Recycle and Re-Use for Rabbit Hay Feeders

 

We have now had our rabbits for a year.  We have raised several babies, and learned many lessons on the best way to care for them.  Most recommend that the rabbits be given all the hay they want to eat and limit the amount of pellets the receive to about a cup per day for the adults.  Of course the you ones that we are growing out to butcher size, get more.  We were doing this backwards in the beginning, keeping the feeders full of pelleted feed at all times and giving them hay as a treat.  We would put hay in their cages, where they would eat some, but much of it would end up under the cages, mixed with the poo and end up as compost.  The wasting of hay and over feeding pellets, were making a dent in our budget and also keeping our adults too fat.  A fat doe may not breed, and fat buck, may lose his desire to breed.  We knew we needed to keep hay in front of them at all times, but do so in a way that would allow for minimal waste, and not blow the budget on fancy feeders.  I had made some wire hay feeders for the outdoor summer cages that worked well, so when I found a video on Facebook that shared a way to make a hay feeder from trash, I decided to give it a try.  The results were perfect! 

We now have these feeders on each cage that we can keep filled with hay.  The Rabbits simply pull the hay through the wire and munch away! I chose to put a little larger one on each grow out pen since there are multiple rabbits in each pen.

I started with some coffee containers that I had saved.  I also found a large Tupperware container at my local thrift shop for $1.25 and purchased it to use for the larger feeders on the grow out pens.  Otherwise, this project cost nothing.  So I have 8 feeders for $1.25, making them a little less than a whopping 15 cents each. 

I began by drawing a vertical line down the side of the containers and cutting them in half on the band saw.  If you don't have a band saw, the plastic can easily be cut with a hand saw. 

After being cut into two equal pieces, I drilled four holes, one on each side at the top and bottom, close to the cut edge.  Wire was then run through the holes, across the outside of the container, and back through the corresponding on the other side.

 The ends of the wires are then used to attach the feeders to the sides of the cages.  Where the rabbits can have access to all the hay they want.

I did end up cutting out a wire in three places on the front of the feeders to allow more room to pull the hay out, but after finding one empty that I had missed doing this to, I don't think it is absolutely necessary.












In today's world of plastics, excess trash, and being a part of a "throw-away" society, it is nice to know that we can continue our progress to live as Modern Missouri Pioneers, by re-using items that otherwise have no value.  We have turned our trash into something useful.  This project was easy to do and basically free.  The feeders are easy to fill, the rabbits love the hay, and the hay waste is minimal.  We just bought a new bag of rabbit pellets and these Modern Pioneers are hoping to see it last at least twice as long as the last one. 

What projects have done that have been a benefit to your Modern Pioneer lifestyle at little to no cost?  We'd love to hear!

 

Homemade Dishwasher Tablets

I make most of my own cleaning products.  This way I know exactly what is in them, and it is much more budget friendly.  There are a few staples that I buy that I combine to make everything else.  Dishwasher detergent is one of the biggest challenges I have come upon.  One must be careful not to have too much suds, or it can interfere with the seal and cause a leak.  Not enough and you end up with dirty dishes even after they are washed.  Eliminating the water spots on the dishes and the film from hard water has been the biggest challenge.  I have finally determined that the best recipe for my water conditions, is a simple mixture of Dawn dish washing liquid and an oxygen cleaner, like Oxyclean.  I don't buy the name brand, but usually get the house brand to save money.  I found these awesome ice cube trays at a garage sale.  They are designed to freeze ice to go in a thermos, but the size and shape is perfect for making dishwasher tablets.  They are silicone or rubber on the bottom, making it especially easy to pop the tablets out after they are hardened and dry. 

 

Now it is just a matter of mixing the two ingredients together, in a ration of 1 unit of Dawn to 1.5 units of oxygen cleaner granules.  Whatever measuring utensil you use, just use 2 measure of Dawn and 3 measures of granules and mix well.  The mixture will expand slightly and  chemical reaction will make the mixture warm to the touch. 

 

Spoon mixture into ice cube trays, patting the top and tapping the tray on the countertop to remove air bubbles.

 



Let dry for a minimum of 3-4 hours.  I usually make mine in the evening and let them dry over night.

  

 When completely dry, pop them out of the tray. 

 

Store in an airtight container.

 

 

Use one tablet per load. I also add vinegar to the rinse reservoir for minimal spotting on the finished dishes. 

