garden fever

Everything I learned about homeschooling boys, I learned from the book
"Farmer boy". Well, okay, not really...but I'm thinking that would be a good post title/subject.

I read the book for the first time last year, I know shocker...somehow as a ten year old girl-the book just did not capture me, and I skipped it. sshh, don't tell Laura.

Anyhow, (bear with me, I'm typing the way my mind works/uh wanders...Sky is actually used to this, but I sometimes wow him) I picked up on some thoughts while reading Farmer Boy, at the time we were struggling with how to help our bonus student, Teddy.
The two central ideas of work-and plenty of it, and self-control jumped out at me like bright red flags during my reading.

I remarked to Sky that we needed a big farm, post haste to properly grow us some men.

We don't have a farm, and obtaining more land here in Orange County is kind of out of our reach..just a little! Here is our attempt at work-plenty of it: behold the garden. Each of the kids has a little plot. Here is Josie on her plot, planting some strawberries.
Here is Josie's blueberry plant, and look! -blueberries on it! This is actually a big, big deal-because many of the berries you think of when thinking 'farm', need cold spells and do not grow well here in So. California. We have a few varieties around our house that are supposed to do well here, but so far production has been disappointing. I am still waiting for my apple tree and currant bush to produce...
You might have noticed the deer fencing in the photos. No, we don't have a deer problem, we have a hen problem. Our fencing of the garden has evolved each year. We finally graduated this year to a six foot deer fence. If this doesn't keep the hens out, I don't know what will...