Long time, no update!

So i havent updated since the middle of the summer mainly because life got the better of me.  There is a lot to do with a little fake farm and two kids under four and a full time job.  So i appologize for my lake of posting.


We got our garden planted in Aug.

Which turns out to have been too late.  For this year anyway.  I may have been too optimistic since i was told by several seed people that you could plant from July 15- Aug 15 and be fine.  I think we should have aimed more for July 15!  Although it was also unnaturally hot all summer long! its still in the nineties and its late October!  Yuck!

So after a week i was really hopeful, i had little sprouts:

Unfortunately, it never really got any bigger than that!  They grew up about three inches then gave up!  just sat there as tiny little sprouts.  I actually got really excited when they were at three inches and plucked out the excess tomato plants (youre only supposed to have one, not three!) So the weakest ones that i pulled, i transplanted one into one of my window boxes just to see what would happen.  Wouldnt you know it, its my biggest plant?  over a foot tall and looks like it might actually give me some tomatoes!  *sigh*  

Turning to the second bed, it had corn, cukes and watermelons planted in it.  the watermelon vine is HUGE (sorry no picture!) and spreading everywhere but no watermelons YET a few flowers have fallen off leaving little green balls that MIGHT be watermelons? The corn had a few stalks grow but a lot stayed small then withered in the heat.  I am not sure what makes one stalk grow like crazy and the one right next to it wither and die, but it was sure strange.

Overall i was pretty bummed about my farm.  My chickens wander the yard pooping on EVERYTHING but didnt lay eggs, my garden was jacking up my water bill like crazy but not producing any veggies!  Total bummer and i felt like such a failure as a farmer.  I'm not too ashamed to tell you i've been very very stressed with life and work lately and the farm failure was really just another crushing blow to my already bruised ego.  

Then yesterday happened!  Luis went to check on the chickens after we got home from the gym last night and what did we find?!

A small white egg!  Since it is white (it is, the light is just weird in the coop) it is either Polish or Talulah.  However because its so small, and i dont see another one in there this morning, i think its Polish!  Crazy polish might have been the first of our chickens to lay an EGG!  This is miraculous because Polish is an ornamental breed, shes not really a big egg-layer.  Although just because its a small doesnt mean its not Talulah's.  She'll eventually lay big white eggs, but since shes new to it, its normal to have smaller eggs at first.  So i'll try to keep you posted when we get our next eggs.  Hopefully our other girls follow suit soon!  

Then miracle of miracles we also found THIS:

That there is an honest to goodness ear of corn!  Growing in MY back yard!  Now since there arent too many other tall stalks (about 5 total grew tall enough to produce) it may never get cross pollinated enough to eat* but it will make good chicken food none the less!  

So i am very excited to have had SOME success in the garden.  This weekend i hope to pull out the front bed that did nothing at all and replant some winter veggies.  (Kale anyone?)  i'll make sure we mix in some of our own compost this time since that was what was in the boxes and all of those are doing great!  

Happy Harvest to you all!  Come see two of the chickens and I at Northminster Presybeterian this Halloween!  Our Trunk or Treat car will be farm themed and I think im taking Polish and Dorothy to be petted by the kids!