May 10, 2013: Sorry about the year long silence on the Blog! I am still alive and well in my Maine retirement and this month is the fifth anniversary of full retirement here. Life has not been dull for me at all this past year as Julian, Roxi and Cotton completed their move nearby in late December. My daily routine has totally change with that occurrence. Since then I have suddenly had a "full time " job working for Angelrox:
www.angelrox.com helping with production and shipping of the products ordered on-line and from the many, many boutiques around the country carrying the line of clothing. It
has been a good way to spend the idle, non- gardening winter days. But this will continue on year round so I will be juggling gardening and work for the family business all summer as well. It is so wonderful to have the family here and to be able to spend time with them each day. We trade cooking duties and dinner locations regularly and whenever they have truck show, trade shows and other business events out of town I am on "Cotton duty." The transition from New York to Biddeford Maine is going well for them and the business. Soon they will be hiring local folks to do the sewing here as well. I will certainly have more garden help both in planting
and caring for the gardens as well as eating the food. Speaking of the garden now..... It was a more normal winter with cold, snow, etc. but no violent storms and April flooding so I am very optimistic about the growing year ahead. I have planted many seeds as are weather appropriated so far, namely: carrots, beets, peas, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, chard, onions, radishes, turnips, parsnips, etc. The potatoes will go in this weekend as my tilling of the big garden has now been completed. Some work was needed on garden paths and beds as well. The pictures here show flourishing rhubarb, garlic, pear blossoms, flowers and some seedlings emerging.
Some significant tree cutting had to occur on my property and the neighbors as well and I had a lot of wood now to cut and split for my firewood supply. I went through the three cords I had ready for the winter as it was a long one. Now I have to prepare and season next winter's supply. One picture shows some wood stacked under the big spruce tree. Julian bought me a cord of wood as I was running out and he also has a wood stove at his house so need to by some too. In a week or so we will both begin tackling the cutting, splitting and stacking of a wood supply for both houses.
I have run out of my potato supply in the basement..actually still have some but they are fully sprouted and will get planted instead of eaten.
I have gone since last August without buying one potato. I still have garlic from last year and certainly have more jam, pickles, and salsa left as well. The asparagus is happening now and I just pick a lot today. Next will be some radishes but not much else for a few weeks.
Last year was not as strong of a harvest year, especially for beans for drying and apples etc. I did have a great yield of onions, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, enough tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic, etc. for salsa making and a decent yield of cucumbers for pickle making. My canning jar total was 300 jars though, down from the 450 of the year before.
Not much else to report right now as a catch up garden blog posting. I am happy, positive about my life and what this summer should bring to me and the family.
Some significant tree cutting had to occur on my property and the neighbors as well and I had a lot of wood now to cut and split for my firewood supply. I went through the three cords I had ready for the winter as it was a long one. Now I have to prepare and season next winter's supply. One picture shows some wood stacked under the big spruce tree. Julian bought me a cord of wood as I was running out and he also has a wood stove at his house so need to by some too. In a week or so we will both begin tackling the cutting, splitting and stacking of a wood supply for both houses.
I have gone since last August without buying one potato. I still have garlic from last year and certainly have more jam, pickles, and salsa left as well. The asparagus is happening now and I just pick a lot today. Next will be some radishes but not much else for a few weeks.
