1. I have a monarch caterpillar living in a large mason jar on my dining room table. I shared a video on Instagram earlier today about how we found him on the tiniest of milkweed plants, down by the mailbox. We would have missed him entirely if we hadn’t been picking flowers for our librarian. The irony of the situation is that we’d just explored the area a few hours earlier, checking the milkweed for caterpillars – but had neglected the little plants in our search. I had initially thought to leave him outside so nature could run its course, afraid that I’d unwittingly murder him by trying to interfere. However, in seeing us pay so much attention to a patch of weeds and wildflowers, the entire flock of chickens thundered over and took an avid interest in the area as well. So after dinner, J and the girls clipped his plant and several others, and we set the little fella up inside, like a centerpiece.

2. Libraries are wonderful places. I keep seeing this odd meme show up on Facebook, exhorting me to like and share this graphic if I still use my public library. The caption claims that “libraries are dying,” and I use the word odd because our library is thriving – growing even! For the past month, we’ve been attending a weekly program for the kids in our community – stories, crafts and snacks, all free of charge. We’ve been filling out our reading log, and today was the culmination of that program: an event with live, local music and ice cream for all. The girls each got a pass to the fair for turning in their list of books, but really, it was the community interaction that kept us engaged. So great to see all these kids and parents we’ve come to love.

3. Things are growing around here, though it takes the camera for me to realize it. There are beans dangling down in that picture above, plain as day, and I didn’t even notice them until I sat down to write. Those are the Rattlesnake Beans, and I guess I’ll have a little more in my harvest basket tomorrow.

4. Speaking of harvest baskets. Tomatoes, cucumbers and eggs today. That tiny brown egg at about four o’clock in the egg basket is the first laid by this year’s pullets, though I’m not certain which of the five it was. We found it in the third nesting box with two other eggs, exactly where it belongs, so I’m hopeful the rest will follow suit. They will be 20 weeks old this coming Saturday, which is several weeks younger than our other birds were when they began to lay. I pulled one more egg from the coop before dinner, bringing our total to 10 for the day.

5. We’re beginning to look ahead, and make plans and preparations. The first sunflowers are drooping, so I’m on the hunt for a a place to dry them indoors. They will be hung in the chicken run this winter to provide both protein and entertainment for the flock. Last fall, I made the mistake of hanging them in the basement to dry, and lost half my harvest to mold. I’m determined to do it properly from the start this year. Josh and Uncle T-Rex have been running the chainsaw and splitter, hauling loads of firewood up to dry and season. We’ve got over two cords stacked in the basement now, but have another five to go. And I’m beginning to scout locations for the next addition to the homestead. More on that soon…

6. Inside, I’m slowly taking stock of our spaces – what works, what’s always messy, what needs to be purged or rearranged. Outside, J has been attempting the same – trying to find the best, most efficient means of movement and storage for all manner of items. Winter is always coming, even in the heat of August.