Farmers Markets

We are incredibly blessed to live in an area that has several very cool farmers markets. In fact, I believe just about every town in Vermont has its own farmers markets, and some weeks it is a challenge to figure out which one we should go to. Jericho is the closest to home, Richmond has cool activities and a playground, Burlington has a bigger selection of vendors and so on.

I hate to admit it, but last week we went to two farmers markets. We met up with friends at the one in Jericho and went over to the pond to catch frogs after eating dinner on the green and purchasing some greens to take home. Then at the end of the week, we went to Richmond because I like the vendors there and we could play at the park. It was also tractor day!

This is all that made it home for Strawberries

Tribute to My Hubby On Father's Day

Since little man is not old enough to recognize how cool his Daddy is, I thought I would. You see, hubby started out as a city boy, until four years ago when we made the decision to move from 20 miles outside of D.C. to Vermont, because it was the healthy thing to do for both of us. Since then he has continued to do great things for our family and he is pretty cute too!

He is also amazingly creative and recently recycled an old window frame he found in the barn to use it for a pea trellis.

Also, even though he complains and gripes about all the crazy things I want to do, he somehow manages to take everything over, from pasteurizing milk, to playing with the chickens (I actually think he is more attached to them, than I am.)

As a tribute to Daddy, little man is making apple crisp! (Of course Daddy had to step in and show us how to use his neat little kitchen tool.)

Toddler in the Garden

He thinks he is so cute....I think so too.
Mommy the chickens are getting me dirty!

Grandma really brought these for me. You know where you planted everything, right?

Yum, snap peas.

Chicken Whisper

We have started to take the chickens out to the coop for a visit, because they are becoming increasingly board with the small brooder and try and get out every chance they get. Take one out and you end up with all seven.

After the first trip out to the coop I realized that the boys may be spending too much time with the chickens.

They think he is momma
And we wonder why?

Two Weeks

If you read Andy's blog, by now you have heard that I am becoming attached to my chickens. You see, they are really cute right now and little man and I have a lot of fun playing with them. So, yes: I am not looking forward to the day they move outside to the coop, and on top of that, there is a bear in the area that keeps tearing apart other people's coops and eating their chickens. Why would I want to lose my chickens right after I got them?

As a side note: The local farmers market started today, and little man helped me pick out 'something green'. When we arrived home, we had wonderful fresh sauteed spinach with garlic and butter. Life is good!

Critters

Besides the chickens who will soon be running around the yard, we have a variety of other critters that inhabit our .5 of an acre of lot for our entertainment - and sometimes frustration. Let me introduce you to our wild inhabitants.

This is Chuck...errr...Chuckette, as we recently found out. We recently found out as we were relaxing on the patio one afternoon, that we have three smaller puff balls hanging out in the yard. They come and visit me when I am gardening, but of course I never have a camera on hand. Basically, they are my entertainment while gardening.

This guy would be the reason for the fence around the garden. If he messes with my snap peas this year, we may be having rabbit stew. We did notice the neighbors also putting a fence up around their raised beds the other day as well. The slightly evil part of me was hoping they wouldn't and the rabbit would hang out over there this summer.

I only have one picture of the various types of birds around the house and this is as close as the mom would allow me to get. For those of you who are visually impaired, there are three robin chicks in that nest. We also have a wren's nest in the other barn, a woodpecker who appears to like the stop sign across the road, humming birds who like to freak out the toddler as they whizz by his head, and several other bird varieties in the swampy area behind the house.

My favorite critter of them all!

Glad We are Here

While I dearly miss my friends, family and church in Virginia, I have to admit I am so glad we are living in Northern New England. Partly because this is where I grew up and it is home to me. Partly because there is just something about Northern New England that makes it an amazing place to live.

Yesterday, I had one of those totally content, melt your heart moments that I would probably not have enjoyed if we were still living in Virginia. It was a warmer day and while little man slept, I hung out in the garden and my wonderful husband washed my car nearby. As little man was waking up from his nap, I washed off with the hose and decided that we needed to head down to the river. Now, I am not saying that I could not go hang out by the river in Virginia, but most rivers in Virginia you are not allowed to swim in because of pollution and the ones you can, you have to make a day trip of it to actually get there. So, my mommy moment would not have happened. Anyway, I digress... The river is not far from our house and there is a rocky beach- like shoreline that runs along one side. After walking around in the water a little bit with little man to cool off, I planted myself on the shoreline and sat enjoying the sunshine that was shining though the trees and watching the two wonderful men in my life. Little Man was following his dad along the river and occasionally (OK, like a little mad man) stopping to throw the stones that his dad carefully picked out for him into the river. As I watched them walk along, I thought about how wonderful life is.

Invasion

I have know from the day we moved in, that I was not going to like Bishops Weed (Gout Weed). It had over taken my beautiful garden, because the previous owner did nothing in the garden the 5 year leading up to us moving in. Then, I found out today that it has become such a problem in Vermont, that you are not allowed to plant it. Unfortunately, for me I have two different versions of it in my garden. I also learned today that you are supposed to dispose of it, rather than put it into the weed pile. Apparently, it will re-root itself. Anyone have a truck I can borrow to clean out a big pile in our back yard (Peter :) )?

One Week

We have had a lot of fun this first week and the chickens are growing like crazy. I thought I would post a comparison shot.

For starters, that wonderful little chick fuzz is quickly turning into feathers and what could once sit comfortably in my hand, now perches on my arm.

I will say they grow fast and are starting to develop personalities. We can tell some of them apart, but not all. Unfortunately, we have begun to realize that we handle some more than others. The ones we handle more often will hop up in our lap and settle in, while the ones we don't handle a whole lot will run around frantically trying to get away (or maybe those are the ones little man handles more often).

Confession

I have to admit, I am extremely anti-chemical in any of my gardens. However, in recent days I have been significantly contemplating this stance, because we appear to be fighting a losing battle on the backside of my perennial garden. We have dug, cut, removed, mowed down, and covered up, and still I find myself wanting to take a lighter to my inner arm and torch the little row of itchy spots that I'm not supposed to scratch. And to top it all off, little man thinks the back unkempt part of my garden is a jungle waiting to be explored. Which I was happy to encourage....

Until Now........

Now I am faced with reality; continue to fight the battle and risk my cute little man suffering the same itchy fate as his mom? Or break my chemical rule and get rid of the shiny three-leafed red stuff?