Mom came out yesterday, bearing with her several things that had arrived or been found over the last week. Among them, my Strictly Medicinal seed order.

Given that I had just that morning picked up ten bags of Black Earth soil on sale, we spent a few happy hours filling and planting mushroom trays with various “weeds” seeds. We planted:

• Stinging Nettles
• Soapwort
• Sea Buckthorn
• Heather
• Meadow Arnica
• Moonwort
• Skullcap
• Blue Vervain
• Wood Betony
• Madder
• Red Veined Dock
• Wild Lettuce
• Common Chickweed

All of these are either food, medicine, fiber, or something useful either in the garden or the home. And I am a giant plant nerd, so growing things that have historical or cultural significance makes me happy — particularly if that plant has since become known only as a weed in the common understanding. Betony, for example. It is hardly ever used anymore, but there are pages and pages and pages devoted to it in the ancient Roman, Greek and Medieval European medical texts. It was used in treatment of no less than 47 different illnesses and diseases. There are proverbs about it. “Sell your cloak and buy Betony”, “May you have as many virtues as Betony”.

Once the seeds were snugged away, barn chores beckoned. Mom and the kids walked Ms. Maggie for a fresh browse buffet while I tidied her stall and prepared her feed and water. Then, I girded my loins for the chicken chores.

Our rooster is a jerk now. He didnt used to be, but he’s three this year and has developed a certain attitude. I don’t like roosters. I don’t like him. I don’t like having to go in that pen, especially as he tends to attack the person who has the food. I take a long handled squeegee broom in with me. He hates it. He attacks the broom on the regular. But at least I can keep him and his attitude 4ft away from me. They broke their hanging feeder a few months ago, so we have been using old aluminum baking pans to feed them in. It is an imperfect system, as they mostly fill them full of poo, but Choco has enjoyed thr fact that he can stand directly in the middle of the tray and peck anyone who tries to eat without his permission.

I gave them a new feeder yesterday. It’s a 5gal garbage can with 3 pvc elbow eating holes in the sides. So 1) no one can hog the food. 2) they cant kick the food all over the pen and 3) I can put a couple days worth of food in there at one time. Choco HATES it. He cannot be king of the food now. He glared at me for a good half hour after.

And then, I went to clean out and fill their water. And three strokes into it, pop, the pump broke. AGAIN. It’s only been 3 weeks since the last time, so needless to say, I am NOT impressed. More on that later. I used one of the jars of water from inside the house to give them their drink.

Animals fed, we decided to start looking at the orchard/food forest layout. I have many fruit trees, shrubs, plants that have been waiting in pots for over a year, and more on the way. We need to get them in. Figuring that sort of thing out is always frustrating for me. So we begin by placing them, in their pots, and then go from there.

We only got a start on it before having to go fetch husband from work, and then into town to get the loctite RED to (hopefully) fix the pump for good this time (try to find 300°F 40 ft down a well!), but the two mulberry trees are in the ground, and a couple spicebush shrubs also. I have much work to do yet.

Today, husband will be coming home at noon and we’ll tackle the pump again. We’ll leave it out of the ground for the full 24 hours if we have to.

The company is sending out a new piece, as this has happened too many times now, but for the time being, red threadlocker it is.