I'm going to stay out of the woods today and try to get something done out in the new garden patch. Maybe set the posts for the new hoop house...
Posted on 04/01/2024 6:23:19 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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Not “scab” but “scab free” varieties!
I'm going to stay out of the woods today and try to get something done out in the new garden patch. Maybe set the posts for the new hoop house...
The last 2 days have been ‘eventful’....
Roofers arrived Friday morning to repair the slate roof (62 yo, normal wear & tear) & replace the waterproof membrane that had disintegrated on the 2nd floor porch/balcony. They worked until dark on the membrane issue & were back at 8 yesterday morning. Work on the membrane continued & cracked, slipped slate shingles were replaced or returned to their place & secured. The ‘boss’ had estimated 30 shingles needed work, but it turned out to be 60! Ridgeline is OK & all the flashing.
The ancient storm door had to be removed so it wouldn’t scrape the new membrane/floor. I either need a new one or I am thinking of replacing the French door (interior door quality & lock is like a bedroom door lock which doesn’t want to work) with a French door that is for an exterior entrance, can handle weather & not leak rain, & has a decent lock.
Weather was cloudy, windy, temps in the 40’s, windchill in the 30’s. I had moved the mower so the dump trailer could be put in a convenient place. On this mower, we leave the key in, but in my haste/confusion, I pulled it out .... couldn’t get it back in all the way. Bottom line, I got some lubricant & cleaned the key, sprayed a bit in the ignition & the key goes in enough to start the mower. I see a potential new ignition switch in my future.
So working on the ignition, I was sitting on the mower. I have a very nice cover, which I had put on because we were also having rain, snow & graupel showers. The cover was pulled half off to work on the key/switch & when I went to get off, in trying to avoid the cover, I got my feet tangled up & fell/toppled off the mower. The only thought was to avoid landing on my knees, which I did manage to do - pretty much chest planted in the grass. It wasn’t enough to knock the wind out of me, but scary all the same. I’ll be paranoid about getting off the mower for a while.
Sleep was escaping me last night, thinking about all the things I needed to move (garage to basement, garage to shop, truck load to shop/garage) & it finally got so bad that I got up at 12:20 am & got it all done by 3 am. The ‘sandman’ came sometime before 4.
It’s a beautiful Spring day, 50’s going to 60’s & I am going to do my best to finish up clearing debris & mowing. The birds are having a fabulous time - Robins are finding worms like crazy with all the rain we’ve had & the male Bluebird is showing off his aerobatic skills chasing down flying insects. I may have to indulge in a 15 minute ‘sun soak’ ... the warmth feels so good after the last couple of very chilly days.
Snakes are out!
Yup, saw a 3-4 foot long black snake in the woods. Harmless round nosed.
7 | up |
|---|
Mine was something like a garter snake, maybe 18” long & slim body. Light tan with light stripes. I looked at some images & very close to if not an Eastern Garter snake. It went to a garage door corner & wiggled in. My mom is NOT going to be happy - she’ll be scared to go in there.
Ooooo! Jealous! :) We had local ‘reports’ of Morels popping up here and there when we had our FREAK February/early March THAW this year, but then we had ‘feets and feets’ of snow, so Beau and I lost the will to go look for them i nour woods.
I’m predicting a Bumper Crop of Golden Oyster Mushrooms later this spring and then again in the fall, so all is not lost up here on The Frozen Tundra. ;)
You exhaust me Woman, LOL! The only good thing about this situation is that it’s YOU and not ME! ;)
I’ve shared with you MY ‘moving adventures.’ We had a City House and a Farm to sell when we decided to set up shop together. 50+ trips to St. Vinnie’s to drop off 30+ years of accumulated ‘stuff’ and a long Summer spent painting and landscaping The City House, then a long Fall-into-Winter replacing toilets, the water heater, the sump pump and making the attic BAT-PROOF before I could sell my little farm.
