Victorian Kitchen Garden: Episode 3 February

Unfortunately this seems to be the latest episode of the Kitchen garden series and it was posted three months ago, hopefully there are more and they will be posted in the near future. I will bring them to you here if they become available.

Victorian Kitchen Garden: Episode 2 January

It's January in the Victorian Kitchen Garden.

Time lapse growing winter greens for my chickens

Time lapse growing winter greens for my chickens, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Growing a mixture of white clover and buckwheat under lights as a winter treat for my chickens.

Victorian Kitchen Garden: Episode 1 Introduction

Peter Thoday meets up with Harry Dodson as they both turn back the clock to recreate a typical walled Victorian kitchen garden.

Victorian Kitchen Garden: Peter Thoday

The companion series to the Victorian Kitchen is of course the Victorian Kitchen Garden the second part of this great series which I will be blogging over the next little while. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Peter Thoday gives us an insight into how the series began and the tools they used.

From Poolish to Dough Frogger

As mentioned in my previous video this is what I did with the left over polish, hope you try it if you haven't had it before you might be surprized at how good it is.

Victorian Kitchen: Supper

It's time for supper in the Victorian Kitchen.

A beautiful series created by Jennifer Davies. You can purchase the complete series, along with the other programmes, on amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Victorian-Garden-Series-DVD/dp/B000GW8TDW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1312736841&sr=8-2

Victorian Kitchen: Picnics

The kitchen get ready a feast of a hamper for the annual picnic.

A beautiful series created by Jennifer Davies. You can purchase the complete series, along with the other programmes, on amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Victorian-Garden-Series-DVD/dp/B000GW8TDW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1312736841&sr=8-2

Victorian Kitchen: Dinner

It's time for dinner in the Victorian Kitchen.

A beautiful series created by Jennifer Davies. You can purchase the complete series, along with the other programmes, on amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Victorian-Garden-Series-DVD/dp/B000GW8TDW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1312736841&sr=8-2

2011 Campobello Lobster Pot Christmas Tree

MERRY CHRISTMAS Everyone.

Victorian Kitchen: Afternoon Tea

A lot of work for cook and staff but a beautiful meal.

Ruth Mott and Peter Thoday along with Harry Dodson show us how Victorian used to take afternoon tea.

A beautiful series created by Jennifer Davies. You can purchase the complete series, along with the other programmes, on amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Victorian-Garden-Series-DVD/dp/B000GW8TDW/ref=sr_...

Victorian Kitchen: Luncheon

I think the best thing about these videos is that two of the presenters were actually in service and are talking about their own experiences. I suspect that today to find anything remotely similar you would have to get access to one of the Queens palaces.

Ruth Mott and Peter Thoday along with Harry Dodson show us what the Victorian used to eat for their lunch.

A beautiful series created by Jennifer Davies. You can purchase the complete series, along with the other programmes, on amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Victorian-Garden-Series-DVD/dp/B000GW8TDW/ref=sr_...

Victorian Kitchen: Breakfast

I hope you enjoy this little series on Victorian life as much as I have.


Ruth Mott and Peter Thoday along with Harry Dodson show us what the Victorian used to eat for their breakfast.

A beautiful series created by Jennifer Davies. You can purchase the complete series, along with the other programmes, on amazon:http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Victorian-Garden-Series-DVD/dp/B000GW8TDW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1312736841&sr=8-2

Thank you Diane Mumm

A video thank you card to Diane Mumm for the wonderful prize that she gave me for being the runner-up winner in her channel contest. For more information on the Friends for Zambia project please visit their website:

http://www.friendsforzambia.org/

Pain de Campagne in the Dutch Oven

A detailed look at my method for producing a French Country Style loaf, Pain de Campagne, using the Dutch Oven to bake it much like the No Knead Bread method with a few differences and adjustments to insure that the heavier loaf gets the same oven spring that is achieved with the no knead method.

Free on the range.

Back to bare ground here and the girls are still enjoying their little treats in the fallen leaves. Getting colder everyday though, minus 5 this morning.

Early December Hoop House and Garden

Hard to believe but it is early December and I'm still working in the garden and things are still growing in the hoop house.

Seed Give Away Contest , Not One But Two Winners... I Know About Time...