 

 

You might also add some Lemon Shine, lemon Kool-Aid, or citric acid if needed. 

Homemade Brown Sugar

I'm always looking for ways to cut the grocery bill and decrease the number of things I depend on the grocery store for.  One of the best and easiest things I've found so far is making my own brown sugar.  It is so simple and eliminates the need to buy this overpriced item ever again. 

Brown Sugar

1 Cup white sugar

1/2 - 2  TBS Molasses (amount determines the darkness of the brown sugar)

Place sugar in bowl, Add molasses and stir vigorously until thoroughly mixed. A stand mixer is the easiest to use, but it can be done with a spoon, and count as an upper body workout, too!  You may have to break up clumps with a fork during the mixing process.

Makes about 1 cup packed brown sugar

Creating pantry essentials like this is a way to get back to basics, purchase less items from the grocery stores and eat a more wholesome diet, without all the additives found in today's pre-packaged, processed food.  For me, being a Modern Pioneer, doesn't limit me to only using simple methods, but allows me to simplify my life, using what I have access to, to make basic things that are enjoyed by me and my family.  I can mark Brown Sugar off my grocery list permanently.

Living With Your Expectations

In my last post of December 2015, I spent some time reflecting on some struggles that I have been having since Papa got sick last summer, and began looking at the ways I had let myself get off balance.  I had gotten off balance with myself, off balance with our life and off balance with our plan for moving forward.  Papa's experience has led to many changes in our lives.  I had set unrealistic expectations for myself.  The first item on my list of foolish expectations says a lot:

1.    Do whatever needed to be done that Papa could no longer do on his own.

I have never been one to ask for help, but I have stopped to realize that our pioneer ancestors did not do things entirely on their own.  They traveled west in wagon trains for safety and to pool resources.  After arriving at their destinations, they settled in communities.  There, within the communities a neighbor that was in need that was helped by the other neighbors.  Whether trading labor, bartering for supplies, creating threshing crews, attending barn raisings, or participating in quilting bees, the Pioneers worked together to make sure everyone was as successful as possible.  Fields were plowed and planted, hay and grain was harvested, even firewood was cut by groups of people, not individuals.  

It seems to me that surrounding ourselves with like-minded people is a good step toward building a community of Modern Pioneers.  Self-sufficiency in today's world can be different that for our ancestors.  For us, we want to avoid purchasing processed foods in the big box stores as much as possible for both economic and health reasons.  We heat both our home and our water with wood, saving our propane for our dryer for the few times we need to dry clothing and cannot hang them on the clothes line.  I grind wheat to make whole wheat flour, that I use to make bread and rolls, and even pancakes.  We raise pigs, rabbits, calves, chickens, and are looking into raising goats for meat and eggs.  With all that being said, if something goes awry for us, it means a trip to the store, work wasted, and sometimes money spent to correct the situation.  For our ancestors a lost crop or animal illness or death could mean the difference in surviving the upcoming winter. 

I have electricity and have modern conveniences to help with the tasks needed to live our modern pioneering lifestyle.  This is necessary for us, as I also work a full time job that requires me to be gone from home for a minimum of 48 hours a week.  Without our modern equipment, there would not be time to actually do the things we want and need to do.  There is a part of me that would love to life off grid and be totally independent of the electric companies, big box stores, etc.  But that would be mean no off the farm job, and working it 24/7 like our ancestors did.  We have bank loans, and other modern obligations that simply do not allow us to forget about society and disappear into the wilderness to live on our own, not to mention the fact that we are soft and spoiled and not as young as we used to be!  I don't know many people that could suddenly go off grid, step back in time and forgo all that modern society offers.  I do, however, know many people that want to grow their own food, process fruits and vegetables for winter storage, process their own meat, heat with wood, make their own soap, cook from scratch, etc.  With our Facebook group, SW Missouri Homesteaders Buy, Barter, Sell or Trade, we have begun to develop a group of local people that have the same goals of living a self-supporting lifestyle that we do.  This group has shared ideas, traded items, traded labor, taught each other knowledge and skills and been an unfailing support system. 

