The chicks are becoming teenagers!

They were born June 10th. We think we have 3 boys and two girls. They are Delawares.

Every Urban Farm Needs a Couple Good Watchdogs

The signs on our gate say "Beware of Dog".  I want to get the sign that has a picture of a Dobermann Pinscher and says "I can make it to the gate in 1.2 seconds, can you?".

Sadie Lou, our newest addition to the family.  She is a rescue, we were told that she is 1/2 Rottweiler and 1/2 Lab, but she doesn't look like a lab in any way.  I suspect that she is 1/2 Rott and 1/2 Pit Bull or some other stout dog that is brindle colored..   She is a sweetie and really mellow.  That is welcome since out other dog, Greta (see below) is hyperactive and very "on guard".  Sadie is learning to be a good guard dog from Greta, the ultimate guard dog.

Our goofy Greta.  She is the ultimate guard dog.  She is vigilant, always on the lookout.  No squirrel or cat is going to walk on our property without Greta announcing their presence to the world.She finds it hard to relax.  She reminds me of the Dobermann dog leader in the movie "Up".  We are hoping that she and Sadie Lou will start playing a lot and she will get tired out.   I am thinking about getting her a treadmill for more exercise, since walks and playing fetch are not enough.  I can't run with her as she is too hyper and has no sense of her body kinesthetics and no body management skills.  She is all over the place and runs in front of me, stops, pulls, etc. and she is strong!  She has a fun-loving personality and at almost 5 years old she still behaves like a puppy (a 70 lb puppy). She is likely to sit on your foot with a bony buttbone or step on your foot as she walks by.  She smiles a lot and seems to think things are funny, especially if she nudges you in the butt and makes you jump.  She is happiest exercising, running, jumping, etc.

First Harvest Fresh From the Garden

The garden is coming along despite our rainy summer.  Today I made a frittata for dinner with our hens' eggs and cilantro from the herb garden.   We had mashed potatoes with the year's first potatoes, and a salad with our butter lettuce and the first tomatoes of the season.  The tomatoes are the heirloom variety Stupice, and there is a a lot of fruit on the plants and many are ripening already .  I will have to remember that this variety is a  good producer and early ripener for future plantings.
Tomorrow night will be some sort of zucchini dish.  They are ripening fast and furiously.  Soon I will be up to my ears in zucchini and yellow summer squash.  If anyone has any recipes for squash, send them my way.  My plan is to freeze any extra for future use.