Hawk! Run for your life! The Farm Report 8-31-2018

Hawk! Run for your Life!:
The Farm Report 8-31-2018

Click this link to view the photos in Google Albums

Hawk! They were called 'Marsh Hawks' when I was a kid. Now they are known as Northern Harriers. As in 'U.S. Marines Harrier Jet.' The two even sorta kinda look and fly alike. Well, my sister and I were out admiring the Replacement Platoon, F-Troop, the other day when I spotted Mr. Harrier swooping around like a fighter jet scoping out the chicks. Yikes! 

About the same time, one of what I think is probably 2 little roosters spotted the hawk, too.

"Quick!" he chirped in gallus gallus domesticus (Apparently chickens speak Latin. Who knew?). and they all raced for cover under the bushes. The hawk didn't just go away, he swooped around for awhile before deciding to let them fatten up for another day. I'll be on careful watch now for awhile.

Jimmy Durante used to sing a song with the lyrics, "Did you ever have the feeling that you wanted to go, but still had the feeling that you wanted to stay? Go or stay, stay or go?..." "Chickens," as my son Jon informed me some time ago, 'Are not problem solvers, Dad." The Troop decided it would be good to go back to stay in the protection of the night jail.  Eventually though, they decided to go.

I'm starting the fall lettuce in diatomaceous earth this time. It seems to work like magic. 

After only 3 days, the little seeds sprouted and the plants started breaking the surface.

This is where I live. Well not really. But kind of. Joyce was a registered interior designer and member of the American Society of Interior Designers. Her special interest area was grand public buildings. She knew more about these big old barns than is healthy for most of us. She thrived on it. To get her through the winter blues a winter ago we watched the old BBC Harry Dodson series about Victorian Kitchen Gardens. One of Harry's projects was to recreate the Victorian greenhouse and grow musk melons out of season. His variety of choice was Blenheim Orange. It is a small melon which was developed just for greenhouse growing - in the greenhouses inside the walled garden at Blenheim Palace. That building is Blenheim Palace - which is where Sir Winston Churchill grew up. His grandfather was the Duke of Marlborough, who owned Blenheim Palace. So, through the magic of the interwebs, I found some Blenheim Orange seeds.

This is what the melons look like. They are small, but delicious. 

Now my sister thinks we should have fresh melons with our Thanksgiving salads.... Of course she would. So now I'm workin' on it. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. 

Otherwise, all is OK at Oakdale Farm. Have a great week.