Garlic drying in the shed, pine bark, new raised bed...

Sunday afternoon we harvested all the garlic in the garden proper.  Still the small bed near the apple trees to go.  G. says there were Polish whites.  They are huge!  Then there is another white, much smaller & prone to weird third thumbs.  (don't know how to describe it.  should take a picture.)  There there were some huge hard-necked purples. 


Persecuted sun chokes exploding up and out. We're standing up to all the whining and wheedling and guilt-slinging the chickens can dish--determined to give them some shade and a place to hide and play a month from now.  As we remember, they'll need to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 4' to survive the girls.  [Not pictured yet--stay tuned.]

Stubborn raspberry sprigs resolutely popping up everywhere all the time.  I spent about an hour digging up roots.  G just shook her head.  She's probably right.  Best to just "mow" them off. [Last year, G finally got tired of being poked to death and hacked them all down.  But their root network is extensive.  I've seen new growth 12' from the original spot.]

Speaking of mowing, G gave the new grass in the front its first-ever "haircut."  It looks really nice.  Still pretty tender, but the dogs haven't been too destructive so far.  G is still watering it pretty regularly, so Ruby likes to lay in the shady damp spots.

After a very strenuous, hot, sweaty morning, the second raised bed is in.  We had enough topsoil to fill it about halfway.  Still need the ribs for shade cloth, etc.  But it feels like progress.

Having gotten rid of one pile (the rest of the topsoil), we promptly created a larger new one:  pine bark to put on our paths!  Not nearly as heavy as the dirt, but as dusty.  We both had dark smudges all over our faces, necks, arms and legs.

Chickens - G is working really hard to keep them as cool as possible, and tolerably entertained.  She let them roam around in the ditch for a few minutes yesterday.  Also keeping the little 'wading pool' full, and flooding the well around the apple tree when possible.  Aye gods.  

Weather:

Hot, hot, hot, hot and dry, dry, dry, dry.  Wildfires pretty much everywhere.  :(