|
Post by bazookagoof on Apr 8, 2022 23:39:18 GMT
Man, it's almost not worth starting a new thread with the new month being over a week into it already! Just to fill in this thread, I'll tell a story about work yesterday- I was leaving, and the sun was out after all the rain we've been having recently. I noticed an earthworm lying in a puddle in the parking lot, and walked past... ...and then it occurred to me that if that worm wasn't dead, he certainly would be as a car could flatten him easily! I retraced my steps to examine him, and found that he was still alive! I managed to scoop him up and deposited him gently in the grass near the building. A man passing by chuckled good-naturedly at my effort. I think Jo would have been proud of me.
|
|
|
Post by Bean on Apr 9, 2022 6:31:47 GMT
Oh yes, she would love that! I bet there was some bird cursing you, as it was about to swoop down for an easy snack...
I hadn't really registered it was April - I came down with covid on the 1st, and that's been pretty much all there's been to my month so far!
|
|
|
Post by bazookagoof on Apr 9, 2022 13:30:09 GMT
Oh, not to worry about any birds having missed a snack- this is a huge industrial area, so there aren't any trees for miles. I always figured anyone who remembers to start a new thread for the month should handle it, so it shouldn't be your sole responsibility, Bean.
|
|
|
Post by 3piggles on Apr 9, 2022 14:56:18 GMT
I move earthworms to safer places, too, though I know I'm not even making a dent in saving them, nor have I really saved those from anything but being run over. Some bird probably watches me put the earthworm on the grass and makes a meal out of it! I totally forgot about the monthly thread, but I am glad someone started one. Happy upcoming Easter and Passover for those who celebrate, and I hope you're getting sufficient April showers to get lots of nice May flowers We have some tulip leaves sticking up, but it's still cool enough to make it slow going for them. By the end of April, we should have a lot more early spring bulbs blooming.
|
|
|
Post by Bean on Apr 10, 2022 7:13:17 GMT
My tulips are coming up, but loads of them have been decapitated - probably those pesky squirrels! I think I'll just stick to having them in the front garden as the squirrels don't consider that their personal playground.
|
|
|
Post by 3piggles on Apr 10, 2022 18:51:46 GMT
We have no flowers worth eating in the backyard, where we have the feeding station. We put out flowers for the summer, then take them in again, or just let them go. Nothing for the squirrels to eat. We have tulips out front, and so far they've been fine. They haven't started to bud, yet, so maybe that's when the beasties go after them.
At our first house, we had a long, straight front walk, which I planted with hundreds of tulips lining each side. The first year was gorgeous. The second year the squirrels got everything. If I had known to do it at the time, I would have put a run of chicken wire or something over the tulips, but I didn't know to do that, so the squirrels had a feast every spring.
|
|
|
Post by Bean on Apr 11, 2022 6:51:53 GMT
I'm not sure I'd like the aesthetics of coving flower displays with wire! I also worry about wildlife getting trapped in any netting/ wire. My approach is more 'Ah, that didn't work there - maybe this will instead?'. The squirrels don't seem interested in the daffodils, so there's still a decent show (I mixed the daffodil and tulip bulbs up). A few other things are in flower too, I'll have to get my camera out before they fade.
|
|
|
Post by 3piggles on Apr 11, 2022 17:44:22 GMT
Squirrels usually only take bulbs in freshly disturbed earth, so right after planting. After ours were eaten, I replaced some of the bulbs, which were eaten by squirrels. I wish I'd known to put down chicken wire and mulch, so the sprouts could get through, but the squirrels couldn't eat the bulbs. The chicken wire won't hurt any animals. Any who come up from below will be able to eat the bulbs and will go back down the way they came up. Squirrels and chipmunks coming down from above won't be able to get through the chicken wire, but since the mulch over the chicken wire hides the freshly turned earth, they probably don't even realize something is there.
My problem was them eating all the blossoms, not the bulbs, so I'm not sure how to prevent that. Covering everything with netting makes it impossible for us to enjoy the blossoms and blooms, so what's the point.
|
|
|
Post by Bean on Apr 12, 2022 7:00:04 GMT
Ah right, I thought you meant build a cage of wire over the actual flowers! I've done the underground thing with the bulbs I put down in the new beds (well, I used C&C grids) but then the squirrels have just nipped the heads off the tulips anyway - probably just letting me know they don't approve of me stopping them digging the bulbs up!
