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

[jvls1942]

I went out early and worked the garden again.
then I knocked down some more blackberries that were not in the right place.
I found a few more rocks in the garden. they grow like weeds.
I hope to get the corn planted today before it rains.
I hope the tiller starts. it has been setting for over a year.
I am glad you managed to get some hay made, Lisa. you sure pamper your pets.
I hope they appreciate it.
how are the goslings doing? must be almost as big at the adults.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thank you Jim. Here's the older goslings marching with the adults to see if I have treats. They are more than half grown now.

These 2 hatch 4 more about a week ago. We have since put one female outside the pen. Another week and they will go free, hopefully. Will have to see how the older goslings treat them.

 

[jvls1942]

Lisa. watch out for the older goslings.
mine did not take well to the new smaller ones.
they will try to kill them. I guess they are protecting their territory.?
I got the garden ready to plant corn, then the rain started 2 hours before they forecasted it.
so I put Ollie back into the garage and will wait for the garden to dry . we got 6/10 of an inch.
not good for planting, but good for the raised beds
our mulberry tree looks like it is going to have berries. first time since I planted it about 8 years ago.
the elderberries are just now starting to blossom
the apple, pear and plum trees have lost their blossoms
when I flew home from Germany on KLM Dutch airline, my meal was a complete gosling dinner.
it was delicious
that was in 1963 . these days they are probably serving just coffee and crackers.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thanks to you Jim I know about watching the older ones. We will wait until the weekend so my husband is here to help round them up if necessary.

Got 2 1/2 inches of rain yesterday. Came down hard. Everything is well watered.

I had an appointment at the clinic today because my hip has been giving me lots of grief. They think it's coming from my back. I guess I'm going to go to physical therapy to see if it helps. Not sure what they can do about old farmer back, but I'm willing to try.

 

[Callender Girl]

Wow! 2 1/2 inches is a LOT of rain, only about an inch here, which slowed but didn't stop progress on some projects.

Until 4 p.m. yesterday, my "work crew" friends were here from Minnesota. Five people, working for two days, sure can check a lot off a to-do list quickly -- everything from adding a new gate post and latch to the sheep pen to installing a railing on the stairs to my second floor. They're all people I met through my Jim, so there were plenty of stories to share, too. And, way too much food. Renee brought apple pie, rhubarb strawberry pie and a peach cake.

One of the crew decided my garage needed reorganizing, which it did. But I'm sure my brain will continue to look for things where they USED to be in all my semi-controlled chaos.

Is "old farmer back" recognized by the medical profession? Hope PT can help with your hip.

On Monday, I leave on a homesteading and garden tour of England, organized by Murray McMurray Hatchery. My sister, her husband and his dad are also going. I suspect they will be bored with all the expected talk of coops, broody hens and organic farming. But, we will also see sites in London, Bath and Stonehenge, all of which they will enjoy more. It's my first trip over the Atlantic in more than 40 years.

Last time I went "across the pond," it was to Ireland. I'm sure no one will be surprised to learn that I kissed the Blarney Stone.

 

[jvls1942]

Lisa, I hope you find relief from your back pain and hip problems,. are you sure the hip isn't causing the back pain ?
Barb, kissing the Blarney stone can cause certain issues, like screaming and chasing poor defenseless wild animals.
Oh wait,,, you already do that,
I was in Ireland on a troop ship heading for Germany.
we docked there for a half a day , but we were not allowed to get off the ship,
I suppose they didn't want to try to round up a couple thousand troops,.
the rain is preventing me from planting corn. I might have to forego the planter and dig trenches with a hoe. I have a 1/2 pound of seeds. about 1000 seeds.
some of the beans are sprouting. kind of hit and miss, though. the peas are doing great, every seed sprouted. the beets are coming up.
the 4oF and 5oF nights don't help anything to grow.
I have some blossoms on the strawberry runners that I planted. also blossoms on the tomatoes , which are not tall enough to stake, yet.
I trimmed the lower leaves off of the tomatoes and added soil to cover the bare stem. that will give me 4 more inches of roots.

 

[Callender Girl]

Hmm, maybe my Irish ancestry is to blame, although I don't know that we can totally blame the Blarney Stone for my behavior, Jim. I grew up hearing about the Irish Banshees, the fairy women who wail or scream to signal someone's impending death.

I try to offer my best impersonation when chasing coyotes, maybe convincing them they will die if they don't leave me and my critters alone??? Don't know how the Banshees would have reacted to coyotes who laugh at them.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Goslings decided they were ready to go out. 3 were outside the fence with dad so I released the one and the mom. See how it goes. Adults are being protective and the older kids are getting pinched more often.

Jim I already knew I have a bad back. It compresses if I carry too much weight. I think I also have sciatic, and I pulled a muscle. They said they can do a MRI, but I'd prefer to avoid that. Now that I know it's not the hip joint specifically it helps to know where to stretch and ice. Every year I do something so I'm limping around so it's nothing surprising to me. I was just hopeful a doctor would tell me more than I already knew.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Hi

 

[jvls1942]

It doesn't take much for my back to ache. walking on uneven ground like across the lawn can do me in
I hope your therapy gives you some relief.
On a happier note: the beans that sprouted have already grown true leaves. can a baby bean plant be classified as cute ? too bad they grow up so fast . the peas are the best I have ever grown. they are over 8" tall,. so far our deer haven't shown up this year. they might graze the peas down.
rain is forecast for today. I am wondering if I will ever get the corn planted.
bro Dave is coming today. he will help me get the tiller out of the lean to. I haven't told him so, yet.
58F at 7:3o am,