Almost Summer 6.17.14

At least two days in a row without rain. Not to complain about all the rain but we needed to dry out a bit. Everyone has been living in muck for sometime and cleaning out pens was almost useless. scoop a shovelful up to have it filled with muck water. Thankfully the horse and goat can get out if their pens during the day. The chickens are getting close to big enough to get out a freerange as well but not quite yet. The rabbits are all living in hutches right now except for the 2 free ones, but tended the hutches in the mud was not a good thing, especially because my boots are cracked and leak  *-*  The ducks love it all, rain, mud, muck, they're happy as clams.

The gardens are doing wonderfully but the yard area is way overgrown since the loss of our very decrepit lawn mower. I don't mow a lot but where I do mow is chest high in fleabane. 

There are buds and blossoms on everything. So far we've gotten planted in the vegetable garden ...
O roma tomatoes
H mortgage lifter toms
H california wonder green bell peppers
? big bertha peppers (I got them accidentally and know very little about them
O sweet onion sets
O H moon & star watermelons
H jack o lantern pumpkins  (meant to get pie pumpkins but we've eaten many jack pumpkins)
H pimiento pepper
O H crookneck squash
H boston cucumbers
O blue lake bush beans
H red or orange bell pepper
O arugala
O red and green romain
O summer spinach
O calendula  (with the tomatoes)

To the big herb garden I've recently moved or added ...
stevia
lavender
poppy
mugwort
lemon thyme
english thyme
comfrey
my two special thimble berries (which aren't doing well at all)
motherwort
magenta lambs quarters

In pots I have a big alo vera, hens and chicks (they stay out year round), rosemary and ginger! (thank you Linn!)  I used to always grow ginger (not american ginger, which I do wildcraft when needed) but lost my last plant when we moved here and hadn't tried to get started again. But a friend gave me some of hers and it's doing wonderfully. If I can get a greenhouse up before winter ....

I've actually been out of it for about 5 days, in bed for over 48 hours of that with severe muscle spasms in my lower back. No idea what the cause was, I did't hurt myself at all, that I recall.  When I was in my early 20's, I did slip a disc on my right side, which was/is the worst. But it hasn't bothered me since, until now. It started out with occasional painful catches in my lower back but would leave when I could stand up fully. But on Friday evening it turned into a 2 hour long muscle spasm. When it was over and  I took great care not to bend at all but it happened again a few hours later and lasted almost 2 hours that time too. I resorted to old prescription muscle relaxers from when we were in the bad accident in the Crow truck several years ago. I do believe they helped but they did noting for the spasms, which started in my lower back and wrapped around my sides, eventually going to my lower stomach muscles. When I had some time to think I had Nik look in my Herbal where I have a list of anti-spasmodics with comments. Ginger is at the top of my list and I began taking 1/4 t ground ginger in a cup of water. The spasms eased right away and ceased soon after. The worst of it was Friday night and Saturday day. I slept most of Saturday and Sunday and was up with care on Monday. Much closer to myself today (Tuesday). 

Foodwise, there always has to be food  :)   I made some wonderfully weird flatbreads today.  I didn't write down the measurements but will be making them again soon and will take care to make a recipe. They're made with white, whole wheat and corn flour, and a little corn meal. A dense, rustic, hearty and delicious bread that I stuffed with chicken salad, arugula, lambs quarters and dandelion greens. Most excellent!