The Renovations Have Begun!

Summer 2012
After a long hot summer, when very little was accomplished except picking tomatoes, (which seemed to be the only thing that enjoyed the heat) we are moving forward on improvements to the house and property. Wish I could say we were enjoying painting and decorating, but basics such as new electrical wiring and plumbing must be undertaken first. Not pretty things to spend money on, but very necessary if we are going to bring this property into this century!

First step was to replace the power transformer. The current one is made of Bakelite which places it back to about 1920 when this house was built and that was the new "plastic". That upgrade racked up a price tag of $3,000. But it gets better. I have hired an electrician, who is also a neighbor, and his team has been the nicest crew. They are taking the work in stages to assist with our expenses and keep them busy between larger jobs. We decided to bring the power into the first pole on the property and then run it all underground from there. Wiring a house, two out buildings, and a barn will look much nicer without the spiderweb wiring overhead and hopefully prevent breakage in the winters when the ice can snap the lines. They all talk in amps and other such energy lingo, but I can tell you we look like we are powering up for a Walmart! A 200 amp service to the house and 100 amp to each of the other buildings required rather large metal box contraptions hanging on a large post. Looks like I will need to plant a few strategically placed bushes to obscure them a bit.

They started lighting up the basement with a total of 13 florescent fixtures. Wow! What a difference that made in the dungeon. Now we can actually see the spider webs before running into them. The shop vac has been getting a workout trying to eliminate all the critters and dirt down there and it is getting better. This step will also make it so much easier for all the future work needed when installing a heating/air system and replacing plumping and basement windows.

We will receive delivery of a second chest freezer this week and place both in the basement with proper wiring. It's been dicey running our current one upstairs on an ungrounded socket with extension cord. When we get a larger garden going next spring and hopefully start raising some chickens, I'm sure we can keep them loaded with farm fresh food.


Mma Zarella & Sir Loin



This summer, we had two temporary four legged guests staying with us. A young future farmer neighbor has helped us keep the field mowed and in return we turned our field over to two of his cows as everyone was suffering with lack of field growth during the drought. We named the bull Sir Loin and the cow Mma Zarella. The Sir Loin was Jessica's humor and the Mma Zarella is a joke about Mozzarella cheese. "Mma" is an African term for Mrs or Miss and a tip of the hat to one of my favorite authors, Alexander McCall Smith who has written a wonderful series of books about the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency in Botswana, Africa. They did a fine job on keeping the field trimmed and recycling it right back to the ground. They were very gentle and got quite comfortable allowing us to hand feed them when we had goodies to clean out of the garden. It is very interesting to watch a cow eat a cantaloupe and suck up discarded tomatoes off the ground. Did I mention that simple things become quite entertaining in the country? Lizelle loved them but found out that they are quite slobbery. They have returned home and are missed, but we learned that Mma Zarella should be having a calf next month, so we will keep you posted.

Okay, it is time to explain the "Murder of Crows Farm" name to you all. First obvious reference is the fact that Jim and I have reached that wonderful age in life where we could be fondly considered "old crows". Secondly, I enjoy decorating in a rustic sort of country decor where crows and such fit in nicely. Thirdly, the term "murder of crows" is a more poetic term for the collective name for a group or flock of crows. Last, but not least, Jim and I thought it was a nice tongue-in-cheek salute to our former careers as Crime Scene Investigators. Incidentally, a movie of the same name starring Cuba Gooding Jr is an interesting watch. When we post our sign, it should keep the neighbors guessing!

Summer 2013
Well, I see I started this particular post one year ago!!! Guess I got bogged down with other obligations and have sorely dropped the ball on keeping all of you informed. The winter was mild but long as we are pretty cooped up in this house. Spring finally arrived on the calendar, but it was definitely a wet one. We had a very rainy May and all the crops were very late getting planted as no one could work in all the mud. I was getting so depressed as I could hardly wait to get out there and have a new area plowed to start a much larger garden. In the meantime, I moved the raised beds where my herbs had grown last year to higher ground. I have determined that the lower ground adjacent to the south side of the barn has a seep or spring under it and would make a better location for a future pond. Boxes and herbs are all settled in closer to the house and back door to the kitchen which is very handy. The herbs are thriving in this location.


Flooded fields



Rainbow after another rain storm


Last year's tomato garden location was quickly weeded and planted while we waited for the mud to subside. Finally by mid June, I hired the owner of Camp Point Seed Co to tear up 1/3 of our front lawn with a tractor and plow giving me approximately a 20' x 25' of growing space. That should keep me busy this summer. So far it contains more heirloom tomatoes, potatoes (red, white, and sweet). bell peppers (red, orange, and yellow), and lots of basil, to go with all of the tomatoes, of course. Beans did not do well, yet. I think I soaked them too long before getting them in the ground. I still have time to get some more things planted, so I will try again.

