busiest time

this is the busiest month of the year. i usually panic and get that feeling of just not being able to catch up no matter how much i work, but this year we have enough data from previous years, showing a spike in workhours at this time, so i know that it's temporary, and that two to three weeks from now things will come down a lot. i love data, it can be so useful. by now we have a good amount of it, collected since 2009, so we can actually see some meaningful trends, and make some pretty good predictions for crop yields, crop timing, labor hour demands, and so on.

most crops are doing well, although there are some significant problems too. the basil got fungus really early this year, and we only harvested a couple of times before it was done. fortunately we were able to warn our CSA members that it was not going to last long, so whoever wanted it, especially for pesto, had the chance to get it.
the first planting of kale, which had flea beetles in the spring, never recovered. it's good enough to feed to the cows, and they do love it, but we're not harvesting it for sale. fortunately the second planting is doing outstanding and we're selling lots of it. the tomatoes are looking good and already producing lots. cucurbits are doing well, peppers too. eggplants are lagging again this year due to flea beetles. next year we're trying a new row cover to protect them, which i ordered this year but it arrived too late to use it on this planting. we'll have some eggplant, but i'm just not happy about how the plants are doing, and i know they won't produce much. potatoes and sweet potatoes are doing very well. raspberries are in, and peaches are close behind. there are plenty of apples on the tall spindle apple trees.

as far as food preservation, we've put away quite a bit already: strawberries enough to last all winter, peas and pesto; i'm also stocking up on cheddar cheese, which i'm making with Opal's milk and aging in our root cellar. soon it will be time for tomato canning, pickle making, putting away peppers, beans, and probably others i can't remember. busy time.

the cows are doing very well. no sign of heat since the insemination so maybe they're pregnant.
milking Opal in the morning is now one of my favorite things to do. I just love everything about her: the way she smells, the way she feels when i lean into her as i milk her, her beautiful eyes and long lashes... Olive the calf is getting big and her horns are growing. the vet is coming out in early august to dehorn her. i'm not looking forward to that. it's supposed to be bloody, and painful after the operation. i can't stand knowing that anything is bothering or hurting the cows.

we had a little bit of a rodeo again earlier this week, when we moved the cows from one pasture to another. Aiyana really wanted to lead Olive, and after much whining and crying we finally said ok. Sena was leading Jasmine and ed had Opal. jasmine and opal were very well behaved, but as soon as we were on the move from one pasture to the next, olive bolted and Aiyana ran frantically behind her, trying to hold on to the lead rope. i was running behind Aiyana trying help. eventually as olive gained speed, Aiyana's steps got longer and longer, and she took some great leaps through the air bravely holding on to the rope, until she finally fell flat on her belly and let go. she was not hurt. olive, now free, continued her run into the orchard and then back towards us right through the eggplants and peppers. ed was amazingly able to catch her as she ran full speed passed him, and that's where the circus ended. i don't think Aiyana will pester us about leading the cows for a while. it was a good way to teach her a lesson about why we said no in the first place.

i'm reading 'everyday zen' by joko beck before i fall asleep at night. i like it a lot, and try to practice what she says in my daily life. such a small book, so much great insight. check it out!
peace