Look at me I just won a contest.

Bird Table Timelapse

A shot collection of ten second video clips taken with my plant cam time-lapse camera set-up at my bird table. There aren't any bird songs because the plant cam doesn't record sound.

Hoop House Survives Minus Six Degrees

The hoop house has survived minus 6 degree temperature and continues to grow. A look around at some of the shrubs in my garden that have fruit this time of year for the local wildlife.

Way too early.......

Way too early......., originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

I know it looks nice but I hate it and November is way too early for this. The forecast has it warming up again over the next few days so hopefully it will all melt.

The Ladies in the Snow

Our first snow that accumulated on the ground so I had to go out to the coop and consult the ladies to see what they thought about it. Also a look at the snow on the Hoop House.

The girls in the rafters ready for bed

The girls in the rafters ready for bed, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

My cat walk in the rafters seems to be working there is much less bickering over positions when the girls are ready to be tucked in for the night. The four little bantam hens go up first and claim the first rafter just inside the door and everybody else falls in behind on the other rafters and the cat walk. Except for Prince Leah he is all by himself on the top rung of the roosts that I built for them to sleep on. He has never slept anywhere else and doesn't see what all of the commotion over the rafters is all about.

Mid November harvesting in the Chicken Coop and Hoop House

Still harvesting food from the Hoop House even though the temperatures are dropping daily. A look around at the remaining crops and harvesting the broccoli. In the chicken coop I'm getting more eggs with a new record today and all of the eggs are now full size, large to extra large for the six full size hens and small to medium for the bantam breeds. The hens are determined to sleep in the rafters so I'm doing some alterations to make it a bit easier for them.

Martha Lays an Egg

A look at my little chicken flock now full grown and laying eggs on a daily basis. Martha the Silver Sebright Bantam and by far the smallest bird in my coop laid an eggs this morning.

Planting a Mediterranean Fig in my zone 5 garden

Planting a fig, Ficus carica 'Celeste in the hoop house.

The Bird Formerly Known as Princess Leah

Things are still thriving in the hoop house even with the cold weather. I managed to get the soil mix that I like and bags of sheep manure compost so I've got the raised beds filled and ready for spring. In this video I plant my garlic and get some spring bulbs ready for forcing.

Three more great gadgets.

Method for making the Dutch Oven Bread

http://youtu.be/GG6aAj4Oloc

and


http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalecalder2003/3090207520/

Making Apple Chutney

Making Apple Chutney, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Trying to use up some of my Pumpkin Sweet Apples, I hate to see them go to waste. I had never tried making chutney before so I looked up a recipe on the internet and gave it a try:

recipehelpers.com/spreads-preserves/80694-apple-chutney-c...

I used my own fresh hot chilli peppers instead of the chilli flakes and I didn't have crystallized ginger so I added extra powdered ginger. The chutney has a real zing to it and I love it.

Video Response to Work With Nature - Lazy Garden Bed

Checkout Work with nature's Channel for some great videos and his explanation of this type of garden bed along with some excellent explanatory graphics:

http://www.youtube.com/user/workwithnature

Winter preparations in Hoop House, Chicken Coop and Gardens

It's time to get some chores done before winter arrives. Making the Chicken Coop yard a little more comfortable for the chickens this winter, building more raised beds in the hoop house, starting a new bed made from chicken poo and compost and a look at some things in the hoop house.

Lemons

Lemons, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

I recently bought an Apple Time Capsule 2TB WIFI Harddrive\Rotor to go with my new MacBook to keep a safe backup incase anything should go wrong with the computer. Now that it is installed and working I have transferred all of my older digital photographs to the new computer so they will be saved too. In the process I've been looking at photos that I haven't seen in a few years and having fun reworking some of them. Let me know what you think.

The Very First Egg October 12, 2011

One of the girls, not sure which one, laid the first egg this morning and she laid it in the nest box next to the ceramic nest eggs. Amazing how they understand what to do even for the very first egg.

Confessions of a Gageteer - Gadget Video # 1

This video is the first in a series of short videos talking about my collection of gadgets. They are being produced at the request of one of my subscribers JaxRL have a look at her channel she says we are kindred spirits when it comes to collecting gadgets.

http://www.youtube.com/user/JaxRL

Large wasp nest high in an Ash Tree ill omen for winter...