Lizelle, who is now 3 1/2 years old, is turning out to be quite the farm girl. She loves digging in the dirt and making mud. The plants and bugs fascinate her. Jim and I build her a Tee Pee in the garden from saplings that we cut from a neighbors woods. I'm trying to get Morning Glories to grow on it so that it is a shady play area for her.

We are making friends and connections. More cows are in the field with another calf arriving shortly. Jessica and I are selling goodies at the local farmer's market. The wiring job continues. So, as you can imagine, we are keeping busy. I'll end here tonight with a promise of getting more updates out in another week or so. I know that you all can hardly wait!

Summer Drought

Things have been pretty quiet and hot at the farm. My silence may have some wondering if my blog efforts have dried up. No such luck ;-) but the surrounding farmland certainly has. We are in the middle of the worse drought in 25 years for this area. Corn yields will be very low with some farmers considering aborting the corn harvest and turning the stalks into silage. The soy still has a chance, but only if we get some rain pretty soon.
 

Deep cracks in the earth from lack of rain.

 Being from Nevada, I'm accustomed to triple digit temperatures, but 108 is oppressive with the humidity factor in the Midwest. I didn't like the dry heat either, so I guess I'll whine anytime the thermometer hits over 95.

My zucchini plants have died off one after another. That might be considered a blessing in disguise as I had planted eight plants! Cucumbers have produced well and cantaloupe are looking good.


Tomatoes and fresh basil ready for the oven
Sun Gold, Sugary, & Black Pearl varieties

Tomatoes are hanging in there. I found an area this year with afternoon shade and that seems to really have helped them. I planted two plants each of ten varieties, which is a lot of tomatoes!
The small yellow and red cherry size plants are going full swing right now. Larger varieties are starting to ripen. The grandbaby is a tomato eating machine. When she helps me pick them; most wind up in her mouth. We eat them chilled and marinated in olive oil with fresh basil or roasted. This was dinner the other night.

Much happier now with a constant drip

 We tried to reside in the house without air conditioning since we usually have a good cross breeze and I love having the windows open for the fresh air. However, when the heat hit, the breezes disappeared. Although the electrical wiring is a tad scary, we opted to install a couple of window units. We are learning to turn off the A/C in the dining room when we use the electric fry pan in the kitchen outlet or it will require a trip to the basement to reset the circuit breaker. Humans are not the only ones that can benefit from an A/C unit. After noticing a large continuous puddle under our unit, I realized one of my planters might enjoy sitting under the constant drip. That is an antique baby wash tub full of fresh basil, oregano, and thyme. 

James has spent the better part of this week trying to install a new mailbox. We were anxious to celebrate ownership of the farm with a new larger box as the existing one was very rusted and leaked. Easier said than done. The old post was planted to last 100 years! After digging down two feet, he found the post was in a large footing of cement. After using a very large crowbar and brute strength, he managed to wrestle the post out of the ground. The new post fit down into the old hole and with the addition of cement, it is now standing proud with a new box atop it.


Plastic tent stakes hold them in place

As I previously stated, I planted 20 tomato plants. I never found the cone shaped tomato cages to work very well, although the concept of being able to stack them for storage was a good thought. I now have a barn to store them, so we made our own. I purchased fencing and commenced to lasso Jim and James into helping me cut and construct them. Other than having to watch for the sharp ends where they hook together, I am very pleased with how they are working.


Another thing I have tried before is to plant Borage with my tomatoes. This is a plant with a pretty - and edible - blue flower. There seems to be something about this plant that repels the moth that lays the eggs that develop into the tomato or tobacco worm. Most of you that have grown tomatoes know what those large, ravenous, green horn worms look like that can devour the foliage very quickly on your plants. So far, not a caterpillar in sight. One variety, "Amish Paste" is having blossom end rot. That seems to have subsided now that the tempertures have dropped a bit. We have had so many cherry tomatoes and cucumbers this week, I have resorted to sending a large bowl of them with Jim when he visits the senior center three days a week. They have requested more for next week, so they must like my recipes. The cucumbers get sliced with onion and mixed with vinegar, a small bit of sugar and salt, and fresh dill from the garden.

