May 10, 2008 (Saturday)
It is 53 degrees and a little cloudy this morning. I only have one mouse in the traps. We must be getting somewhere, finally. That or only the smart mice are left now.
Roo was quite wet when I put him away late yesterday afternoon. I should probably move his lean-to closer to the girls' pen so that he will stay under it when it is raining, whether he means to or not. Anyway, I put him in his cage for the night with both Rhodies for extra warmth and everyone seems fine this morning. We shall see if he develops a sniffle.
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I planted my white and red tulips in patches of five of like color. Today I noticed that one of the white tulips is something else entirely. I can't tell yet if it will be some shade of red or purple.
We picked out a slide, swing, and fort combo. I have two weeks left to enjoy my yard before the beast arrives.
I love Lynn's (Golden_ca) little white dove-shaped lobelia. I'll have to remember that for window boxes. |
| Seil Posted on Sunday, May 11, 2008 - 05:09 pm: |   |
Hi DJ, haven't been able to check in for a while. Boy, you've been busy! I had a question about your daffs. Why do you need to dig them out? Are they over crowded or something? I've never dug out my daffs or tulips for that matter (although the squirrels dig those out for me all the time).
I love the purple window box and turqoise door ideas. I think the greens and yellow chicken coop will be cute too. You're so creative!
You know I was thinking about that swing set and I'll bet that once you see how much fun your son has playing on it you'll find you'll love looking at it. They're only little such a short time and they're so sweet to watch when they play. That swing set will be the base for many a wonderful fantasy for him.
Happy Mother's Day! |
Yes, my daffs have multiplied like rabbits, so their flowering has been reduced somewhat. The ancient ones beside the garage have only had a handful of blooms the whole time we've lived here. No telling how many decades they've been there. Also, it's going to give me a cheap way to fill the beds with more flowers. 
I think you're right. We marked out the area today and when we drove up the driveway after an afternoon in town, I could see that it's probably not going to be quite as bad as I thought. Not to mention that I am excited about getting to play and have picnics in the fort. LOL!
Thank you for the Mother's Day wishes. I hope that you had a good Mother's Day, too. |
May 11, 2008 (Sunday) Mother's Day
Happy Mother's Day, everyone!
It is 54 degrees and sunny (7:45 AM).
I don't have any new mice in the traps this morning. Roo is out for the day and I have a new batch of hummingbird food cooling outside.
I forgot to mention yesterday that I finally bought a giant cedar bird feeder for the metal post that the barn gate used to hang on. I can't decide if I just want to paint the post green or if I want to wrap some fence or chicken wire around it, fill it up with dirt, and plant some annuals in it. Not that it looks bad the way it is.
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What a day. We spent a great deal of time trying to mount the bird feeder onto the post. My husband decided we needed different screws, so we went out to get some and I ended up buying some bird food and four big bamboo poles to make a teepee for my Perennial Peas. The store didn't sell screws, so my husband decided to pick some up from the hardware store. He came out with exactly the same screws I already had. Whatever. That bit was topped off by over half of the diesel that he had bought for the tractor last Friday spilling into the spare tire compartment of his trunk because he had never bothered to take the gas can out of the trunk, even when I pointed out that he should. Earlier, I thought he was going to saw his fingertips off a couple of times because his hands drift around the table saw blade when he shifts his eyes to look for the off switch. Other than that, he took down the small dead pine tree, cut the old crabapple tree branch back some more, and cut a big dead branch off the walnut tree... with a chainsaw... while standing on a ladder. Oh, and then there was the tick my son had. My husband found it on him yesterday. It hadn't been there for long from the looks of it and I pulled it off without any trouble, but by this morning there was a big red patch around the bite. It is down to a small red welt now, but I will continue to keep an eye on it and see what happens next. It looked like a dog tick rather than a deer tick, so that was some consolation. Ah, yes, and there was the incident with my husband's dog wetting in his cage, after he pushed his tray out of it... and my husband had ME throw some newspaper on it to sop it up. Also (and does it ever end?), I went into the coop at some point to get my rake so that I could level out the playground area (by myself), and on the way back out I saw that something had ransacked my spinach bed. It was the worst crop damage I have seen around here yet... not uprooted or mowed down, but dug through and left with big gaping holes in the dirt. I don't know what sort of animal did that, so until I figure it out, I shall refer to it as "SPIKE". LOL!! I should have put a fence up (which is rather ironic since that is the one bed that actually has a section of fence running down the middle to begin with (for the tomato trellis)). But since I haven't, I am sure I can count on more damage tomorrow. I don't have enough fence to encircle all beds, which is probably what I'd have to do anyway.
