Beautiful Sunday

This morning we woke up to an absolutely gorgeous day.  I'm telling you it was cool, crisp - a red letter day.  A little chilly so we thought it was a good day to make a "Kitchen Sink" Soup.  So before heading off to church, we took one of our chickens out of the freezer, put it in a pot with some water and started it boiling.  Once it reached a boil, we turned it down to low and let it simmer for an hour.  Before leaving for church, we turned it off.

When we returned we removed the chicken from the dutch oven, deboned it, and put it all back in with the delicious broth.  I went to the garden and picked a handful of kale and some bok choi (Chinese cabbage), chopped them up and added to the broth and chicken.  We added some minced ginger, onion, garlic, criolla sella ground pepper, green onion, pasta and cubed sweet potato.  We also added some leftover rice from the night before and brought it back to a boil and then simmered until the sweet potato was soft.  Time to eat!  It was so very hearty and healthy.  You can't go wrong with this soup - simply throw whatever you've got in with some good broth and you have a great, quick meal.

Okay switching to something not so appetizing - from talking about soup to talking about poop.  Here is the beginning of the manure pile for the winter.  In the Spring and Summer, the chickens scratch up and distribute all the cow patties in the pasture.  For some reason in the winter, they don't.  No problem, I pick them up and throw them in the corner of the garden.  Each day as I go out to feed and water the pullets in the chicken tractor, I carry a bucket and scoop up the cow manure and add to the pile.  I'll mix hay and leaves with it eventually and as it decomposes and breaks down, it makes a nice soil amendment to the garden.


Pure manure for sure

Here is Stryker, the bull.  He broke his halter somehow so we'll have to get him a new one.  I think I'll have to get him a nose plate as well.  We've had him separated from Daisy, his momma, for months.  Don't you know just when we think he's weaned and it's safe to put them back together, he starts trying to nurse on her again, the big galoot. 

Stryker still wants his momma's milk

The rye grass paddock is showing a little bit of green, but not much.  It has been very dry the last two months.  A nice, slow, soaking rain would certainly help the grass grow. 

The rye grass is thirsty

Here is an item on my to do list as soon as it rains and softens up the soil.  You see the two orange trees underneath the live oak tree below?  I'll need to dig them up and move them.   They really haven't grown at all.  I think it has a lot do do with where they are located.  They currently complete with the live oak for sunshine, water and nutrients and unfortunately for them, the live oak wins the battle.  I'll move them to a more favorable spot.


Time to move these citrus trees to a more favorable location