A BIG Weekend Ahead of Us Lots of Pics

Hello and welcome it has already been a busy morning, I came into to drink my coffee and as always wanted to make a blog post......but honestly I have no time as I have so much to do today...as tomorrow I have to set up for the Gloucester Daffodil Festival which is a HUGE event and so well put on, a lot to do for everyone....food, crafts, art, games, learning......the list is endless not to mention BEAUTIFUL....the flowers speak for themselves. You can see some of my pics from last year HERE 

if you can make it out to the festival it is well worth it we are excited. 

The pic above is just the cutest.....Hippy and Miracle riding in the John Deere Gator to the pasture....they used to run right behind me or whomever was taking them but now they have discovered FRESH DEWEY SWEET GRASS awwww so yummy and tasty they just can't help themselves. They were riding up front but Bruce decided to put them in the back and away they went just perfectly fine. Hippy and Miracle were two born recently of seven right now that the moms rejected....you never know why but it happens. One of the kids she kept but Hippy she said no way....so he has been bottle fed since birth and he is doing just fine, we called him Hippy as he had this little tiny hip area which now is not a thing probably how he laid in utero. Miracle born to another doe we call her Peanut she rejected her....well I literally spent three days making her eat and Bruce told me.....she will be a Miracle if she makes it....I never gave up.....and now look.... an adorable little girl goat named Miracle with a heart of gold and runs to us the minute you call her name. Runs as fast as she can. 

Riding away now "momma stay behind us jic" 

Peach habanero jam I made yesterday along with regular peach jam so I will have lots of that this weekend 

Peach Habanero Jam 

This is a queen cell that the queen larvae is inside you can see it I also made a video for you to be able to hear the bees and see them flying around 

 bee larvae 

more pics of the bees look at those worker bees go 

THIS WEEKEND FROM 9-3 at Hickory High School Colby and I will be there along with many many other vendors It is a great show with a tremendous amount of wonderful things to buy....and a lot of my art buddies will be there with their goodies 

This is this Saturday and Sunday Bruce and Colten will be here you can see more of my pics from last year HERE  or go to their site for more info 

Of course I got ya covered with pickles 

Pickles from #9 Farms 

More pickles 

These are the habanero pickles 

I will have eggs too 

These are some of the eggs I collected one afternoon in my new basket from my friend Aylene.....THANK YOU Aylene its perfect 

strawberry jam in my 15qt. copper pot 

strawberry jam 

strawberry jam you can see more pics here of strawberries at #9 Farms 

Every week we meal plan with the help of Colby as he sets what the "boys" want to eat...and of course spaghetti around here is a huge favorite. 

This was my meal chickpea pasta, Tuscan spicy tomato sauce and Tuscan organic kale ......can I get a totally to the MAX YUM Factor .....FABULOUS 

Me making jam on my new gas stove which is like a REALLY BIG DEAL HERE as I have wanted this gas stove my whole married life and finally its is production....have not baked in it yet but that's coming 

You can see how awesome it is it was very expensive and HEAVY to put in but so worth it!! 

I am so VERY VERY VERY HAPPY to have it and my sweet apron from my granddaughters Samantha, Dakota, and Clarrisa 

Some of the plants from the greenhouse this is the pumpkin on a stick which is actually an eggplant 

more pics of the greenhouse I have a video on all my plants 

some of my pepper plants all grown from seeds 

the tomato plants all grown from seeds 

wanted to share my new hat my friend Angela Cartwright she comes to a lot of the shows I am at.   She knits amazing works of art makes her own patterns and everything. This is my new shirt handmade by Stitches by Julia on Etsy. I can't wait to wear this Saturday to show Angela.....she walked over and handed it to me and said this is for you. I LOVE IT! Its adorable in the new spring colors coral and so very soft. The shirt is amazing too...keeps me warm. 

HOPE you guys have a great week, and weekend and if your in the area stop by the shows....Hickory High School and/or Daffodil Festival. 

