Our First Crop

Okay, not really. We moved too late to do much planting this year. We are going to shoot for a fall/winter garden, though. We have some visions of sustainability; future fruit trees, a large garden, cows. However, this year looks like our only crop will be horseapples! I guess their real name is Osage Oranges, some people call 'em hedgeapples, but they are technically neither an apple or an orange. They are actually more like a mulberry tree. We have several of them, so I was wondering what in the world are they good for?

The kids love how they look like brains. They actually are an excellent insect repellent! They are a very good repellent for about 3 months. You can't eat them, but they have a sap that makes a great glue, and in some places apparently they sell for $2 each in grocery stores! Wow, maybe I could start an Internet business shipping them all over! I actually knew a lady who made a pretty good living shipping fresh mistletoe (a common Texas pest) all over the country at Christmas. Interesting, huh? These horseapple trees sure are annoying though, big old thorns - interestingly enough they used to be used as barbed wire before barbed wire was invented. AND...come to find out we'll have to get rid of all the ones on the back of our property because they are bad for horses and cows! Somehow they choke on them or something. Well, kids, there's your botany lesson for the day. Hey, anybody want to buy some horseapples? I think I've got some I can spare!

We are taking down these pens to make room for a fall garden.

Nosey neighbors! We love the privacy we've had here - with only eyes like these peeking at us on occasion! We were sitting outside the other night talking about how we have never really lived anywhere we didn't have neighbors all over around us. We are certainly enjoying the peacefulness! Hope you all have a blessed day!