Progress:

That, my friends, is a gate. That Cecil, the chicken dude, built for me. Because he is awesome.

And this is the crazy cat:

Chicken!

No, I don't have them yet. Yes, I've said this before. But here's the status of the coop as of the beginning of the month:

Some of my first produce from the beginning of the month:

Tomatoes! The vines are now covered on most of the plants. FINALLY!

Finally planted this basil after it being in it's little store pots for months and months (had no room to plant it for a while).  Within a week it looked like this:

Lastly, but most importantly, I have a date with a dude about chickens tomorrow evening. :) He's gonna help me build a gate and finish things up. Because, you see, I've reached the end of my skill level... Amazing Woman needs some help. *crosses fingers* Maybe the end is in sight?

Just a few things...

• The fact that I wear dresses and skirts most of the time does not make me a 'girlie girl.' I am, actually, pretty much the opposite. I'm just anti-pants this summer.
• Don't make fun of me and my farming/chickens. Because when the apocalypse comes... we'll see who's ready for it and who's not.
• Ignoring tropical storms does, in fact, work.
• Building a chicken coop/yard is really pretty difficult and time-consuming. Especially when you have no experience with anything tool or wood related.
• Never let one of the first things out of your mouth on a Monday be "I think I had a stomach virus last night." If that is, in fact, the case - STAY HOME. 
• Men over 30 shouldn't wear plaid shorts and t-shirts to work. Especially when combined with ill-fitting Toms shoes and a messenger bag that is not carried across one's body. So - please stop it.
• And for goodness sake, put your cellphone on vibrate in the work place.
• And don't whistle, whatever you do.

That's all.

Win!

Gunky cucumber soup + 3 super ripe avocado's = edible.

However, the whole idea of substituting sour cream for the evaporated milk? Not so much. I mean, it's tasty and all. But it definitely lends an guacamole flare to the dish. So stick with evaporated milk if'n ya ever make this, kids. Learn from my retarded mistakes. And avocados are only usable when soft - that's an important factoid.

(I am just way to much like my Mamaw Smith sometimes. The things I will just up and try in the kitchen; the random substitutions I'll make... it's frightening.)

Recipe!

Cucumber Avocado Soup

2 cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 large avocado (ripe ones, ya'll. I'm tellin' ya.)
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup evaporated skim milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste


BLEND!
CHILL!

Optional garnishes: tomato, green onions

CONSUME!

Fail.

Well.

I just took some of the best cucumbers on the planet (i.e., ones I grew) to make into a cucumber avocado cold soup, which I have done before and it was delightful.

Under ripe avocado's RUIN things, in case you didn't know. It's chunky, and texture-y. Also, I should measure things - too much lemon juice, and that's all one can taste. Lemon. In a cucumber avocado soup.

FAIL.

Gonna try and rescue it tomorrow evening with some massively ripe (i.e., overripe) avocados. Perhaps it'll be salvagable?

The worst part is I feel like I wasted 4-5 (lost count...) of my hard earned cucumbers.

*sadface*

Tomatoes are finally making, though!

I give up on those squashes. All they've ever given me have 2-3 puny little squashes and a hoard of male flowers.

Eggplant's coming along! As are the peppers. And my basil is taking over the world out there. So life is not all bad.

Just my soup.

Lazy Days

Of Goats and Chickens

Still working on that chicken coop... it's quite a bit of work, really. But it really is going well and progressing along. The surrounding fence is up, and now for the roof and the coop proper. I'll have fabulous help this Saturday to work on it, though, so more progress should be made. I sure am ready to have those chickens! And the fresh eggs that come with 'em. Mm mm!

My garden is slowly progressing along now. Just got a slow start. The tomatoes should kick in pretty soon - gotten a few cherries and a couple romas, but nothing of much use yet. Cucumbers are doing well! Made some cucumber/avocado soup with some of them - refreshing stuff, that. My basil is starting to take over the world, as well. Pesto, here I come! And soon, too. Some sage is ready to be picked off and dried for fall as well. So much to do! So little daylight to encompass it all. Of course, if I were a better time manager it would be helpful. But I yam what I yam, right? And it doesn't do to obsess over it and set time limits on it. I don't make a living off this Commune (yet!) so there's no use in getting too worked up over it all - just makes for one unhappy Elizabeth.

Blueberries are still making. This fact shocks me - it just goes on and on like the energizer bunny!!

I'm excited to get back to sewing this weekend, as well. Think I finally have that flea problem out there under control. (I hope!) So back to it! Purses and clothes and strips of fabric for braided rugs here I come! And it's time for more sewing lessons, too. And more research into the CPSIA thing. Still struggling through that mess to decipher whether or not I need to test my products.

And because all blogs need a picture, here is one that I shamelessly stole (because he is ridiculously cute):

Thinking that my goat adventure (next year?) will be only for regular goats, not for milk. Bought some goat milk over the weekend, and while I could definitely get used to the wildness of it, I just love cow's milk so much. So perhaps a lone male goat wandering the place...? A dwarf one, maybe. *shrug* But that's a decision for later.

Melancholy

One year ago today I was here:

What I'd Rather Be Doing Today