Dreaming of Spring Gardening in the Middle of a Wisconsin winter part 2

[Callender Girl]

Your chili sounds good, Jim.

I think the forecasters here are just toying with us. Every day they tease that there are chances of rain "tomorrow."

I was supposed to get hay today, but with the threat of rain, my hay guy said I could pick it up last night and I did. But I always let him back the truck up the narrow driveway to the barn, and while doing so, he rolled down the driver's side window. It got stuck wide open. He's also a mechanic, and he says the motor is trying to work, but there's a problem with the regulator. My poor, old truck has bright yellow tape stuck to both sides of the window that will, hopefully, keep the glass up until he has time to fix it.

The chicken run project is almost done. The good news: I can fit underneath a raised-coop platform that's only a foot off the ground. On the other hand, if Ian had screwed -- not stapled -- the hardware cloth apron to the frame under the raised coop, I would not have been lying on my stomach in the dirt yesterday, trying to wield a drill while saying some Very Unpleasant words.

I have a stockpile of hardware in the garage, none of it is what I need to latch the run's door. I wish I had remembered that when I was at Menards yesterday.

BTW, it's later than the time "tomorrow's" rain was supposed to start today. So far, nothing.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

3 AM , can't sleep.
I got the rain barrel set up on the west side of the porch.
Now all we need is some rain.

Now I'm curious. Were you working on your rain barrel at 3 am Jim?

 

[jvls1942]

Now I'm curious. Were you working on your rain barrel at 3 am Jim?

no Lisa, I placed the barrel just before dark.
I write as things pop into my head. No chronical order.
Well, at any rate, it did not rain.
my next project is to pour 20 bags of quikrete along the
north side of the house . I had the ground sloped away
from the house, but it settled toward the house. a contributing
cause for the water seepage in the basement hallway.
this will not be a quick project. I have to pour 13 2ft x 2ft
slabs. I hope to get two per day finished.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thanks for clarifying it Jim. I had envisioned you out in your robe and slippers with a flashlight. Much cooler at night, but all those bugs flying about are ridiculous.

Way too warm out there. Might water the garden, but nothing much else. Yesterday it was so hot I was wishing I had a pool to jump in. Instead I hosed my head off.

You know you are getting older when you flip your hair up and give yourself whiplash. My neck was bugging me before that fancy move, but now I'm really messed up. Plan is to ice it today, and take it easy. Darn arthritis.

 

[Callender Girl]

Gee, I thought I was the only one who injured myself doing mundane, used-to-be-normal things. Hope you ARE taking it easy today.

I spent too much time yesterday out in the humidity and heat trying to prevent Tessa, a goat I should have named Houdini, from destroying what's left of a small patch of squashes and a melon plant.

By the time I finished shoring up the fencing -- okay, the second time (she's one smart and determined girl) -- I couldn't wait to get in the house and shower. I was drenched, and it sure wasn't from the non-existent rain.

I'm glad to hear that you aren't out in the middle of the night, Jim, working on projects. That's usually the time of day that I spend THINKING about all the projects I need to do, but likely won't get around to doing.

 

[jvls1942]

last night I was outside at 11 with a flashlight.
our neighbor from way across the field called and asked if we
could hear a beeping alarm . I turned the tv off and yes, I could hear it.
we went out into the dark and located the noise in the garage.
the smoke alarm was the culprit. no smoke or fire.
brought it into the house. it's life was coming to an end and it was
singing the death chant. Annie disabled it with a screw driver by turning
a plastic slot..
ten years really went by quickly.
no rain here yet. but my nephew in Manitowoc had a tree fall over
and crush a boat. I don't have any details yet.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Those goats Barb. They will drive you insane testing fences. I find if they are happy and fed everything they want they will stay in the fence. Otherwise it's a nightmare. We use electric fencing to get our point across. It's off most of the time but gets plug in on occasion as a reminder.

I'm down to 4 goats. No more after these. Been keeping goats for 30 plus years so it will be bittersweet.

Glad you found the beeping Jim. Nothing more irritating than a dying smoke detector. I enjoy the ones that randomly beep, but not enough so you can tell which one it is. Drives members bananas.

We got a bit of rain around 6 pm yesterday. Enough so I don't need to water today. I do need to pick green beans and tomatoes and freeze a few bags.

 

[jvls1942]

I have some bad news. They found me today.
Japanese beetles. they are eating my grape vines.
I never had them before. DD Barby said one of their defenses
is to fall to the ground . OK, I will spray the ground first.
I wish I had my guinea fowl.
I wonder if wild turkeys eat them ? not the guineas, the beetles.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I see a few around here, but haven't had too much damage. Not sure if my birds eat them or not. They sure are annoying. Hopefully they don't eat all your grapevine Jim.

 

[Callender Girl]

Hope you get those beetles handled, Jim. One of my friends is waging war with them, but I haven't seen any here.

And, Lisa, I understand about the goats. I am done adding goats and sheep. It will also be bittersweet for me.

The reason I bought this acreage was to get my goats back. After four years of having miniature goats in town, and with the city attorney's blessing, suddenly a Realtor found a technicality in an ordinance that made me have to hand over my goats to a friend who lived in the country.

I bought this property so I could retrieve my goats. My original four have been gone for years, and I am down to two goats, one sheep. But I won't miss having to buy, transport and unload hay.

My poor hay guy apologized last week because he is raising the price of bales. Then, he admitted that I am the only one of his customers who has been getting hay at a measly $4 a bale, the same price he's been charging me since Day One. I'm pretty sure I can handle the increase, since I told him last year I thought he was undercharging me. Next trip will be a "whopping" $5 -- far below what I would pay anywhere else!