Being a Jersey Girl, I know that tomatoes prefer a sandy acidic soil. As the limestone in this area creates a much more neutral or basic soil, it is Starbucks to the rescue. Whenever I can score a large bag of used coffee grounds from my favorite (and only) Starbucks in the area, I drag it home to spread on the ground around my acid loving tomatoes. So, maybe for dinner tomorrow we will have fresh sliced tomatoes and mozzarella cheese with chopped basil and a drizzle of EVOO  (Extra Virgin Olive Oil for non- Rachel Ray fans.)

This is the assortment I picked tonight. I love the names of some of the varieties which are Sugary, Black Krim, La Roma, Amish Paste. Bush Early Girl, Green Zebra, Sun Sugar, Pink Brandywine, Patio, and Tumbling Tiger. Everytime I pick the Black Pearls, I get this irresistable urge to prance about like Captain Jack Sparrow saying "Arrrggghhhh", although I'm sure Johnny Depp would come up with something more clever.

So, how do we cool off in the country with these ridiculously high temperatures? A Country Bath, of course. Lizelle finds a shower with the hose after watering the garden very refreshing. Add soap and shampoo, sans clothing, and there is no bathroom mess to clean up for the night. But for even more fun, it is hard to beat a bubble bath in a water trough!

Stay cool where ever you live for the next several weeks. Fall will be here before you know it!

 





Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose

Now I know that my first blogs have been very introductory and a bit fluffy with bunnies and such, but hang in there guys, this blog may have a little more substance to it. I have a found object that I need help with. So keep on reading to see what I have in store for you.

Jessica and I are very supportive of being "green". We recycled our glass, plastic, and aluminum in Las Vegas. Moving to the country has only served to amp this up several notches. Quincy has a very user friendly recycle plant, so we diligently save the plastic, metal cans, glass, aluminum, newspapers, cardboard, and paper for frequent drop offs whenever we are heading to that area of downtown. James has been gathering an assortment of wire, junque metal, and broken equipment to cash in at the metal recycle.We even made a whopping $3.50 by turning in beer, liquor, and wine bottles when we made a trip to Keokuk, Iowa. Funny that there is a cash value on only that type of glass. Guess it pays to drink more wine and beer!

Not much waste escapes our kitchen either. Veggie peelings, wilted produce, egg shells, and coffee grounds make it into our compost heap. We seem to have an endless supply of grass clippings which make a great weed block while they decompose. Did I mention the gold in the barn? Plenty of straw and manure was left in there. All this provides good plant growing material for our gardens.

Recycling comes in many forms. I have always been an antiquer, or junquer, dependant upon you personal view of collecting. The more rusty and rustic, the better I like it. I picked up the bug honestly enough from my antique dealer mother, but her tastes were always much more refined with beautiful china and cut glass. I like to repurpose my treasures rather than have them cluttered about just collecting dust. Years ago I had two butter churns turned into lamps. I also used an old family pitch fork as a kitchen window curtain rod. Yesterday I purchased this well used wheelbarrow. It will be planted with rock garden plants and be the focal point at the entrance gate to my herb garden. Another find was an old Radio Flyer wagon which I have already planted with

mint. Jessica has been on a hunt for vintage fabric and tea towels to sew into dresses for Lizelle. With a little imagination, the cutest things can be conjured up with items others may overlook or discard. Future projects will include glass dish flowers and bottle sculptures. Kathleen W of Webe glass does some really cool things to discarded glass bottles with her kiln. I may have to ask her for some more suggestions.

I recently purchased this unusual object that I just couldn't resist. It is a farm implement, made of heavy metal and leather. Does anyone know what this is? Better yet, can you come up with a clever way to repurpose it? It should be interesting to see where your imaginations take you with this item. Being as "green" as I am, both in earth friendly and "green-horn", I actually knew what it was. I know some of you, like Linda and Joe McG will recognize this, but don't spill the beans just yet and we can have some fun with this!

Nest Fluffing

Now that we own our little piece of country, we can start fluffing our nest, so to speak. Sticker bushes around the house foundation were pulled out this week, courtesy of James and the Jeep Wrangler aka "the Tractor". We have decided that the only sharp objects allowed on our plants will be on rose or berry bushes. Staircase carpeting may be next to get pulled, if we can only figure out a way to get the Jeep to do the hard work.... A peak under the carpeting revealed hardwood floors. I could still smell the old floor wax.