We have been supplied with blueberries when we could not go pick for ourselves.  We have had our cow milked numerous times, before we decided to sell her after Papa got sick.  We have helped friends render lard.  We have worked together to butcher chickens.  We taught friends to butcher rabbits, to can green beans, shared recipes... the list goes on and on.  I have resources just a call away.  The problem I had with the expectation that I should be able to do it myself is mine.  I have a very hard time making that call for help.  I need to remember that is ok to ask for assistance, accept offers of help and offer up help in return.

One of the differences I have noticed in today's society is that people are not as in tune to what to what is going on around them.  We all get so wrapped up in our own places, our own ideas, our own struggles, that we forget to look around us at others to see if there is anything that we could do to help them.  Right or wrong, that is a fact of life for all of us in our current society.  We can work to make that better, one step at a time, one instance at a time.  Noticing that someone is struggling and offering up help is the root of community.  When that does not happen, there is no shame in asking for help.  There is also no shame is changing the way we are doing things, that might be less labor intensive that would either allow Papa to do it, or allow me to do it in his place.  It is time for me to look around and see what we can do differently, what we can do to trade labor with friends and what we can barter or hire done. 

I now realize that while there are a lot of things that I can do on my own, and that Papa can still do, there is no reason to struggle, take a chance on injury, and have impossible expectations.  We have a very supportive family and a group of supportive friends that will need our help as well.  So, for those of you who feel like you are banging your head against a brick wall, trying to get things started and keep them going, I have the following advice to make your journey easier and more pleasant.

First, examine your expectations.  Are your expectations realistic?  Are you working with a plan that has a firm foundation and that you are building on in steps?  Are you gradually adding the parts you need to create the lifestyle you want to live?  Or, are you expecting to jump in with both feet and do it all from the beginning with no problems, no struggles, no help and no failures?  (Don't ask me about my initial plan...how do you think I understand the differences? ;-) )  Build a plan that adds a little at a time.  Perhaps a garden is the first step, with learning to freeze and can your surplus is the first step.  This can be done in many ways.  You could even choose to can your own food by taking advantage of Farmer's Markets or bulk sales at the store, without any acreage or any dirt under your fingernails.  Pick what is important to you, and build from that.  Don't try to do it all at one time.  If your expectations are unrealistic and impossible, you could quickly become overwhelmed and have set yourself up for failure.

Second, periodically re-examine your expectations and your plan.  Are there adjustments that need to be made? Is everything on track? Is there anything that you need to back up and re-evaluate?  Don't be afraid to make changes.  Some of life's most important lessons come out of failures.  The least you should do is see what things can be improved upon and take steps for that improvement.  Make sure you are continuing to work on the things that are important to you and your family.  Your needs will be different than everyone else's needs, so your plan should be unique, specialized to your family.  You can learn many things from others, but that does not mean that everything you learn needs to become a priority in your plan or that the priorities of others need to become your own.

Third, utilize your resources.  Take advantage of family and friends that are willing to help by teaching, working, helping or sharing.  Don't be afraid to ask for help when it is needed.  Think about the pleasure you feel when someone asks you to teach them or help them with something.  This feeling of pride and worthiness needs to be experienced by everyone, and when you acknowledge your need for help, you are allowing someone else to experience those feelings, as well as getting the help you need to accomplish the tasks at hand.

Finally, take notice of the family and friends that share your goals and plans.  Be mindful of the things they are going through.  Offer up a hand, show up to help with whatever is being done that day, pay attention and make sure that you are providing as much to the relationship as you are receiving from it.  Nothing will end a relationship sooner, than one party feeling taken advantage of; one person constantly helping, advising, giving to another, but the other never reciprocating.  Enjoy gifting as well as receiving.

I am working to make some changes in my attitude toward our life.  I will be working on improving what we have and making sure that if we decide to expand to include raising a new animal, learning a process, or perfecting a new technique, we are ready for it.  I will remember that we can't do it all, and we don't need to do it all.  We need to focus on what is important to us.  We have friends that are willing to help, and will need help in return.  Most importantly I will work toward being realistic in what I expect and accept the fact that it is ok to not do it all. 

Last year was a good lesson in many ways and I look forward to continuing our journey toward a simple, healthy life being a Modern Missouri Pioneer. 