Summer Snowflake (Leucojum) in the Memory Garden
Cedar Feeder |
HEY!!! Don't tell me he's managed to tear up someone else's stuff as well...grin Tis exactly why there's a fence around mine...
Love your new feeder...I have one almost exactly like that...got it the first Christmas we were here...the DEER took it out by knocking it down several times...DH is currently putting it back together for me (he didn't like the hot glue job that held it for over a year) |
Hahaha!! Maybe a long lost relative. LOL!
Now that you mention your fence... I think I might actually have enough deer fence to go around mine... Oh, now that would be too easy.
How cool! Aren't they awesome? I love that style. I can't believe the deer took yours down. Were they trying to eat from it or were they jumping over it?
The place where I bought my feeder had one with a copper roof... $145. Whoa! But worse than that, they had a fancy shingled one, not that fancy, mind you... $285. Whaaat! I'd like to be in that business! They also had some cool copper mailboxes. The first ones I saw were the type you hang on your house. They had silver metal and copper and had pretty floral designs hammered into them... one with a heron (much prettier than I could possibly describe). I think my husband said they were almost four hundred dollars. (!!!) Then I saw regular-style mailboxes that were copper. I only remember the one with the hammered dogwood blossoms on it, painted with a sort of pearlescent paint. I can only imagine how much that must have been. I certainly couldn't imagine putting it down by the road for someone to steal... or my luck, for someone to whack with a baseball bat. LOL!
LOL!! Are you the one with the hot glue gun? I have two myself. |
LOL...eating from it...they actually broke the hanger rope within about six months of it being out...think the squirrels chewed the rope a bit as well...ran a piece of hanger wire through the top and dared them to break the wire...ok...lol, they knocked the whole pole over...
That would be ME!!...I hot glued it back the first time it got broken...the last time DH says "oh, I'll fix it where it won't come apart again"...yeah, ok...its still sitting half apart on the porch...that was several WEEKS ago. Seems he ran into the same issue I had...its a pain to try and get those pieces back in the right spot.
Aren't they awful with the prices?? I usually shop the Dollar stores and Big Lots looking for the bird feeders...I think my one like yours came from Lowes or possibly Home Depot...Home Depot...DH got me two...both of which are currently NOT in use...squirrels chewed the other one severely...was wood tower for the Niger Thistle seed...bratty squirrels are why my feeders have BB holes in them...ok, the screens used to have matching BB holes too...grin. Not since the new screens went up though, DH said he'd take my BB gun if I go shooting the new screens...I just smiled sweetly and informed him I'd just move on to the 22 rifle in that case...poor DH can't win...lol. |
ROFL!! That is too funny. At least they didn't trash the feeder beyond repair.
Ugh, yes, famous last words. LOL!
*snort* LOL!!
Yikes. We only have one squirrel, but I'm afraid it'll eat everything in the feeder. Hadn't occurred to me that it might actually eat the feeder as well. Haha!
Pfft!! Hilarious! I've been thinking for the last couple of days that it might finally be time for me to buy a BB gun. Unfortunately, I think MA requires people to get a license for a BB gun, so my husband has suggested getting a paintball gun. LOL!
That is roaringly funny!
I'm laughing so hard my ears ache. LOL!! Will you be rolling out the cannons if the deer come back? LOL!
I really wanted to do that because it would have cost less than what I paid, but I like the people who run this store and I've felt so bad for them lately. They kept a couple of pet birds in the store and one died, I think last year, and the other accidentally got sucked out of their store in a windstorm in March and never came back. A Cockatiel, no less. So it made me feel good to buy my feeder there despite the price.
I wonder if the Dollar Stores ever sell any with a copper roof? Those are really pretty. I considered painting mine with metallic copper paint until I remembered that most of that stuff is toxic. |
hahahaha....glad you got a good laugh DJ...makes me smile thinking about shooting through the screens too....
As for the Dollar Store having feeders with copper roofs...hmmm, seems like I have seen them now and then...usually I've noticed them at Big Lots...Dollar General may be a place to check, can't recall which one I've seen them at...could have been Family Dollar as well...we have both in our area.
as for the copper paint...hmmm, how about the copper model paint? once it dries it should be ok.
