Thursday, June 23, 2011

Brilliant Idea for Drying Herbs and Peppermint and Kitten Update

I know several of you are wanting a kitty update! Well, the kittens are 2 weeks old today and all have their eyes open!

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Mama Peppermint is well healed now and actually putting on a little bit of weight herself now

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Everyone is so spunky! We just leave the kittens alone in their little nest in the closet, most of the time. When I do get in their to give them a pet, they hiss a little! lol! When they start to come out into the rest of the house on their own, we will start holding them more and getting them used to being with people. Peppermint is getting feistier too! What a good sign that is:) It means she is comfortable with her new home, the other cats and that she is feeling much, much better! Now she and Dandelion romp around the house in the evening and she even gets feisty wrestling me sometimes!

The brilliant idea is this… we have a truck camper, and I see no reason not to start using it to dry herbs in! It even has a little stove and refrigerator in it, so portable too if so desired:) I always have trouble with space when wanting to dry herbs. I have suspended drying racks in my den, and put baskets and such around on top of things, but it will be so nice to have some additional space. The table area all turns into a bed, so herbs can be spread on it, also in the closet suspended from the clothes rack:) There are little shelves behind the curtains above the table, which can be utilized also. Even a little refrigerator if ever needed! I don’t know why I never thought of this before!

That appliance bungee corded in is a portable air conditioner. That might have to be stored elsewhere!

We have just been home a few days, but I did manage on hour to go forage

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We have had so much rain it has been hard to get out much, and besides I don’t want to try and successfully dry soaking plants that have all their nectar leeched out by rain. I did gather a few clover, some linden and elder flowers, and a few green pine cones. I found a lovely gift on my porch, I suspect my sweet neighbor Claude, of two nice pine cones also:) I am afraid the linden harvest will be slim pickens. I hope it is a bit dryer to try and get out again tomorrow. The woods are as lush as a jungle right now, as is the gardens

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I think the primroses, pleurisy root, and feverfew look so happy all blooming together. :) Those elders were just planted last year! I was tickled to see they had flower buds too:) The lemon balm is amazing and that will be perfect to dry in the camper!

Max the duck is a on patrol at Comfrey Cottages. Ruby has been missing and I can’t find her. I suspect she is nesting in a hidden spot under one of the buildings or behind the bee yard fence, in amongst the bramble there. I don’t see how she could have got out and I have seen no feathers to indicate hawk attack. Max is exhibiting some unusual behavior which can only be considered guarding, so I suspect and hope she is nested somewhere. He won’t even let the pigeons light in the yard without charging madly at them! lol! He never did that before!

The raspberries don’t seem to mind the gloom and rain

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I will be bringing these to our annual beekeeping picnic and herb meeting tonight! Talk to you soon!

Big herbal and honey hugs to all who visit Comfrey Cottages xx

6 comments:

JoyceAnn said...

Awww ~ The kittens are cute , glad Peppermint is doing so well.

Using the camper to dry your herbs is a great idea , sounds like it will work perfectly. Dh has an old truck in the field that I use to dry herbs in sometimes.

I've been drying lots of red clover and need to harvest the lemon balm also.

~ Bee Blessed ~

Rita M said...

Hi Leslie,
I am glad Peppermint is putting on a little bit of weight en here kittens are so cute :)
Using the camper is a good idea but when you leaving on vacation, you all have to put it elswhere.
Wonder where Ruby is, soon you have a whole nest chicks ... LOL
Here the weather was also terrible wet.
Big hugs XXX
Rita

Rita M said...

Ah yes, last week I made some Lemon Balm syrup. Delicious for use as a thea in winter. I will give you the recipe.

Big hugs XXX

Anonymous said...

Hooray for Peppermint and the kittens! They are delightful. Is that one in the front a tabby-tortie? I love those markings! Please post more photos as they start exploring. :)

Comfrey Cottages said...

Oh Joyce Ann the old truck sounds perfect as a drying area:) Yea to red clover and lemon balm :) xxx
Rita, Ruby finally showed herself briefly two days ago, and is now back in hiding! we should see ducklings any day now! lol it is good to know she didn't escape but is simply sitting nest in a hidden spot! xxxx yes, please do share the recipe for lemon balm syrup rita!!
Lucinda, i have taken more pictures and should be able to post them soon!! yes yippee for Peppermint doing so well and having such chubby healthy babies xxx hugs to you!

Rita M said...

Hi Leslie,
I will try to make a blogpost this week about the lemon balm syrup
Hugs to you
Rita :o)