Large wasp nest high in an Ash Tree ill omen for winter..., originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

The legend says that if the wasps build a large nest very high up in a tree then we are in for a bad winter with lots of snow. If that is true this is going to be a horrible winter. I think this was the largest wasp nest that I have ever seen and it was at the very top of a Mountain Ash Tree.

Hot Pepper Jelly

These recipes are quoted from allrecipes.com the free online cook book a great source for whatever you want to cook.

The cups and ounces version:

Hot Pepper Jelly
Submitted By: ranger1
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Ready In: 1 Hour 45 Minutes
Servings: 48
"Enjoy this spicy treat on crackers with cream cheese. It also makes a festive holiday appetizer."
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups finely chopped red
bell peppers
1 1/4 cups finely chopped
green bell peppers
1/4 cup finely chopped

jalapeno peppers
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 (1.75 ounce) package
powdered pectin
5 cups white sugar
Directions:
1. Sterilize 6 (8 ounce) canning jars and lids according to manufacturer's instructions. Heat water in a hot water canner.
2. Place red bell peppers, green bell peppers, and jalapeno peppers in a large saucepan over high heat. Mix in vinegar and fruit pectin. Stirring constantly, bring mixture to a full rolling boil. Quickly stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil, and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and skim off any foam.
3. Quickly ladle jelly into sterile jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the tops. Cover with flat lids, and screw on bands tightly.
4. Place jars in rack, and slowly lower jars into canner. The water should cover the jars completely, and should be hot but not boiling. Bring water to a boil, and process for 5 minutes.

Metric version:

Ingredients:
390 g finely chopped red bell
peppers
185 g finely chopped green bell
peppers
20 g finely chopped jalapeno
peppers
235 ml apple cider vinegar
50 g powdered pectin
1000 g white sugar
Directions:
1. Sterilize 6 (8 ounce) canning jars and lids according to manufacturer's instructions. Heat water in a hot water canner.
2. Place red bell peppers, green bell peppers, and jalapeno peppers in a large saucepan over high heat. Mix in vinegar and fruit pectin. Stirring constantly, bring mixture to a full rolling boil. Quickly stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil, and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and skim off any foam.
3. Quickly ladle jelly into sterile jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the tops. Cover with flat lids, and screw on bands tightly.
4. Place jars in rack, and slowly lower jars into canner. The water should cover the jars completely, and should be hot but not boiling. Bring water to a boil, and process for 5 minutes.
Category:
Howto & Style
Tags:
hot pepper jelly chilli black pearl capsicum annum chili peppers Chili pepper red Fruit preserves eating
License:
Standard YouTube License

Hoop House Survives The First Hard Frost

A look at what happened in the gardens and inside the hoop house after the first hard frost of the autumn on October 7, 2011.

Canning Pumpkin Sweet Apples

My beautiful heirloom Pumpkin Sweet Apple Tree is loaded with fruit again this year. Following a recipe posted by Ivan & Magda when they canned Pears grown on their farm in Poland, with some adjustments for my tastes I canned some of the apples. Have a look at Ivan's and Magda's channel all of their videos are very interesting:

http://www.youtube.com/user/ivankinsman

Of course I also couldn't resist the chance to show off my little flock of chickens 19 weeks old now and getting very close to egg laying time.

Soon they will be on the ground.

Soon they will be on the ground., originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

First hard frost this morning but it warmed up nicely as the day went on and the forecast is for Indian Summer for the next week wonderful warm above seasonal temperatures and no risk of frost. Beautiful day for a walk today to enjoy some of the beautiful Autumn colours before it all disappears.

Fantastic Freaks From Farmington

Fantastic Freaks From Farmington, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Seen at Southern Head today. We have had a visit from the Fantastic Freaks of Farmington, who ever they are LOL.

Dehydrating Tomatoes

Lots of ripe tomatoes now in the hoop house I have already canned some and I'm eating as many of the fresh ones as I can but it isn't possible to keep up with them so I though I would try dehydrating some to use in sauces and soups this winter.

Making Sauerkraut

It's time to start the Sauerkraut. The whole process from beginning to end takes about two months but the only part that takes any effort is the few hours that you spend shredding, salting and packing the cabbage into the fermenting container. I use a picklemeister which makes the process much easier and there is a much less chance that anything will go wrong with your kraut.

