Hiking in West Virginia

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Jon and I finally had the opportunity to take a “mini vacation” this weekend to celebrate our anniversary. We were blessed with wonderful weather for hiking. I took about 160 photos and they are all so beautiful. I wanted to share them with you, but it was really difficult to choose just a few.

Friday, we visited Babcock State Park, WV and hiked 5.5 miles. I love the Glade Creek Grist Mill there. The mill and the views are lovely. Although we did a lot of hiking, you can see them by driving and parking if you prefer.

Babcock State Park, WV (Glade Creek Grist Mill)

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Winter Onions – 6 Month Update

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In November we planted winter onions for the first time. Winter Onions are also referred to as “Egyptian Walking Onions”, “Egyptian Tree Onions”, “Tree Onions”, “Walking Onions”, “Top Onions”, and “Perennial Onions”.

The blue-green shoots/stalks/leaves are round and hollow and typically grow approximately 3 feet tall. As the plant matures a cluster of bulblets will begin to grow at the top of the stalk encapsulated in a protective papery casing referred to as a tunic.
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Peak at Our Garden Progress

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It seems the weather in April in May has just been a bit bi-polar and our garden is not as far along as we had hoped. But we are finally having some consistent warm days and our garden is starting to improve. Here is a little bit of what’s going on in our garden.

Contender Green Beans, Carrots, Tomato Blooms, Top-Pick Crowder Peas, Leaf Lettuce, Potatoes Plant, and Oregano

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How to Divide Hostas

How to Divide Hostas

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Hostas is a perennial plant with broad oval or lobed leaves that grows from rhizomes (root mass or cluster). They grow well in partial and full shade. The are very hardy and easy to grow. I struggled for years fighting crabgrass in my flower bed bordering the house in the front yard. I tried black plastic, landscaping fabric, various plants, and lots of weeding! Initially, I only had 2 hosta plants. Over the years I learned that hostas was very hardy and would actually beat the weeds. So, I started planting more hosta in this troublesome area and less of other plants. Most of them I received from my Mama or aunt when they divided theirs, but I did buy a very few small plants of different varieties.

Now, I have 33 hostas plants of various varieties. They are beautiful and I love them. However, my L-shaped flower bed that wraps around the corner of the house is over flowing in spots and starting to look like a jungle.
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Our Cute Visitors

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First, I wanted to share some cute pictures of our recent visitors. Last week Sarah looked out the back door and saw a rabbit inside our fence. We both started watching as it ran back and forth along the fence several times.

Then we realized there was another rabbit on the outside of the fence. They were trying to figure out how to get to each other.

We then saw a third rabbit come in from the left side of the yard. It was just too fast to get a picture of it. It was as if it was trying to lead the one trapped inside our yard to the escape route in our picket fence. Two sides of our fence are chain link and two sides are a white wooden picket fence. Sarah was amazed that the rabbits were able to get in the back yard through the fence. She admitted she now understood the need for a garden fence. Finally, the trapped rabbit found its way out and our entertaining visitors were gone. What kind of protection do you have around your garden?

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Crock Pot Baked Potatoes

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A couple of weeks ago I came across a blog post for crock pot baked potatoes. I would give credit, but now I can no longer find it. I thought I had pinned it. I love being able to have supper cooking in the crock pot while I’m at work or busy. When I saw this idea I was excited. Baked potatoes in the microwave do not taste the same and potatoes baked in the oven take a long time.

Crockpot Baked Potatoes
Crock pot Baked Potatoes

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Chicken Cam

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Three weeks ago we integrated our new chicks with the flock. Other than the occasional hen peck or chase which is expected it has gone very smoothly. The young chickens are now almost as big as the older chickens.

The Older Gals – Commercial Black and Red
Left: The Older Gals – Commercial Black and Red. Right: Younger Girls/Guy – Barred Plymouth Rock
Left: Our Rooster is growing fast! Right: Just a little chicken butt.

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Benefits of Grass Fed Beef

Benefits of Grass Fed Beef | What is Grass Fed Beef?

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We are very happy to be able to finally say we are now buying grass fed beef! Friday, Jon picked up our first order of 1/16 of a cow. Just how much is 1/16 of a cow? It is this much pictured above.  We found a local farm/dealer, Grassfed Greensboro, that we could buy direct from. Here is the breakdown of what they offer.

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Tired of Weeding? Cardboard the Eco-friendly Weed Barrier

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Are you tired of weeding? Have you spent countless hours pulling, cutting, and digging weeds? I know I have. Now, we have the chickens we can at least put the weeds to good use.

Weeds aka Chicken Treats
Weeds aka Chicken Treats

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