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

[Callender Girl]

Congrats on the kraut, Jim. However, I am with Lisa on NOT making a Tom and Jerry. The extent of my drinking these days is a small glass of white wine most nights.

Second snow of the winter last night -- I could have whisked it off the deck with a broom but I keep a shovel by the door so I used that instead.

Marco Polo, my cat with the tumor, is holding his own. Medicating him is a challenge. We did well the first day, and I was pretty proud of myself. On Day 2, he decided he didn't want to take a pill, but I slid it onto the back of his tongue and rubbed his throat. Imagine my surprise a few minutes later when I spotted the pill stuck to the back of his sister's head.

My Blue-Laced Wyandotte, Marietta, was dead in the coop yesterday morning. She was with me for about six years and was fully grown when I got her.

I think my optimism for the new year is fading a bit.

 

[jvls1942]

sorry to hear about the lousy start to the new year, Barb. it won't stay like that if you don't dwell upon it..
that big dog in my avatar was an expert at not taking pills.
we could wrap them in hot dog pieces, stick them into peanut butter , after she swallowed the goodies, she would spit the pill out and seem to say, what's next ?
we had about one inch of snow. it didn't melt. we are very shaded with all the tall trees. and besides, the sun didn't shine all that much..
no, booze doesn't spoil.
that was just my excuse to make t/j batter. something that I haven't done yet//

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Congrats on the kraut, Jim. However, I am with Lisa on NOT making a Tom and Jerry. The extent of my drinking these days is a small glass of white wine most nights.

Second snow of the winter last night -- I could have whisked it off the deck with a broom but I keep a shovel by the door so I used that instead.

Marco Polo, my cat with the tumor, is holding his own. Medicating him is a challenge. We did well the first day, and I was pretty proud of myself. On Day 2, he decided he didn't want to take a pill, but I slid it onto the back of his tongue and rubbed his throat. Imagine my surprise a few minutes later when I spotted the pill stuck to the back of his sister's head.

My Blue-Laced Wyandotte, Marietta, was dead in the coop yesterday morning. She was with me for about six years and was fully grown when I got her.

I think my optimism for the new year is fading a bit.

Sorry about your hen. Chickens seem to just drop dead one day around here. I do prefer it to a long illness where we have to cull them to relieve their suffering.

Kitties can be hard to get pills down. At least you found it on his sister's head, which made me laugh. He still has enough energy for shenanigans so maybe that's a good sign.

I will send you all my blessings to you for a good year. I think we all deserve it. I'll do my best Oprah impression, you get a good year, and you get a good year.......

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

We have snow again. I was starting to forget how to use my snow shovel. Got some practice in today.

 

[jvls1942]

we got just a taste of winter , too.
about one inch .
yesterday we went and visited our farmer neighbor. He is 87 yrs. He doesn't work anymore, his three sons and two grandsons take care of the 1,ooo plus acres. he said he would send someone over to plow us out when we need it.
No charge.. we have been letting him till a few of our acres for about 4o years, no charge. it keeps the weeds down and the soil gets plenty of fertilizer ..
the only shoveling we have to do by hand is the wheel chair ramp from the door to the ground. only about 12 feet long.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

we got just a taste of winter , too.
about one inch .
yesterday we went and visited our farmer neighbor. He is 87 yrs. He doesn't work anymore, his three sons and two grandsons take care of the 1,ooo plus acres. he said he would send someone over to plow us out when we need it.
No charge.. we have been letting him till a few of our acres for about 4o years, no charge. it keeps the weeds down and the soil gets plenty of fertilizer ..
the only shoveling we have to do by hand is the wheel chair ramp from the door to the ground. only about 12 feet long.

Free snow plowing in Wisconsin is a great gift.

 

[Callender Girl]

For the first time ever, I was going to use a used snow blower instead of shoveling by hand.

I waited until almost noon today to go out. There was about 4 to 5 inches of snow. All the smugness was knocked out of me when I couldn't get the snow blower to start.

So, I piled on my Muck boots, coveralls, ski gloves, ski mask and ski goggles (and, no, I don't ski!) and shoveled for an hour and 45 minutes. By mid-afternoon, 40 mile-per-hour gusts had blown snow over the ramp again. The dogs were not happy.

Also, Marco Polo has gotten much more adamant about not taking his pills. My hands look like pincushions. He still has to take two a day through Saturday morning.

Snow is in the forecast again on Friday. I hope I don't have to shovel again.

 

[jvls1942]

I know a little about small engines.
to start one , you have to have a good working choke.
I do not use gas with ethanol in my small engines or tractor.. ethanol gets old/stale if it sits around too long.
replace the gas. and make sure the choke is completely closed.
If the engine fires and pulls the starter rope out of your hand, give up. you then need to adjust the valves. btdt
we ended up with 1 inch of snow. my brother who lives 9 miles south from us got over 4 inches. I can handle the snow. it is the cold weather coming that I don't like..
we had left over ribs and kraut for supper.. Annie's attempt at ho made dumplings was a bust. they were not too bad once I mashed them and mixed them with the cooking juices.. I told her we would have been better off with the potatoes she decided to not include in the mix..

 

[Callender Girl]

When Frankie came out to help me with the snow blower, the first thing he did was remove the spark plug and clean it off with a wire brush. He agreed with you, Jim, that I should not use gas with ethanol. I think that's what David put in it when he was working on it because I'm pretty sure that's what I had in the gas can. So, I will dash into town today -- before the next storm hits tomorrow -- and buy premium gas.

Even with the wrong gas, Frankie got the machine running. BTW, the snow blower has an electric start; I NEVER get anything started that has a rope to pull.

I'm not crazy about the snow, but I really hate the cold. Temps will plunge to frigid in the next week.

I made a slow cooker recipe of vegetable soup yesterday. I made way too much. I will be having soup for days.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Tomorrow's weather sounds interesting. Anywhere from a bit of snow to full blown blizzard. I guess that's how the weather guys get it right. Predict everything. Can't go wrong.