I've ordered some flowers seeds to start off inside - including busy lizzies and sunflowers. I got a few packets of veg seeds too, some different varieties to what I have in. It's that time of year when we'll be tripping over seed trays indoors for a while!
|
|
|
Post by 3piggles on Apr 12, 2022 18:36:05 GMT
Sounds good! We bought two each of 4 different types of potato. They haven't sprouted, yet, so we don't know how many planting bags we're going to need. I figure 3-4 times the number we have, but I could be wrong. I think we may have tried to get too many seed potatoes in each bag, leading to tiny, squishy potatoes. We're going to do 2 seed potatoes per bag at best. That's just cutting out the eyes that grow out of the potatoes, and keeping enough of the original potato to keep the eye safe until it forms new potatoes. So we could get two eyes per potato, or 10 eyes. We're going to watch them and make sure we get healthy eyes rather than lots of them. I've order 6 tomato plants, and hope to get down to Strawberry Banke in Portsmouth once they put their plants out for sale. They sell heirloom seeds and plants. I figure if we're going to be overrun with tomatoes, make them interesting, colorful tomatoes we can just eat as tomato salad(tomatoes, onions, cukes in dressing). I also hope to get hubby back to eating tomato sandwiches, which he loves and used to eat all the time. Just mayo on bread with sliced tomatoes. No meat needed We had a totally meatless day, not intentional, and he loved it, so I know we'll have those again I found not having meat was much liter than having meat. I didn't feel full or weighed down after I ate.
|
|
|
Post by Bean on Apr 13, 2022 6:38:03 GMT
That's good hubby had a meat-free day and enjoyed it. I hope you can have more of them, as I know you enjoy eating that way, and if it gives you an extra energy, as compared to eating meat every day, that's even better.
When are you planning to make your Easter pie?
|
|
|
Post by 3piggles on Apr 13, 2022 19:45:54 GMT
Easter pie on Saturday, as it's great cold or reheated. I'll rub the ribs on Friday, and cook them Sunday. The lasagna will come out of the freezer to thaw on Saturday, and be ready to cook on Sunday. I'm making this as easy as possible on myself Have to make sure the guinea girls get a nice Easter Dinner, too
|
|
|
Post by bazookagoof on Apr 17, 2022 16:01:51 GMT
I was checking the weather and supposedly we're due for some snow tonight and tomorrow... but by the end of the week the temperature is supposed to hit the low 80's! What a crazy world we live in now. I expect more snow, still. Just give it another week.
|
|
|
Post by 3piggles on Apr 17, 2022 20:24:47 GMT
No jacket needed yesterday, winter coat/hat/gloves needed today, tomorrow is a repeat of yesterday. I wonder what it's like to live where the weather is basically always the same?
|
|
|
Post by Bean on Apr 18, 2022 7:24:37 GMT
Over here we always joke that people must have nothing to talk about if they live in countries where the weather is consistent - it's definitely a staple for small talk!
|
|
|
Post by 3piggles on Apr 18, 2022 16:08:58 GMT
We also run the gambit from people who hate the cold and love the heat, to those who hate the heat and love the cold, so as you said, it's always a topic of conversation We're supposed to get gale force winds and torrential rains when we should be driving to the Y tomorrow morning. It's up to hubby, as he does the driving, but that's not great driving weather at 4 a.m. It's possible we won't go swimming tomorrow morning.
|
|
|
Post by bazookagoof on Apr 23, 2022 18:34:58 GMT
Today the weather is gorgeous, and the temps are supposed to rise as high the low 80's! I'd love to get the guys out for a graze, but unfortunately with all the rain we've had, the ground is quite muddy! I'd rather not have them out and then have to clean them up, not to mention laundering my own pants after sitting out there with them! Still, shouldn't be long now. The grass, with all the rain, is nice and green and should make for delicious eating! (as far as the guys are concerned, anyway.)
|
|
|
Post by Bean on Apr 24, 2022 7:35:05 GMT
There are so many days here that look nice, but damp ground or a bit too much of a breeze rule it out for being good for the pigs. Hope you managed to enjoy it anyway!
|
|
|
Post by 3piggles on Apr 24, 2022 12:50:26 GMT
Our ground is still too cold, even on the warm, sunny days, to put the pigs on it, so they'll have to wait for the ground to warm up. By May they should have days they can get outside. Hubby has to spray for the mosquitoes, so I need it warm enough to have the garden hose out and ready to blast off a small space for the piggy run. I have to have hubby find the piggy run, too
|
|
|
Post by bazookagoof on Apr 24, 2022 14:20:51 GMT
I really wanted to sleep with the windows open last night, but was concerned the temperature would drop too much- I have a tendency to catch a cold when that happens, and I don't want to call in sick at work when I'm still relatively new. Best not to take any chances. Also, a neighbor a few doors down was celebrating his 40th birthday and a DJ was playing music rather loud into the night, so that was an added incentive to close the windows.
(Playing music late at night isn't a big deal on a Saturday, and although I don't know the neighbor well, they seldom do things like this anyway, so I had no interest in complaining. Also, I believe they wrapped up the music around 11pm- it got real quiet, and then I fell asleep.)
Today is rainy and cooler, but we opened the windows for a bit- the rest of the week gets colder again!
|
|