If you liked the looks of the pickles at the start of this video then have a look at the video below which explains the process of making the best pickles you will every eat.

Time Lapse Heirloom Tomato Ripening

Time Lapse Heirloom Tomato Ripening, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Took this time lapse video of Buckbee's New Heirloom Tomato ripening in the hoop house over the past couple of weeks with my Plant Cam.

Un petit goût de l'Acadie

Un petit goût de l'Acadie, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

I'm leading the Pathfinders Sunday walk today and the walk leader usually brings a snack and juice to share for after the walk so I decided to make Un petit goût de l'Acadie - A little taste of Acadia. It is a traditional Acadian Flat Bread called Ployes, very popular with the Acadians of Northern New Brunswick and Maine . A very healthy item made with Buckwheat Flour no fat no eggs no milk and grilled on a hot cast iron griddle without any oil or fat. Very healthy that is until I made my desert version spread with your choice of Cassis, Raspberry Jam or Nutella.

Tigger Melon

Tigger Melon, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Tigger Melons eventually ripen to have yellow & orange* stripes, averaging about a pound in weight, and growing to about the size of a baseball.

The name "Tigger" is in honor of the cartoon character of the same name, who bears the orange coloration that the mature melons have.

They are a very fragrant melon with a white, seedy flesh, but bland in taste, somewhat similar to cucumbers. They are quite seedy as well, and can be rather bitter-tasting, given certain conditions. They're a fun melon to grow, and make a great decoration, but if you're looking for food produce, you might want to keep looking.

Growing info
90 days. Heirloom variety. Does well in dry conditions. Plant in the spring after the soil has warmed up, directly in the ground, in hills 12" apart with rows spaced 36". [External Reference]
Some say that they produce much more abundantly when grown on a trellis. Quoted from GardenWiki.org

The Mill Pond

The Mill Pond, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Yesterday was a cloudy but mild first full day of Autumn and a great day for a hike and some photography. I love the light and the reflections that occur on cloudy days, the very best for picture taking. I took a three hour hike and passed by Mill Cove at about the half way point and took these two HDR photos on the Mill Pond. If you don't know what an HDR photo is let me explain a bit about these two pictures of the Mill Pond. Each of these photos is actually three pictures of the same shot each taken at a different exposure and later spliced together using Photomarix software package. If you want to try this for yourself there is a free version of the software available for you to try just google Photomatix and download it, with the free software there will be a watermark on each of the photos that you process using the program.

End of the first month in the hoop house. Video # 200 !!

It's been am month since I transplanted tiny seedlings int the raised bed in the hoop house and I've been harvesting food from there for almost two weeks now. I'm starting a free seed exchange of open pollinate seed and will do a video soon to launch the website but if you would like to have a look at it while it is under construction this is the link:

http://freeopenpollinatedseed.blogspot.com

Nest Eggs

Nest Eggs, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Don't get all excited they're ceramic. They serve two purposes first they let the hens know that the nest boxes are a good place to put their eggs when the time comes and secondly they are very hard so when they peck at them they learn that eggs are hard nasty things and it hurts if you peck them, so when they lay their own they won't even think of pecking one, hopefully. If all goes well the first eggs should be arriving in the next 3 or 4 weeks.

Progress in the Hoop House

Progress in the Hoop House, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Same raised bed in the Hoop House. The lower photo was taken on August 22nd and the top photo was taken today September 16th. What a difference 25 days made.

Fishing can be very colourful

Fishing can be very colourful, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Still having fun with the new HDR software and my camera. It was a beautiful day for photography yesterday.

Mont Saint Michel

Mont Saint Michel, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Got my new MacBook Pro today and the first thing I did was buy the HDR program so I could finish the photos that I took last spring. Love the MacBook.

Propagating a Capsicum Chilli Pepper from cuttings.

Back in the hoop house this time I'm concerned that I might loose one of my large Capsicum Hot Chilli Peppers this fall. The plant as it is potted in a smart-pot and very large can't be brought into the house for the winter so I'm trying to propagate it from cuttings, If this fails I will transplant part of it into a pot and cut it back. I finish the video with another short look at the vegetables in the hoop house.