Balance

Today has been a challenging day, to say the least.  As I sit tonight, on the last day of 2015, and think about the day, and the past year, I began searching for balance.  Balance has been missing for me for awhile.  It has been a trying year, full of wonderful events (the marriage of our daughter to her best friend), and some not-so-wonderful events (Papa was hospitalized twice).  I considered telling the whole story of our summer, but decided that the events of the summer are really not relevant to where I find my mind on this winter night, as I wait for one year to end and another to begin.  Suffice it to say, Papa had some diabetic complications that lead to a partial amputation of his right foot, changing his life and the way he does things forever.  I include this only to explain why I have been looking for some information on Balance....balance between positive and negative, balance between needs and wants, balance between dreams and reality.   

I never knew there were so many definitions for "balance".  When I looked it up, there were no less than 25 definitions of balance just as a noun.  These definitions were followed by many more with the term balance used as a verb.  No wonder balance is so hard to achieve.  There are so many aspects to that one simple word, that it seems as though it might be impossible to achieve it.

A Google search  "homesteading balance the inside with outside" lead to a post by Jill Winger over at The Prairie Homestead caught my eye.  I've been a follower of The Prairie Homestead for quite some time and the post, You Can't Do It all, struck cord with the way I've been living and thinking since the early summer.  I would never hold the expectations I've had of myself for someone else.  Jill shared how she came to realize what she was doing to herself, and I could definitely relate.  I don't know if it is just a "girl thing" or if it is an oldest child thing, or if it is simply a Nana thing.  Is it a thing inside of me that has somehow gotten twisted up and turned around and left dangling upside-down or do others share the same issue?  At least one does, and thank you Jill for sharing.  I am going to jump on the band wagon and share once again, in attempt to keep myself in check and perhaps help someone else that might be facing the same struggles.  Jill says, "You can't do it all."  I say, "It's time for some slack." 

Jill listed the things she expected of herself, and saw the list was crazy impossible, and followed with 5 tips to keep your sanity while homesteading. 

1.  make a list
2.  prioritize
3. cut it out!
4. out source
5. let go of perfectionism

I will share my list and my realizations, my tips for dealing with these unrealistic expectations and ways that I will try to hold myself accountable and break the old habits of trying to be perfect and trying to be everything to everyone. 

I have been expecting myself to:

1.    Do whatever needed to be done that Papa could no longer do on his own
2.    Maintain the yard by mowing and weed-eating regularly (with the neighbors yard this is probably close to an acre of mowed area.)
3.    Keep the gardens weeded and growing
4.    Can and process all that the garden produced
5.    Keep the flower beds cleaned out and mulched
6.    Keep enough chickens, rabbits, and pigs to produce our meat
7.    Organize and participate in all the butchering done on the farm
8.    Work a full time job (48-72 hours gone from home each week)
9.    Keep the house company ready
10.  Have guests over on a regular basis and serve from scratch meals, down to the desserts
11.  Never expect guests to help with prep, clear the table, put away food or wash dishes
12.  Keep the laundry done, folded and put away
13.  Cook meals at home to avoid the high cost of eating out
14.  Buy only the basics at the grocery store for healthier, budget friendly meals
15.  Make all cleaners, detergents, medications myself again, for a healthier, budget friendly life
16.  Be available to do my share when it is time to help friends and family with projects

I could go on, but I think that is enough to prove a point to myself that I am CRAZY! No one can live up to those expectations, at least not for very long without the stress eating them alive.  Some things are just a part of life, and I have to accept that there will be times that are stressful and chaotic.  But there are other things on this list, that are totally unnecessary. 

So....here's the deal....I'm going through my list, and deciding now, how to eliminate some of the stress of this list.  Deciding what is realistic for ME, with what God has given me at this time in my life.  I can continue to be crazed with trying to maintain perfection or I can enjoy life.  While I will begin to learn to accept that I can cut myself some slack, I will also start to expect more of others.  I will allow others to feel the reward of giving....my guests can learn how good it feels to help with the dishes and leave me with a clean kitchen after a home-cooked meal. 

I have been  trying to decide what types of things to post in the coming weeks and months.  I have several ideas, and will be sharing some simple recipes, traditions, and modern ways of doing old-time things.  But perhaps the most important of all will be the 16 musings I will write as I decide exactly how to adjust my thinking on the above list. 

Jill suggests making a list prioritizing to help keep the tasks at hand manageable.  Perhaps my biggest task and the biggest priority of all is dealing with my list above, giving myself permission to have a little slack, and allowing others to pick up some of that slack.  After all being a Modern Missouri is supposed to be rewarding and enjoyable, not confining and stressful. 

