Drink plenty of fluids.
Cook outdoors when possible.
Stay cool.
Don't overdo it.
Enjoy the fruits of your labors.
How To Beat the Heat © July 2016 by
July 7, 2016
How to Beat the Heat
Do your picking before the sun gets too high in the sky.
Drink plenty of fluids.
Cook outdoors when possible.
Stay cool.
Don't overdo it.
Enjoy the fruits of your labors.
Drink plenty of fluids.
Cook outdoors when possible.
Stay cool.
Don't overdo it.
Enjoy the fruits of your labors.
July 4, 2016
Shed Roof by Halvsies
Continued from "The Old Goat Shed: Roof It Or Lose It."
Dan is making progress on the old goat shed re-roofing project.
The nailers are oak, given to us by the fellow from whom Dan bought his sawmill. They were cut on that same mill.
Originally we were going to get the same metal roofing panels that we put on the chicken coop. They were corrugated metal panels from Lowes. That was a little over two years ago, and we discovered that what is being sold there now is a lighter weight panel; too light, really, for a roof. Most metal roofs are at least 29 gauge, more often 26 (the smaller the number the thicker the panel.) Customer reviews said the lighter panels are extremely thin and easily dented or bent. Not that Lowes advertised it, but we found out that their panels are now 30 or 31 gauge. We feared one fallen pecan tree branch would trash the roof. Dan started calling around to price panels.
In years past we've tried to support local businesses when we could, but usually ended up at the big box stores for big projects because of the limits of our budget. Dear Readers, we've discussed worsening quality before (in the comments in this post) and most folks agree poor quality is becoming a universal problem. I say this is an unfortunate consequence of our current economic system, because their definition of success is "growth," i.e. ever-increasing profits. Ideally that comes from selling more product, but when sales drop other measures must be taken to maintain that precious growth: raise prices, spend less on materials and inventory (cheaper quality), cut services, cut wages, or lay off workers. It's why the system is ultimately doomed to fail. The only hope would be for manufacturers and businesses to be content with simply providing a product or service and making a living, but we all know that ain't gonna happen. However, as prices go up and quality goes down at the large scale chain stores, the small local business, with lower overhead and no investors to please, is able to be competitive.
Anyway, we found a little place in town that cuts and sells metal panels. Our 29-gauge galvalume panels were cut to order and about 20¢ cheaper per square foot than the flimsy big-box panels!
As to the title of this blog post, why roof by halvsies? Well, when Dan removed the remaining fascia board off the back of the shed he discovered that the ends of many of the original rafters were rotted. By roofing the newly extended half first, we'll be able to keep everything (including the goats) undercover while he repairs and roofs the second half.
Here it is so far:
Eventually a wall will be built along the posts and girder in the above photo. The goat door will be under the overhang which will protect it from rain and mud (something we've had a lot of problems with in the past). The goats' area will be more than doubled once we're done, and I'll have plenty of room for milking, feed processing, and storage of goat stuff too.
The second half will be more complicated because of the structural repair I mentioned. You can read all about that here.
Dan is making progress on the old goat shed re-roofing project.
 |
| Framing and roof rafters for the extension of the shed |
 |
| Nailers |
The nailers are oak, given to us by the fellow from whom Dan bought his sawmill. They were cut on that same mill.
 |
| Metal roofing panels |
Originally we were going to get the same metal roofing panels that we put on the chicken coop. They were corrugated metal panels from Lowes. That was a little over two years ago, and we discovered that what is being sold there now is a lighter weight panel; too light, really, for a roof. Most metal roofs are at least 29 gauge, more often 26 (the smaller the number the thicker the panel.) Customer reviews said the lighter panels are extremely thin and easily dented or bent. Not that Lowes advertised it, but we found out that their panels are now 30 or 31 gauge. We feared one fallen pecan tree branch would trash the roof. Dan started calling around to price panels.
In years past we've tried to support local businesses when we could, but usually ended up at the big box stores for big projects because of the limits of our budget. Dear Readers, we've discussed worsening quality before (in the comments in this post) and most folks agree poor quality is becoming a universal problem. I say this is an unfortunate consequence of our current economic system, because their definition of success is "growth," i.e. ever-increasing profits. Ideally that comes from selling more product, but when sales drop other measures must be taken to maintain that precious growth: raise prices, spend less on materials and inventory (cheaper quality), cut services, cut wages, or lay off workers. It's why the system is ultimately doomed to fail. The only hope would be for manufacturers and businesses to be content with simply providing a product or service and making a living, but we all know that ain't gonna happen. However, as prices go up and quality goes down at the large scale chain stores, the small local business, with lower overhead and no investors to please, is able to be competitive.
Anyway, we found a little place in town that cuts and sells metal panels. Our 29-gauge galvalume panels were cut to order and about 20¢ cheaper per square foot than the flimsy big-box panels!
As to the title of this blog post, why roof by halvsies? Well, when Dan removed the remaining fascia board off the back of the shed he discovered that the ends of many of the original rafters were rotted. By roofing the newly extended half first, we'll be able to keep everything (including the goats) undercover while he repairs and roofs the second half.