Know what you mean about buying things from people whose store you enjoy shopping...I'm kinda funny that way myself.
roflmao....na...they only eat my Hibiscus and with the front porch door open, Mojo hangs on the porch at night...he's become quite the early warning system when anything comes into "his" yard....I haven't been keeping seed in the bird feeders since the deer broke it several weeks ago...the birds have moved over to the chicken yard...guess they feel safe from the hawk there. |
I will check it out. It will be interesting to see if there is a difference. I've been wondering if maybe there is a non-toxic sealer that I could use over the copper. Will have to check that out, too.
And yet he hasn't ratted out Spike. I wonder what sort of deal those two have struck up? LOL.
Darn! I really wanted to hear how that tale would have panned out. Haha! (Especially the part about your husband asking why the new screens were completely missing. LOL!) |
May 12, 2008 (Monday)
It is 48 degrees, cloudy, and windy (7:20 AM).
I watered the garden when I let the chickens out for the morning. No new damage, and Roo is staying in for the day. It feels a bit too chilly to keep him outside with no way to get in.
I have identified one weed growing around the coop path as Yellowrocket (Barbarea). I guess I don't need that.
Yellowrocket (Barbarea) Leaves
Yellowrocket (Barbarea) Flowers
The Bleeding Hearts seem a little spindly this year, but they have a lot of flowers. I noticed yesterday that the robin in the Rhododendron has a lot of wild strawberries and violets in bloom under her. I particularly like the strawberry flowers. I'll see if she minds if I take a photo... I think I will be more apt to mind than she is. It's cold out there!
Bleeding Hearts
Wild Strawberry Flowers
I can't decide if the weeds growing in the chicken coop path are strawberries or some sort of cinquefoil. Guess I will continue to wait for flowers to help me ID them.
I can't believe how cold it is today. It's 11:30 AM and it's still only 52 degrees outside. It even sounds cold out there.
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I have started 'Early Summer Yellow Crookneck' Squash, 'Cocozelle' Zucchini, and 'Boothby's Blonde' Cucumbers. The squash and zucc are three days late and the cukes are four days early. It all evens out. LOL. I also started round two of Cilantro. I potted up some more 'Galahad' Delphiniums, some Chrysanthemums, and some more lavender. The mums worked pretty well that way (83% germination rate in vermiculite), so I will start some more the same way. Next, I'll pot up the basil. ... That reminds me. I saw a volunteer 'Kniola's Purple' Morning Glory coming up in the extension to the square bed yesterday. Yippee! I'll have to see if any of the seeds I scattered along the far rock wall have started to come up yet. ... Might as well check my sweet peas while I am out there. ..... The sweet peas are still alive and a few of the Morning Glories are coming up along the wall. That is good news. I hope they take over, but not too much. |
May 13, 2008 (Tuesday) Coop Concept
It is 54 degrees, sunny, and very windy this morning (8 AM).
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I haven't seen the robin on her nest today. It was very cold and windy yesterday, so I hope that nothing happened to her.
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In search of the beautiful raised bed...
Google Image Search
* +"raised bed" +carved
* +"raised bed" +wooden
* +"wooden planter"
* +"garden gallery"
That last search combo sure was a long and entertaining find. Didn't have anything to do with raised beds, but I enjoyed it anyway. I simultaneously looked into copper paint. Seems there isn't any nontoxic copper paint, and nontoxic coatings will not adhere to copper-based paint. This is apparently a big issue in the boating industry. Oh, well, doesn't really matter... I didn't even notice the feeder when I went out to let the chickens out this morning. That's what I like... improvements that cause the various eyesores around here to either fade into the background or to disappear altogether.
Eeew, yuck, gag, this is some nasty tasting soymilk! Need to hop it up with some Ovaltine I guess. ... Yarp! What is with this stuff? Even the Ovaltine only barely hides the nastiness.
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Huh, don't remember what I was doing, but I came across a web site about protecting sailcloth. Wonder if that would prolong the life of my flag? Or if the colors would run?
On a different note, I think my plan will be to build a small pen for Roo in the front corner of the coop, cut him his own pophole, and make a small pen inside of the girls' pen for him to run around outside in. I'll have to make a little sunshade for him in the outdoor pen. At least it should be easy enough to make a warm and cozy cubbyhole for him to sleep in during the winter. I think I'll put it above the pophole so that it's on the side with the sun and leaves some extra room for him to play in indoors.
