mid september photos

yesterday evening we went to to japanese fall festival in springfield. we have been wanting to go to it for a while and were half way there because of another errand. it was magical the kids had an incredible time. we neglected to take the camera, sorry. it was at the japanese garden which is beautiful. it might be our favorite place in springfield. we got there early and the booths were still setting up. one of them was selling ginko trees. i noticed the price a mere ten dollars for an extremely healthy four foot tall tree. the only local nursery that carries them would charge over a hundred dollars for it. i said "wow, it's only ten dollars." the guy said "oops that is marked from last year." he took the price off from it and said "i guess you guys could get it for that price." tabitha and looked at each other having always wanted a ginko tree. we couldn't fight it. having just lost one of our house shade trees to lightning sealed the deal.

cute isn't he?

besides as i age i'll probably need to make a tincture from it.

i moved the pigs to their new paddock.

not having a little truck, sniffle, i couldn't get enough pallets to build it. i decided to build it from the garden cattle panels instead. there use seasonally complements these pigs so there is no real waste there. i'll be able to use them in the garden in the spring without conflict.

they are already growing like crazy,

and finally getting friendly.

i moved the waterer over here and will use it for a little while until my fifty five gallon drum waterer can be made. i am still cleaning the chemicals from it. whatever they used as a scent for the stuff is crazy pungent and won't go away.

they are very healthy. these pigs root around much more than our last pigs.
i moved their feeder over too. see that white metal down by the feed doors? that came from our retired clothes drier. the chickens are happy to clean the pig waste feed.

they don't like their little hut yet.

it is supposed to rain tonight so maybe they will use it then.

once the pigs root this area up we will annex this area into our garden.

there is a huge stump that i hope they dig up for me. this will be a true test of their further usefulness.

i removed part of the fence next to the barn.

we hope to start working on it fairly soon. it is funny how our plan changes as time goes on. things aren't obvious until you start living there. as we attempt to use stuff things become obvious that weren't previously clear.

i used the chicken tractors as fence shoots to guide the pigs to their new digs.

henry-the-show-dog is coming to help out.

"how may i be of service?"


soft and fluffy


the cows are inspecting my work


jocelyn is looking great.


i picked up a few wheel barrow loads of rock and put them under the eve of the barn. this will be my materials queue for the foundation. i plan to use slip form rock and mortar technology for the barn foundation.

i'll document my efforts as we make progress.

this is the new millet hay from tabitha's father. they seem to like it. i have them off the upper paddocks to get some grass growing there.


henry checking on his chickens.

everything seems to be in order.

the cat agrees.

hey girls.


well done.


this is our old retired chicken tractor.

i need to tear it apart.

moon flowers are loving this weather.


this okra is crazy and tabitha is done canning.

it has been a long canning season.