Many new creatures are also making an appearance on our farm. An old nest on the arm support of a basketball hoop in

the shed was revamped this spring for a robin family. The fledglings are leaving the nest one by one under their parents' watchful eyes. They are in close proximity to our tomato patch, so we need to be mindful not to step on them as they hop about while figuring out how to fly.



photo by Jessica

Lizelle made a discovery a few weeks ago when she was watering the herb garden. A tiny bunny ("hop-hop" in Lizelle speak) jumped out from under a clump of thyme when it received an unexpected shower. Upon closer examination, we found two more secreted away in a fur-lined nest. They now hop about with the older rabbits and nibble on the many weeds we have. They all seem to love dandelion stems, but I don't believe they eat those pesty seeds that fly about. I guess that assures them of an endless supply of salad. So far I have not noticed any damage in the garden due to their nibbling. Hopefully I will be able to grow enough in our garden for all of us so that we can remain neighborly. They are cute!

A pair of turkey vultures were eyeing our barn last month. At first we thought that was pretty cool. They are not the most handsome of birds, but their wingspan is impressive. While the pair was discussing the nesting potential of the loft, Jessica did a little research. Apparently they are very communal birds, so if they liked the real estate, they could have returned with their  friends which can be an alarming number! They don't have the best manners, either. When they are defensive, they may use vomit as an escape tactic. Don't think I want to accidentally sneak up on one of them. Well, the accommodations didn't suit them, so they have nested elsewhere, thank goodness! They do make occasional visits over our field, but they don't linger, which maintains a good relationship between us.

We have spotted tiny voles, crayfish, snakes (garter & gopher), mice, rats, mole hills in the lawn, owls, and deer. We are overrun with sparrows and starlings. We hope to attract more desirable songbirds and butterflies after I get my wild flowers planted.

 

Speaking of plants, my herb garden is doing terrific. It is so nice to be able to pick fresh parsley, basil, thyme, sage, and cilantro for cooking. I tried gardening in an area last year that turned out to be the soggy bottoms. The soil is very full of clay in that area and did not drain well. This year I am trying melons in that location and moved my tomato patch to higher, drier ground where the soil seems much better. Twenty plants - ten varieties - should tell me whether this was a good choice. I plant Borage with the tomatos which seems to act as a deterent to the moth that lays those horrible tomato hornworms eggs. If all goes well, we should have plenty of tomatos to eat with the eight varieties of basil that are growing out there. Did I tell you I was a Jersey girl? Best tomatos grown in the US!



My Italian herbs consisiting of basil, orengano, & thyme are growing in an old child's wash tub.
Mexican herbs of cilantro & peppers are in a pot below.
These culinary herbs are located just a few feet out of the kitchen backdoor.









Welcome To Our Farm

Welcome to the newly named "Murder of Crows Farm" in Quincy, Illinois.

After living in a 90 year old home on five acres, complete with mid 19th century barn, for 18 months, it is officially ours! Well, more accurately, the bank and I.

How did this come to be? The family departed Las Vegas, NV to resettle in the mid-west. It was time for a lifestyle change and a slower pace of life. We have family in this area, so we began searching for a place that would accommodate our family which consists of myself and Jim, my daughter Jessica, her significant-other James, and their baby (my adorable granddaughter) Lizelle. After living in a congested city, we wanted space to stretch out without falling into our neighbor's pool. My dear friend, Amanda, literally found the listing for our farm on the Internet and thought it might be what we were looking for. As this was a huge lifestyle change for us, we were fortunate enough to convince the seller to try a "lease with option-to-buy" to make sure we really wanted to become country folk. If the critters and bugs scared us back to Nevada, it would have been just an interesting segue for a year or so. As fate would have it, we fell in love with this new life, for various individual reasons, and decided to go ahead with the purchase. So, as of May 7, 2012, this little plot of land is now known as the Murder of Crows Farm.

We are located 15 minutes from downtown Quincy, IL which is a delightfully historic community of about 40,000. Located high on limestone bluffs overlooking the mighty Mississippi River, it is a sister city to St Louis, MO which is about a 2 hour drive south of us. It is known as the "Gem City" and we consider it as such. It has most of what we need, and what it doesn't stock is easily available via the Internet.

Our little homestead was carved from an original 80 acre farm. The remaining acreage is still farmed, usually corn or soy, as are most of the fields surrounding us. We have a 1920's Arts and Crafts style bungalow home, garage, an older garage shed, an adorable wood corn crib, and a barn built sometime in the second half of the 1800's. There is much renovation needed to bring the house into this century for convenience and comfortable living, while still maintaining the charm of the architectural design. We also have interesting plans for each of the out-buildings, but more on that later.

I invite you to check-in on our country adventure from time-to-time. I will keep you posted with the latest developments as we make building improvements, plant and harvest our garden, eventually add chickens and livestock, and other things country. I'm pretty fair with a camera, so hopefully you will enjoy my images, too.