Getting Off The Grid - The Greenhouse And Hurricane Nate

The frame of the greenhouse 24 x 10

October 8, 2017

I had planned for Saturday to be the finishing day for the greenhouse but once I seen the weather I chose to wait out hurricane Nate, there is no need for me to apply the plastic and a hurricane come and blow away all my hard work and it would waste money, the plastic, so as soon as I can I will get the plastic on. 

My Uncle told me he has black plastic I can have to lay on the floor of the green house but I am not so sure about that, sure it would help retain heat in the winter but I am thinking more about sliding around on it or falling down. I will have to see, I know I have a few rolls of the gardening fabric I can lay and then put mulch over, I am sure I still have a few bags of mulch left also.

So the greenhouse is at a standstill due to the weather.

Progress  Around the Homestead :

I still have a few things to get done before Winter set in, while its raining there is not much I can do outside. But, I can gather the materials I need for the project.

The electric fence!

I had bought the power device a couple months ago at an awesome price of $30 and I thought it would cost more than anything I needed. 

Yesterday I ran by Lowe`s home improvement store and I bought a roll of wire for the device 1/4 mile, and the plastic insulators you hook it up to, plus a few corner insulators. 

After we finish the greenhouse I will begin to install the electric fence in the back yard, I really want the dogs back there and free to run around, right now they are both on a chain most of the day and sleeping in separate dog houses. I am sure they will NOT be happy to try to get out of the fence and get shocked, but its better than then getting ran over by a car or shot.

Whats In The Garden :

Well, I have been waiting for this since I planted them, the greens. I picked myself a small mess of kale, cooked it and thoroughly enjoyed every sweet bite of them, they were not bitter and did not need any sweetener. 

Since the rain I can see how much they have grown, soon I will be picking and canning those greens as well as sharing with my family and friends.

I am still getting okra and I assume I will till the plants freeze. This year I have these freak plants that are making their own plants, without seed. I have never seen this before in my whole life! The main stalk, usually the only stalk, will have okra all the way at the top and the bottom leaves fall off. This year the main stalks have the okra on top but where the bottom leaves have shed a new plant is coming out! Yes! I am for real. And those are baring okra!

I am also getting bell pepper, they are not huge but they will have to do but the banana pepper are doing awesome.

I picked another eggplant and I am hoping for a couple more IF the rain did not beat off the blooms.

And now to the lemon tree. I bought this tree many years ago down in Valdosta Georgia on my way home from the Keys, I have always kept it inside for the winter and I have it in this massive size pot.

This year it has a small but nice crop of lemons and its now back into full bloom! Seems I get two seasons from this lemon tree. One harvest in the early Spring and one right now in early Fall.

The Stock Pile :

Each time I pick the okra I do slice it and freeze or of its small I freeze it whole for boiled okra, that is about the only vegetable I have right now.

Tony had been waiting me to can pickled sausages and hot dogs so I did a trail run a couple weeks back to see if the recipe I got was any good and it was so I home canned a case, eight pints of mini sausages and four pints of hot dogs cut into pieces. When he finished these and only then will I make more, I am not fond of them but will do in an emergency.

New On The Homestead :

While out walking the dogs I noticed the mushrooms, they always come up as soon as the rain comes. I did not pick them but I wanted to learn what they were so Tony went out and gathered a few, I will not eat these! We are just learning to identify mushrooms.

This lead to an hour on Youtube watching the professionals. We did learn what mushrooms we have here and are edible. Many times we have seen the chickens growing on the dead oaks, and another called turkey mushrooms. 

Very interesting to learn that many of the mushrooms kill cancer naturally. But I will do much research on these before I eat any I pick. 

That is life around this homestead, what is going on at your place?

By Andria Perry

Photos by Andria Perry