, all the mites hiding places.

Thursday was constant care, but no improvement.  The mites were dead, but she was drained. 

Friday, just before, 3pm, she passed away.

Telling the previous owner who trusted the hen to my care was devastating.  A lot of 'if only' have been running through my head.  If only I realized how bad the mites were sooner, if only I started force feeding her sooner.... If only.

I'm crushed.  I really hate losing an animal, and with its history, it makes it hurt more. 

Sigh.

Lets move on to happier things. 

My sister gave me her two rabbits, a black buck and a silver/grey doe (who is actually my Prince Charming's sister).  She is deciding that chickens will be more worth her while.  For the same amount of effort, she gets fresh eggs everyday, and no messy butchering!  I'm happy.  I can't wait to start breeding my does!  Baby bunnies are adorable.

My garden is doing well.  Except the spinach.  It was attacked by a worm and eaten away.  My cucumbers were almost wiped out by a slug, but we saved 2 plants!  Today, I finally got around to planting some more salad mix, new spinach (ripped out the gross ones), radishes, and carrots.  I'm late doing all this, but oh well.  I'm still learning.

Here, have a few pictures of my garden.

My carrots, before I thinned them.

Potatoe, a week ago.  They are huge now.

Aren't they lovely?

I will get back in the grove of things shortly.  I am finally feeling better, so I will be able to lug my camera around and get some good pictures.

Side note, I'm puppy-sitting my in-laws dog, Abby.  She's a lab-golden retriever mix and she is adorable!  She's not use to being inside, but she is having a good time with my boys!  Expect to see a lot of photos of her over the next 3 weeks.

Another note, did you know the dogs have twitter??  Its mostly me, dictating what's happening, but its fun!  Check them out on the side of the page!

I also have instagram!  Follow me?

This and That

Just a quick note about things here.

I didn't have a blacksmith lesson on the weekend.  Instead, I attended an amazing Retirement Party for my father-in-law put on by my brother and sister-in-law and celebrated Mother's day!

Pigeon is doing well.  He/she/it broke a nail on the wire cage, so I had to clip and clean the area and fix the bottom of the cage so it wouldn't happen again.  Bad news; pigeon now hates me.  He tries to remove skin every time I feed him.

Chicken is iffy.  We are doing everything we can for her, but she isn't doing as well as we hoped.

Garden is amazing!  So many veggies growing!

Flower garden is terrible.  So many weeds...

Rabbits are happy in their hutches.

Chickens are happy, but stopped laying eggs.

Dogs are monsters.

I'm very tired.

You've got a whole new friend!

Well, kinda depressing post, and its a long story.  I'll try and keep it short.

When I was 16, I started getting pains in my knees.  It was only occasional, so I never thought about it.  Over the years it became more frequent.  Then it started to spread.  Both my legs would ache morning and night.  Sometimes my arms and shoulders would as well.  I should have been concerned when it started happening during the day, but I still never thought of it as strange.  I had an excuse each time.  "I overdid it yesterday," or "I'm really out of shape, that's why I'm tired."  It had slowly crept up over years.  Every time I complained of soreness or fatigue, friends and family were quick to point out that everyone got sore and tired.  It was nothing new.

The turning point for me was a few years ago, just before we moved.  I found I was unmotivated, was tired a lot, got fatigued easily, and had a constant ache in my joints.  Now, I was never the over ambitious type.  I'm an introvert, I like to stay home, and that's how I explained most of my symptoms, but it still nagged at me.  I walked everyday, but never gained any endurance.  Whether it was 20 minutes or and hour, I always felt like I had run a marathon.  And the pain...  I couldn't explain the pain.

It wasn't until last year that I got the proof that something was wrong.  We had a family BBQ at my parents' in Harrison.  We hopped on the boat and my dad took us around the lake.  There was unexpected engine troubles so we were forced to stop at a private dock while the engine cooled.  While everyone swam and had a great time, I sat at the bar (How cool is that??  A dock with its own bar!).  I kept my head down, my legs shaking in pain.  I was too fatigued to walk it off, but in too much pain to stay still.  I was thankful when we headed back for dinner.

I sat at the table all night near tears.  I took Tylenol, but it didn't even take the edge off.  I asked hubby to take me home early, and he kindly did so.  I sat in the truck waiting for the last of the goodbyes to be done.  It took way too long, so I grabbed hubby's sleeve and begged him to take me home.  My sweet man did just that.

This is how I look most mornings.  Not a happy camper.

Once we got home I collapsed into bed and didn't get out again that weekend.

That was when it truly hit me.  This was not normal. 

Shortly after that I went to my family doctor.  He checked for arthritis, but couldn't find any.  He sent me for some blood tests but they all came back good.  It was then that he referred me to the Rhuematologist.  I was referred to 3 doctors, one turned down my case, and the other two took months to review my file.  It wasn't until January that I got a call back for an appointment.  The doctor was in New West, but I was finally getting answers!

