Molly turns 25 - amid extreme heat / dry spell!

This weekend, we were at the farm in the middle of one of the hottest dry spells I recall since owning Go Away. We were there to celebrate Molly's 25th birthday. Scroll down a little and you'll see the wettest it's ever been just about 60 days ago.... Things are weird in Texas. However, the heat (over 100 degrees daily, and reaching 104 Saturday) didn't stop Bryan, Jonathan, Leah Defelice and other's from horseback riding (a little) and being outside.

We have been trying for weeks to get someone to cut the hay. No one is available, or our place is too small, or their equipment is broken, or they got out of the hay business... This week, we have a new guy hopefully coming to cut it. If we could just get a shower, it would help put some life back into it. I need to turn our cows and horses back on the pastures any day. Too dry.

The tomatoes have been special this year! They have been abundant and beautiful. We made pico de gallo Saturday and put us several quarts and pints. Sure smelled wonderful. Can't wait to try it out after it sets a little.

Brody hauling the tomatoes of the morning to the house for Mik Mik.

Jonathan on Wimpe.

Brody and Leah DeFelice on Tank and Dolly.

A Hot Summer At Go Away Farm

New arrivals at the farm this week. We got 8 new chicks. Four Rhode Island Reds, two Barred Rocks and two Araucana's. The Araucanan's lay a bluish colored egg that is naturally low in cholesterol.

Welcome to your home for a month! My wood shop.

Mr. Brody holds an Araucana chick shortly after Papa G finished with the cage.

We decided late in the process this year to put in a few rows of corn. Then we got the flood that literally washed all the soil away from the kernels that had just barely sprouted. We covered them back with top soil and hoped for the best. We pulled 52 ears Friday and have about double that many more to go this week. After we got it cleaned and cut, we put a bunch of the ears on the grill. Now I'm here to tell you that fresh sweet corn roasted over open fire is amazingly good!

Brody in the corn patch.

Brody and Papa G down at the corn patch. We were pulling corn and he was helping.

Man, it's hot this year. No, I know that we always say it's hot, but this year is a bit different. The temperature this month has been rocking along at about 94 average, and this week we'll have four days in excess of 100 degrees, with the high forecasted at 104 without a drop of rain in the forecast. Whew! That's hot.

However, in spite of the heat in the day, the mornings and evenings are beautiful. We are blessed with the prevailing South wind during these months that is our life saver. Without it, we'd be toast. Literally:-)

Rosborough Blackberries

We planted Rosborough and Brazos varieties of blackberries at the farm last year from root stock. This is our first real crop in their second year. Year three is when we should see substantial production. I plan to add several rows of them now that we have the experience under our belts. The Rosborough's are very large sweet (shown in photo) berries. They are a thorned variety, trust me in this fact:-) They are capable of producing 5,000 to 8,000 lbs per acre. That is a lot of berries, and even more thorns!

Our First Red Globe Peaches!

Picked this rascal today! It won't make a pie, but I bet when we mix it with the giant Brazos blackberries and Homemade Bluebell Vanilla ice cream, it'll make all the planting worth it:-)

We planted three bare-root Red Globe peach trees last year. This is our first fruit. We were unfortunate enough to get a late freeze and lost all of our blooms except five. Here are a couple of the ripening peaches from those trees. The trees are beautiful. Can't wait to get fruit off of our Kiefer and Orient Pears, as well as the Celeste and Texas Evergreen figs.

Summer Vegetables at Go Away Farm

It's that time of year at Go Away Farm. The garden is brimming with vegetables. Fresh tomatoes, beans, peas, peppers, squash, onions, carrots and potatoes. It is beautiful right now. Today for lunch, we cut up two fresh tomatoes fresh off the vine, sliced some Havarte and Cheddar cheese, boiled some eggs and ate it all with crackers and sweet tea. Hum. Doesn't get much better than this! I'm full right now and need a nap.

After extensive genetic testing and work, we've created a potatoduck:-) We've decided to destroy our handiwork so it doesn't get out of control and mutate, by smothering it with onions in a skillet and eating it. You have to admit it's cute. Even has the little winglets and feet...

That time of year!

After pulling the onions and potatoes.

I love the amazing colors and textures of the onions.

Red onion and yellow onions.

Yellow Onions! Ready to eat.

Speaking of textures... these are the tops of the onions cropped tight. I think it would make a neat fabric pattern.

Grapes and Potatoes

This is right before I took the grapes off the vines last week. I let them go too long for a second year crop, but I wanted them to get large enough for our guests to see them. We took about 20 lbs of grapes off six vines and they were about half size.

Fresh dug new potatoes and champanelle grapes (pulled green and young).