In the last couple of years, we have had the very labor-intensive job to trying to keep weeds out of the squash, pumpkin, okra, beans, cantaloupe and melon hills. I have been pondering a solution and think I have come up with several ways to outsmart the weeds. Cattle panels! Seems simple doesn't it, but they aren't cheap and I need at least eight of them. The first part of the solution is to use the four blackberry and grape panels that are already up and have brambles and wood twined onto them. The time frame to pick the ripe blackberries will be before the vegetable vines would start to wander up the panels. So nature is on our side and five winter climbing squash will have a sturdy place to go when the time comes. We will need to stay on top of the new growth that can get out of hand if not kept trained. Now, the second part is to make eight arches of the sixteen-foot cattle panels and get them secured into the ground. I think rebar hooks can be made very simply using a vise-grip and pulling the long end around forming a hook at the end. These can be put into the ground with the hook holding the base of the cattle panel on each side. The panels will be far enough apart at the base and in between each row to mow the weeds and grass. The resulting ground cover looks exactly like a well-tended lawn. We can plant one or two seeds at each of the four corners and train them up the panel. One of the immediate positive things that I can imagine right now, is that the mowing won't throw all that debris onto the leaves of the plants. I spent a lot of time trying to remove the deep clippings from the plant leaves of some of those low-lying vegetables. They will also get lots of air circulation and sun. The fruit and vegetables will naturally hang down inside the arch and be easy to spot and pick. If they become a burden to the plant because of their weight, we can put them in a sling by using knee highs or pantyhose (I have often wondered why I was saving those old knee high's that had runs in them). I usually have to pick in the very early morning hours just to avoid the sun, since I am so sensitive to it. If I missed getting something earlier, I could actually pick the produce while in the shade of the arch, at any time of the day. Just have to remember that picking vegetables and fruit in the morning allows for the best flavor and sugar content. We could also come up with a unique way to stop some of the squash bugs, because they will only have the stem and metal to gain access to the plants. The panels can be left in place over the winter or easily taken down in order to cultivate the soil. These arches can also be used for indeterminate tomatoes.
Fire up the incubators, it's that time of the year again! According to many people on the Barnevelder site who have already hatched a batch of chicks in the last two week, I am late with my arrivals. Today, I counted 12 hatched out of 17. I have been listening to chicks play rugby for the last 2 nights, in an incubator that has been in my bedroom. I moved the chicks to the brooder in the spare bedroom very, very early this morning. I think I may take a much needed nap this afternoon, Dan thinks I am grouchy and he is probably right this time. If I had a camera, I would attach some cute fluffy-butt pictures to this post.
We have been responding to the warmer weather the last week or so. We took the quarantine coop screen door off and repaired it. I do believe it has more repairs on it than the original door had wood. It does open up now with more straightness and stability. It now has four "T" brackets, four straight brackets and 3 rectangle brackets to hold it all together. Dan put some wood trim back on it to hold the screen in place. Unfortunately, it is an ugly door, but serviceable.Dan removed about 12 wheel barrels full of chick starter and hay from inside the coop. It seems the chickens like to throw it around and walk on it as much as much as they like to eat it. The chickens have been very interested in all the activity in and around their coop. I found a couple of worms that I tossed into their yard and watched them creep up on them like they were looking at a snake or something. They did finally get brave enough to eat them. Dan also repaired the door knob on the grain room and picked up a bunch of leaves I had raked up into a pile from in front of the grain room. The leaves make great compost material and it all goes into a corner of the garden area.
Yes, I do believe it is too cold still for pond fishing, but you will get nowhere telling Dan that. So, I doned my favorite fishing hat, put on my farm jacket, took my leather gloves, grabbed the poles and the bait, scissors, needle nose plyers and a clean wet wash rag. Dan found the two fold up chairs in the shop and off we went (without Boris). I say this because I was feeling quilty about leaving him in the house when he could have had so much fun out by the pond. Of course, he begged to go too! I feel so hard hearted sometimes. Neither one of us got even the tinyest nibble. I sat there, trying to get warmed up in some of my exposed places, watching the bobber sit very still and wondered if a person could actually see algea grow. I even imagined that I did!
