What did you do in the garden today?

[Ascholten]

Makes the soul feel good.
People have NO idea how 'good' that 'good' feeling really is.
Working your butt off all day on a project, even something fairly simple. (like this stupid Tilapia pond I am drowning in :/ )
But at the end of the day, when your 'work' has something to show for it, and it's something useful. It really makes you feel good. It's VERY motivational to go out and do more, and if you are on a diet or something that involves getting exercise, or do stuff to 'improve' your health. This kind of stuff is a HUGE motivator too !!

No you don't have to mindlessly lift weights for 90 minutes straight to make your arms stronger.
No you don't have to jog 4 miles to get your stamina up, (thus wrecking your knees ankles etc in the process bang bang banging on the hard pavement)

Load the back of your truck up with dirt. Shovel that one shovel at a time, one wheel barrow at a time, and wheel it 100 feet over to where you are putting your new coop / garden etc at. At the end of the day you are TIRED, your muscles are aching because you gave them one HELL of a workout. (umm yes shoveling 4000 lbs of dirt into and then back out of a truck, then moving it throwing it down, raking it etc IS a lot of work !!

At the end of the day, your garden is standing tall
At the end of the day, your chickens are happy because they have new dirt to rumble in
At the end of the day, you have a NEW tote or three of 'compost material' to work on
At the end of the day, you burned a LOT of calories, and have a LOT of GOOD stuff to show for it, you didn't have to deal with any NOT GOOD creatures of the 2 legged variety, and the most important
YOU FEEL GOOD

Now if could ONLY get the rottentoo to see the benefits of this and STOP trying to eat his harness when I try to bring him out, life would be perfect...

Aaron

 

[TJAnonymous]

off grid and simple .. do not in real life.... fit in the same sentence.

I've found that since I moved to a more 'off grid' and 'retired' life style that I am doing more work than when I had my 80 /hr week job.

I understand what you are saying but simple quiet, sadly don't exist in that world

Aaron

I don't mind the manual labor, really... Did I ever tell you why I moved to Arkansas in the early 2000s? I had been here ONE time in my life prior to moving. While I did grow up in the country, it was far from as rural as the Deep south.

I moved to take care of my 86 yr old grandmother. I had met her once in my life prior to uprooting my family and moving 800+ miles to Arkansas. All our family had moved away from Arkansas and no one else was willing to move to take care of her. She had been living on our family farm & orchard with her 99 yr old sister for years. Her parents built that far with their own bare hands. Her sister had passed away and my grandmother was handicapped. She could only walk with a walker or an electric scooter. Yet she was taking care of this 80 acre farm with cows, chickens, and a garden by herself. Before I moved here to help her, I'd never owned or managed livestock in my life. I had the blessing of learning so much from her about the "old ways" in the 5 years before she passed. One of the life lessons I learned from her was that manual work keeps you going in your old age. It hurts and you grumble but you don't quit. Quitting = death. You may go slow but keep chipping away bit by bit. I have so much respect for that woman. She was tough as nails and I was amazed at the things she accomplished on her own out of sheer determination and will. They don't make grit like that anymore...

So yeah, I know living off the grid is hard. It's nonstop effort. But it has an honesty and a beauty to it that feeds the soul. It is different than working your guts out to bring home a paycheck and knowing your efforts are really making someone else rich.

 

[sourland]

Made a couple pints of stewed tomatoes - first that I have ever done so, and froze another 20 meals worth of sweet corn.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Made a couple pints of stewed tomatoes - first that I have ever done so, and froze another 20 meals worth of sweet corn.

I'm jealous....

 

[Sally PB]

Tomorrow I am mailing out the Egyptian Walking Onion starts to the people who requested them. (No, I did not forget!) I have more if anyone else wants some. PM me your address.

 

[Elyrian1]

Most of my fall garden is coming up nicely! I need to pick up garlic at the store still, but can do that beginning of October. The okra is producing nicely now! Finally filled the bag in the freezer and started a second one. The plants are pushing four feet tall now, still growing, and with flowers and pods still forming regularly. My watermelons have at least three fruit set. Two of which are about softball size now. I'm watching the tendrils for ripeness. All good, low 90s high 80s no rain in the forecast.

ETA: Thank you Sally! I'll be watching the mailbox, you're the best!

 

[Sally PB]

The last 3 jars of habanero salsa are out of the canner and have sealed. Canning is DONE for the season!

And for the first time, I didn't have to buy any tomatoes!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Morning Gardeners have to hope and pray my garden will show the fruits of my labor.
We planted a month late for year we had so much rain.

 

[Acre4Me]

So, I suppose weather tells me to dig my sweet potatoes? Anyone experienced with them? I’ve read that temps below 55F can begin to cause issues, but the ground would be a bit warmer bc of the residual heat and the black plastic on top of the soil.

 

[WthrLady]

6 more hornworms from the garden
3 from one plant

just his 102 and it's humid, mowed for 4.5 hours this morning as neighbor down the end of the dead end is having a wedding this weekend. Thought I'd make the place look decent. 1st time in a month I've mowed.

Paying for it with allergies ATM.

Going to cut the tomato plants later this week.