Posted on 03/09/2018 5:07:44 PM PST by greeneyes
Yesterday was gorgeous here in Central Missouri. Warm, and for the most part, sunny.
Mrs. Augie and I are enjoying a visit with #2 Son, DiL, and the grandboys. Yesterday they were able to play outside, but not today. It’s snowing like crazy right now. Big, heavy, wet flakes - almost slush before they hit the ground. It’s making conditions outside very messy.
I dropped Nanner off at the tractor Doc on Monday for a new water pump, and overhaul of the charging system. We’re tossing the Lucas (prince of darkness) alternator and replacing it with a 3-wire, externally regulated GM unit. I had new battery cables made, and picked up a voltmeter to mount in the cab so I’ll have a visual indication that it’s charging, rather than just the stupid idiot light that never worked anyway. Yesterday I picked up the last of the pieces parts needed to put everything back together. It should be ready to come home in a day or three.
I finished the cargo basket yesterday. All that’s left is to get a warm, dry day and slap some paint on it.
It’s time to buy seed potatoes and get them cut/cured for planting. Space is cleared and ready for that in the kitchen garden. Now that daylight savings time has arrived it will be easier to make headway on outdoor projects during the week.
About the invasive yuccas, back when I bought this house I was thrilled because the way the driveway and sidewalks are poured I have 6 separate spaces enclosed by 3 to 8 ft of concrete. Back when it was my home I had all my invasive herbs planted and thriving in these spots.
Now that I moved back to my home area amd married, our home has those yuccas growing in pathways we’ve made into some natural areas. For the past few years I’ve been digging them up and potting them then selling in yard sales. Depending on size I’m asking $5 -10 for them and people snap them up. I did not know they would tolerate the colder zones tho. Due to the invasive nature I would pass on adding them to anything not well enclosed no matter how homesick. I’d probably have to carry a prickly pear cactus to remind me of home even if it had to over-winter in a geenhouse tho.
“I’d probably have to carry a prickly pear cactus to remind me of home even if it had to over-winter in a geenhouse tho.”
Mom’s lives outside in Zone 4b and comes back every year. It’s gorgeous when it blooms...but I’m not taking any for my yard...and I’m ALSO not digging it out for her. That requires a paid professional! :)
I’ve been drying the egg shells then pulverizing them in my dry herb grinder. We’ll be sprinkling them in the tomato pots and in my kitchen garden and wherever the powder is needed.
Squash and pepper seeds in the ground. I’m putting a couple of seeds in the kitchen garden and let them climb toward the balcony. Putting herbs in next week, after my shopping spree. I’ll be planting the melons in the community garden and a couple in my pot garden. My roses are going gang busters, but no blooms yet. You know there’s nothing more fun than digging around in the mud. I love it. The potatoes we planted on Valentines day are up about 5 inches. Nice. I’m thinking of putting in some onion bulbs too, along the edge of the kitchen garden. I’ve also planted some flowering bulbs for show. Hopefully it works out. Trimming my climbing rose, it’s reaching for the sky. Bless it’s hungry roots.
I don’t know if 100 for $3 at WM is a good deal. 3 cents apiece? Well, it’s done so guess that’s what I’m going with. We’ll see how I do with bulbs. I still feel bad about my radishes last year - sprung up all nice and healthy for weeks - then I put them outside and the Sun finished them off. Oops. Guess I have to get them more shade next time (have my seeds for this year already).
I was gonna go with the all white at first but got the mix of red, yellow and white. I like to use red onion a lot, too.
I don’t do facebook. Wood is our backup heat. We have 2 fireplaces upstairs, and we used to have a wood stove in the basement.
When we put in a basement apartment, the wood stove had to go, but we are brainstorming where to put another one.
It is cold and rainy almost snain here. No sun - depressing day. Looking forward to Monday.
Picked some baby lettuce of the red romaine sowed earlier this year. Had a very nice small salad, which tasted delicious! Daffy blooming, and having a small but steady supply of violets and pansies. Weather permitting, will be cleaning up the winter mess this weekend.
I have 2 spineless prickly pears growing in big pots. They do ok being root bound but only I only get 3-4 fruit off each per year. Being spineless does not mean there aren’t the occasional microscopic cactus hairs that pierce and embed. When I decide to make prickly pear jelly I go pick by the highways armed with big tongs, welding gloves and thick clothing. We take tongs on camping trips to grab pads, burn the outside over the campfire then cook. But any method of using these things for food includes a healthy respect for spines!
I have helped a ranching friend clear pastures of prickly pears. Lots of fire. Rather than engage the beasts we burned em out.
You’re braver than me! :)
Learned lot's last year....
NE OK.....
I sincerely doubt that. You’ve not seen me jump, scream, run, hide and unload multiple firearms when I see snakes. Just plain ones, no poison needed. I’ll take on the native flora any day just keep those things out of sight. The only good thing about my phobia is that it offends the lib neighbors. They cringe that I putter on my country property with holtered weapons in plain sight. I smile every time they go by our property.
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