Rainy Day in the Hoop House correcting some problems

Some of the Chinese Cabbage had grown so fast they were covering the beets so I removed a row and had they for dinner, they were great. Also a look at some of the insect problems in the hoop house and a look at the tomatoes.

My Stupeflix Videos of Canterbury Cathedral and the RHS Garden Wisley

Playing around with some of the new YouTube toys these are photos that I took of Canterbury Cathedral and the RHS Garden Wisley last spring made these little clips in a minute using the Stupeflix YouTube App

September in the garden, greenhouse and new hoop house.

A little look at the chickens early this morning as they were coming out of the coop then a bit of a tour of the gardens and a look at the progress in the new Hoop House. I continue to be amazed at how well things are growing in there. Still no idea of course as to how late in the fall I will be able to use it, but it is a fun experiment and I'm sure I'm going to get some crops out of it. The lettuce, Chinese Cabbage and Swiss Chard are doing very well and should be ready to eat in a couple of weeks.

New Nest Boxes - Pin-up posters provided by my friend Pat

New Nest Boxes - Pin-up posters provided by my friend Pat, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

The new nest boxes that have been sitting in my living-room for three weeks have at last been installed in the Coop. I don't expect any eggs for a couple of months yet so the girls have lots of time to pick a nest. They were checked out almost as soon as I left the coop and I think they met with approval. The pin-up posters were provided by my friend Pat we share a similar sense of humour.

Seed drying for the seed exchange.

Seed drying for the seed exchange., originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

What used to be my dinning room has turned into the seed drying and preparation area for a new Blog and Hobby Project that I will be launching later this fall. For a sneak peak at the Blog which is still under construction click this link:
freeopenpollinatedseed.blogspot.com/

If you are a seed saver and have extra that you would like to add to the exchange check back a little later and I will have added the addresses where you can send them or request seed.

Bay of Fundy Tidal Surge after Hurricane Irene

The day after the Hurricane on Herring Cove Beach, Campobello Island NB Canada.

Cabbages Harvested in advance of Irene

Cabbages Harvested in advance of Irene, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Right now we are not forecast to have a lot of damaging wind but we are in for a tropical rain storm that will dump several inches of rain on us and a sudden glut of rain at this time of year will cause cabbages to swell up and burst open. You can still eat the cabbage but it has to be used immediately or it will spoil. Mine will be stored in the basement for a few weeks until cooler weather arrives then turned into sauerkraut.

End of week one in the New Hoop House

I'm amazed at how much growth has occurred in just one week. Most of the seedlings that I transplanted in the raised bed a week ago have doubled in size and beets that I planted from seed were up and growing in three days, I wish I had done this years ago. The humidistat that I had ordered arrived after I made this video and the reading is 72% which is high but not as high as I thought it would be. I must do some research to see what a good reading is for a greenhouse I suspect the reading should be higher than you would have it in your home anyway.

New Brunswick Native River Grape (Vitis riparia) Hardy to Zone 2b collected and propogated by Bob Osborn at Cornhill Nursery

New Brunswick Native River Grape (Vitis riparia) Hardy to Zone 2b collected and propogated by Bob Osborn at Cornhill Nursery, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

I had this grape for many years growing on an arbour over my front door but eventually it winter killed one year. About 3 or 4 years ago I found it growing up a large pine tree on my property , the birds must have spread the seed. I've been watching it ever since and this is the first year it has had fruit and it is loaded.

Chick Flick

A little video of my chicken flock taken during our daily "Quality Time". I sit on a stool in the yard and they graze on greens and visit with me. Several of them have started jumping up in my lap for brief visits and they all take turns at pecking my fingers or pulling on my shoelaces

Making lactic acid fermented dill pickles in the picklemeister

Making lactic acid fermented dill pickles in the picklemeister, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

I made these pickles last year for the first time and now I can't imagine ever making any other kind, they are fantastic and very easy to do. So crunchy and full of flavour. This is a link to a video that I made last year on the process: youtu.be/i6fNfpNA9tI . This year I added a few baby carrots to the mixture just for the colour. I would have preferred to use smaller cucumbers but mine got a bit large in the garden while I was waiting for my dill to mature. Lots more dill in the garden so hopefully there will be more cucumbers to make another batch or two before the season is over. I'm going to order a second picklemeister and these can be transferred to litre jars once they have fermented. Very pleased to say that all of the ingredients , this year, came fresh from my own garden picked an hour before I took this photo.

