Really, I am not that old ...

but, I am seeing more and more limitations. I had major surgery 18 months ago, and I have nerve damage in my left hand which will never recover. 

This limitation (besides creaking joints and lower back pain) is being made clear to me around the homestead. Gardening seems to be unaffected, but as Thomas and I and slaughtered a hog this morning, we both realized that you don't want to be around a man with a knife who can't feel half his fingers! 

A few years ago I had to kill and process a hog by myself (as opposed to with others). I know now that won't ever happen again. I will always need help now, which is how it should be anyway. Hog-killing is a community activity.

Oremus pro invicem!

More Garden

 Picking zucchini now. Been picking broccoli. Lots of tomatoes on the vine, but nothing ready yet.

Oremus pro invicem!

Garden

 Looks like the sweet corn recovered from the thunder storms. Garden is starting to look very good. Keep up the rain! We picked our first zucchini today. We finished staking the tomato plants (late) today. 

Oremus pro invicem!

Mr. MacGregor

Update: MacGregor 3; Peter Rabbit 0. I am starting to get the hang of this!

A few weeks ago my brother and nephew were down. We did some skeet shooting with our .410. My nephew didn't know how to miss. My brother was so-so. I couldn't hit a thing.

This evening there were rabbits in my garden. Same .410; different shooter. 2 in, 2 down.

I have never done much hunting, but we do process all our own meat. But still and honestly, I felt horrible. All I could think of was Peter Rabbit and Mr. MacGregor. But I would do it again. Our summer garden feeds us and others.

Oremus pro invicem!

Red gives birth!

Our oldest sow Red gave birth early this morning despite the thunderstorms. She had 11 live births.

Great job!

Oremus pro invicem!

Thunderstorms - update

More thunderstorms last night and more damage to the corn. We will try to do something today to save it.

I don't have a picture, but the overnight thunderstorms dropped a lot of my beautiful corn. I will be spending time tomorrow (had to work today) propping it up to see if I can save it. Of course the weather attacked the best of it.

Oremus pro invicem!

same again

I probably make this same post every few years ... planting seeds is an act of faith or hope? 

As I finish planting our vegetable garden this week, I am always anxious about if seeds will germinate and poke out of the ground.

I should be full of confidence as our corn (planted with year-old seeds) is going gangbusters. But still I want everything to grow. We always have a plentiful harvest, but sometime one thing or another doesn't work. Will it this year?

Oremus pro invicem!