Is it summer yet?

It seemed like summer was coming on full tilt and then it went away again.  It’s been raining on and off which isn’t too bad, it means I don’t have to worry about watering the garden or the animals   Letting mother nature do my chores always rules.

I did finally get around to planting the garden.  I think I mentioned that already.  The garden space is pretty big and daunting so I finally stopped fretting about doing it “right” and just did something.  Normally I’d document all my gardening over on the farm website, but it’s not like I’m doing much more than gardening for my self at this point.

So I have peas, beans (white and green), butternut squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants growing in the garden.  So far they are all doing well.  My blueberries are putting on fruit as well.  It’s not a *ton* but for being scraggly little things it’s not bad and it still makes a nice snack when outside doing chores.  I also have chives, lavender, and a bay laurel growing in pots on the patio.

The blackberries still haven’t come in yet.  The salmonberries and thimbleberries are just hitting their peak, but it’s the blackberries I’m waiting for.  I’d like to do some canning and maybe try making some wine.

I don’t know if I mentioned, but I’m going to try my hand at some goat milk soap making.  I got a starter kit a couple weeks ago and I have some frozen goats milk that’s been frozen too long for decent cheese making.  I’m pretty excited to try it all out.  A girlfriend has offered to help me work through the details for the first batch but I need to stop jetting off on the weekends and schedule some time.  I’m keep joking about building my little cottage industry and things like soap don’t carry nearly the regulation and drama that cheese would.