Dawn Gallop 

#HAPPY SPRING 

Tweet

Happy Easter 2018 and April Fool's Day and Happenings

Happy Easter!!! April Fools Day too! Tomorrow my oldest daughter will be 29 years old.....as Alexis said too close to 30. I can hardly believe she is going to be 29....Happy Birthday Alexis!!!  We have been super busy bottle feeding kid goats and of course milking goats. Seems like April and May and September and October are the BUSIEST times of the year on a farm. April and May you have seedlings, plantings, birthing, MORE eggs from the chickens, school projects, changes in the laundry from having both seasons of clothes at the same time, being cold in the morning and warm by the afternoon. Time to open the hives, getting ready to get bee packages, splitting colonies, setting up new hive body boxes, hive body painting contest time, the end of the cold weather crops like kale, collards, and broccoli, cabbage......and making sauerkraut, freezing the kale, the collards and broccoli for the summer and fall. Strawberry season, then blackberry season. Yard clean up time from the winter and building new garden beds.....like I said April and May the busiest. July here is also a very busy month for canning, from potatoes to tomatoes, blueberries to figs. September and October are also among the busiest of the year.  Of course in all these times I am also getting ready for markets, shows, etc..... but like Bruce says I wouldn't have it anyway. Although sometimes I just need a BREAK!  Or even just the pressures of not having deadlines and so much to do. 

Oh its tick season too which is always a time to be alert as we spend a lot of time outside. 

As I said before the high tunnel is ready for planting Bruce has been hooking up the water lines, and he has built me more planting boxes. 

The radishes are up 

These are the radishes in the planting boxes 

This Easter morning we took a morning hike in Millpond which is always beautiful and I tell it just renews the soul. 

Since I spend a lot time hiking well at least when I can I see all the changes in the trees, the water, the plants.....which all are so amazing....we are all so blessed to live on such an amazing planet. 

Saturday was an excellent beautiful day at the market....we have all welcomed new market vendors into our market family and of course always love to see new people at the market. I had a lot of the regulars, and new customers. It always make me soooo super duper happy when they buy on of my art bags....which I know I don't get a lot done much anymore...but I tell you with all of my work I put my heART into whatever it is.......whether painting, soaping, jamming, or just growing seedlings. Everything does well with LOVE! 

At the Smithfield Farmers Market Saturday the Smithfield "Pig" showed up for Easter, handed out Easter ears, and little pigs. 

At the market when the pig showed up 

of course it was cold at the beginning of the market thank goodness we had our Mr. Heater to keep us warm because believe it or not it is cold under the tents. 

The Smithfield Farmers Market Pig 

These are the little "bunny honey" pots my aunt brought for me to sell they are so adorable. It was a great Easter Market 

the baby goats have been having a ball running and jumping as you can see in the pasture all the branches and tree limbs as we lost several trees in the beginning of March for that Northeaster which was on a Friday and I have yet told that story....Colten has been using the chainsaw cutting up all the limbs and branches and then burning the pile at night while all the goats are put up for the night. 

This was in 2016 when one of my favorite little girls at the market bought one of my painted bags. She still comes today and is always talks to me and tells me new stuff, she even bought one of my journals. I tell her she's one of my biggest fans. Her my has really supported us over the years....THANK YOU!  This year makes our fourth season at Smithfield Farmers Market. 

Of course for Easter the boys always like to dye eggs I set them outside so they don't make a mess as boys will be boys and of course it was to nice of day, you can see our chickens and coop in the background  

Cooper and Dusty dye eggs for Easter 

Easter egg dying with boys is always FUN......its best to be outside, LOL! 

 Who needs Easter baskets when you have farm baskets, which actually are our egg gathering baskets

More pics of the soap curing 

Bee frames as these couple of days have been nice enough to check the hives 

A collage of the happenings bee frames full of honey and bee two excellent things to see this time of year, the garden cart I have had since like 1995 I repainted with that plastic paint you buy at  Lowe's and more frames building for the bees as this time of year you have to be ready for the nectar flow 

This weekend coming up we will be the Smithfield Farmers Market from 9-12 noon in Smithfield Virginia 

I hope everyone had an awesome Easter, my aunt came out and I baked her a Smithfield honey glazed ham per her request....and of course the boys LOVED it. I also made mashed potatoes, and cornbread, collards and for dessert they all ate some of their Easter candy which I only bought a little. My neighbor Linda brought me over a money plant of a Jade plant and my aunt brought me a flag with a bee on it for my greenhouse flag holder. This week I am hoping to get more planting done and get some of the hive bodies painted for the new packages coming soon. The boys are SPRING BREAK! They are super excited about it. Have a great week!

Dawn Gallop 

Alexis just sent me these adorable pics of Ledger with his Easter bunny 

Ledge with his Easter basket....his first Easter! Happy Easter Ledger!! 

                 Also don't forget the classes at Wine and Cake Hobbies in Norfolk Virginia
April 17, 2018 is the first one coming up. I have an aged cheese to share and some other cheese recipes. Come join us if you can. 

Tweet