And I have just given myself permission to have a whole blog post without a single picture.

Happy New Year everyone. 

The Lessons Continue

Last spring we had the opportunity to buy a couple of Landrace sows well worth the money, so we bought one and our son and his wife bought another.  The plan is to have the sows kept at our sons and when the piglets are big enough to wean, they will be moved to our place to feed out.  We will buy a boar soon, that will also be kept at our place so that the workload is shared, the feed bill is shared and there won't be problems with the sows and boar "mingling" unless we want them to. 

The sows were bred prior to our purchase and all went well for about three months as they prepared to become mothers again.  We found a mix of feed that they liked, was cost effective and fairly close to home.  Our son made a pen behind a shed where they had plenty of shade from the hot summer sun and shelter from the rains we have been blessed with having so many of all summer.  A few weeks before they were due to deliver a pen was built outside his barn, and panels were put up that would allow the sows to be separated as they had their litters.  All was well and on September 9th JD woke to 12 healthy happy baby pigs from the first sow. 

Life was good and we were excited.  If the second sow had close to this many, we could sell the extras for enough to pay for the feed we would have in our own butcher pigs and enough to recoup what we had paid for the sows.  Our joy was short lived, as the mama managed to lay on and suffocate one piglet after another until there were only 7 left.  She is large. She is used to being in a confined space where she barely had room to lay down.  Now she is in a much larger area and has never learned to lay down gently so that the babies can scamper out of her way.  The planning for building farrowing crates in the inside space has already begun for next time.

On September 9th the second sow, began having hers and ultimately also had 12. Mama #1 had continued to have problems laying down without getting on top of her babies and we down to 4 from the first litter of 12.   Some of the excitement returned however, as we were now back up to 16 piglets which would be more than enough to make the plan to sell what we didn't want to butcher work out.  The excitement was short-lived.  The second mama was also used to being in a confined space, so she mashed 2 or 3 of hers as well. As disappointing as this was, the real grief came on September 12th. 3 days after she gave birth, Mama #2 grabbed each piglet, one at a time and bit their heads.  JD only got to witness the last one or two, and could not stop her actions.  All her piglets were dead.  So, from 24 piglets, we now have 4 left.  This represents an 84% loss.  As Modern Missouri Pioneers, frustrating, discouraging, heartbreaking can all describe what we feel about this.  But after considering the worst of the scenario I began to imagine how the Pioneers of the past would have felt about this and how it would have affected their lives. 

I have many other meat sources at my disposal.  We have rabbits, chickens, fish, beef, and venison all in the freezer at this time.  I will not starve with the loss that we've had.  I will be able to feed my family healthy meals all winter and not be reliant on braving the elements to hunt for deer or turkey.  There is no question where my next meal will come from.  While the loss is disappointing, our survival and livelihood are not endangered by it.  We still have enough for our family to butcher, barring any further loss.

It is time to learn from our mistakes. Time to find a good boar that will become a part of the farm. It is time work over the next few months to build appropriate farrowing crates, and have a safe place for the sows to have their next litters. A place where the piglets will have a space to retreat when Mama lays down to nurse them. It is time to research what makes a sow kill her own young and do what we can to prevent that in the future. And, if it can't be prevented, then when the cools some more, it will be time to make some whole hog sausage!  We have options, many more options that our forefathers did. It is a good time to learn from our mistakes and become even better Modern Missouri Pioneers.

No Till Gardening

We have used several gardening methods in the past and this year we decided to go back to the one technique that proved to be the easiest to care for and appears to have provided the absolutely best harvests we ever had.  Two years ago we used a mulching technique that kept weeds at bay and then provided the best garden spot we ever had last year. We planted corn in that area and canned 110 pints, froze 20 dozen ears and gave away corn to several friends and family. Unfortunately we did not continue with the mulch, so we are doing quite a bit of work this year to catch up.  After this year, we should be set for the easiest and best gardening ever.  There should never be a need to plow or till the garden again, watering should be minimal, and weed control should be easy to maintain.  We have read the book "Lasagna Gardening" by Patricia Lanza and watched the video about Back to Eden Gardening which explains the gardening technique developed by Paul Gautschi.  I don't know that we are specifically following either exactly but using some parts of each.

