The Old Folks Home

[CanuckBock]

I'd really like to get a raised garden going in this old couch shell that I was using as a roost.

Anything that I can plant this late in the season? I'm in Oklahoma. Ag7

Oh for sure, for sure woman!

You will most certainly have a longer growing season than I do up here in Canuckville! We get round about 90 days if we are fortunate...guaranteed a few FROSTS on the pumpkins but for the most part if one chooses an "early" variety, you'll do fine and dandy!

It's really not that late.

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Herbs would be a good idea too. There's still time for basil, just harvest it all before frost or it will be ruined. Tarragon, chives, thyme, oregano, parsley, rosemary and sage are all hardy.

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I'm starting head lettuce next week; carrots, cabbage and broccoli the following week, leaf lettuce and cauliflower at the end of the month, spinach, peas and kale go in the middle of August. Spinach should overwinter nicely there.

No over wintering here (frosts can be driven down some 15 to 20 feet on road ways with traffic...hee hee hee...on solid ground till spring thaw!) but I did see parsnips survive one winter to grow the next spring...found that amazing!

Herb Garden - seeds sown on June 29, 2014
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Totally agree with CC...I planted my new herbs in the herb garden on June 29th and yesterday I planted zucchini--was weeding the veg and soil was nice and WARM--time to get the frost sensitive ones in the dirt or forget it for this year. Might plant pumpkins, see if I remember to put a packet of seed in a pocket to plant out.

I plant all veg in raised beds (always have, even on the WEsT Coast)...so when it rains it don't flood and when it warms up...stands a good chance the soil will warm up too.

Em Bush BEANIES!​

Bush beans are just up (planted June 22) and here they are peaking out! Seen beets, lettuce, spinach; all doing the seedling things.

I will do another planting of lettuce and spinach...need all those bird treats galore!

The pole beans, just a few brave ones up but soon there will be a big flush of greenery in the garden past the potatoes and onions. Yee haw! Hope I can find the time to weed...ha ha ha...so busy and with pending baby birds...hard to divide oneself between plant life and bird life, eh?

Heck we found another bird (looked sorta wren or nuthatch like) building a nest with sticks in a bird house on the Manporch. If the wild birds are not done beginning to nest up again...there is still lots of time for plants to begin growing. Most hatchlings need to get big and strong, feather up and prepare to migrate South for winter escapes.

Lots of time!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[subhanalah]

I love the country (as in the land up there) but man if it isn't too cold for me. I slow down a LOT when it gets cold!

 

[gryeyes]

A kitten has joined the family. It has been at least two decades since I have had any kittens, as so many rescues need homes. I figured it was about time for some youngster's antics. I was smitten by this kitten when one of the servers at The Pub showed me pictures of the litter. These photos are mine, though, once I got it home. See how small s/he is?

Lizbeth is NOT happy about the newcomer. She hisses, growls really menacingly and swats at it......and at me, too, for bringing another cat into her house.

The baby is barely eight weeks old and still has some blue in its eyes. I'd forgotten how kittens can play with everything: the floor, shadows, the very air itself. This one is in cat heaven - it found a real feather! (Courtesy of a House Chicken.) None of that sanitized pillow fluff or mass-produced cat toys for my cats. Empty TP rolls, coiled pipe cleaners, plastic water bottle tops and the like. But to score a nifty smells-like-real-bird feather - woo hoo!

It even carried that feather into the litter box when the potty urge struck. Y'all know kittens play in the litter box anyway. Might as well add to the entertainment. And it's not like it won't be able find another one pretty easily......

 

[ronott1]

A kitten has joined the family. It has been at least two decades since I have had any kittens, as so many rescues need homes. I figured it was about time for some youngster's antics.

I was smitten by this kitten when one of the servers at The Pub showed me pictures of the litter. These photos are mine, though, once I got it home. See how small s/he is?




Lizbeth is NOT happy about the newcomer. She hisses, growls really menacingly and swats at it......and at me, too, for bringing another cat into her house.

The baby is barely eight weeks old and still has some blue in its eyes. I'd forgotten how kittens can play with everything: the floor, shadows, the very air itself. This one is in cat heaven - it found a real feather! (Courtesy of a House Chicken.) None of that sanitized pillow fluff or mass-produced cat toys for my cats. Empty TP rolls, coiled pipe cleaners, plastic water bottle tops and the like. But to score a nifty smells-like-real-bird feather - woo hoo!

It even carried that feather into the litter box when the potty urge struck. Y'all know kittens play in the litter box anyway. Might as well add to the entertainment. And it's not like it won't be able find another one pretty easily......

