Into The Natural State of Mind: Just some pics from the farm...

See my ex-pet scorpion?

So, the other day, I finally let my Scorpion go that I caught over a month ago. I was doing a nice thing, knowing this poor creature was probably really bored sitting in a glass jar all day and all night. So, I took him to the furthest end of the property and I let him go. First thing I want to point out is its natural camouflage... I have now wondered how many times I have waltzed right by one with my bare feet and didn't even know! Anyway, I was feeling good about myself and thinking I did the right thing. Well the very next morning, I open up the door to let my dog out and a smaller scorpion scampers (I should say ran) right in the house and under the closet door before I can even react, I then spend a while cleaning out the closet trying to find the guy, but alas, he went into the wall through a crack (I assume). Good news is, we have diatomaceous dirt put down by Terminex (and a little bit more by me too after I saw this happen). This diatomaceous dirt is really fine, and abrasive, so it gets in the nooks and cracks of a insects exoskeleton and literally kills them through aggravation and drying out their insides... great stuff.. literally great stuff, I have done research and seen first hand what this can do. If you have ant issues... this is the stuff to get. But the whole point of me telling you is why do I get rid of a scorpion that is a pet, just to get another one the very next day as a pest?I sure don't want to wake up with a scorpion on my face! So much for doing good deeds, I still get punished. :P By the way, I have only seen two scorpions this entire trip here... my pet one, and the pest.

This particular one loves your feet, comes right up and pecks em

My buff opringtons starting to show their beauty a bit!

The Chickens are finally going in and out of the coop on their own free will, and seem to be having a good time. They are officially 4 weeks old today. On top of that, I should be getting a call soon saying my Guinea Keats are born and ready to pick up at the local post office! So stay tuned for that! I for the life of me, can not see why they had to be shipped out at such a different date, I was hoping they would all be raised together so the pecking order wouldn't be such a big issue. But, I look at it this way, that I get the opportunity to introduce new stock to the flock, so that will be one more trial by error learning experience for me on my farming journey. Now, I get to re-set the brood area and do it all over again! :)

My baby chicks actually using the ramp I made them! :)

I have noticed that at least for right now, I am enjoying animal raising much more than I am enjoying gardening! It has just been struggle after struggle with the garden. And with gardening, you can lose an entire growing season to one major storm or drought... seems like a big gamble! But, again, next year, the garden will be amazing, and my buddy will take over and be like, "I don't know what your problem was man... its easy.." As he inherits a fully fertilized and turned over numerous times, soil enriched, with the big rocks pulled out of the soil, with months of manure and composting added into it, garden. I have decided to not improve one section and tell him to try to grow carrots in it next year and then get back to me on how easy it is...lol.

I lost three potato plants due to the sprinkler not really reaching them, I decided to pull them up and was surprised that these six inch high potato plants already had 1-2 small potatoes growing on them ! So, last night I had a potato appetizer, and it was delicious!!

Potato box going insane! (only crop doing very well!)

Potato tire doing pretty good, think I might have lost one or two in the dirt though

The old property owners made it so some flower is always blooming here. Its nice, but I have no idea on how to keep that going, my horticulture skills are in veggies and fruit, not bulb flowers. But they are nice to look at!

Well, as usual, my camera just kept taking pics of the sunset, so here is last nights special sunset. :)