Busy fall days acting like a homesteader

October has been a busy month.  I'm into canning and a lot of other homestead lifestyle activities even though I still live on the small trailer lot in the middle of town. 

But notice the mesh bag hanging on the deck.  That's sheep's wool hanging out to dry. It was tedious work cleaning it, and there are many more bags worth yet to do, but when I am done washing and carding it, I will have enough bats to make a warm quilt.  This is a project I started because I am still hoping to get that piece of land and then we are planning on having sheep.  The wool was given to me and I wanted to get started learning to use it.

My cottage garden around the trailer has to fend for itself a lot these days, but it seems to be doing well in spite of my being so sidetracked.

We have already had a few light frosts, and even though the roses have been hit, it doesn't prevent them from putting on a show.

While some of the less hardy annuals, like impatiens, have succumbed to the cold, there are plenty of perennials and a few brave annuals like alyssum and lobelia to carry on until the snow covers them.

In my front walk garden, the birds planted a sunflower seed, and it adds a needed bit of color to that side of the house.

So while the garden continues on with it's mums, and munk's hood, and roses,

I'll just keep playing acting being a homesteader, and I'll put up some more jars of tomatoes to help see me through the winter.

Our Dream

 

We're dreaming again.  In technicolor!

I haven't lost my craving for a little piece of land with some chickens, a few milk sheep, and lots of room for a garden,

wilderness for the grandchildren to explore, and maybe a pond where they can watch the frogs.

An old apple tree or two would be nice,

and, of course, it would have to be on a paved road.

All this is just a dream, though the land exists.

Last year, having my husband well in body and mind was only a dream.  Now it is a reality.  This year, a homestead lifestyle in the country is only a dream.  I wonder if the Lord will also turn this dream into a reality.

It will only happen if it is part of His plan for us, but if it is His plan, I can't wait to see how He does it.

What grows under a Black Walnut Tree

The community plot next door was going to let the plot under the walnut tree go to weeds because everyone had come to the conclusion that it wasn't good for anything else.  Everyone but me.  I was determined to do something other than letting the ragweed grow. 

It was already late in the season when I cleared the weeds and tried my experiment.  I didn't really expect to get anything out of it, but at least I wouldn't be sneezing every time I worked in my plot farther down.  Here is what I found out.

Glads do well right under the black walnut tree.

Bush beans produce poorly, but pole beans do just fine.

Morning Glories start out OK and then die.

Impatiens don't seem to have a problem. And the corn would have produced more if I hadn't started so late.

Parsley can handle it, but beats do poorly if at all.