Just a few pictures from the farm

This is why they call it 'picking pecans'.

We mow the grass really short before the pecans start falling. But once they do start falling, it's hard to keep up enough that you can mow again without mowing pecans, too; so you have to pick them out of everything else that is falling. And pecan trees have a LOT of leaves.

This is the way I like to pick them in the fall.

Just above my head, within easy reach. As the pecans fill and are ready to fall, the branches get heavier, and lower to the ground. :)

We had noticed the last week or so huge brown areas in the pasture. When we went out, we realized it wasn't grub damage, but seed heads. And of course, it is fall. Maybe? Haha. I was joking with someone yesterday that soon Louisiana will have two seasons. Summer and fall/spring. The weather patterns are still adjusting from all the volcano activity a few years ago, that shifted the Earth's axis. Hubby figures it will take a few more years yet for the weather to settle so we can see what the new normal will be.

There are a few flowers still blooming, too. They are small though. :) If you click on the pictures, you can see them better.

Well, that's it for today. You all be safe and God bless.

Thought I should do another update.

The pecan season is upon us.

Pecan prices are the best we have seen since we retired. 80 cents a pound right now. pecans are so so, but the season is just starting.

While we were picking pecans, we saw this out in the pasture.

To give you an idea, I pushed it around a little and put my pecan picker on the ground beside it. The pecan picker is four feet long..

And a close-up of the 'head'.

I feel like it gives me a fair outline of the snake's head/nose/eye area. Or so it seems, haha. It was(is) probably a corn snake or rat snake. If so, neither is poisonous and actually good to have around.
Especially if I don't see it while it is alive. ;-)

The weather has been really nice. We actually had a couple nights in the 40s. Thought maybe "winter" was finally here; but nope. Getting another warmup. Not the 90s, hopefully. I think the last I read in Farmer's Almanac was wetter warmer. We'll see.

Since I never did the other update on our Florida trip, I'll add a couple pictures here. Sister-in-law and hubby took us fishing on a pier. The great 'blue' herons there are not really afraid of people. They will steal your catch or bait right out of your bucket if you're not careful. Some people feed them, which adds to the lack of fear.

Most of the people weren't catching anything. And when they were catching, They caught these little mango- or mangrove snapper, I think they were called.

The evening was gorgeous. Just enough breeze to cool the 90 degree weather. The moon was out early, and as the sun began to set, most people packed up to go home.

And it was just as well we left then, because we were barely into the truck when it started pouring!

But is was a good trip, even if we didn't catch anything.

You all be safe and God bless.

Mowing in May

So we decided to mow the pasture today. Lately I have not been having good luck with the mowers. Hubby wanted me to use our old tractor. I was a little rusty since middle son has been doing the mowing since he got here. Hubby helped me get the tractor started, I was heading out and noticed the left rear tire needed air. Then I had to look around to find the tire pump end of the air compressor. Couldn't find that, but youngest boy remembered where the portable air pump was.

Got that done and about a third of the 5 acre pasture mowed (with hubby's help on his tractor), when my tractor just quit. Shut the PTO off, let it sit a minute, tried again, nothing. Did this several times. Hubby came over. We tried a few more times. Nothing. We'll look at it tomorrow.
He told me I could use the riding mower. Got started on that, and the front right tire needed air. Then after some more mowing it needed gas. Got it filled, and it wouldn't start. Tried several things, then realized it was operator error, haha. Forgot to shut off the mower deck when I shut it off to fill the tank. Ugh!

The best part about mowing today, was we had as many as 15 helpers eager to fill their tummies. These egrets are not afraid of mowers. They will walk and run in front of tractors ten times the size of ours, if it means a meal. And it usually does!

And we had a little lady who just had to get in the way.

But as you can see it was a gorgeous, if windy, day.

In 2011, I ordered two hazelnut trees from Stark Bros. Nursery. Only one survived and decided it was going to be a bush instead of a tree. I did some reading, and this is normal for hazelnuts. Hubby kept thinking about pulling it out, but procrastination won over and I may finally get some hazelnuts this year!

We did get the pasture mowed, which was nice as we may get some rain tomorrow. Just in time for it to grow a few more inches. :)

You all be safe and God bless.

Nothing particular to post

I don't have a life, so I don't often post, haha. So I thought I should make one while I was out picking blackberries, or dewberries if you are from Louisiana. I believe if you click the pictures they will enlarge.

This is how we usually see our figs. Green, haha. Something always happens to them before they ripen. With all the squirrels, birds, and who knows what else, there is no telling. Eventually the bush will be big enough that we will get some, if only because there will be more than the culprit can take.

Random pictures. I like the pasture before it gets mowed. :)

I like how this picture turned out. It is a different shot of the oak tree hubby would like to cut down, until I remind him old growth is good for owls and woodpeckers..

I was going to post more, but hubby has already gone to bed, and I am sleepy. Looking forward to going to Lake Charles this weekend for Flea Fest. More on that later, hopefully.

You all be safe and God bless!

We were blessed with more rain today.

And the garden is a little wetter...

Here, the first picture is the 'orchard' about noon; the second, a little after 1700 (5PM).

This is in the pasture, by the old Stewart pecan tree.

And the garden. I took a lot of pictures, but I think this one is sufficient.

One of our *hills* isn't as tall as it could be. There are tomato plants out there in the water in the middle of the two rows you can see. Fortunately there are six of that particular tomato, so if they don't survive we'll have others that hopefully will. Trying three new types this year. Rutgers, an heirloom; Sun Gold, a cherry tomato; and Sun Sugar, another cherry tomato. The two cherry tomatoes are related. From all I've read, some people like one, some the other, so hopefully they will survive and I'll get to find out which one I prefer.
There are also some blue lake pole beans in that picture, in addition to the marigolds and some purple thyme.
And yes, that is a good sized puddle out between the garden and the fence line. That spot has always been low. We are going to work on filling it in, but it will be days before I even think about going over there with a riding mower. Almost got stuck last time!

Most of the garden is not planted. Yet. Time will tell if it is.

We are supposed to have random days of sunshine and more rain. We'll see how it goes.

Hope you all have a blessed week! ♥