Homesteading on a Blackberry Hilltop
August 31, 2026 On August 22, I spent sometime making cucumber and mint water. We been drinking a lot of it. It is cool and refreshing after gardening and yard work. Bruce is a snack person, so I try to make healthy snacks for him. I had read something about cucumber chips some time ago. […]
Read More Busy Day Processing CucumbersAugust 31, 2026 On August 21, we looked out the window and saw that the pig pen was still there. I had started a new morning routine, I go out to the garden in the early morning and try to catch leaf-legged bugs (true bugs). “I hates them.” They are related to stink bugs and […]
Read More The Pig Feeder Is Gone and Catching Leaf-legged BugsAugust 30, 2026 On August 20, I got up early and saw the sunrise. While that was common when Nox was with us, now that she is gone, I don’t get up at sunrise very often anymore. I went outside in the relatively cool part of the day and did some weeding in the garden […]
Read More Tractor and Pig Feeder Play Nice with Each Other, Butterflies Abound, and Hummingbird VisitAugust 30, 2026 On August 19, I picked more cucumbers. So many cucumbers. The sunset was beautiful!
Read More One Day’s SunsetAugust 29, 2026 On August 18, I felt well enough to walk around Blackberry Homestead. Bruce had been talking about frog eggs and then tadpoles in the blue half-barrel. Once the tadpoles hatched, Bruce mentioned the green layer on the half barrel was gone. The tadpoles had eaten it. In the picture, you can see […]
Read More Tadpoles, Chainsawing, and ButterfliesAugust 23, 2026 From August 14 to 16, I was still having digestive trouble. I had no appetite. Bruce wanted me to try to drink some broth. Since I knew staying hydrated was important, I drank the broth. The broth zipped right through! I didn’t feel like doing anything. On August 17, I went to […]
Read More Still Recovering, Branch Down, and a FrogAugust 23, 2026 On August 14, Bruce went outside for the nightly check for tomato hornworms. He heard a rustling noise and shined his flashlight toward the noise. The flashlight revealed a skunk in one of the lower raised bed. Bruce was very, very quiet as he moved back several yards. He did not want […]
Read More Close Encounter of the Skunk KindAugust 23, 2026 On August 13, I happened to catch the sunrise through the dew on the window. I stepped out the back door to get a clearer picture. you can see a light fog in the background. After the dew dried, I went to harvest the garden. The okra is beautiful. I love the […]
Read More Sad TomatoesAugust 16, 2026 In Bruce’s own words and pictures, the removal of the pig pen fence from the start of the project to today. Where the entry gate was, but the right-hand gate post was broken off before we bought the place. This small paddock includes what we think is an 8-place pig feeder, and […]
Read More And Now, Ladies and Gentlemen, Heeere’s Bruce!August 16, 2026 On August 12, I got up early and took a look at the vegetable garden. I noticed two butterflies in the garden. This butterfly was on a pepper plant. I often see it flitting about. It seems to be the only one right now. I know butterflies can stay in the same […]
Read More Finally Finished Weeding the Blueberry Ring
Blackberry Homestead 