September on the Farm

We survived Tropical Storm Hermine over the weekend, and now temperatures are definitely cooler compared to a month ago. Phew! We're weary of that heat!

The hens continue to give us about three eggs each day. I think maybe my Rhode Island Red is the freeloader holding out on me :) Goldie loves going to the field with us and rolling around in the grass. We call it her "Salsa Dancing."

Hermine dropped lots of rain, but she moved quickly through during Friday night while we slept. She left a soggy yard.

 Lines of pine straw indicated to us how high the water washed up, but it didn't stay long.
This is the bottom of our house deck ramp, just a bit of water.

 The path to the out-building was soggy too and scattered with fallen pecan limbs. One large one punctured the ground.

 On the other side of our house deck, I finally told Adam to remove the huge holly bushes that flanked the steps.

 They were quite tall. Walking between them each morning was a little creepy. The spider webs were significant.

We'll find something else to go there eventually.
Yesterday Adam had a big fire in the pasture for all the brush; it was cool enough at last. Soon he will pull almost all the remaining tomato plants out of the ground. They still have fruit, but the tomato hornworms have found them at last. I pulled off and squashed about 25 of them yesterday. Most of the remaining fruit doesn't look good. A few plants we put in later are still thriving and healthy. Adam is putting in peas in the two tomato rows.

Cucumbers continue to bear a bit. Our watermelons have come .. and come ... but each one rots. Adam investigated and found they were deficient in calcium. Next year we'll know better. I've picked two pretty gourds and one pumpkin. They sit on the front porch.

Not an impressive return for the massive gourd plants twisting their way 'round the garden!
Adam admits that he spent an inordinate amount of time MOWING, all summer long. It eats into his available time to do other farm work. Next year, if finances permit, maybe we'll get a better mower. Maybe!
Next year:
We hope to get grapes from the vines, if they're getting enough sunlight.
We hope to use the dehydrator.
We hope to harvest honey.
We hope to double our greenhouse space.
We hope to have successfully had a winter garden and corn and sunflowers.
We hope to have a Sheltie and for Goldie to have moved outside full-time.
And many other things ... we hope for.