Covo Hills Farm: 2013

October 19 - 20, 2013 Garlic Planting

After pumpkin harvest comes garlic planting.

We ordered Music, German Red, Purple Italian and Spanish Roja from Peaceful Valley Farm Supply in Grass Valley, CA, not to far away from where Jeff's Uncle Frank lives. After deciding 160 plantings were more than enough for a day's work, I handed the overabundance over to willing gardeners. Happy to report, California garlic will be popping up this spring in Batavia, Burr Ridge and Hinsdale.

Fall colors starting to show over harvested corn field

Evening sky in subtle pastels

Brian and Janie, Guy and Elodie arrived on Sunday to help put the garlic to bed for the winter. We threw hay on the field in mounded heaps so the garlic stays warm til spring.

We enjoyed a brisk Autumn day at the farm with Bella and Coco

Guy quickly took to the ATV

Then invited Elodie to join him

Brian took Coco and Bella in for a rest

Jeff and Dan found time to work on the tractor

October 12 - 13, 2013 Pumpkin Harvest

This fall's pumpkin harvest is not the best like the banner year of 2011, but not the worst. There's enough to decorate the front porch and lend inspiration for next year.

September 6, 2013 Tearing down the barn

Jeff had another project for Katie and me. He tore boards off the deteriorating milking barn, Katie took out the rusted nails and I stacked them up. What a team!

Katie still had time to goof off. She's been fascinated with the old silo since cousin Jared's visit a few years ago.

September 5, 2013 Nick's ATV crossing

Katie followed us on a trail ride over the hills, by the creek, through the corn fields and over the ATV crossing that Nick and Jeff made over Father's Day weekend.

Happiness

September 5, 2013 The Luck of the Green

When Jeff started working on the tee box in early August, little did he know Katie would be the one to help him finish it. She surprised us with a impromptu trip home. Top on her list was a Covo overnight. With all three of us helping, the tee box was completed in a couple hours, not counting the time it took to uninstall it from our backyard the day before.

Tamping down the dirt

Shoveling the screening into buckets

Pouring out the screening

Laying the rock border

Unfolding the transported green

Positioning

Tacking down the green

Adding and brushing in the sand

Lower Green

Upper Green

August 30, 2013 - No work, all play today

After many turkey hunting visits to Tom's Mississippi ranch, Jeff and Dan are excited to host Tom and Anne Marie at Covo Hills. We tour the hills and valleys on one of the hottest days of the summer, then kick back for lunch, games and chitchat.