Yet another change of topic... I need to come up with some way of using up all of those grey rocks that were left over from making the path to the front door. I want to rip out the rock path by the side door because the dog dug in it last year, so now it has weeds coming up in it. I don't want to use the leftover rocks to make pathways because they collect leaves, straw, grass clippings, and dirt, so it's more trouble than it's worth. What to do with so much rock? I'm going to have that problem no matter where I put them. I wonder if it might be less of a problem in the new yard, like if I used them to edge an herb garden? What a fun project that would be! Except that I kind of think the rocks are ugly.
I think my Standing Cypress didn't make it through the winter. It's supposed to bloom in May or June and it doesn't even show any signs of greenery.
I went outside for a little bit. It is 70 degrees, sunny, and windy. It does not feel particularly warm. I scoped out a few flowers, watered a few things, then climbed up into the Rhododendron to look for eggs. Nope. None. Something must have stolen them. That makes me feel a little better, though... I can just assume that the robin is okay and will find a better place to build a nest. I think this has happened once before.
Oh! I almost forgot to mention that I saw a butterfly while I was out there. That's the second one this season. She did a little dance around me as I walked along the grassy path among the flowers. I saw the first one (same kind, an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, perhaps) on Sunday when we were eating sandwiches in the middle of the driveway. Oh, happy days!
I had to take the dog out for a walk and I saw some sparrows using the new feeder. Hooray! I'm glad they like it.
I have several.... count 'em, SEVERAL... flower buds on my three clematises. Shocking, considering they were transplanted last year and have never put on much of a show. I have great hopes for future years now, but I'd almost bet that I'm going to have to move them from where they are. I think it will turn out to be too shady.
I saw two lilies coming up in the allium bed. They must be Casa Blanca Lilies. But where is the other one? There is a very thick-stemmed lily behind Kazanlik, but I'm sure it's not a Casa Blanca. Is it? That would have been weird for me to put it with other lilies, but I wouldn't put it past myself to not be thinking about what I was doing.
Speaking of lilies, I need to see how many Asiatic Lilies I planted last year because I only counted 10 coming up by the Lime Fizz Irises. I thought for sure I had bought more than that. Might not have been such a bright idea to plant them so far from home... probably right in the middle of another chipmunk, mole, and mouse zone. ..... Good thing I looked that up. They're not Asiatics, they're Orientals. Weird, I don't remember doing that... I thought for sure I had bought Asiatics. Wow, well, that will be an overwhelming scent. Anyway, I bought 12, so 10 out of 12 isn't too bad. |
| Valia Posted on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 07:36 pm: | |
Best thing I ever saw done with excess rockage ... on a piece of gently sloping ground, two small pools, irregular in shape, one draining into the other. Rocks about 14" high on the high ground, about 18" high at the low end, one pool about 8 inches below the other. Pools complete with frogs, both live and sculptured. Plants tucked in around the edges ... the thing I remember most is a clump of yellow Turk's cap lilies, also some small iris, yellow flag, I think.
The rocks were not stingily placed. The "walls" of the pond (though they did not have the feeling of walls) were of varied thicknes, but never thin.
I took several photos of these ponds, but cannot find them in my files; perhaps they were on film.
Your rocks or your topography may not be conducive to this, but it's worth a thought. |
Anne, a zillion questions for you... LOL!
Were those lined ponds? If not, how did they keep the water in, or were they sort of seasonal ponds? Where did the water come from? Just curious as to how one drained into the other... constantly from some other source or with a recirculating pump? My rocks are about 1/2" long and maybe half as thick... is that like what they used? I have a ton (probably at least, literally) of big stones from the rock wall that I took down that I could use, too. Oh, boy, fun, fun!
I love irises and Turk's Caps. You're making me want to run outside right now and do this. LOL! I know exactly where I'd put it, too. |
| Flowerfreak Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 09:27 am: | |
So when they get overcrowded, they tend to not bloom, or not as much?
I like your new feeder DJ.
Just reading your latest posts here...there's never a dull moment around there, is there?! lol |
It seems that when they first start to become overcrowded, fewer bulbs put out flowers. Then when they are way beyond overcrowded, like the ones beside my garage, only a couple in the whole batch will put out a flower.
Thanks. I am so happy to finally have it.
