Patty Mushrooms

Mushrooms have been growing in the cow patties. I'm not a mushroom expert so have no idea what kind they might be. 

I don't think I'll try them.

Repairs

When you live out in the country, miles from the nearest town, it is hard to get things repaired when they break down. We're not very mechanical, so we can't even do simple repairs. Recently, four pieces of equipment needed repairing: lawn mower, 2 four wheelers, and a tractor. Thankfully our new Mule has been running smoothly.

Our lawn mower has broken down twice. The first time it was a belt and the second time a blade. We bought the lawn mower from our local True Value store mainly because they had a service department with a good reputation. We also use them because they are willing to pick up and deliver in addition to repair.

The four-wheelers are a different story. Because we bought them second-hand, they have always been a little temperamental. Both of them have not worked for months. We've tried several times to get them up and running. We had a guy and he moved. Then found a second guy and he was too busy. We got motivated the other day and found a place that will repair them and also provide free pick up and delivery. We are still waiting to hear if they can repair them.

And our tractor hasn't started for several months, maybe a year. At first it was the battery, but then it was something else. A friend put us in touch with a friend who repairs farm equipment on site. We managed to get him to come the other day and he got it started and aired up the tires. He's coming again to do a maintenance service.

Red Wagon

I thought a little red wagon would be a fun thing to have for when the grandchildren visit. So I bought a metal Radio Flyer several months ago, ordered online. Like so many things, it came in a big cardboard box and had to be put together. 

There were too many steps and tightening of screws for me, so I got Son to put it together. He loves that sort of thing. Or at least I think he should love that sort of thing.

I have used it before a few times when we had freezing weather. But since my surgery, the wagon has come in very handy. I have been using it for carrying heavier things around, even things like groceries and packages that come in the mail. I have been mostly using it for carrying the water down to the chickens because we don't have a water faucet down by the coop. Luckily the waterer is a 3 gallon bucket and the chickens usually only drink about 2 gallons a day because I spill about half of it on the way. I can just about lift it to the ledge and then clip it on.

Saving Okra

The okra did really well this summer. The plants did get over six feet high which made picking the okra a little tricky for me. 

I saved as much as I wanted to eat since I'm about the only one in my family that likes it. I sliced it and put it in small tubs with a little cornmeal to coat it. Then put the tub in the freezer. Whenever I want to cook some I'll just get a tub out of the freezer.

I don't really like deep frying things in the kitchen for several reasons: the smell, the fire risk, the mess. So I've been experimenting with shallow frying and oven baking.

Now I'm working on saving some of the seeds by letting a few pods dry on the vine.

The best thing about growing okra is the pretty flowers they have.

Peas and Beans

You may remember that I planted some Christmas lima beans and cream peas in the spring. Both sprouted quickly and grew plentiful vines that filled the raised bed. I decided not to stake them and instead let them spread out and cover the bed. They had slightly different shaped and colored leaves, so I could tell which was which. Both flowered nicely.

While the cream peas were flowering and sprouting pods nicely, the lima beans never grew pods. It was the strangest thing. I would notice lots of flowers and expect to see pods a few days later. But they never came. We have had lots of grasshoppers around so I'm guessing they love flowers. Pesky grasshoppers.

Meanwhile, the cream peas have done just fine, even though something has been eating the peas out of the pods. I'm still getting a good amount of peas. I'm shelling them and letting them dry out before I put them away. Like I did last year.