It’s your turn in the barrel, Girlfriend, LOL! :)
P.S. Take it easy! Don’t rush! Quit falling down! We need you here! :)
Cherry Pie Mix:
Lucky Number:
Procyon:
Night Queen:
No real 'color theme,' here. I. Like. Bright! I did grow 'Night Queen' last season and she was spectacular. :)
I recently read that Roundup’s effectiveness is much decreased if it is mixed with “hard” well water.
My own usage tends to support the idea. My Mom was on fairly “soft” municipal water and when I’d spray Roundup on her brick sidewalks and patio, out back around the large trees in her “pine row”, etc., I found it very effective, even when stored after mixing for months.
At my place we are on rather hard (but still good tasting) well water. Here, it seems like the Roundup concentration needs to be doubled for results similar to at Mom’s, and mixed Roundup seems to lose it’s punch sooner.
Does anyone here have experience with this?
Am I better off mixing with distilled water, municipal water, or perhaps rain water? (I can collect plenty of rain water easily.)
On another note, due to a death in the family and last fall getting whacked by what may have been RSV or Covid, I didn’t get most of my garden area well mulched last fall, and now it has lots of weeds and wild strawberry coming up. The wild mustard are really going to town too. I’ve never used Roundup IN the garden. Spray, collect seed heads as weeds die (esp. the wild mustard, but dandelions are few), and wait a week after spraying B4 turning soil and then planting?
If this is an area where you will plant food, wait a good week or so after spraying...and then get that area MULCHED even before you plant. (I always mulch my beds with straw in the spring, then just pull it back where I want to plant). Herbicides like this must touch ‘leaf mass’ to be effective - once it’s on the soil, it does nothing to control weeds.
I know Round-Up is a VERY touchy subject for people, but I use it from time to time AROUND my raised beds where weeds can creep in. Since I’m a huge advocate of a thick layer of mulch, weeds aren’t a big problem for me - but seriously? I was looking over my beds around the greenhouse and there are already weeds sprouting up there - so the next dry day I’m going after them and digging them all out! Grrr!
I’ve never heard of the effectiveness depending upon water quality, so I have no answer to that. Round-Up is basically a very high concentration of SALT, which is why it’s so effective. (’Salting The Earth’ ring a bell?) Be careful with it. It will kill ANY leaf mass that it touches. Don’t spray on a windy day! :)
Would you believe ... STILL not finished? I did some 'extra' work & severely trimmed up the holly tree & cut down some massive pine branches that took a while to cut into manageable lengths.
I really need the trailer up here - the 'sled' holds about half of what I can pack in the trailer. The tires need tubes ... been there, done that so maybe I can get it done this coming week.
Some scenes from 'The Lawn':
The big branch in the middle broke off one of the trees. This is the end remnant - the rest of the branch with many smaller limbs was the big mess to clean up
Three debris piles & one holly pile after trimming.
The mower has been a 'champ' - couldn't do this without it.
That’s mom! LOL!
If April Showers bring May Flowers, what do May Flowers bring?........................
Pops came over yesterday morning and ran the post hole digger for me. I don't ask him to any heavy lifting these days but it makes him happy to get out and help how he can, especially if it gives him a chance to use one of the tractors. Once the holes were punched he went to the couch and I got busy. Cleaned out the holes, bedded the posts in ag lime, set the temporary braces, and called it a day. This hoop house is going to be a bit bigger than the old one - 10'x25' with 9' to the peak of roof. I'd like to have it finished by the weekend but I have a feeling that mushroom hunting may slow the progress just a bit.
That house had been vacant for a while, Right? Probably not so much work when someone is there to stay ahead of it. The house is so CUTE and the view of the mountains (foothills?) is wonderful. :)
At closing on my other farm the new owner said, ‘Can’t wait to get out my chainsaw!’ about my old HOME! He was going to decapitate MY SHRUBBERY CHILDREN? In all honesty, the ugly Yews across the front needed to go decades ago. I shut up, took his money and RAN, LOL!
I’ve been past it a few times, since. It looks wonderful and they’re taking very good care of the property. :)
Illegal invaders from England? ;)
And Religious fanatics!........................
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