Some mornings I drag myself outside to do the morning chores still feeling half asleep while others I'm up an at 'em, ready to go for the day. These days are most often after a great sleep and when the light outside has got that glow to it. Everything seems fresh and alive and you can't help but feel excited as you anticipate the days activities. I first head up to the front garden, passing through my veggie patch, to the chickens. This is where I often stop and just look around, taking in all the sights and sounds. Moving on I let out the ducks and feed them and the chickens. My two big boy light sussex roos are never satisfied with what I've offered and chase me along the fence wanting more. Or it could be that the old girls give them a hard time and they'd prefer a private feeding in a quiet spot. Judging by their size I think they're not missing out!
Next stop is the backyard chickens. The jerusalem artichokes surrounding the garden shed coop have finally started flowering. I wasn't sure they would before the weather turns cool so thats nice to see. This is their first season in this spot so I'll leave them in the ground this year to really establish before I start harvesting next year. Final stop before heading back to the house for breakfast is the muscovy ducks by the dam. No feeding until evening so I just let them all out. They all make a run for the water where they spend a great deal of their day.
I had a couple of ladies visit for a farm tour today. While I waited for them to arrive I continued clearing weeds from a couple of my original garden beds that I had actually dug. The difference between the dig and the no dig beds, in terms of weeds, is quite stark. A heap of weeds and grasses appeared in the beds that had been dug over and not covered with sufficient compost or mulch. Certainly worth putting in the effort just to keep everything well covered. Important to keep that compost coming along. Speaking of which I noticed that my zucchini that was abundant in the garden isn't giving up in the compost just yet with a tiny flower appearing - it brightens an otherwise dull bin.
One of the ladies who visited today had also successfully completed the online geoff lawton permaculture design course so it was great meeting her. Not sure what her sister made of our conversations as we slowly toured the property. I loved chatting with someone who totally understands what I'm attempting to do and I did appreciate the sister keeping Ruby entertained with a bit of rock throwing.
I finished off my zucchini preserves by putting it into jars and covering with olive oil. Such a nice feeling when you can put another couple of pretty jars into the pantry.
It was a good day :)
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