I once was lost but now am found........

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..and I've always had marvelous vision (not blind..always can see) but I'm pathetically unorganised and lost my way here. When I just got in now, I started to hyperventilate with joy. How are you all? I've missed you so!!! Quick update... Sold the shop..what a hard year and a half.

Still on the homestead and probably getting back into the groove in the fall. This summer is devoted to catching up on home repairs etc and goofing off with the kids.

Just planted out my tomatoes, pumpkins and squash. You just KNOW that means a frost tonight. Does that happen to anyone else??

I can't wait to catch up with you guys!! Hugs to Polly and Marcia especially!!

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2004

Answers

Hugs to you too, girly! Missed you bunches! Sorry to hear about the shop. I bet you're glad to have more time with the kids and home though. Tell us what you've got planned for getting back in the groove; besides the garden.

I will be hauling water for the garden tomorrow if it doesn't rain tonight. Looks like everything has gone north of us - again. Oh well, reckon we knew what we were doing (for once in our lives!) when we put that extra tank under the downspout. Gotta plant the beans for drying tomorrow, and a few other things as well. I love this time of year!

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2004


Hello darling Polly. I am a little afraid to be here now that I read the political discussion about Iraq etc. Yikes! How welcome is a Canadian nowadays?? I forgot to mention that we are in the throws of a federal election right now. Thats keeping many of us occupied..hmmm which devil to pick ...The one we know or the ones we don't? NDP! NDP! (the party I favor). POP QUIZ :

Quick!! No cheating! No looking it up somewhere!! ~ Name the CURRENT Canadian Prime Minister!! :o)

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2004


Um, Cretien's (sp) former financial minister...but what is his name!!! Arggghhh.. I forget. I'm a dunce, sorry!

So glad to see you back. Of course, Canadians are most welcome!!! I practically live in Canada, latitude-wise, and have ancestors there (and I can still sing O Canada at hockey games) so maybe I'm prejudiced...

The road temperature was hovering around 50 tonight. That must mean that the air temperatures will drop down into the 40s tonight. My corn transplants that I've been babying since the end of March may just give up the ghost (although they're doing better now that they are in the real ground). I have been holding off on planting beans b/c it's been coolish, but now I think it's downright cold. May have to plant just cabbage and stuff pretty soon. Forget about setting out tomatoes and squash!

What else is new?

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2004


How wonderful to hear from you, Alison!! Can't wait to hear about all you've been through,when you're ready to vent.

Canadians welcome? Are you kidding? I think Canada is light-years more enlightened than the US. Most everyone I know wants to move there! Besides, my partner was born in Ontario, and her mom lives there.

Polly, geez I wish I could send you some of our rain! I think it's been raining here for a month straight, and quite frankly,it's getting to be a pain. Raining as I speak, supposed to sorta clear up this afternoon,then severe storms returning tonight. Goody. Our pool is overflowing its banks; will have to deal with that today. Soon we won't have a pool to deal with anymore; its a silly thing to have in MN, unless it's in a building where you can actually use it more than 3 months of the year! Anywho, warm wishes and hugs to you, Alison; we truly did miss ya!

-- Anonymous, June 11, 2004


More than welcome, I think!

Yes, I think devil is a good term. Pretty much accurately describes politicians, US and beyond. I've given up reading anything political and am concentrating on hearth and home at this time. Ugly things coming post election, I think; no matter who gets to claim the office. I'd like to be ready when the shit hits the fan, so to speak. Oh goody - maybe I can make some more compost when it does!

Martin? I remember hearing his name and wondering if he was kin (Grandmother's maternal name) but for the life of me, I can't remember if it was prime minister or something else. Name stuck, title didn't.

EM, thank you very much, but I got a bit of rain last night. We had our two weeks worth of deluge a couple of weeks ago - when the berries were getting ripe. Of course, it's time to cut hay now, so I imagine that we will be getting more. I've not been out to the garden yet to see if I still need to water but I imagine that I do. Buckets this time, as we didn't get the hose bib on the tank before we filled it. What WERE we thinking? Oh yeah - need to get some water in it to clean out the tank with; and it somehow got out of hand. ie: half inch of rain filled the darn thing to the brim.

The field corn here is shoulder high on me. Okay, so I'm only 4' 10", but that is still a bit beyond "Knee high by the 4th of July", I think. Our 2nd planting of sweet corn (tilled out the 1st, poor germination) is nearly knee high though. Tomatoes are starting to set on in bunches, pole beans are twining, broccoli and strawberries are about done, peas - and blackberries will need picked Sunday (next day off). We had cabbage, carrots, new potatoes cooked up with a ham hock Wednesday lunch,mmm mmm mmm!! I've got to go to town for drinking water today; then when I get back, it will be out to the garden to weed the onions. Note to self - next year plant the damn things at least hoe width apart, so that one doesn't have to hand weed! One row is the walking onions that John Leake sent me a couple of years ago; they are setting top sets already, as are the ones I planted in the garden.

I got a load of wood chips Wednesday and have most of them spread under the clothesline and in the north end of the garden paths. Looks like at least two more loads to do the rest of the garden; then I can get started on the west side of the house, where the perennial garden is slowly coming in to place. I've decided to push the garden further north, in spite of Hubs and Pop. Now all I have to do is steal Hubs truck to go get some timbers. Need to give him a week or so to forget I said I was going to expand the garden before I ask to use it, I think!

Well, I need to get at it - whatever it is! Nice to see folks checking in again! Hugs to you all...

-- Anonymous, June 11, 2004



Hey Polly,

Tell me about the walking onions...someone gave me onion sets that I set out last fall. Now they have little onions growing on top and falling over...is that how they *walk*? They topple over and grow news ones from their heads? I've never seen these before but they're pretty cool! Are they tasty?

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2004


Yep, that's how they do it! I like them mostly for green onions early in the spring, but you can eat the base bulbs. You can also use the top sets like pearl onions, like with peas; or pickle them.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2004

Polly asked earlier what my plans for getting into the groove were. They keep changing!! LOL I was going to jump right back into livestock but the barn really needs siding and roof repair and I don't want to be doing this all half assed. Then the stress of selling the business etc made me suddenly come to the decision to just take this summer off. I have house plans (staining and caulking out side, decluttering and improving inside) and garden plans (deep mulch method a la Ruth Stout and a circular herb garden with 4 sections:culinary, tea + medicinals, aromatics, crafting and magicals and a rose bush at the center. ps: there will be some overlaps in these categories .). I want to spend time with my kids because I feel like they've been neglected while we were immersed in losing money. Oh..here come's ds2 now.... wearing a tshirt with mittens on his feet and nothing else but a grin. Oh to be 5 again!!!!! Ds1 likes to help in the garden alot but being 7 he tends to not look where he's going and steps on new plants and seed plantings. I'm trying to bite my tongue so I don't ruin his joy of gardening and nature. I was hoping to slowly side the barn over the summer and make proper doors for it etc and then restart my sheep flock this fall (and a Nubian goat or two) but that may run into financial snags. So, there's my plan. Part time employment this fall and onward that doesn't take me away from the kids too much is another plan but I'll be waiting till school starts up for that. Oh, plus I'm lead singer/songwriter for a fledling just-for- fun band and learning to play guitar from Jamie Junger (www.jamiejunger.com) who is an amazing teacher and musician. I LOVE his Telepathetic CD and highly recommend it. I've had it 3 months and can't take it outta the player. I never get tired of it. NOW, I am off to get outta my jammies and into the herb garden...it will be made TODAY!! Hugs all.

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2004

Glad your still here Alison. I've got 10 baby goats right now.

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2004

Baby goats are so cute, I always want some when I see them, but then the thought of having yet more critters to take care of (or talk Hubs in to taking care of!) stops me in my tracks! I do need a couple of cut bucklings (what is the word for a cut buck - wether?) to clean up the poison ivy around here, but then I'd have to fence the garden too....never mind!

Ali, give DS#2 a hug from me; and then give #1 a hug too. I love little kids, but they sure can wear me out in a hurry!

Back before I got divorced from Jes's daddy, I had a 5 year plan, a 10 year plan and so on right up to death (my 60 year plan!). I gave up long term plans after that, and have been content to follow where ever life leads me. (And it has certainly lead me in some directions I never expected!) My farm and garden plans change, sometimes daily - which bugs the heck outa Pop - "Just put the bleep-blap plant in the ground and LEAVE it there!" - but I am, strangly enough, content. Maybe it's my age (45, I think!) but I no longer have much desire for "things". Other than some landscape timbers and a few more truckloads of wood chips and manure, that is! I am happy in my job, and with my family, and with the things I have here on the farm. About dang time, too.

Well, that was certainly rambling, wasn't it? I'd better go fill the bird feeders and see if I can't kick my brain into gear!

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2004



Hi Alison! Of course Canadians are welcome. Just last week my friend Liz and I were reminiscing about Mr Dressup, is he still on TV? (For the rest of you, Mr Dressup was the Canadian Broadcasting Company's version of Mr Rogers)

I have 8 little kittens at my house, want one? :) I'm such a softie I'm going to keep all of them, even though it is going to cost an arm and a leg to get them all spayed/neutered.

Lots of rain here too. I have no idea what's happening in my garden because it's been raining too much to go out there. I just wave at it from the window once in a while.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2004


Two inches of rain this morning. I weeded my garden this afternoon.

Neener neener neener!!

Need some help putting in some raised beds? I can give you great tips on what NOT to do. Neighbor Mike just missed the strip show this evening. I got into a mess of little bitty ants while I was in under a peach tree in one of the beds, weeding. Felt the little buggies crawling up my legs and back and then they started BITING!! I went whooping and hollering around the side of the house, pulling my dress over my head and swatting ants, all at the same time, while heading for the horse tank to wash them off. Dang but that water was COLD!! I was standing out at the horse tank, shaking my dress out when I heard the quad heading our way; just had time enough to turn my dress right side out and yank it over my head before he got there. He was kind enough to say "Darn" when he heard he'd missed the free show. Good neighbors, gotta love 'em!

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2004


So, so glad to see a fellow "Northeasterner" back here, Alison!!!! Harry and I STILL haven't had the opportunity to get to Nova Scotia..but we will (hopefully)!!! We need to escape...somewhere :-)!

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2004

Jersey's in the northeast...

-- Anonymous, June 19, 2004

I have 3 raised beds where I have the tomatoes, beans, etc. They're mulched with straw so they're doing ok. But I have another section of "regular" garden where I planted the corn, pumpkins, and watermelon and it's a weedfest! It all just wants to return to the pasture from where it came. We were busy all weekend and now tonight I'm home from work and it's raining again. :(

-- Anonymous, June 21, 2004


Another 4/10ths of an inch of rain this afternoon - I am never going to get my hay cut! It has been good for the garden and for the farmers tho... Hardly any of my melons have come up; I'm not real pleased with that, since I bought some of the seeds from Baker Creek and they weren't cheap. Does heirloom mean poor germination? I've already almost given up on heirloom tomatoes because of their poor germination, low fruit set, poor yield and attractiveness to bugs. Maybe they do taste better, but I don't have an acre to plant to tomatoes in order to get enough for supper!

New news here - Jes has 2 new room-mates. A guy named David; and a 3' iguana named Butch. Jes's cat, Janie, is infatuated with Butch, she sits by and on his cage for hours, talking to him. I'm wondering how many bugs he would eat out in the 'mater patch....

Pop was filling the hummer feeders today and hollered at us to come look - there was a hummingbird moth (ugly durn critter!) on the flowers in the front perennial bed. I don't remember having seen one before, so it was kinda neat! Other than that, we have a yard full of baby birds, 7 banty chicklets in the chicken yard, lizards in the flower bed, and a tree frog who is determined to live in the utility room screen. We got Pop a bat house for Father's Day, so we are hoping that more bats take up residence here soon - we see them under the pole light in the evenings, but there aren't enough of them to make much of a dent in the mosquito population - I wish my barn swallows would come back. Guess I could put up a purple martin house...

Well, that's about it for us - how you all doing?!

-- Anonymous, June 22, 2004


Sherri, I had the same problem with my huge garden on the farm, and was spending literally hours a day weeding. not fun. So I finally went to mulching everything with spoiled straw, and that worked real well for us.

-- Anonymous, June 22, 2004

Mulching everything here with newspaper and straw...not interested in spending that much time weeding and watering anymore.

-- Anonymous, June 23, 2004

I am slowly becoming a mulchaholick. The pasture does want to reclaim the garden!!!! BTW, the herb bed got 1/4 done before I ran out of steam. Outta newspaper for smothering weeds and got tired wheeling in the soil to top the newspaper. Bleah.

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2004

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