Gardening with Farm Friends

We had a short lived heat wave a couple of weeks ago, in the 80's, and all the flowers went into a growth frenzy. Suddenly our bank was covered with tulips, and we had bouquets of cut flowers on the counter again.

I agree with Emma Goldman, "I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck."

I planted beans while Natalie went on a photo shoot around the garden.

This is a Black Prince heirloom tomato plant. I'm still looking for a Mortgage Lifter and Black Krim. Hey, you may recall that I was very excited about the Ozette fingerling potatoes? Well, they're all sold out. I should have ordered them last winter because they're so popular in the Pacific Northwest. So, I ordered, received and planted La Ratte Fingerlings from back East. I was impressed with their description as having a nutty flavor with a buttery texture, and they're a favorite with French chefs.

When I work in the garden, all the animals join me.

Duncan a.k.a. Coyote Survivor is jealous of the chicken's food. When I give the hens table scraps, Duncan wishes he was a chicken.

I unwittingly wore my sun hat into the chicken yard. The shadow from my hat created quite a commotion in the coop as it was strangely different. When my shadow passed over the feathered ladies, they went bezerk. I can't explain it. Maybe they were caffeinated and frazzled? Perhaps they thought it was a hawk passing by? Of course, all our hens are strong, good looking and above average layers.

Above is Miss Kitty. She's especially hungry since her brief field trip up the hillside after she scadaddled out the door because of my sun hat. I was able to catch her only because I was wearing my Asics running shoes.

The gold fish in the pond were especially interactive during the heat wave. I watched them chase each other while swimming really fast and commented on their dedication to exercise while living in a pond. It reminded me of myself when I exercised to Jane Fonda in the living room of our trailer. Bill responded that he thought the gold fish were motivated by sex rather than exercise. Interesting....

I'm not gonna lie, Marlo gained weight over the winter. This photo hides her low riding belly. I've been harassed by family members about over feeding Marlo. Grandma and Natalie even went so far as to psychoanalyze me to determine why I've been over feeding Marlo. I heard something like, "perhaps it's a case of  over indulgent spoiling to compensate for her empty nest?"

Marlo and I know it's a genetic fault with Farmer Dave's breeding stock from whence Marlo comes. We know Marlo's wedge of Friskies chicken pate is infinitesimally small both morning and night. There's simple nothing she can do about it, plus it keeps her close to home. She knows she can't out run a coyote .... or a turtle. Oh, there's something else Bill wants me to share. She can't jump up on to the work bench to eat her food. We have to sky lift her with a crane.

Hey, I have to go farmin'. More later.