Getting ready for winter

Over the last week we have been finishing up some stuff trying to get ready for winter. I planted garlic and onion sets, we got the meat chickens, and we are trying to get the pool closed. It is supposed to get colder starting Friday so I had to get everything finished up this week. I planted 6, 20' rows over the last two days. The first 5.5 rows were garlic. I ordered my onions and garlic from the D. Landreth Seed Company in September. The first 4 rows are their standard garlic, I have a short section of Elephant Garlic and then I have a row and half of heirloom garlic. The heirloom garlic that I planted consist of 1 package each of Spanish Roja, Inchelium Red, and Asian Tempest. I will let you know how each of the do next year. The only thing I have left to do is put down a layer of straw to mulch my garlic.


Garlic cloves about 4 inches apart



The next row and half were onions. I planted yellow, white, and sweet onions. I planted a little over half the package of both the white and yellow and all of the sweet onions. I will plant the rest of them in the spring.



Onions waiting to be planted



White onion sets

While I was planting Keith (my hubby) was working on the pool. I know the pool should have been closed a month ago but with both kids in band and the competitions on Saturdays we just haven't gotten around to it. He swept it as much as he could, emptied the filter several times to get all of the leaves out and used the net to get some of the leaves off of the bottom. 

Keith sweeping the pool

Tonight when we get home we will put the closing chemicals in and let them circulate while we go to the middle school choir concert and watch our daughter perform with the choir. After they circulate for at least 3 hours we will then drain the pool and put the winter cover on. We may only get it drained tonight and have to put the cover on this weekend. And when I say we I really mean my husband, he has done most of the work on the pool over the summer since he was the one home when they put it in and the installers explained everything to him.

After I finished planting last night I went out to check on the meat chicks. Unfortunately we lost one, but the rest of them were running around peeping and seemed to be just fine. I called Meyer Hatchery this morning and they offered to give me a credit or I could order at least 2 more chicks and they would send me the new order with free shipping. So I ordered 10 more meat chicks that should be here next week on Tuesday! We will be eating really well over the winter with all of the meat chickens in the freezer, plus we have a half hog and half beef coming in the next month.

That's today's update, I hope everyone enjoys the last really warm day we will be having here. It's supposed to be a high of 81 degrees here today! That is a record for my neck of the woods. I know I am going to go take a walk at lunch time and get some sunshine therapy while I can.