Things are growing in the Hoop House

View from the back., originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

The seedlings that I transplanted into the raised bed only a few days ago have already grown and what was even more surprising they didn't even wilt after being transplanted, perhaps because of the humidity. The temperature has been going into the 30's everyday that the sun shines.

I re-potted my two Fig trees into much larger pots and have dreams of ripe figs next year. I have had many green figs in the past but very few ripe ones our season just isn't long enough. In the past I have always brought the fig trees in the basement for the winter once they have lost their leaves and gone dormant. After a conversation with a flickr friend in Spain I'm now considering an experiment and leaving one of them in the hoop house to see what happens. She tells me her sister in Switzerland has a fig and gets lots of frost, snow and cold temperatures, last winter as low as -17 and her three is loaded with figs this year. Well I have a digital thermometer which records minimum and maximum temperatures and I just checked, our coldest day was -21 last winter. So I just might give it a try.

Sowing and Transplanting Fall Crops in the Hoop House

My new Hoop House is up and in use. Eventually it will have three raised beds in it plus space for some large Smartpots. So far I have built one of these beds and filled it with soil mix and compost and transplanted the seedlings that I started in late July. I also moved the Smartpots of tomatoes and peppers that were in the garden inside. The Hoop House is 16 X 20 feet which is a very good space for a hobby greenhouse but it feels huge to me after years of working in my old 8 X 10 feet greenhouse.

Building a Hoop House in 55 Seconds

Over the past few weeks I've been building my new Hoop House Greenhouse and taking time lapse video of the process. Playing time is 54 seconds I wish the real process had been that fast. Well worth all the work though I'm very pleased with the end result.

I couldn't resist I took the same video and add the Flight of the Bumble Bee music, what a hoot.

Boggar - Bantam Plymouth Barred Rock

Buggar - Bantam Plymouth Barred Rock, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Rest in Peace little guy. Died August 16th after an attack by an Osprey.

Dale's Free Open Pollinated Seed Exchange: A little explanation of my plans for this blog

I'm starting a second blog which is very much a work in progress at this point but will be hopefully up and running this fall. Please take a moment to stop by and check it out, make suggestion and comment. Oh yes and please subscribe if you are interested in the seed exchange or want to follow the progress of the new blog. (To get there just click on the highlighted title below.)


Dale's Free Open Pollinated Seed Exchange: A little explanation of my plans for this blog: "This seed exchange isn't an attempt to reinvent the wheel so to speak I know there are several very good exchanges out there and I have us..."

The girls have turned into little Hens

I now hear hens clucking instead of chickens peeping, can a rooster crowing be far behind.

A stage with a pig driving a stake so they can add a fence, simple as can be!!

A stage with a pig driving a stake so they can add a fence, simple as can be!!, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

I haven't seen one of these in action in years. I used to play on them when I was a kid, when they are not in use they pull them up on the beach. The hammer driving the large pole(stake) into the ocean floor is called a pig because it is made of pig iron and the floating platform is called a stage they are building a fence for a Herring Weir (Pronounced wear).

August in the garden

August in the garden, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

August is always the busy month in the garden everything seems to mature at once and there are cucumbers to pickle and tomatoes to can and sauerkraut to make and this year it looks like a good crop so far. I'm very pleased with the cabbage, broccoli and Brussels Sprouts I guess the cool wet spring must have got them off to a good start. So far just green tomatoes but there are lots of them and I plan to make Green Tomato Chow Chow this year so they are a welcome sight.









I have made a good start on putting up my new Hoop House which is 16X20 and 8 feet high. Right now it is just the frame while I wait for some lumber to be delivered for the base board once that is installed it should progress quite quickly.

I have also started a lot of cool weather fall crops to grow in the Hoop House, it will be interesting to see how long our season can be extended with an unheated greenhouse, I hope long enough that I get a harvest from most of these seedlings of Brussels Sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Chinese Cabbage, Kohlrabi, parsley, spinach, lettuce and Swiss chard.