First Raised Bed....

DH built the first raised bed.  We plan to have the garden, in raised beds. Will be easier to care for in the heat we have here, easier for me to keep weeded and the clean lines will help us see any snakes.
I just hope I never see any snakes!!
Wanted to put Asparagus in first... but of course, I have been unable to find Asparagus starts locally.
Was hoping to have a couple of perennial Veggie beds in before winter.
That is not going to happen sadly.

 One of the Cherry trees, is doing better. Earlier in the summer it was attacked to the point of having no leaves.
Japanese Beatles are bad around here, along with the seemingly thousands of weird bugs, but the chickens should sort that out by next year.

Photo of the wee Orchard and the front field on the property.The other cherry trees are a bit bare of leaves but they are still alive. I hope they make it through winter.Has been more of a challenge to grow fruit trees here, than any where else in the country we have lived.

Interesting clouds.... for VA

First really interesting clouds I have seen on the Farm in VA.  Of course.. about an hour later.. gave us a few good cracks of thunder and lightening.
Can see the varying cloud shapes and colors.

Neil Armstrong ~

 We went to the Air and Space Museum last Sept, to see Neil Armstrong's, gloves and helmet. They were only on display for 2 weeks, before they were safely stored again.
Incredible he was the first man on the moon and we had the rare pleasure of seeing part of his Moon/Space suit in person.

The Shuttle Discovery is now set up a little better, so it is easier to see.
Really liked this angle.

I have a lot more pictures to sort through, might take me a couple of weeks but I will get them up as soon as possible. ;O)

We Have Eggs!

Boy...do we have eggs and more eggs and....
First time we have had commercial breeds... think I have said that before.
However, it is still impressive to me, just how many eggs they give us.
Also have to admit, they are some of the best tasting eggs we have ever had...added plus the bright, almost orange yolks.
Can see the really dark wee "egg fart"... on top, that is what they called them back when...
So.. I just had to show you, one of the many pretty baskets of eggs we gather each day.

Trail ride to the Pond ~

Finally got around to taking some photos. Rode Dyfra down to the pond and about the property, this morning. Just about a 1/2 hour, but that is about all my body could take today. 

First three photos of are of the parts of the Path to the pond in back.

Here we are at the pond, can kind of see it in between the trees. Rather low right now.

The trail around the back of the horse pasture.

And from a little trail on another part of the property. Can just see the house and the hay shed.

Where the chickens roam~~

  
 Now that the hens lay in the hen house, on schedule, they are allowed out around the house to do the job they were bought for.

To eat bugs and snakes.

However, they are also good at edging around the house and making a "poop" deck.... rolling eyes.  Why they have to come up on the porch... I will never know....

They are also producing more eggs than we can use, so the neighbors are enjoying them too.  Kind'a like Zucchini of the animal world. LOL

Horse Fly trap and the Willow tree~

 No where have I lived, has there been, so many aggressive Horse Flies. 

Someone I know, calls the bigger ones," Mouse Flies" and I can see why. They are the size of a mouse! 

Poor horse's are bitten left and right, not even the most powerful fly spray or fly sheet, detour  these horrible bugs.
Dyfra is attacked more than the other horses, not sure why?

So I did some research online and found a couple of plans for Horse Fly Traps. DH, built this one. We plan on putting another up soon.

On a more happy un-bug related note... my young Weeping Willow tree, is now Weeping!

In time, it will be a nice shade tree for the sheep!