Monday, March 26, 2012

Our creek runneth over...

 We have had an interesting week here on the farm. Last weekend we got the bush beans and sweet corn planted, along with melons and pumpkins. On Tuesday we had an epic storm. We got nearly 7 inches of rain in 8 hours and lightning so close that the windows shook. I was terrified that my whole garden had been washed away overnight. I went out the next morning and found this...

Thank goodness for raised beds

The lettuce got a little bit beat up

The potatoes weren't fazed by the water because they are planted on a slight slope

We're not sure how much corn got washed away, but some did...

 After checking the garden I went to see how high the creek was.



 It was high. Just for comparison here's a before and after of the tiny island in the middle of the creek. It's usually about 3 feet above water.

Boris on the island

The stick to the right of the middle of the picture is the top of the small tree on the island. 


It's about 6 feet higher than normal
 While the garden dried out I moved the chicks out of the indoor brooder and out to the brooder on the back porch with the bigger chicks. Since there were 23 chicks in there it was a bit crowded, so Mike got my portable chicken tractor done. It's exactly the right size to fit on one of my garden beds, but for brooding we just set it in the yard, half in the sand and half on grass. They have been out 2 nights now and are quite happy with no heat lamp, even though the youngest are only 3 weeks old.

Our portable chicken tractor
 As if that wasn't enough excitement for the week, on this Sunday my friend Mary came up and brought her 4 year old daughter,Frankie, with her. We love having them and my girls absolutely adore Frankie. It's extra fun for me, because Mary is pregnant so we get to talk about my biggest passion, natural childbirth while the kids run amok.

Mary, Frankie, and Baby Roxie
 We spent a lot of time down at the creek with the kids today. It's even been warm enough to swim, so everyone got to jump in and splash around.

Across the creek on "The Sitting Rock" as the twins call it

It's actually shallow enough to wade across

Gabe just floats

Aislyn and Frankie are best friends

Lily, before she jumped in

While the big kids were at school we took Lily and Frankie out and let them pick flowers. We have thousands of bluebonnets and indian paintbrush, and the girls loved bringing us handfuls.

Frankie loves flowers

Our pretty girls

She REALLY loves flowers

Boris had to get in on the flower pictures

Frankie got to play with the chicks


Ian wanted to make sure I posted some pictures of the treasures we found at the creek. I have to say, we do find pretty cool stuff down there.

Our creek finds

Shells

A piece of fossilized piece of seashell

Quartz

Cool, shiny rock

Striped rock

Seashell fossil impressions
 Anyway, that's it, I just wanted to get everyone up-to-date on what's been going on here before I go into major spring cleaning this week. Hope everyone has a good week. Blessed Be...













2 comments:

  1. Wow!!! Thank goodness for raised beds! Yikes!! hubby was making fun of me on Saturday because we were supposed to get storms. I had the seedlings outside for some sun and I was taking a bath getting ready for company to come over and I hear thunder. I knew it was supposed to storm pretty bad so I'm SCREAMING from the bathtub "HUBBY!!! KIDS!!!! GET MY PLAAAAAAANTS!!!" LOL It downpoured for a good 20 minutes. I don't know that they would have made it had they been outside!

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  2. Your blog brought a smile to my face:)

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