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

[ShrekDawg]

Jim I wait for the cold days to bring the fish in so the water outside is colder than the water in the tank in my basement. That way I don't have to float them and can put them straight in. Also they are easier to catch when cold. Warm goldfish are a challenge to net. I think there are 4 more to bring in. I can't recall how many went out.

I ran a fan in the window for part of the night. Than I ran the heater for a short while when I got up. That's the sign for fall weather here in Wisconsin. AC was running two nights ago. Covering all my bases. Now I gotta open the windows again.

This boxer pup seems smaller to me than my other ones, but it's been 13 years, so I can't recall that either. She's doing well.

You said she was the runt though, right? So she probably is.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Trixie is sleeping through the night now. She's still smaller than any of our cats, but is growing like a weed.

View attachment 4210430

So cute

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You said she was the runt though, right? So she probably is.

She was the runt, and hopefully stays a runt. My brother had a boxer that was only 45 pounds as an adult. I'm hoping for less than 60, but she may surprise me.

 

[ShrekDawg]

She was the runt, and hopefully stays a runt. My brother had a boxer that was only 45 pounds as an adult. I'm hoping for less than 60, but she may surprise me.

Oh wow lol

 

[Callender Girl]

Jim, bet those peppers and tomatoes from the garden elevated your pepper steak into Five Star eats! As a kid, I hated having to go into the garden and pick veggies; now, I realize how much better my home-grown stuff is!

Lisa, I hope Trixie stays small, but I know you'll love her no matter what size she becomes.

At best, the meds have bought Goo a little more time. But, he's so tiny and frail. Still, he eats with great vigor (although only soft, canned food now), USUALLY makes it to his litter box and can still get himself upstairs to yowl at me when he thinks I should get out of bed.

I spent hours yesterday cleaning coops to remove mites and was thrilled that I had two volunteers to help me dust 23 chickens. I met Anna and her mom when I bought three hens from Anna several years ago. Anna, who was a teen then, is now a poultry judge at area 4-H shows, so she knows her way around a hen's behind! She and I did the dusting, and Jan held hens as they waited for their turn. It was like an assembly line -- well, except maybe not quite as efficient.

It's 43 degrees this morning; too soon to be this cold. I refuse to turn on the furnace this early.

 

[jvls1942]

yeah Barb, surprising how fresh veggies make such a difference.
Seems like the cat is doing OK. keep it up.
Lisa, sounds like the puppy is learning the rules.
i put some items on craigslist and marketplace.
having quite a few responses . i don't send pictures until i get a response. i don't give out my phone number either. i make them send me theirs, that weeds out most of the nuisance responders.
biggest problem today is, going out in 45F to take pictures.
i made Annie turn on some heat last night.
i have to siphon the wine sometime this weekend. i think i got all the juice i can out of the blackberries. i stir it every day. it sure smells good already .

 

[jvls1942]

good sunday morning.
yesterday I took advantage of the perfect autumn weather to work on the driveway again. I don't think I improved it very much. but I did enjoy the tractor time.
today i am waiting for a guy to come buy my lawn sweeper , that I haven't used for years. we cut our grass as tall as the lawn mower allows. the sweeper does not work well in long grass.
I finally gave away some lettuce and beet greens . a couple of tomatoes and peppers,
in general, people must not be hungry I guess

 

[jvls1942]

the Packers won. I hope it wasn't just a fluke.
this morning I looked on youtube and got a few pointers about box blading. I figured I was doing something wrong. so I adjusted the scarifiers and made a pass. tadaaa ! so I made quite a few passes. it looks a lot nicer, now.
the radishes are ready to pick.
tomorrow I will put on my wine makers hat.
have to strain the berries off of the juice.

 

[Callender Girl]

I have to admit that I didn't really know what a box blade looked like. So, I Googled it. Kinda scary looking, Jim. Glad you got it working to its better potential!

How's the wine-making going?

Lisa, is Trixie's puppy energy wearing you out? After all my old dogs, I wasn't ready for how active Dinah was when she first arrived. It's one of the reasons I got George, so the canines could play with each other and I could take it easy. Are your dogs bringing Trixie into the pack and teaching her the rules?

I am sure the antibiotics aren't making Goo better, but I will keep giving them to him, just in case. It makes me feel as if I'm doing something to help him.

I worked on "upgrading" my potting bench yesterday. It's a very sturdy salvaged metal base, "married" to an old enameled sink with drainage aprons on both ends. Luckily, the base parts have holes placed a few inches apart. So, I've added a cedar picket-board shelf under the sink basin and a sump pump hose so water doesn't drain onto the shelf. And, I attached a metal grab bar -- intended for a shower or bath tub -- to a board I've put up across one of the short ends. I can hang all kinds of things from that.

I'm still trying to decide how and what to put above the sink. I'd like to add vertical storage and maybe some salvaged metal roofing. On the other hand, I won't be doing much potting until spring. Maybe more improvements can wait

I am very happy that the cold snap has left and daytime temps are back to the 70s and maybe even 80s next week. I hope to soak up lots of sunshine and warmth before it's over.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Barb, Trixie is active at times and mellow at others. Thankfully my youngest dog plays with her the most, and the older ones either try to play, or they tell her gently they aren't the ones to play with. They are gently setting down the rules of the pack before she gets to big to listen.

It is amazing to watch how dogs interact, and how they treat a puppy. I love watching pack dynamics and learning dog language. I couldn't do it without them, and often wonder how hard it is to raise a pup without an older dog to help out.

When I was a kid I was fascinated with wolves and wanted to be a wildlife biologist who studied them. Thankfully dogs aren't as violent as wolves to other pack members.

I see the gold finches are back, so I gotta keep the feeder full for a while. I think the hummingbirds have moved south as I haven't seen them in the last few days.