What did you do in the garden today?

[Acre4Me]

That is crazyyyy!

I know!

Even crazier, the first year when that random crayfish was scraping on the barn door….it happened several other times. Sometimes we’d go out after dark and that one crayfish would be in the corner of the doorway. We mostly see the mud chimneys now, rather than the actual crayfish

 

[Paz]

Yes, definitely the same!

There is an entire book for Crayfish in Ohio: noted in the local magazine article.

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And the first page of the article!
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It surprised us too, when we first discovered crayfish in our yard. My spouse lived in SC as a kid and was familiar with them.

They look tasty actually

 

[Sueby]

I know!

Even crazier, the first year when that random crayfish was scraping on the barn door….it happened several other times. Sometimes we’d go out after dark and that one crayfish would be in the corner of the doorway. We mostly see the mud chimneys now, rather than the actual crayfish

I would have lost my mind or thought I was going crazy or something if that happened! I probably would have called the news station thinking I had a miracle on my hands.

 

[gtaus]

They look tasty actually

They are! I call them freshwater lobsters. When I was kid, we would go out into the lake in knee deep water at night. We would shine a flashlight into the water looking for crayfish coming into the shallow water at night. Then we would put a fishnet behind them and scare them into the net. They swim backwards. Easy to catch. Then just toss them in boiling water and eat the meat of the tail with some butter and lemon juice.

The southern states have whole dishes made up of crayfish. I have never had any, but I heard Crawfish Gumbo is good...

 

[drycreek]

Crawfish boil very similar to a shrimp boil and gumbo made with tail meat is excellent. You can use crawfish tails for just about any dish that you would use shrimp. Garden wise planted a few hills of yellow squash, cucumbers and a couple hills of watermelons. Gathered a couple heads of butter crunch lettuce, and some asparagus this morning didn’t think to take a picture (next time).

 

[jerryse]

Cut more cuttings to root and prepped them. Trying more species. Today it was pear , persimmon and silver maple. I have a seedling silver maple that has bronze fall color. It is likely mixed with Autum blaze. My method is 84 degrees and humidity in a plastic bag. Into the old cabinet incubator. I use rooting hormone. Temp and humidity is critical to rooting. I have viola up in outdoor pots. I have old seed up sowed on 3/26. Another batch on 3/29. 9 1/2 year old tomato seed.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I grew up in the wilds of northern Indiana and southern Michigan. I used to catch and play with crawdads all the time. Never ever thought of eating one! Then I moved to the Deep South as an adult where I was properly introduced to crawfish etouffe and gumbo! The line has been crossed and there is no going back!

 

[Sally PB]

That is crazyyyy

Don't you mean, "cray-cray"?

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

[jnicholes]

Another new thing learned!

See this bit of mud in the middle of one of our garden paths? That is a sign of a crayfish! I'm in Ohio, so not exactly thought of as a haven of these "mudbugs" - but, an article in a local magazine this month tells all about Crayfish in Ohio, and there are 22 native species (and 2 introduced species) of crayfish. We discovered we had crayfish a few years ago...my husband was in the barn and kept hearing random scratching on the metal barn door at night, so he investigated and found a rather large (for Ohio) crayfish scratching at the door! So, throughout the summer these mud towers will show up - nearly always in this pathway bc it is where we dug out a ditch and put in drainpipes, and it is a slightly lower area, so wetter. Sometimes we see evidence that a raccoon has tried to dig for one.
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I have caught some big Crayfish in my life. They are delicious when prepped properly.

 

[WthrLady]

Hard Nope from me.
8 sets of sheets hanging in the afternoon sunshine on the massive line. Cold front just came through, shifting the wind and snapping them hard. I'll bring them in in a few minutes when I feed the critters.
Got the frost sheets on the hoops made and installed in the old hoop house.
Went to the village and picked up some solo cups, I'll drill those and get to work after grabbing all the sheets.
First time I've dragged out the sunscreen this year.
I watered all the new trees too.
Neighboring field was drilling to put in new cattle posts. Auger was down 4 feet. The soil is so dry it's like dry coffee grounds. We're in trouble. There is NO ground moisture for planting. Rain is nice, but we need deep moisture.