This is what the area looked like in early spring. We planted in half barrels last year and decided that this technique is not for us. The watering requirements did not fit our schedules and we still had weeding that required much bending over. Considering that, we decided that going with mulching was best for us.  Many people are happy with barrels and other raised bed options. Isn't it wonderful that there are so many ways to provide for our families so that each of us can utilizes what works best for own families.

                                             

The beginning of prepping for this year, involved weeding out the barrels, raking out any roots missed by pulling the weeds. The composted soil is now ready to be layered into the garden.

We gathered mulch and additional compost and had piles ready near the garden site.  The mulch was free from the city close to where we live. It is from the chipping of brush that is cleared from the roadways each year. After the first year of decomposition, it is safe for our garden and in years after that it breaks down into nice black dirt that the worms love and the plants thrive in.

The compost is free from friends near us who own horses. They pile the manure outside each time they clean out the stalls in their barn. We try to get it after it has decomposed for a couple of years. It is great compost to add natural nutrients to the garden.

The last item to get together before the actual work begins, is a collection of paper feed sacks, cardboard, cardboard boxes, newspaper, etc. These are all free and friends are usually more than willing to give their "trash" to you and  are layered on top of the ground.  These work as the initial weed barrier to prevent the grass and weeds from coming up into the new compost/mulch layers. I will explain the wooden trough you see in the above picture in a bit.

Due to the weight of the barrels full of dirt, we found that dragging them into position with our UTV was the easiest for Papa and me.  The feed sacks were held in place with a few rocks until the weight of the compost could hold them in place. When you live on top of a hill, you get to enjoy a breeze all the time, but you also have to contend with things moving in that breeze so something to hold down the edges saves a lot of frustration and maybe even some ugly words!

This what the deep layer of compost looked like before any mulch was added. Let's take a look at the mystery trough on the right side of the garden area.

Papa built this box as a trial this year to plant some onions in. It was secured on top of the feed sacks and filled with compost. This will give the onions several extra inches of compost and will hopefully result in larger onions for the winter.

If there were any question of how fertile and healthy this compost/soil is, I think the size of this worm settles any question at all! 

Finally, a deep layer of mulch is added. It is hard to see in the picture just how deep this all is, but it is well above the head of the rake which is several inches tall.

This is what the rows of cool season plants looked like when first planted in the original area.  

Another friend brought some of these wooden pieces to me. They are bottomless, and hinged. The store nice and flat and don't require all the extra water that our old barrels did. I'm trialing potatoes, beets and carrots in them.  I'll update soon when we see how these vegetables are growing in them.

As long as we stay up on adding layers of mulch, we will not have to go through all this extra work again, and the weeds are few and far between. The weeds that do find their way into the garden are easily pulled and tossed.  The last layer of the process is one I didn't get pictures of. I added a layer of rabbit manure from under our rabbit pens.  This give the plants a nice compost tea drink everytime it rains or we have to water.  This process of the deep layer of mulching keeps the ground from drying out.  We have been blessed with rainfall so far this year, at times even more than needed.  One additional advantage is that the ground does not get muddy or soggy.  It might be a little spongy, but I can walk into my garden after a 6" rain with no fear of leaving footprints or even tracking mud into the house. 

This technique uses free and natural materials.  We did use our UTV to drag barrels and Papa used the tractor to move compost and mulch. The benefit of being a Modern Missouri Pioneer with this is that it saved some manual labor, aching backs and potential blisters. However, nothing about this technique relies on modern conveniences and could easily be done off grid with just a little extra labor.

  
Since the "big" garden area has been composted and mulched in years past, we decided to just till the weeds under and put on a thick layer of mulch to prepare it for the coming season. We will plant our corn, squash and pumpkins in this area this year and maybe change it up next year.  So far the weeding has been minimal and the corn and squash are growing great.  I need to take some more pictures and show some progress shots.  We planted our corn in intervals this year.  We planted five rows, waited two weeks, planted 5 more rows, waited 2 more weeks and planted 5 more. The plan is that we will not have all the corn ready to pick and process at one time.  So far, all of it looks good, except the last 5 rows. The germination of these seems to be inconsistent, and while it seems to be coming up well at this point, the germination has been very spread out.

The following pictures are some shots I snapped a few weeks ago in the garden. I'll take some more this week and do some current shots. 

Happy gardening! Hopefully each of you is having great success. The weather has been more cooperative than usual in SouthWest Missouri this year. :-)