It's just plain hot.
Today's high temp hovered around 100º with a heat index of 115º. Let me repeat that ...
a heat index of 115º. Outdoor chores have been limited to essential tasks until the weather becomes a bit more bearable.
The GC Rangers have started paying for their keep. Egg sales at Smith's Creek Farm now pay for their feed and we chip in for the corn and bedding. We have a few regular customers but sales have dropped off this week (probably due to the heat).
Sadly, we've lost some of our GC Ranger flock to predators on the farm. Brady thinks raccoons and/or skunks are the culprits - a raccoon met his fate on the road in front of the house, and last week a skunk met his under the wheels of Brady's Silverado. The heat has also been a negative factor in egg production. They could be in the beginning stages of a
heat/stress-induced molt. We'll track their condition the next few days.
Meanwhile, we've acquired a stray bantam rooster from the neighbor:
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| The stray |
He doesn't contribute to egg production and the GC rooster doesn't seem to like him, but he is awfully cute. :)
It's Fair Time!
We're finishing work on our entries for the Greene County Fair. Brady will enter a couple of his stunning sky pictures and our first batch of Smith's Creek Farm honey. I finished a UFO silk lace scarf last week and hopefully will have it blocked in time (thanks to Christie for the blocking wires!). And finally, the girls will enter 2 dozen eggs - wouldn't it be cool to say we have award-winning farm fresh eggs?
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| UFO scarf (unblocked) |
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Garden Disaster
Despite our best efforts, the garden failed this year. Our neighbor's garden also became a nest of sunburned weeds. The county extension office said our spring floods washed all the nutrients from the topsoil. Next year we will add a ton of fertilizer before planting. But this year's bounty will never be - unless we try potatoes or some other fall-weather crop.
What's Blooming
Weeds (lol)
Coming Up
Finish fair entries, hive inspection, business cards
