Hard to believe we’re already halfway through August! Crazy, right? We still have rhubarb growing in the garden and even had a few strawberries (store-bought this time). On the Saturday of the long weekend, while Addy was at work, I made a small batch of strawberry rhubarb preserves. Not quite jam—the set wasn’t perfect—but it’s still delicious. Three hours start to finish: hand-washing jars, cooking down the fruit, and water-bath canning. I’m sure it’ll be perfect on toast or spooned over desserts.
The homestead kitchen has been busy. Between all the dairy equipment, canning gear, garden harvests, and cooking from scratch, the dishes pile up fast. We’ve been without a dishwasher for over a month. At first I thought the leak was just the drain hose, but no—it was the dishwasher itself. So, during our usual Sunday trip to Fredericton, we made a bonus stop at Home Depot. They had a basic stainless steel Frigidaire in stock at a great price. Sold! We were so excited we treated ourselves to lunch at Montana’s.
Back home, we discovered more “creative” plumbing from the previous owner. We were this close to having it installed when the water fitting leaked. Thankfully, our neighbour Al had a spare washer, and we were back in business. Josh had been our only dishwasher while it was broken, so he’s just as happy as we are to have it running again.
Ally was milked for the last time this season on August 4th. We’re drying her off a bit early—she’s our highest producer and the hardest to milk, and with a family wedding coming up, we just can’t keep up. No one else can drain her completely anyway. Missy and Tessy are still in milk, giving me 1.5–1.8 L a day—about 7.5 L in five days. That’s plenty! I’m mostly making cheese for the freezer now, stocking up for the off-season.
The doe kids from this year’s kidding are getting big! They’re nearly weaned, eating their own grain, and working through their share of hay. All the goats love the playground Addy built. Now that the bugs have eased up, I’ve been spending more time outside with them. Meg is already tame, but I’m still working on Gwen—she’s shy, but very sweet and gentle.
For New Brunswick Day, friends invited us to Mactaquac Provincial Park for a beach day. The sandy beach along the St. John River wasn’t crowded at all. We brought our kayaks—kayaking on the St. John River: check! The water was clean and perfect for swimming. We snacked, lounged, watched a little sailboat drift by, and caught up with friends we knew back in BC. It’s not the ocean (no salt on everything!), but it scratched my “beach day” itch. I’d love to go back and see how far we can paddle.
The garden is thriving. Cherry tomatoes are just starting to blush orange and red, with plums next in line. Snow peas are nearly done and were as tasty as ever. Addy’s experimental potato bed has attracted some potato beetles—he’s been managing them by hand, plucking and dunking them in a bucket. I’ve looked but haven’t spotted any yet. The herbs are lush and starting to flower, and the asparagus ferns look better than ever. With the heat lately, watering the garden properly takes over an hour, and we usually do it in the morning and night. I even brought a couple of silkies out to snack on bugs—Donna (black hen) and Killer (white rooster). Yes, his name cracks us up.
This past weekend was my sister Kristel’s birthday (August 11th). Since Addy didn’t work the market, we left Josh in charge of chores and took our trailer to her place for Saturday and Sunday. It was even hotter there—they’re in a valley two hours east of us—but Kristel had a pool. Smart woman. Addy had a blast playing Mario Brothers Monopoly with Maya and Charlie, winning two games and losing one. Kristel enjoyed a bit of peace, and we all had a great time.
Saturday night was pizza, loud music, and an impromptu pool dance party. We love our trailer, even though I was a terrible packer this time—forgot the coffee! Thankfully, Kristel had some. Sunday morning, we all pitched in on a big breakfast with hash browns and Hollandaise sauce, followed by another hot pool day. Addy and I squeezed in a quick Marketplace trip, then hit the road around 6:30. We towed the trailer home without a hitch (well, except the actual hitch), caught a beautiful sunset, and rolled in around dark. It was still 25°C when Addy backed it into the driveway. By then we were wiped, so we just grabbed our pillows and called it a night.
This week’s to-do list is a full one! We’re getting ready for company, bracing for the delivery of 200 bales of hay that need to be tucked away before Thursday’s rain, and Addy is renting a trailer to pick up his latest Facebook Marketplace find—more on that in the next blog update. Somehow, for us, these things always seem to happen all at once. The trick is to roll with it and trust that it will all come together in the end. it usually does. But we love this lifestyle still!
If you’ve made it all the way to the bottom of this post—thank you! We love sharing our little slice of life with you, from goats and gardens to new adventures and creative projects. Your visits here mean so much, and knowing you’re following along makes all the hard work (and the occasional goat escape) even more rewarding. We’d love to hear from you—drop a comment below and let us know what you’ve been up to, or share this post with a friend who might enjoy a peek into our homestead adventures. Until next time, may your days be full of fresh air, good food, and maybe a little bit of adventure, too!