STRAW BAILS WAITING TO BE LOADED INTO BARNS

HAY WAGONS LOADED WITH STRAW

With all the rain, Farmer Larry has had a "Dickens" of a time trying to get into his fields to cut hay & straw.  Straw is what's left over after the harvest of the wheat crop.  It is used for everything from animal bedding to ground cover for grass seed (lawns)  Soon loads of hay will be cut and bailed.  Mainly alphalpa,  it is used as animal feed. (Moo)

Row after row...

The never ending work in progress

It might not look like much...but, it's a work in progress.  These plants have all been weeded around, and now wait patiently for their mulch and maybe a little fertilizer.  The ground will be covered with straw, keeping the leaves and produce clean and free from contact with the soil.  If we don't get an early frost, we should have a great harvest.  Blu Bear

Freak of Nature...Double Summer Squash !!!

Yellow Summer Squash

I've never seen this happen before, so I figured that maybe it would be new to you as well.  This yellow summer squash really makes a show stopper!  It would have been great to enter it in the county fair, but that's over a month away.  The fun thing about a garden, it that you never know what you are going to find on your daily treasure hunt !!!  Your pal Blu Bear

New Breeding Pair Selected

Listen to me crow !!!

Just because he's louder doesn't make him the boss!

You might remember when these birds were just little chicks in a box! (OLDER POSTS)  But now they have grown into a beautiful matched pair of miniature chickens!!!  They are almost as big as they are going to get, and with a little luck, they will make us some more little chickens.  And, for those of you who don't already know, I'm in charge of the chicken flocks AND the baked goods too.  Straw Beary

THE KITTEN VIDEO

It doesn't get any cuter than this!!!  The boy is out numbered by his two sisters.  Hope you like it !  Straw Beary

My three little kittens are up for adoption soon...

I'll be up for adoption August 1st!

One of my sisters is already spoken for...but, there are the two of us who will be ready for adoption in a couple of weeks.  Check out our new video!  

THE HARVEST BEGINS...

Summer squash first picking of the season!

This is going to be a bumper crop for summer squash & zucchini...but it won't last long.  We grew a 100' foot row of it, but without herbicide (weed killer) pesticide (bug killer) & fungicide (powdery mildew) .  Without these chemicals, the plants tend to fall victim to just about everything after a few pickings.  But,  the bears always plan for this, and their "row" will be replaced by the giant Jack-O-Lanterns growing in the row next to them.  Much of this crop will be given to meal programs,  a couple food banks.  Hopefully a few folks will be lucky enough to get a chance to buy some.  Healthy, fresh, & yummy !!!  Blu Bear

Both wagons full!

Any one feel like helping us bears weed & mulch???

So many weeds...so little time

There are only about 17 100' rows left to weed & mulch....give or take 59 !!! With only a crew of little stuffed bears to do all the work, we sure could use some help!! So, if you live in North West Ohio, we are in desperate need of volunteers.  Don't forget, a large portion of our "garden" goes directly to people in need.  What little we do sell, doesn't cover labor costs. (Thank goodness bears work for pumpkin bread)  You could earn yourself some BLU BEAR BUCKS good for fresh produce or even that perfect jack-0-lantern.  Before you know it, we'll be in need of people to help with the harvest as well.  This is the perfect time to be a part of this years garden.  And, for our readers else where, start thinking about growing a little garden next year to share the bounty with others.  As always, we are more than happy to provide you with seed at little or no cost.  From all of us bears...Thank you !!!

WE CAN HARDLY "BEAR" IT !!!

Pumpkins & Squash @ Blu Bears' Garden

A sea of green has filled our garden.  Now you can see why we are so excited about growing things.  Just think...it wasn't that long ago that this was a blank canvas ready to be painted...or in our case, planted.  And, just think...it all started with a bag of seeds, a hope, a prayer, and some very determined bears. 

Summer squash begins to "bear" fruit

KNEE HIGH BY THE 4th OF JULY...???

Corn at the edge of the "garden"

In the U.S., we have a saying "Knee High by the 4th of July" ., referring to how tall the sweet corn should be by the 4th.  Well, I guess we have a new "one" in the making.  When we were out for a drive the other day, we stopped and took a look at the most amazing corn crop we had ever seen.  Not far from the farm, someone had planted a week or two earlier than we did. 

We should have taken a photo of it. (probably will)  The corn was over 6 feet tall.   Hard to believe a pro basket ball player could get lost in this corn field...but there it is.  We spoke to an "old timer" whos' family has been growing corn for several generations.  He said that he had never seen any thing like this and didn't know anyone who has.  Compared to last year, when the corn barely made it to maturity by fall...this could be a very unusual crop.   Field Reporter O'Beary

Area corn crop August 2012

Good Evening Russia !!!

Blu Bear

Couldn't help but say hello....It's always a pleasure to see so many regular readers visit me.  And,  the hundreds of readers from Russia are no exception!  Us bears would love it if you would share some photos with us...any thing would be better than me in this silly hat.  Blu Bear

SISSY HAS 3 KITTENS !!!

MY FIRST "CLOSE UP"

I HOPE THEY FALL ASLEEP SOON SO I CAN GET A BREAK!

FINALLY ASLEEP

Mother & Daughter

Two healthy Calico (girls) & One camera shy boy !!!

THE HARD WORK STARTS TO PAY OFF !!!

summer squash plants ready to fruit

We've been busy mulching, weeding, & planting.   The green house is almost empty.   Only a flat of herb plants remain....and their new home is ready and waiting.  But, for the first time ever, I can say that the field is so wet, you can sink in the mud!  The straw mulch will fix that.  But, it really isn't too much fun putting it down while the sky claps with thunder !!! 

Soon the rows of pumpkin plants will touch each other, and we'll start looking for that first jack-o-lantern.  Even though most of what we grow is winter squash,  the giant carvers for Halloween are the most fun to watch grow.  If you go to OLDER POSTS  and click on it....you can look at last years harvest.  Your pal   BLU BEAR