Another coop has been constructed, and we now have to put up new wire walls.  It’s a 4 post structure with a roof right now, and will become another completely open coop.  I’m still not sure who will be moving in exactly as it’s almost that time again; to re-evaluate and figure out who is going where to do what!  We have all our little chicks on the back porch now, growing like weeds…  11 Bantam Cochins and 15 Australorps.  Also, from my GLO Families, it looks like I’ll end up with one trio and one pair only.  Yes, unbelieveable but from GLO Family 2 I have 90% cockerels.  What a bummer really, but I think it’s still enough to go forward with.  I may still decide to match everyone back up to get more chicks, but at this point I’d like to just trudge ahead with what I have.  I still have ALL the white Orpingtons, as it’s been a slow season for selling chicks over here.  I am considering using the production type whites as extra girls to keep our extra boys busy, I’m just not sure at this point as I have so many of them.  Right now I’m collecting eggs from the Black Orpingtons and from Pierre & the girls (GLO Family 1) and have just over 2 dozen.  I’ll collect for another week and then start incubating.  SO many people want Black Orpingtons, and it’s likely that Miguel will NOT be with the girls too much longer, so before the eggs become B/B/S (Black/Blue or Splash) I thought it important to collect the true black eggs.  I’m still thinking of combining my blues & blacks for the winter months, to save space so right now I am planning accordingly.

The gardens are doing well… I’ve pulled our first onions, we have a lovely watermelon in the fridge waiting to be cracked open today.  One of the Topsy Turvey Imposter bags is regrowing with pickles, the sweet potatoes have gone CRAZY taking over the entire back garden.  The cherry tomato & one of my roma tomatos are like 7 feet tall, and nothing I have will hold them up so they just keep falling over.  They have GONE CRAZY TOO!!!!  We planted our 2nd run of sweet corn a couple of weeks ago and it sprouted within 4 days and is already approaching a foot tall!  July is a GREAT time to plant corn!  Now lets see how the season holds up to a full second crop; it takes 60 days or so to get corn.  Within the new corn I’ve planted 2 more cantelopes and 2 more watermelon and I’m about to plant a HUGE crop of cucumbers for pickling.  Well.. maybe not HUGE, but for us it’s big, I’m planning on planting at least 8 plants and allowing them to run across the old corn field.  There should be plenty of room.  Yesterday we weeded the strawberries as they are being overrun by this awful grass that runs everywhere and strangles everything!  None of our spaghetti squash has done very well, so I may try that one again.  OH, and the Black Beans I planted have started sprouting bean pods!  This is all so exciting, I can’t wait to start harvesting them!