I'd say. I was just outside and had unexpected "visitors". I really ought to gate the place and/or post my husband's dog in such a way that no one can get up here without being jumped all over and bathed in an ultra disgusting dog smell. LOL! |
| Flowerfreak Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 02:20 pm: | |
Huh, I didn't know that
lol, yes, I wish I had a fenced in yard too (but then again, maybe not--I'd have to redo my landscaping!) AAAAHHHH!! hahaha
How are your raised beds coming along? Are you finished with them? |
I finished building them, but I'm still planting. The bulk of the job will be done within the next four weeks, I'd say. I am planning for fall crops, and anything that doesn't do well in the meantime will be replaced by flowers grown from seed to keep it from looking gappy. |
May 13, 2008 (Tuesday)
(continued from before)
Someone pushed my buttons and everything went downhill from there. About an hour later, I was tending the plant room and heard horns going off in the distance, took a peek outside to see what was going on, and saw that Roo and Hawk were going at it through the fence. I had just spied on them moments earlier, too, and everything had been okay. Amazing how bloody those two get in such short order. Cannot imagine the damage they'd do to each other if they ended up in the same pen. At any rate, I took care of that problem, filled the feed bin, switched the water founts, then headed inside. Or at least I would have if I hadn't locked myself out. After a few moments of being on the verge of totally losing it, I remembered that I had come out the front door rather than the side door. It was a good day up until all of that, but now I'm just glad it's over.
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I think the flowering tree over by the barn is a Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana). The USDA pic of the seeds might explain what I found in my veggie beds the other day. While I was looking that up, I discovered Grand Collomia (Collomia grandiflora). Now that's a pretty wildflower. ........ Meant to say that I think I found Morel mushrooms in the yard the other day when we cut down trees.
May 14, 2008 (Wednesday)
It is 58 degrees and sunny (7:52 AM). I have put Roo out with the girls, the big feeder, and one water fount. Hawk has full run of the coop with one fount and Roo's little bread pan food bin. The popholes are closed, but the windows are open. I think Hawk is too big to get himself up to the windows to knock the screens out. I was going to leave the door open with the fence in place to help keep it cooler in the coop, but he was right on that escape plan, so the door is closed for now. I might scavenge some 2x4s and make the fence more like a door with a latch, the way I had meant to in the first place. First, though, I need to water and fertilize the veggie beds. Things are very dry out there.
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That must be fun because it took way more time than it felt like. I am all done lugging out plants and watering and fertilizing both them and the veggie beds.
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I have started weeding the cucurbit plot. Just the small one, not the bigger pumpkin plot. I think that maybe I ought to remove the finish mower (maybe do some mowing first?) and put on the harrow. I'm feeling too hot to do the weeding all by hand.
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I mowed behind the new yard and all around the barn. Didn't do every nook and cranny, but that's because I need to check for rocks, logs, and barbed wire first and I was in a hurry. Then I exchanged the mower for the harrow and harrowed the small cucurbit plot and the bigger pumpkin plot, plus a little extra since I was already there. Just need to rake it all out now. Maybe I'll put down some row cover to keep it from getting all compacted from the rain. Or not. Depends on what the forecasts say. A little hummingbird came to the feeder while I was harrowing by it and again when I finished. Guess he was really hungry.
About a week ago, my husband bought a fake mouse for my son. I think it's a cat toy. I don't know if it has catnip in it, but it has something like rabbit fur on it. It is a disturbing toy because it looks real and usually sits on the table in the kitchen. It is even more disturbing when it is lying on its side because then it looks dead... like, great, it's not enough that there is a mouse on the kitchen table, but something it ate killed it. LOL!
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I weeded the coop path. Most of it, anyway. I should get an award. You know me, "Ms. I-feel-bad-cutting-flowers-for-bouquets." I pulled Celandine, those strawberry lookalikes, wild geraniums, and things I don't know what they were. I have another welt on my forehead. Some sort of bug keeps heading for the edge of my hat - right where it sits on my forehead - and slits my skin open, leaving something that turns into a giant welt. I still have one from several days ago that hasn't gone away. They ache and itch. They don't look particularly attractive, either. Anyway, now I am considering taking all of the stepping stones out of the path, dragging the harrow through it - including through the seed beds that don't seem to be sprouting anything! - and trying something new. Don't know what, yet. I'll transplant any seedlings I can find, but those seeds are just going to have to be sacrificed at this point. I don't think they've enjoyed our back and forth weather and I really want to get a move on things looking good over there. ........ Oh, but I do plan to save one weed I found. A variegated strawberry lookalike. Pretty.
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I was just about to highlight my journal for copying and pasting onto GB, but that was not to be. So, I went out to do a little more garden work and my husband showed up within just a few minutes. Not too long afterwards, my husband saw that Hawk had escaped from the coop and was having a "discussion" with Roo through the fence. *sigh* Everyone was rounded up early and put in for the night.
