Yesterday it was just me and Logan while Todd was at work. We started bright and early picking up the first load of arborvitae from Menards. Anything to slow the wind down on top of this hill. I purchased 16 Emerald green arborvitae. I love the symmetry of arborvitae. They remind of some beautiful garden in the country in Rome....
I also tilled up half of the "hog"garden. So aptly named because it used to be a hog building before we pushed it over and took out the old concrete floor. The concrete sides make a great raised bed and I filled it up with horse poo. I planted 4 varieties of cucumbers, including an yellow heirloom variety that looks like a lemon. As long as we have lived here I have failed to produce a reasonable cucumber. I thought I had a bacterial wilt or pests, like beetles. Alas, I think it is because I was trying to trellis them like I always did in my backyard in Nevada (Iowa). It blows so hard here, I think it was damaging the plants..one day alive and doing well....next day dead and dried out. So this year I have devoted a huge area to cucumbers and just letting them sprawl...Here is hoping for spicy pickles to can this year.
In my ever determined attempts to save money, I also made more baby food tonight..peas... now that I am using the blender it is even easier. The food processor just left little gritty pieces and he didn't like it. We also have been having these Jimmy Dean sandwiches for breakfast in a hurry that I got at Sam's club. Tonight, I made our own with egg patties, sausage, a piece of cheese, and layered it nicely on an English muffin. i wrapped them in freezer paper and in the freezer they went. This is just one more reason I need a nice new huge upright freezer. hint, hint Todd..lol....
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
First Shot at Blogging
Well, i have never blogged before, but here we go. I guess this is nothing more then an online journal. Although I have never written in a traditional style journal more then a few days.
So as usual my days off this week were devoted to the farm and kids. Todd is working on tearing down an old aluminum corn crib. Had it been decent looking or traditional in any sense I would have covered in it some sort of vining fruit. He also took down this terrible ugly fence that was used as a windbreak to the west of the horse barn (former cattle shed). We have purchased 16 6' emerald green arborvitae to go in a double row where the fence once stood.
In the Garden....Kiwi's are planted...1 male and 1 female...the problem is Calysta removed the labels and I have no idea which one is which. They are dioecious and require at least one male to several females. I planted them so they can spread up the concrete block silo....if that isn't strong enough to hold them up then I have nothing that will. In about 5-7 years I will be cussing myself for doing this when i can't pick the fruit. I have an enormous fear of heights and even standing on small step ladders is cause for a panic attack. I also have 4 Saskatoon berries from Henry Field that are getting planted on the Northwest side of the property. Saskatoon berries are native to the north and were consumed by many Native Americans. Apparently, they look like blueberries but have a more "nutty" flavor. We shall see. I wouldn't mind have an entire hedge of these blocking my view of the corn/ hay to the north.
Yesterday, I had a boxer relinquished by the owners. They brought the dog in for a second opinion and unfortunately didn't have money for diagnostics. The other clinic had already tried treating without diagnostics and it didn't go well, so as I second opinion I wanted to do what needed to be done and no more guessing. I got "lucky" after normal bloodwork and non-diagnostic lymph node enlargement on the chest rads, I managed to find cryptococcus organisms in a lymph node. It will take months of fungistatic drugs to get her well.
As quiet as the house is, I am missing Calysta who is staying with her "nammy Pat". I laugh because it wasn't so long ago she referred to Todd's mother as "Pack nammy". Hoping she has a great time and yet wishing her home soon.
So as usual my days off this week were devoted to the farm and kids. Todd is working on tearing down an old aluminum corn crib. Had it been decent looking or traditional in any sense I would have covered in it some sort of vining fruit. He also took down this terrible ugly fence that was used as a windbreak to the west of the horse barn (former cattle shed). We have purchased 16 6' emerald green arborvitae to go in a double row where the fence once stood.
In the Garden....Kiwi's are planted...1 male and 1 female...the problem is Calysta removed the labels and I have no idea which one is which. They are dioecious and require at least one male to several females. I planted them so they can spread up the concrete block silo....if that isn't strong enough to hold them up then I have nothing that will. In about 5-7 years I will be cussing myself for doing this when i can't pick the fruit. I have an enormous fear of heights and even standing on small step ladders is cause for a panic attack. I also have 4 Saskatoon berries from Henry Field that are getting planted on the Northwest side of the property. Saskatoon berries are native to the north and were consumed by many Native Americans. Apparently, they look like blueberries but have a more "nutty" flavor. We shall see. I wouldn't mind have an entire hedge of these blocking my view of the corn/ hay to the north.
Yesterday, I had a boxer relinquished by the owners. They brought the dog in for a second opinion and unfortunately didn't have money for diagnostics. The other clinic had already tried treating without diagnostics and it didn't go well, so as I second opinion I wanted to do what needed to be done and no more guessing. I got "lucky" after normal bloodwork and non-diagnostic lymph node enlargement on the chest rads, I managed to find cryptococcus organisms in a lymph node. It will take months of fungistatic drugs to get her well.
As quiet as the house is, I am missing Calysta who is staying with her "nammy Pat". I laugh because it wasn't so long ago she referred to Todd's mother as "Pack nammy". Hoping she has a great time and yet wishing her home soon.
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