Bug Brigade

The Bug Brigade

To avoid last year's bug invasion, which basically halted veggie growing over the Summer (after a great Spring start) we have brought in a secret weapon - the "Bug Brigade".  A heavy duty, highly active (as can be seen from the photo above) dedicated group of bug destroyers - The Guineas!  This year we are not messing with the little critturs who demolish our carefully landscaped vegetable garden.  It's total war!  Non-chemical and wholly organic, our little friends will be sent out to off anything alien that dares to set foot on our pristine leaves.  There is nothing as frightening as a Guinea with a mission.  That is, provided we can persuade them that our garden is a better home than our neighbors, or the farm down the road!  Ah well, every solution has a drawback, and we are always optimistic.

"'Tis the Season"

The Dogwood (Virginia's State tree) in the yard is now in full leaf, which means that gardening is in full swing!  Now, I am a reluctant gardener whereas Jorg is an enthusiastic one.  While I am dragged, kicking and screaming, to the various veggie beds I do, of course, enjoy the fruits of our labors.  We have already tasted the first strawberries from our small patch, have harvested the early beet, and have lettuce and spinach available in satisfying amounts for our regular salads (along with eggs from the chickens). Now that the last frosts are over (we hope!) the tomatoes from the greenhouse are in the ground, as well as broccoli, brussel sprouts, and snap peas.  If the bugs don't get them (mild winter, so a possibility) and a possible drought is avoided, we shall have a great Summer feast.  In the pipeline, it takes a couple of years to get them established, are asparagus, paw paws, plums and blueberries, and with the existing figs, peaches, pears and apples, promise a "fruitful" future.  Funnily enough writing that all down makes the back aching work in tending the beds, and keeping the bugs at bay almost worthwhile!

Real Life vs Virtual Life: Patience and Ben

I have just noticed (well known it for some time time but chose to ignore!) that I haven't posted for 4 months.  Now, as there aren't thousands out there hanging on my every word, I'm sure the world hasn't stopped turning.  Not blogging, facebooking, tweeting, texting or whatever in the virtual world is not a capital crime, but is of course antisocial in this non face-to-face society we now live in.  So mea culpa, real life has got in the way of the virtual one, and I have been experiencing life instead of just writing about it.  Fortunately, that has been more than interesting enough for Jorg and I and although we like to post about some of our derring-do's it isn't essential in running the farm.

However, publicizing our new arrivals is.  In recent days we have seen the arrival of Mayfield's heifer calf Triskelion's Patience, and Edy's bull calf Triskelion's Benedict seen below. 

Patience and Ben

Ben

Both doing well and were enjoying the sunshine and warm days (at least until the cold snap last night!).  Patience will be going off to her Mum's former owner, and inquiries about Ben will be welcome.