While I was sitting out there waiting for the bobber to move, you won't believe this but I saw a spider sliding down his (or her) web and it came from above me and to the left. There was nothing above me - absolutely nothing! I was completely in the open, no trees or anything. I saw it and still have a hard time believing it. Dan says he must have come down from the moon. I didn't even see the moon and I don't believe in luner spiders. Can spiders fly?
I spent some time going through a box and two containers of seed today. I had some that I didn't get planted last year and had to look in the catalog to see what they were (french names, different types than I had planted before). No pictures or planting information on the seed packet. Baker's Creek Seed Company has just started to put all that info. on their seed packets, but mine are last years or older. I will be putting in some new varieties of summer and winter squash, eggplant, corn, green beans and melons. All the rest will be tried and true favorites from seasons past.
I also spent some time in the office today, trying not to get involved in paying bills. I don't see the benefit of diving right into it when I can put it off for a few days. Anyway, I did do some organizing and generally put things where they should go, all the time hoping I would remember where I put them when the time came to use them. It is looking less cluttered and I don't hate going in there as much as I did this morning. Maybe tomorrow I will pay the bills, I would like to pretend that we have some money for one more day.
Boris is back on house arrest. He has picked up a very bad habit from Dan. He just takes off for places unknown for hours at a time, because Dan doesn't watch him like I do. It is not Dans fault, he is just not aware of Boris when he is involved in doing something. Boris takes advantage of this attitude and goes exploring all over this area. The general rule around here is, if a dog is threatening your farm animals in any way, he may be shot on the spot. I understand this thinking, but it's my dog we are talking about here. So, for an undetermined amount of time, I am escorting him, by leash, out to do his elimination duties and he does not like it. Tough! I might be as stubborn as he is and if this doesn't work, we will be getting him a special pulsing collar to wear for training purposes. Even last night about 11pm, when I took him out (without the leash), there was a very noisy train going by. He started to take off down the road to our neighbors across the tracks. I was able to just barely see him and hollered loud enough to get him to stop and come back. This morning, Dan let him out in the back four acre fenced area and was sitting under the patio watching him. I walked up and stuck my head out the sliding door to say something to Dan. I noticed Boris in the field by an alpaca poop pile. He was in the process of lowering himself to roll on top of the poop. He just loves to wear "Essence of Alpaca"! I was able to stop him before he was engulfed in his favorite perfume, but he knew he was in trouble and was not willing to trot on back to me. He is stationed on a leash in the living room right now. I really don't know how to get him to understand that it's not OK to not come when he is called. I don't hit him or spank with a paper, I just put him where I am not - sort of solitary confinement for a couple of hours. Anybody have any ideas?
Oh my goodness, did I really see some crocus leaves in the front yard and some daffodils popping out of the ground in the greenhouse? Those bulbs are the absolute first indication to me that spring is on the horizon. There is still snow in places around here that had been in drifts, everything else has melted. I really, really needed to see that! I feel warmer and the temperature is still the same. The power of the mind is an amazing and wonderful thing.
Four ladies and I, from the Town Country Homemakers, got together and made eight special aprons to wear while we served lunch to 230 people at the "Grand Opening" of the Senior Center in Mountain Grove. A little over a year ago, the center burned down and the daily lunch menu has been served at the Baptist church while planning and completion of the new center took place. What a very nice place we have now, to come and share a good meal, dance, listen to different bands, play cards, shuffle board, 3 pool tables, dominos, play bingo, take art classes, read in the library or help put together a very challenging puzzle. The best part of it all - is the fellowship, we have met some really great people and that includes the staff!