May 15, 2008 (Thursday) For the Birds
It is grey and 54 degrees (8:13 AM). I can't decide if it will rain today, so Roo is staying in his cage.
I went out and marked off the rows for the small cucurbit plot. The rows are 35 ft, 35 ft, 35 ft, 26 ft, 21 ft, and 13 ft. They are actually a bit longer than that, but that is the space that I intend to plant. I'm only going to fill part of that with what I intended to put in the small cucurbit plot (the whole plot is bigger than I originally intended to use), so I'm going to fill in the rest with extras of the big pumpkin plot in case something goes wrong.
A little girl hummingbird came and sat on my sweet pea trellis while I marked off one end of a row. She flew off and a boy came and drank from the feeder when I marked off the other end of the row. Then he left and a girl (same one?) came for a drink. It's good to know that there are at least two hummers here this year. Speaking of birds... the birds are scarfing up the birdseed like it's free. The cedar feeder has a four-pound capacity and it's already almost empty. When did I put that up? ..... Sunday. Good grief! Four days ago? What pigs! I wonder how many acres I'd have to plant each year to keep from buying feed?
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43,560 sq ft/acre
Grain Yields and Planting Rates
* 5600 lbs corn/acre (12-15#)
* 2000 lbs black oil sunflower/acre (6-10#)
* 1500 lbs buckwheat/acre (50-60#)
* 30 bushels millet/acre (will assume 50 lbs/bushel as cited by MU Extension, or 1500 lbs per acre) (10-15#)
* 3000 lbs wheat or winter barley/acre (120#)
* 3920 lbs grain sorghum/acre (6-10#)
Choosing corn, sunflower, and millet, that means about 120 lbs of each is needed (going with the consumption of 1 pound per day), so I would need:
corn: 30 ft x 30 ft (~5 oz)
sunflower: 51 ft x 51 ft (~6 oz)
millet: 59 ft x 59 ft (~ 1 lb)
I paid about $6 for a 20-pound bag of bird food... that'd be about $110 per year for bird food. Do I really pay that little? Seems like more. Hmm, well, it's something to think about and it would certainly keep me busy if I follow through. I wouldn't have to shell anything myself; I could just make very pretty snackies to hang out for the birds. And think of all the bedding material I'd have. Or compost. Or fire starter. LOL.
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I wove some of my old bamboo poles through the wire fence tomato trellis so that it no longer bulges. I also ran some vertically to keep it from flopping over where it extends beyond the t-posts. Not only does it seem to work, but it is also much easier on the eyes. Nice.
After that, I dumped yesterday's weeds on the north compost pile, took down Roo's temporary pen, put a few things away, and watered the veggie beds. Now I just need to work on either sinking the rocks in the coop path or getting rid of them. The hose keeps hanging up on them and it is beginning to be a real nuisance.
Google Image Search
* +"herb garden"
* +stone +path +garden
* +"crushed stone" +garden
It's weird, but I don't think I've done that first search before. I certainly didn't recognize any of the pictures.
I just happened to look out the window and see some big animal clamber up on one of the giant rocks behind the barn. I went to another window to get a better look. Based on color, size, and the way it looked when it ran off over the hilltop, I'm going to go with beaver. It's hard to see through these ripply old windows. Wish I'd had a better view.
I have cucumber and Cilantro sprouts. I think they'll be ready to pot up tomorrow.
Guess I ought to sink those stepping stones so that I can grow some hay along the path and not have to walk on it while it's sprouting.
Hmm, don't know if I've been here before, but it looks like good entertainment for a rainy day:
http://www.cottageliving.com/cottage/gardens/0,21136,,00.html
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I sank the first ten stepping stones. I think that takes me to around the halfway point. I sure hope so, anyway. Most of those rocks are pretty thick and the last hole I dug required picking an old tree root out before I could put the rock in. It looks good, though, and I think it will be a huge improvement as far as the hose goes. I dumped the extra dirt to the right of the coop door. Figured I'd use it to start some flowerbeds in front of the coop. |
I could just scream. I just pulled a tick off my leg. I felt some sort of pain there yesterday, but I didn't see anything. I had checked there a couple of times and had decided that it was probably just the seam of my pants bothering me. Now I have a big red spot with a big pink welt around it. I think I got the tick off (in pieces). It wasn't bloated and it looked like a dog tick. It hurt so much... I can't believe my husband and son didn't know when they had their ticks. My leg is killing me now. I am so angry. I am sick of the bugs around here. |
