Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[itsren]

My favorite memories of my childhood were when we planted the "children's garden" seeds we got from Gurney's every year. Dad gave us our own plot and every year the seeds were different. My father passed on many years ago. My favorite picture is him on his hands and knees picking bugs off his prized cabbages. They grew gigantic! Mom had a giant crock the size of a large garbage can she would fill with cabbage and brine. That was the best sauerkraut ever! See the memories you can make with your children? '

Our 3 kids each have their own little planting bed and they love it. I think each of them are 2'x2' square. The Windmill Garden Center in Sumner has a kids club card where the kids can each get a free plant each month (usually overgrown potted plants that need pruning). My kids love to go there and get their plants each month through the summer and come home and plant them.

This year I'm going to have to move their little raised beds - they are near the chicken run and they are the very first stop for the birds before they go out to the grass. At first, the kids were pretty upset their little gardens got destroyed, then it became something funny to them. They would cheer the birds on to eat their brother or sisters plants first. Lots of laughter "She didn't eat mine" and whining "That's not fair!" I promised them I'll move their little gardens this year so they don't have to see their gardens get destroyed.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

So: yeah, finally got the yard hose frozen yesterday and then, TADA: an unused standpipe in the waterline to my house started leaking when the ground thawed. It was under a pallet and a bunch of insulation as well as 10" of dirt, but the (editorial comment withheld) rabbits thought that was just the best comfy bunker ever. I get to go dig that up as soon as my hair is dry; I decided that I wasn't going to itch for two days this time, if we have to glue in new pipe.

Wanted to say something about Travis's new coyotes: probably the problem is that wherever their primary denning/hunting area previously was has been developed; people up on the ridge between Hillsboro and Newberg have complained to me about how there was an incursion of coyotes after the pie cherry orchards in Hillsboro got turned into condos, for instance. Another thing might be that a new fenced stormwater control area might have provided a new denning area. And then you have your stupid human tricks: the HUGE, fecund female who got hit on the road here in June of 2011 was one of four pups in a stormwater overflow pond who the idiot suburbanites had been feeding Iams the summer they were weaned. She had two litters of six pups before she was killed.

The first bad coyote problem we ever had was when a bunch of stream culvert was laid out by a Texas development company which was sure the State of Washington was kidding about salmon protection; when they couldn't get their permits and appealed and appealed they just left the pipes laying in the blackberries for three summers, and then it took a court order and a bunch of more wasted money to get them to haul it out: stupid waste of money all around, it wasn't even an intermittant stream, it was a permanent one with two runs (springs and chums). In any case, almost a mile of hardened den sites and hidden coyote trails.

I'm really surprised that BCL's coop-invader was a Redtail, although this is a heck of a year for migratory birds.

Suppose I'd better go get eight or ten other things going, eh?

 

[itsren]

Thanks so much to everyone who commented on gardening and composting for me and the kids. I'm really excited to get started. At least I know I have a HUGE area to spread the poop and shavings for now, until we're ready to get started. I'm definitely excited to incorporate some gardening into my kids' schooling, we're pretty big Charlotte Mason lovers here and enjoy being outside for learning about God and what He created. Gardening will be perfect, I just haven't taken the plunge yet. So far I know I'll need: rain boots for each kid, rain coats, child sized gloves and garden tools. Just the prospect of buying them all that to start school in the fall makes my heart melt, I love it!!! So I think we'll spend the rest of the winter and spring prepping the garden, and maybe plant a late summer/fall garden depending on how much I can learn ahead of time.

I've been secretly jealous of your huge garden bed. You have an AWESOME space.

Del's usually carries navy blue muck boots for children at a good price. Wish I knew you needed some - my 3 kids have had them from teeny-tiny sizes all the way up. I recently took a bunch to Goodwill. This year, since we were going on a special trip to Yellowstone, I splurged and bought "cute" muck boots for each kid, but I doubt I'll do that again. The blue muck boots are durable and fit the kids well.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Hey Olympia area folks - I stumbled across an organic chicken feed co-op. Check it out at: https://sites.google.com/site/chickenfeedcoop/home And if anyone has experience with this co-op/feed mix, I'd love to hear it!

BeccaBee, any chance you're one of my relatives by that name? (Middle of three kids, went to East Olympia grade school, et'c?)

 

[FirewifeJess]

I've been secretly jealous of your huge garden bed. You have an AWESOME space.

Del's usually carries navy blue muck boots for children at a good price. Wish I knew you needed some - my 3 kids have had them from teeny-tiny sizes all the way up. I recently took a bunch to Goodwill. This year, since we were going on a special trip to Yellowstone, I splurged and bought "cute" muck boots for each kid, but I doubt I'll do that again. The blue muck boots are durable and fit the kids well.

Well you know me...I like to spend

They'll be cute or we won't garden

This is my husband when he sees the bill for all my new garden stuff --------->>>

And this is me when he sees it ------>>>

 

[FirewifeJess]

BUT....where is my closest Del's? I might head there for other stuff!

 

[itsren]

BUT....where is my closest Del's? I might head there for other stuff!

In Auburn. Not far from Coastal. That's one of the reasons I was so happy Coastal went in - now I can price shop. Both stores are in the position of having to be price competitive now. Often, what Del's charges more for, Coastal will sell for less, and vice-versa. Del's used to get away with charging a lot because it was the only farm store in Auburn for many, many years.

Leaving Coastal... get on 15th SW, take a right toward the freeway. Go over the freeway and take a left on West Valley Highway. Del's is right there on the corner on the left. They are probably less than a mile from each other.

 

[itsren]

Well you know me...I like to spend

They'll be cute or we won't garden

This is my husband when he sees the bill for all my new garden stuff --------->>>

And this is me when he sees it ------>>>

You are so funny. Muck boots are just gonna get muddy! LOL.

But, I'll be honest - I'd rather wear my worn out old red Hunter boots than my blue muck boots.

I need some new Hunters!

 

[FirewifeJess]

Ren I have Bogs. http://www.amazon.com/Bogs-Womens-C...7?ie=UTF8&qid=1358619224&sr=8-7&keywords=Bogs They're awesome! I wear them as rain boots, muck boots in the chicken run, basically they're my rain/backyard boots. They're super pretty but completely waterproof and I can hose them inside and out.

 

[Farmin Momma]

Farmin Momma: you and Slinglings take some mighty fine photos!  (I love photos. And jokes.   )

and dawng,too!

I think I need a new camera and have you guys come teach me....

Why, thank you. I love taking pictures.

The debate is on.  Does Blackie go to auction today?  Last night, after Blackie spent an entire day free-ranging by himself because I couldn't catch him I was 100% positive he was going this morning.  I spent the day terrified he was going to become food for some hawk while I was gone.  Thankfully, he was good at hiding and hung out under a Rhododendron watching Latte in the tractor.  This morning, after hugging him and holding him, I'm not so sure I want to let him go.  Sigh.  Last night the kids were pretty upset about him going, too when we talked to them about it last night.  DH says if I want to keep him until we have to let him go, he'll get the fishing net out of the attic today to help me catch the little buggger (didn't know we had one).  He's 14 weeks tomorrow.  He still peeps most of the time and has a deeper voice some of the time (usually when I finally catch him).  How long can I keep him before he crows and gets me in trouble?  Or should I just get the inevitable over with and take him?


Reminder to self: 759

Well I can't tell you which to do or exactly when he will crow. But my only thought is if he starts crowing on a Monday then you have 4-5 days of him crowing and bugging your neighbors until you can take him to auction that Saterday. You can also take him to Monroe Farm and feed, they wont pay you for him but they will take him.