Homesteaders

[Bantambird]

If you are in Colorado, and want to plant native wild flowers, https://www.prairiemoon.com/ might have something interesting. They do prairie plants and trees for a lot of settings.

 

[CLSranch]

Sounds like our situation. We moved from suburbs in Florida to back woods in Virginia. Bought a log cabin on 13 acres at the end of a dirt road which is off a dirt road. The house was used as a vacation place about one week a year. No bath tub, no dishwasher, no washer or dryer, no plumbing to discharge water from the washing machine we got. Hardly any electrical outlets in the great room. No fans in the bathroom. Mold in the crawl space, bees in the eaves. We had a circular driveway put in, and a big pad for 2 sheds because there was no garage only a small shed. So now i have a workshop and mini garage for the Mule. I have been planning a butterfly garden as there are lots of them here. Scored some milkweed pods the other day.
Soil is clay so raised beds and lots of amendments. Compost bin started. Chicken coop built. Goat shed next. Enlarging the deck to go on three sides of the house. Who said retirement was easy?View attachment 1147223 Still putting siding on my coop.

My perfect place. Probably a sight better than my storage building I used as a house before I bought the place I live now. With less acres

 

[CapricornFarm]

Here is a picture, we are having a bigger porch put on.

 

[CLSranch]

Ohh it's a far sight like I said better than what I was in. I like it. And Love the porch.

 

[CapricornFarm]

The back porch that you can't see in the picture is amazing! Up in the air among the trees. We get lots of birds visiting, especially hummingbirds in season. We like to eat out there. It is great living in the woods.

 

[1cock2hens]

cute cabin// way bigger than my house lol (12x 20), i spend most of my time outside though on my 15 acres/

 

[CapricornFarm]

It looks big but most of it is taken up by the great room with the vaulted ceiling. My workshop is 12x20, the garage is 12x20 and the goat shed will be too.
We also spend most days outside, but probably will be inside more this winter.

 

[Elyrian1]

Thanks for the link to the wildflowers, I think that'll be my go-to now. Hubby and I just watched two of the biggest skunks I've ever seen run under a shed in our neighbor's backyard. Crud.

 

[rancher hicks]

I would love a covered porch right now. Weather is warm and it's raining but nice to sit out and daydream.

 

[rancher hicks]

However this is why I dropped in. I've been busy with work and DW and homestead stuff. Here goes. Love cut and paste don't you?

SO, I've been busy and tired. However I dropped in to offer information about tomatoes. Since winter is fast approaching and there have been frosts, what to do with those green tomatoes. DON'T waste them. You can of course fry them up but how many can you eat? I do have recipes for green tomatoes relish too. Anyhow, pick them all and wash them in hot water and a bleach solution, OR I used vinegar. Rinse. Wash them picking off stems and dry them on cookie racks. THEN I put them in a box just the right size that fits the cookie racks. I put the greenest on the bottom. Then on the second rack more green but (and this is important) an apple. (Any kind will do I suppose). Then a third rack with those that are a bit more ripe and another apple. That was all that would fit. On top of that row I put a sheet of tissue paper, closed the box and put it in the back room which is dark and cool this time of year. I'll check them every couple of days or so. They won't taste as good as vine ripe but they'll be usable. You can of course freeze or can them if you wish, but at least they won't have gone to waste. Choose only those tomatoes with out blemish of course. Have a nice day folks hope this helps someone.

I did do six quarts of tomatoes with basil and they look nice.