Feast or famine…..
They say that a farmer isn’t really happy unless he or she is complaining about the weather. Here at the MiniFarm, we are complaining about the drought. It has been 16 days since the last rain here and with temperatures feeling like mid-July, we can only hope that we can keep up with the water needs of the crops.
The morning view out the back door
Like most farms, the work day starts when it is light enough to see. All the planting, transplanting and watering is done mostly by mid-day. After that, working the plants could do more damage that good in the heat. The spring crops are confused by the weather, is it hot? Is it cold? Is it hot again? What’s with these desert winds? But everything is finally deciding to grow as we approach the start of the season….would be even better if Mother Nature supplied some rain.
Bok Choi
Radishes
Here tax day means the hummingbirds will be showing up any time. Like clock work, our “hummers” show up on the 15th of the month. They are a pleasant distraction to watch and listen to while taking a break from the chores. We usually have between five and seven birds that fight over our two feeders. The back feeder is close to the grill, so preparing dinner is an adventure as we get “buzzed” as a warning to stay clear of their food. Hummingbirds are very territorial and do dynamic aerial swoops to scare off the others. Once the hummers have discovered a feeding site, they will return to the same feeding site for most of their adult lives. So, in the middle of summer heat, how do we know when the hummer nectar goes bad? Well, that is easy. When you go outside and the hummers come and hover in your face, chirping to let you know that it is time for new food. We make new hummer food about every 10 days. You can buy the pre-made nectar packages, but we usually just make our own with sugar and water using the following recipe:
4 cups tap water
1 cup sugar
Bring water to boil. Stir in sugar until totally dissolved. Remove from heat. Let cool for approximately two hours. Place in feeders. Note: Red color is not necessary for food. The feeders have the color to draw the birds.
I usually make it in the evening. By first light it is cool enough to set out so it is ready when the hummers show up for breakfast.
Ok… your right….this is not a hummingbird….this is our local Downy Woodpecker who is sneaking in a drink on this hot afternoon!
Well, that is all for now...time to check the weather to see if there is any chance or rain.
Till next time,
Jeff & Sandra
