August Morning on the Farm~ working on the honey do list

It’s a fine August morning here on the farm. I just watered the flowers and harvested the day’s vegetables. Soon, I will need to start freezing, canning and pickling for winter eating. Before getting busy again, I thought I should post an update on what has been happening.

July Projects

July was a busy month here at 3/4 Pi Farm. Sometimes the weather was very hot, usually there was little rain and always plenty of work to be done. We finally got some heavy rain at the very end of the month to give me a respite from the almost daily watering schedule. New gutters on the pole barn and house were installed just in the nick of time. The pole barn needed gutters to drain rain down to the pond instead of eroding the foundation. In addition, some of the house gutters were leaking and not draining right, so they were due for replacement.

In addition, the pole barn now has a brand new concrete floor. The old floor was 2/3 dirt, 1/3 broken and severely uneven concrete. Animals had nor trouble finding their way in, burrowing under the walls through the dirt. In addition, rain would leak in and create muddy areas. Most importantly, Al is really enjoying his beautifully clean and flat barn floor. He hopes to be able to safely store his Mustang there this next winter.

Inside, the main bathroom was out of commission for most of the month. Everything was completely torn out and it was refitted with all new fixtures, plus a new floor. A shower replaced the tub, allowing for more room at the entry to the room. It is nearly complete, and looking just awesome.  Burdick’s, right down in Tecumseh, has done a wonderful job in getting it just perfect.  The work will finally be completed tomorrow with the counter, sink and faucet being installed.

In the Vegie Patch

In the mean time, the vegetable garden is flourishing on this August morning. All the watering and weeding, compost and care really made a big difference. As a result, we’ve enjoyed lots of vegetables already: beets, beans, broccoli, summer squash, lettuce and cucumbers. The tomatoes are ripening, too. I might even have enough to make some great sauces and condiments.

Gorgeous Gardens on this Fine August Morning

I’ve enjoyed the progression of blooms in the perennial gardens, July was outstanding for the day-lilies. Everything is growing well, most of all.

A fun challenge for me is figuring out just what plants in the landscape are wildflowers and which are weeds. I tend to leave a lot of plants that sprout up grow for a bit to figure that out. I figure I can always pull the weeds out later. As a result, some of the property looks a bit ‘un-groomed’ and overgrown. That’s OK, we are learning a lot of new things, new plants, new critters and new methods. In years to come, this place will look fantastic.

Happy Anniversary 3/4 Pi!

It was one year ago on another August morning, that we closed on this place and it became ours. OK, we patiently waited weeks for the previous owners to finish building their new home and move out, but it was OURS! Between the closing and actually moving in here, we were constantly busy. We spent the next several weeks packing, purging, cleaning and staging our condo to get it on the market. Eight days after listing, our condo sold! More cleaning, painting, and unpacking things here, along with taking care of the property kept us very busy. Finally, we moved in around mid November, just in time for the holidays.

In conclusion, looking back over the last year, we have accomplished an amazing amount of work! It was a labor of love, this place is awesome. And, we are looking forward to many more years and many more August mornings to come.