Hot and dry
July 5, 2011
We keep getting taunted with cool, windy weather that promises some sort of rain, but for about the third time in a row now, the isolated t-storms were, indeed, isolated somewhere besides Castine. It has been a hot, dry slog for the past few weeks.
Which isn't to say we're in a drought, just that without irrigating our plants would be missing some prime warm growing time. From the picture above, much has already changed. A few days ago we moved Merriweather and his ladies into an L-shaped pasture that you can see in the right and top of the photo.
And the hogs have taken their new responsibilities seriously. Much of the tall grass is already trampled and some of the ground has already been rooted up beyond recognition. Our work in the garden pales in comparison to animals that spend significantly more than an 8 hour day with their noses in the soil, turning things up.
Besides the main garden, we've also spent some time this summer finding new places to plant. A small overflow garden has been put in on the east side of the stable, with great results so far. And we've constructed a raised bed, which will eventually have a cold frame over it, to protect our peppers and give carrots a fighting chance in our otherwise thick clay soil.
With a recent change in job description, both in terms of work and parenthood, we are working on a whole new schedule, but this one promises to give us more time with the farm and with our kids, and that can only be a good thing.