Here it is so far:
 |
| It reflects a lot of light - I like that. |
 |
| First half paneled. This shot shows an overhang for what will be a door. |
Eventually a wall will be built along the posts and girder in the above photo. The goat door will be under the overhang which will protect it from rain and mud (something we've had a lot of problems with in the past). The goats' area will be more than doubled once we're done, and I'll have plenty of room for milking, feed processing, and storage of goat stuff too.
The second half will be more complicated because of the structural repair I mentioned. You can read all about that here.
Shed Roof by Halvsies © June 2016 by
July 1, 2016
Mid-Summer Garden Report
June was very hard on the garden with daytime highs in the mid to upper 90s (30s C) and only seven-eights inch of rain since mid-May. I spent most days using our wood chips to mulch. I used our collected rainwater to water the beds, dressed with compost, and then applied a thick layer of mulch. I worked in small sections because when the air is that hot and dry, moisture evaporates right out of the ground. I've been able to keep most of of the garden alive, but it struggles.
Still, I have some nice photos to show you, although production has slowed down and much of the garden seems stunted. Cantaloupes, for example are small, and have stopped flowering.
But they've been tasty. Green beans are slow too, and I've only been able to can six quarts so far.
Most of the cucumbers have been bitter from the lack of water,
but the plants are loaded with flowers and honeybees.
The next two rows of trellises are tomatoes, along with more dill, sweet basil, and multiplier onions.
The first of my tomatoes all suffer from blossom end rot. Gardeners know this is caused by a lack of calcium, but it's not necessarily because calcium is lacking in the soil. It can be caused by something interfering with the plants calcium uptake, things like not enough moisture in the soil.
Another place loaded with honeybees is in the popcorn.
Last year I was rather unceremoniously corrected by a number of people when I mentioned that I looked forward to our bees helping pollinate the corn. Corn is wind pollinated, which of course is true, but having seen bees in my corn in the past I added corn to the list of plants my bees would help. It would have been more correct to say that the corn helps the bees rather than the bees help the corn.
My bees have been busy in the popcorn stuffing their pollen baskets! And if they happen to knock down some of the pollen laden anthers which fall on the tassels, I won't complain.
A dry summer is hard on honeybees because less is blooming, so there is less nectar and pollen for them to live on. When that's the case they must utilize their honey stores, which can mean a smaller honey harvest in the fall.
Unfortunately we cannot collect enough water to water everything. I focus on the garden, but other things like fruit trees and bushes suffer.
July is my month to harvest blueberries. The bush is loaded but the berries are small. Without enough water they will remain small and not be sweet and juicy when they ripen. Rain is in the forecast, though, so here's hoping.
Still, I have some nice photos to show you, although production has slowed down and much of the garden seems stunted. Cantaloupes, for example are small, and have stopped flowering.
 |
| Cantaloupe and bush beans. |
But they've been tasty. Green beans are slow too, and I've only been able to can six quarts so far.
 |
| Sweet potatoes and marigolds |
 |
| My 3 rows of okra don't seem to be growing at all. |
 |
| In one of the old, unkempt beds of the garden I discovered several clumps of multiplier onions that escaped being harvested last fall. |
 |
| Cucumbers and dill along a cattle panel trellis with sunflowers in the background. |
Most of the cucumbers have been bitter from the lack of water,
but the plants are loaded with flowers and honeybees.
 |
| Honeybees visit the sunflowers too. |
The next two rows of trellises are tomatoes, along with more dill, sweet basil, and multiplier onions.
 |
| Sam keeps me company while I work in the garden. He has tomato plants on the left and Jerusalem artichokes behind him on the right. |
 |
| Tomatoes are just beginning to ripen. |
The first of my tomatoes all suffer from blossom end rot. Gardeners know this is caused by a lack of calcium, but it's not necessarily because calcium is lacking in the soil. It can be caused by something interfering with the plants calcium uptake, things like not enough moisture in the soil.
Another place loaded with honeybees is in the popcorn.
Last year I was rather unceremoniously corrected by a number of people when I mentioned that I looked forward to our bees helping pollinate the corn. Corn is wind pollinated, which of course is true, but having seen bees in my corn in the past I added corn to the list of plants my bees would help. It would have been more correct to say that the corn helps the bees rather than the bees help the corn.
 |
| Honeybee busy collecting pollen in the popcorn. The grain-like things are called "anthers," and they bear pale yellow corn pollen. |
My bees have been busy in the popcorn stuffing their pollen baskets! And if they happen to knock down some of the pollen laden anthers which fall on the tassels, I won't complain.
 |
| Popcorn tassels. Each strand is a potential corn kernel. |
A dry summer is hard on honeybees because less is blooming, so there is less nectar and pollen for them to live on. When that's the case they must utilize their honey stores, which can mean a smaller honey harvest in the fall.
Unfortunately we cannot collect enough water to water everything. I focus on the garden, but other things like fruit trees and bushes suffer.
 |
| Blueberries waiting to ripen |
July is my month to harvest blueberries. The bush is loaded but the berries are small. Without enough water they will remain small and not be sweet and juicy when they ripen. Rain is in the forecast, though, so here's hoping.
Mid-Summer Garden Report © July 2016
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