The doctor was super nice and after an extensive exam, sent me for 9 vials of blood and several x-rays.  Of course all came back fine, except one.  To the best of my knowledge, I tested positive for a genetic marker that affects my red blood cells, and as a result my immune system.  There are five parts to this marker, but the test is not sensitive enough to know if any of these are active, it just means I have the marker.  If the right part of the marker is active, it can be triggered (by virus or environment) and cause a certain arthritis of the hips and lower back. Make sense? 

An x-ray is not sensitive enough to pick up the arthritis, but an MRI is.  The doctor ordered an MRI for me, which I had in July.  I went back to the doctor to discuss the results, and guess what?  Came back clean.  No sign of arthritis.  As a side note, he explained I can still get this arthritis.  Since the marker is on the coating of my red blood cells, its part of my immune system.  Its known that this genetic marker can be triggered during an immune response to a certain virus (think salmonella) or a bug bite.  Lovely, eh?  He recommended I don't eat at pick-nicks and stay away from bugs.  I laughed.

So, what the heck is wrong??

He broke the news to me; Fibromyalgia. 

Sigh.  So bittersweet.  It explains so much of my life since I was a teen!  But its also incurable at this time and can be manageable at best. 

I will take this time to count my blessings.  I'm fortunate that I can still function, even if it can be difficult at times.  I don't need to be on drugs to manage the pain, and I will do my best to keep it that way.  I am also thankful that I don't have something worse.

The rhuematologist gave a list of medications to my family doctor to try if I feel I need them.  He did tell me to come back if I experience a significant change or if I feel I am developing any arthritis. 

And that is the end of my tale.  I'm a different kind of friend now, I'm your fibro friend!

Third Update: Home sweet home

That's right, for those who didn't know it, we moved.

Not just moved, bought.

Me and hubby bought our first home (last year)!  Old news really, but news to this blog!

In the last year, we've done nothing to fix it up really.  However, we have had some pitfalls.  Turns out, with such a shallow slope on the roof, a driving rain will seep under the tin roof, down the nails, into the attic, to land on the kitchen floor.  Small amounts of water have made it in, but not something you want in the Fraser Valley.

As well, last summer we noticed a large puddle constantly in front of the house.  That, coupled with extreme water bills, lead us to call the city to investigate.  Turns out we had a leak somewhere between the water meter and house.  Sigh. 

We used the excuse to chop down a tree, rent an excavator, and Earl had the leak located and repaired in an 18 hour day.  Not too shabby, hubby.

The yard and garden is a mess, we have an abundance of clutter and junk devaluing our home, and I really need to learn to organize.  Other than that, my goal is to get the place fixed up to move in a year or two.

Shortly after moving to our new home, I did a foolish thing.  I bought chickens.

Front: Bertha          Back: Black Eyes Chicken

I'm on a city lot with chickens!  Bad, bad Laura.

It all happened so fast!  My sister sent me a kijiji listing for 3 bantam Cochins, one rooster, two hens.  I thought it was sweet of her, but didn't think anything of it.  Well, until she came over and asked me about it.  So, to appease her, I called my hubby and asked if it were ok if I got chickens, thinking he would say no.  Boy, was I surprised when he said yes! 

With his blessing, I called the number on the ad and asked about the birds.  The seller was a bit distraught to inform me that someone already took the rooster.  Well, heck, that was fine by me!  And to boot, he was selling the girls with food and equipment. 

This was getting better and better!

When hubby got home from work, we went over and checked out the hens and I fell in love!  $20 bought both birds, food dish, water dish, half a bag of feed and 2 bales of straw.  I found it a bargain!

At home, with no coop to speak of, I locked the birds up in a guinea pig cage.  I know, mean.  The silver-lining?  Earl's boss offered the use of his chicken tractor!  All I had to do is pick it up on my home from work the next day!  

Now if that isn't meant to be, I don't know what is!

My girls, since named Bertha and Black-eyed Chicken, are living out in the backyard since last spring.  They are about two years old now, and stopped laying for the fall, but they are great additions to my yard!  They rarely make a noise, and when the do, its for good reason!  Think large collie dog terrorizing them.  I've also been informed that they are not pure Cochin, but that matters little to me.  And so far, only one neighbour has noticed and he thinks its cute, so we are off to a good start!

Only problem is I now have chicken fever!  I've commissioned a larger coop from my hubby for my girls so I can get a few more for eggs.  We're hoping to have it done in the spring some time. 

I'm beyond happy.

Snow White, about 3 months old (?)

While we are on livestock, I have some new rabbits.  Shortly after moving into our home, my sister built an open rabbit shed and moved in 4 Mini Rex rabbits and a grey New Zealand.  She raised several litters at my house for pets and food.  Just a few months ago she moved them all to her new house, but before that I decided to try my hand at raising rabbits.

I bought a stunning white New Zealand doe and a grey New Zealand buck (possible sibling to my sister's grey).  I haven't bred mine yet, but it is the plan.

My baby Turkeys

I have, however, raised 5 turkeys, butchered them, and froze them.  It was, in short, a horrific experience.   One I'm a bit shy to repeat.  It may be the reason I have yet to breed my rabbits.

Few months old

That's all that's new for the backyard.  I don't really have photos of the house, but I will get some up soon-ish.  Maybe.

Second Update: Sisko

There really isn't anything new with Sisko.  

 

I just find him adorable.