Up front, I will admit that I have not done all the things that I know would help make me be a stronger, more energetic person. That is what happens when you are a "thinking" type of person, before you are a "doing" kind of person. I love to think of ways to do things, plan things out and work out how best to accomplish whatever project that has currently taken priority in my brain. It is getting harder and harder to get my body to cooperate with the desire to get those things done. This must be the worst winter that I have ever had. I have probably read close to 30 books in the last 2 months and none of them have been historical or how-to books, just fiction! By my own standards, they are a waste of time. Something has to give..... Walking is a good way to just get out and get this luggage moving, but the weather has been treacherous this winter. I hear another excuse. There are a bunch of things I can do inside the house to keep me moving, but they are not as enticing as snuggling up in my easy chair under a nice warm blanket, while being entrenched in an exciting detective story. Another excuse, but in my opinion - a good one. And so the saga continues. OK, I have decided not to read today, but to work on some filing in the office. That is not as sacrificial as it may sound, because I just finished my last library book and need to make another trip into town for some more.
**New bird sighting - Calorlina Chickadee***
I am back in the chicken business after a long hard winter (which, by the way, is still hanging on). I sent a trio of started birds to Oklahoma and two dozen eggs to Sacramento, CA. So, I havn't been entirely useless.
Dan finally hurt himself in a fall. Busted his head open big time! I was getting ready to take Boris out at about 11pm, for his last meander and I heard a big bang in the den. He has fallen so much in the last 2 years that it is almost a joke with us how he manages to land in a sitting position - totally unhurt. When I heard the noise in the other room, I thought for a second that I would just go ahead and take Boris out, thinking "Oh well, just another fall, he's OK". Then I thought that I better go see, just to make sure - you never know. As I was coming back down the hall, he was coming out of the den holding his head. I steered him into the bathroom, grabbed a wash rag, filled it with cold water and put it on his head. He was bleeding pretty bad, but it stopped almost immediately as soon as the rag was applied to the wound. After seeing his head, I told him I thought he should have it stitched because there were several jagged tares and a piece of skin that was just loose. I pushed that skin back into place, cleaned up the blood and asked Dan to look at it and tell me what he thought we should do. He said it was too late to call his Doctor and he absolutely would not go to a hospital. So, I cleaned it out with peroxide, applied triple antibiotic ointment and put on some butterfly bandages to hold it all together. He stood up and lost his balance and fell over a end table. The only thing we can figure out, is he must have hit the floor face down. That happened Monday night and it is Saturday now. His wound is clean and healing (even the piece I moved back into place while doubting the whole time that it would hold and heal). He has a very great metabolism and heals well. I made him stay awake for hours that night, to make sure his pupils dilated correctly and they did. I am aware of how precarious our safety is and thankful for God's grace to help us muddle through these times.
*** New Bird Sighting - Red Bellied Woodpecker ***
Cabin fever is a good thing - I think! I doubt that I would willingly put myself through what I did yesterday if it weren't for the cabin fever. We moved a loveseat out of the den and into the guest room, then put the twin bed that was in the guest room into the den. We just switched places with them. Sounds simple - doesn't it? NOT! In order to get it to fit, we had to move the heavy sofa over about three inches (this sofa has two recliners and a central panel with cup holders, vibrating seat controls etc.). Then we had to dismantle the book case and turn it on another wall. Of course, if you are moving all this stuff, you have to vacuum copiously, dust base boards and remove spider webs that have been uncovered by the moving around of furniture - in both rooms. If we were a lot younger, this would have been a piece of cake, but I must have breathed in all the oxygen at least twice while panting loudly with the exertion. Just tying my shoes makes me breath hard and Dan just put on his boots and is having trouble catching his breath. We are a pair! We got it done though. We did all this so Dan can fall asleep on the twin bed when he gets tired, instead of sleeping in the chair. When he fell alseep in the chair, it always put a crick in his back and/or his neck.
Weather alert! We had two more days of snow and have not tried to back out of the driveway yet. When the snow plow comes (I should say "If the snow plow comes"), we will need to shovel the snow out at the entry to our drive way. If he didn't come, we can probably drive out without all the shoveling. Doesn't seem right, does it? Dan said he was just going to back the car out through it all - either way! So, much for caution........... I think I would rather shovel snow that is out in the open, than try to get it out from under the car when it won't go anywhere.