Kittens are so fun!

 

[chickisoup]

Awwww, such a cutie!!!

 

[bamadude]

Bunnylady i hope the hurricane fizzles out. Stay safe

 

[chickisoup]

Ok, got to do a little braggin' here. Scored this off a local auction for $20!!!! Nice big 12X12. Perfect timing for the 4th

Now, where's my lounge chair???



Angel and Dumpling checkin' out the new kids (the 10 wk old BA pullets)

 

[bamadude]

Im fermenting tomatoe seeds. They should be dry by monday. If any1 wants any.... speak up.

 

[Bunnylady]

Bunnylady i hope the hurricane fizzles out. Stay safe

Thanks, I will. We've had a couple of inches of rain so far, and wind gusts in the 30's. The last few frames of the NWS radar loop seem to show Arthur taking a little sidestep to the east - looks like he'll pass by close enough to shake hands, but not actually make landfall here. We lost power for a couple of hours this afternoon, hopefully, that's the only time that will happen (things get grim when you have teenagers and no AC or internet!).

Now I gotta go splashing out and feed some horses. . . . .

 

[CanuckBock]

I love the country (as in the land up there) but man if it isn't too cold for me. I slow down a LOT when it gets cold!

I believe very correctly, we both live where we prosper.

If you wanted to sentence me to a fate worst than death...pack me up and send me off on some "beach" type vacation. I would rather die than languish on some hot sandy spot supposedly being stationary! LOL I would go absolutely stir crazy and would be totally miserable! So if for some reason I am ever given or win some "dream" vacation...you'll see those tickets up for cheep cheap because I ain't leaving my home & paradise! LMBO

I abhor the heat, and while we all slow down when it gets cold...I guess I have some good ol' brown fat upon my carcass that lets me survive winters...my fav temperature is round about -10C (14F). NO bugs, not cold enough to require more than a wool sweater, and watch us fly about doing things! Now if I could not function and shut down in the cold...no, I would not enjoy our white season up here. I love the green and enjoy the summer but when she is over...we are very tired of it all and happily looking forward to shutting things down, leaving animals in, and generally going into winter mode--wood stoves are glorious items to have up here in the Great White North! I guess one would have to live a year here to see the cycles full thru.

No worries, you're good where you are at and so am I--so long as we are happy were we reside, eh!

Funny...took the one pic of the bush beans yesterday and here today, one day later...it is like you can see them GROW! Wait wait wait for the seeds to break forth and the game is on!

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Decided to water the veg garden for the first time...June sure gave us enough moisture to germinate seeds (peas are up and second setting of onions is well on its way!) but the top of the dirt is getting pretty dry. Yeh, I did plant pumpkins, and sunflowers and acorn squash--remembered to stuff some packets in my pockets. Warm warm warm!

before watering...



after watering...​

Yes, we did get one or two thundershowers this afternoon but in this warm weather, it is more of a insult that a soaking!

A good friend of mine that owns Fixins' full sister (Java) made me this for me. I sent him some old antiquey blacksmith branding irons and he felt compelled to make me one of these.

Mutant WHAT?​

Not exactly sure what species. I even asked him...is this a mutant DUCK or a mutant CHICKEN? ... He more or less replied, "What do you think it is!?" Har har.

So for the summer, this pitch forked tailed bird of steel resides holds a candle lantern on the corner of the entrance to my veg garden. I have to be tres careful where he gets placed as one of the dogs or birds could wander into that tail and well, it would hurt for sure, eh!

The Ruddy Shels are moulting and left me a pair of matched wing speculum feathers...incredible shiny green. Hard for me to capture the sparklies in a photo but gave it a whirl.

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The wild birds sure know how to put on the fancy feathers!​

fall of 2013​

Not like a goose's wing and sorta like a duck's wing but since they are not ducks or geese, maybe this is one of the reasons why zoologists did not put them in either waterfowl family?


Wind has picked up again...time to go see that all the hatches are battened down in case this gets nasty. Hail and tornado season for us here and one tornado touched down here in 2001...nasty powerful forces. Was near where my son was working and do laugh because he called me from work and simply stated..."Mom...I do not want you leaving home and coming to town! There is a tornado in town and I will be OK." Eeep...such a boy that one! He was quite right, he was OK but a hay barn on the outskirts of town got taken out.

Every place on Earth has something nasty weather wise that happens now and again. NO safe place, no peace without turmoil...no matter. Not like weather picks on you specifically...you just happen to be in the wrong place at a bad time...sigh!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada