What did you do in the garden today?

[littledog]

Sounds like you're making good progress, @alfie10. I bet you will get some delicious crops!

Ugh, bindweed. Hate the stuff, fought it for years, though I just learned what it is from another gardener here.

 

[Sueby]

@Sueby, @WthrLady I love that you guys are talking about watering systems. Doubtless becasue it seems pretty simple to set up, I'm thinking of using the soaker type as well. I plan to using the solid tubing with tree rings for the fence-line.
The straw we got had so many oat seeds in it the potato bed looks like we're raising grain. How do you avoid sprouts?
That's my question, I had hoped to let the chickens run in the unfinished compost once I fork it out of the bin, but I know there is mold of all kinds in there. Is it safe?

I'm getting excited about the waterers - still not sure exactly how I'm gonna work it but I'll figure it out. I'm happy that I can do it once & leave it, that's a big relief on my back. I have no idea on the chickens & the compost - you don't want my help, though my chickens are still alive as of this am. Are all gooseberry berries red? I thought they were like clearish?! My bush was from my neighbor last spring so I haven't seen it fruit yet, I can't wait! & the pond looks so peaceful & beautiful! Nice job.

@Wee Farmer Sarah how'd you do with the storms yesterday? They all completely missed us, we got a little sprinkle. Power went out in the middle of the night, but thankfully came back on quick. I was almost ready to send DH out to the shop to start the generator, I can't sleep without AC when it came back.

@Acre4Me so jealous of your garden dinner!! I think I'll be having a yellow squash with my dinner tonight!

Back to work today. Work just gets in the way of my life. I can't wait to retire, 11 more years. I don't think I'm going to make it.

Ohh, ETA I'm making the ground beef jerky today!

 

[littledog]

Back to work today. Work just gets in the way of my life. I can't wait to retire, 11 more years. I don't think I'm going to make it.

You and me both! Since I'm still in good health, the right thing would be to wait to retire until I can collect the max from Social Security. But I doubt I'll have the patience put up with it for 11 more years.
Don't get me wrong, I love the company I work for and I don't dislike my work. But it takes away too much time from things I'd rather be doing.

 

[igorsMistress]

Good morning gardeners. @AllenK RGV dinner looks delicious! @Sueby let us know how the jerky comes out! I haven't started mine yet, I have greens in right now. Poor Angus, he's out there crowing his head off because the girls aren't there to visit. They're coming together as a flock though, even my broody girl is out and about first thing in the morning now. I think she's not broody, just pretending because Angus is a bit rough still; he's all legs and only 6 months old Anyway, I'm watering the oleanders even though they look ok, pulled out the dead bird of paradise thing and planted one in its place. The one for out front is going to require effort to dig a hole so I haven't got around to that one yet. I figure I'll plant one lantana for each section of sidewalk that borders our yard and we're on a corner. Digging those holes will be a winter project for sure! Todays project is dusting walls, cleaning the door to the laundry room and taping the edges of the cabinets in my kitchen. Painting will commence tomorrow because I also need to cook a couple days worth of food today. Enjoy your Monday everyone!

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good morning gardeners. I guess that rain dance worked @Sueby, because in the middle of dinner the skies opened up. It rained for nearly two hours. Although there was some thunder and lightening, nothing too horrific. We must have got nearly 1/2 inch of rain. So now I know just how dry things were underground, with all that rain the sump pump hasn't been on at all. I checked the basement a little while ago when I threw in a load of laundry and the basement is dry. Yay! My squash and potato supper will have to wait another week at least @Acre4Me. I did a walk around the garden this morning and picked a few more peas and the rest of the carrots in the squash bed. I weeded that one and the pole (green) bean bed yesterday. In defense of direct seeding, the butternut squash plants in with the cabbage were direct seeded barely a month ago and they are doing quite well. The dill in my herb bed is doing well and I think I will be planting more of it with the winter squash and cabbage as apparently it attracts the beneficial bugs that eat the bad bugs. My little Hungarian Pepper plant is pushing out a pepper. Very cute. Have you thought about putting snails in the fish tank @NewBoots? Years ago when I had a simple aquarium, I used snails to control the algae. Not sure how many you would need for a tank that size but it might be worth a look into. No plans for outdoor work today. We may get more thunder storms. I'm working on laundry and baking bread today. Yesterday's dinner was carnitas, Spanish rice (made with last season's cherry tomato and corn salsa) and black beans cooked an easy way I just heard of on a cooking show. Rinse a pound of black beans (no pre-soaking required) and put them in a pot with 1/2 medium sized onion and 1 teaspoon dried cilantro, add about 2 quarts of water. Cook until tender then add salt and whatever other seasoning you prefer. I really like the part about not having to pre soak the beans. These were absolutely the best black beans I've ever tasted. And so simple. Have a great day everyone.

The daylilies behind the garden are starting to bloom. Yay!

Looks like a chipmunk has been snacking on acorns in this planter. The indentation is from me pouring water into the planter from the other side of the fence.

 

[Sueby]

You and me both! Since I'm still in good health, the right thing would be to wait to retire until I can collect the max from Social Security. But I doubt I'll have the patience put up with it for 11 more years.
Don't get me wrong, I love the company I work for and I don't dislike my work. But it takes away too much time from things I'd rather be doing.

Exactly my story, I love my job but I have other things to do! There is no way I'm making it a day past 60. I don't care if I have to live in a box under a bridge, I will not work a day past 60.

Jerky is 'marinating' (melding would be more like it), I'm gonna let it go till tomorrow. I did it with the ginger & soy sauce, can't wait to try it. I feel like the texture may be too weird with the ground beef & I might not like it. But here's hoping!

I AM THE RAIN DANCE QUEEN!

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Exactly my story, I love my job but I have other things to do! There is no way I'm making it a day past 60. I don't care if I have to live in a box under a bridge, I will not work a day past 60.

Jerky is 'marinating' (melding would be more like it), I'm gonna let it go till tomorrow. I did it with the ginger & soy sauce, can't wait to try it. I feel like the texture may be too weird with the ground beef & I might not like it. But here's hoping!

I AM THE RAIN DANCE QUEEN!

If you can retire at 60, I say “go for it.” I retired at 67 and I was exhausted. I’m so happy not to have to live by the alarm clock and have even learned to sleep through the rooster crowing. It’s great. Knowing I have a steady “paycheck” every month has been really comforting through this pandemic as well. OK, ground beef jerky? I’m curious about the texture myself. Good luck with that.

 

[igorsMistress]

Exactly my story, I love my job but I have other things to do! There is no way I'm making it a day past 60. I don't care if I have to live in a box under a bridge, I will not work a day past 60.

Jerky is 'marinating' (melding would be more like it), I'm gonna let it go till tomorrow. I did it with the ginger & soy sauce, can't wait to try it. I feel like the texture may be too weird with the ground beef & I might not like it. But here's hoping!

I AM THE RAIN DANCE QUEEN!

I'm a bit dubious myself lol. I'm going to try rolling out like a pie crust and slicing with my pizza cutter to make strips. If I don't like it hubs will eat it regardless.

 

[WthrLady]

You have a season? I am curious what those are. We just run them until the UV from the sun breaks the tubing down in a year down here. I do remember that in high school chemistry that water converting to ice can expand. They didn't talk much about the damage UV does to textiles.

Ya, right. LOL. Another reason to bury the lines.

 

[WthrLady]

@Sueby shoot me an overhead drawing layout of your garden and I'll see what I can design up for you.