Homestead is hopping

This time of year is so awesome. Everything is growing, blooming, changing everyday. There is always something to do, we are never hurting in that department!

 The best luck I've ever had with beets! Baker Creek seeds are 15% off this week, I'm heading to their website soon. 90% of what we plant is heirloom and from their company. These beets will melt in your mouth!

 The raised beds are looking good minus a bit of crow competition for the beans. Gramps's hat on a stick is the closest I could get to a scarecrow right now. It seems to be working. There are some eggplant and artichoke in this bed that were half off and pretty sorry looking. After some compost rehab they are looking less haggard.

 Not sure what kind of squash or melon this is, it sprouted out from some compost. It is very happy and has lots of flowers on it.

 And more beans!

 First zinnia! Had fun making up a bouquet from randoms around the property.

Can't wait to see the rest of the zinnias coming up.

Ewww last night I was getting some hay for the big animals and I heard something above my head... I just KNEW what it was... I'm also wearing Owen on my back. My eyes followed my ears and low and behold YUCK a huge rat running across the barn... EWWWWW!!! Fearing the rodent, I very quickly ran/hopped/sprinted away from that area, and Owen is laughing hysterically from the bouncing and my crazy noises.. He wouldn't stop giggling at me for the next 10minutes. I am quite the nature person, I have no problems with bugs, spiders, lizards, snakes, worms, basically ANY critter BUT rodents... Man I'm scared now. I knew that they were around but I like not running into them face to face.

Which reminds me of another run in yesterday... Jac, Owen and I were out on the beautiful bike trail in folsom. We were doing an interval training since we are doing Tough Mudder in September. On our way back we see a small skunk on the trail. This is at 4 in the afternoon, and I had never seen a skunk in broad daylight before. There is the lake on out right, and the skunk to our left. We needed to get past the skunk in order to get home. We kept creeping closer and closer but it was taking it's sweet time. We were about 10 feet away from it and we decided to go for it... It was walking in the opposite direction anyhow... So we sprinted and of course were laughing our heads off- especially when it sprayed! It thankfully missed us- must be all our training, ha! It was quite exciting to almost be sprayed, but it was a little too close for comfort!!