I really do have more time to blog in the winter since we are house bound a lot lately....
Have you ever had a dog point at things to remind you of things you forgot? Boris seems to be so finely tuned into us, that he is the one to remind us of things that had slipped our mind or show us things we needed to know about. These aren't the usual things a dog would do, like going to the door when he needs out, showing us an empty food bowl or quietly begging for his treat (which BTW, I make him work for). Just to give you an example, one summer afternoon, he and I were in the front yard while I was watering the flowers and some trees,. Boris sat under a small Mulberry tree that we had transplanted from the front of the house where we built the greenhouse. I thought it was a fruitless mulberry like the one I had planted in California years ago. Boris just stared up at it, every once in a while he would look over at me to see if I was paying attention. I looked at him and thought there must be something in the tree, maybe a large bug or something. I walked over and checked under some leaves and to my astonishment and delight, there was fruit growing on it. I was so happy to find out that it was a fruited tree and I had never tasted Mulberry fruit before. Other times while walking around outside, he will do the same thing with the blackberries and not when they are still growing, but when they should be picked and I haven't been paying attention to them. He does like ripe blackberries and I can't get away with giving him the ones that were slightly over ripe because he won't eat them. My usual method of giving him food is to make a pssst sound, his head will come up and he is at attention, then I toss whatever it happens to be to him and he will pluck it out of the air. If the blackberries aren't just so, he will spit them out. Same with tomatoes. Just yesterday, Dan and I were sitting at the table eating breakfast and playing Yahtzee. I felt Boris staring at me from the Living Room. I turned around and there he was, with one foot up on the end of the couch looking at me over the top of the couch. I reached across the table, got Dan's attention and pointed to Boris. He looked over at him and then back to me and said "What is he trying to tell us"? Normally, he will come over and sit on the small rug I have by my chair (for him to do his tricks on and not slip on the tiles), and put his paw on my lap, but this time, he was all the way in the LR. I looked at him and said "What"? He just sat there - not moving. Dan got up and went into the LR and Boris danced around his feet with excitement, herding Dan to the front door. Dan let him out and he was going to come back to the table to wait till he did his thing outside, but Boris just sat in front of the door, looking straight up at Dan on the other side of the screen door. So, Dan went onto the front porch and Boris started to track something and found his ball and brought it to Dan. So now we know - he really wanted to play. I try to put things by a door to remind me to put them back where they belong and as I leave a room, all I have to do it pick them up and disperse them to their proper places. Boris will point to them if I forget. Since he is not allowed to go in front of me, I usually will leave the room with my hand on the door and wait for him to follow behind me. He will stay and point to the things I forget to pick up. Does he know that we are getting on in years and forget more than we would like to? I have said this before, he is the best Dog we have ever had.
Well, according to the predictions of that fat furry ground hog (and his two camera loving side-kicks), we have 6 more weeks of winter. No comment
I took Boris out this afternoon to let him run. I decided to grab some of the chickens cracked corn out of the grain room in the back house. Piangee and his relatives were all by the tree between the fence and the frozen pond, trying to forage on brownish-green grass that was frozen. I called Piangee over to me and he came running, but Begonia saw the bowl in my hands (I was trying to hide it behind me because I know what a pig she is) and she came running right behind Piangee. There is absolutely no way to feed him without her pushing her weight around and making sure she got the biggest share of what I had. I would reach in the bowl and grab a bit in my hand and lead her away from the bowl so Piangee could get some without her bitting the fleece on his head, or trying to push him away from me. After the corn was all gone, Begonia walked off and Piangee and I had a moment where he is nose-to-nose with me, smelling all over my face. His fleece is so thick and soft and a beautiful medium brown - like brown sugar. I look forward to getting some of it processed into batts, so I can try to make several hats out of it.
If I had a camera, I would attach some cute fluffy-butt pictures to this post. 
