The Carlson Farm

This time of year I always feel a bit like a farmer.  John's gardens and the fruit trees are being harvested, the sunflowers are in full bloom, and you can clearly see the pumpkins under the leaves.  We usually harvest more than we can use.  So, we share with neighbors, daughter Echo comes over to make/freeze apple pies with John, and we put some of the produce up for ourselves.  For the first time this year, I'm drying some of the fruits and veggies using a dehydrator.  Here are a few of of our recent pictures.

Sunflowers with purple centers/seeds

John in the pumpkin patch under one of the tall sunflowers

Grandson Jasper's pumpkin.  John scratches the kids' names
in the pumpkins when they are green.

Grandson Lane's pumpkin.  I'm glad we have pumpkins this year.
I was afraid our spring and early summer was too wet and cold.

Grandson Luke's pumpkin.  His was the smallest at the time
of carving, but is the biggest now.  These are giant pumpkins.

John with Hemi.  Our chickens are spoiled pets.

This is also the time of year the chickens start their molt (lose feathers).
Some of the hens are sorry sights!

Some of the girls.

John is like the Pied Piper of Chickens.

Corn, pumpkins and sunflowers in this garden.  John in the background coming out with
only a few eggs in the basket.  Hens don't lay well while molting.

Peeking up into the bosc pear tree.  Looks like a bumper crop this year.

Checking out the apples that just started drying in the new-to-me dehydrator. 
I'll be giving it a good workout.