Spring Yard Work

Since the last post, trees are filling out nicely and the flowerbed plants are getting fuller.  We had a stretch of very high temperatures so we went from having the heat on to the air conditioning in just a day or two, but now things appear they will remain seasonable.  Comfortable temperatures and open windows, I hope it lasts for as long as it can.

On a recent walk I noticed one lone tulip sticking up out of an empty lot.  A year or two ago I posted a picture of a sign on a house that was about to be torn down, this is that lot now.

Been a productive weekend but productivity is almost done at this early hour on Sunday.  I got a lot done yesterday - no mow May is now one mow May so far for me now - and went to bed late and very tired.  Woke up at 10:00 (!) and had to run and get a grocery pickup order, then cleaned up and got to work on half the front yard.  Thatching is hard work, so only half as I want to see how this grass seed and fertilizer works to improve that lawn.  It looks okay from the street, but when I see it out the window the thatch and bare spots were very noticeable.

After writing this I may get out the chainsaw and cut up some wood from neighbor Dave, a black walnut branch that fell and a dead lilac bush he cut down, as he was kind enough to save them for my fire pit.  Then at 2:30 the Bucks have a game 7 playoff game to watch and that will be the end of my productivity for the weekend.

As I was writing this a local restaurant showed up with a food order that I hadn't ordered.  We did order from them last night and got it last night, but the exact same order came today.  I discussed with the driver, verified I didn't get charged again, he said 'enjoy!' and handed it off.  So I guess I'll have something to eat during the game now, but I will continue to monitor that I don't get charged twice or else I'll have to make a phone call.

Last night I had a fire for just the second time so far this Spring.  I didn't really plan on it ahead of time, but the conditions were good so I went ahead.  I don't have the same compulsion to have a fire as I used to.  In 2020 I had nothing else, we were newly holed up at home day and night and not going out at all so I turned to the firepit.  I went through a whole lot of wood that year.  In 2021 it was better in that there were times we did go out and about, so I still had fires but not as often.  This year it's back to normal, I guess, so lifestyle and just being able to go out more freely again has lessened my need for this escape.

The game starts in an hour so I'm going to get some wood cut before settling in for the game and relaxing the rest of the day.  Cheers, everyone.

Spring Pictures

A month and a half after Spring officially began it will be a nice, seasonable weekend, finally.  In the meantime, plants have grown as we cowered inside, away from the cool and wet.  Leaves are starting to open on the trees.  And jackets are being left on the hook more often.

The big comforter has been washed and stored and a thinner blanket on the bed in its place.  Windows have not been opened just yet (except once) but that time will be very soon now.  And the grass is getting a bit long around the edges.  

Speaking of grass; we'll see if I can do this No Mow May thing until the end of the month, though it may get strimmed in areas at the very least.  The current fad sweeping the nation, it is to help the pollinators.

A few other pictures from today after the break.

Yesterday's Walk

It was another fairly busy day on the bike path since the weather was so nice, but still a good walk and refreshing to be comfortable outdoors again.  The grass is turning green and a few plants are coming up, but most everything is still brown from winter but will burst forth in greenery soon enough.

This picture is similar to one I posted from the first day of spring.  The ice cream shop is a popular place just to the right of the bike path here, while the community gardens are getting cleaned up and planting started with hay bales and fresh soil provided for the gardeners.

After the break are a few other pictures I decided to share because once the flora grows in earnest the views will be harder to see.

Nice Spring Day... Finally!

The first thing I noticed when I looked out the window this morning was how green the grass was.  It was still wet out from yesterday's and last night's rain, and it seems to have done wonders.  Temperatures rose steadily overnight and it's expected to get to the upper 70's ºF (about 22ºC) this afternoon for our nicest day of the year so far and since the first day of spring, a whole 5 weeks ago now.  The trees continue budding and plants have continued to come up despite the cool temperatures and rainy/snowy weather.

I've complained quite a bit this year, and while it has definitely been cooler and snowier than recent springs Google Pictures often reminds me that we do get this weather in April so we're not that far off from average, after all.  Well, I guess you could just say I've really had spring fever this year.  I'm so very tired of being cooped up in the house all day almost every day due to cold, snow or rain.  Soon it will be time for outdoor chores, and I even started already with some lawn patch the other day and a bit of weed pulling.

The plan for the day is normal chores and Saturday relaxing this morning, mostly over by now, then I'm going out to lunch with a friend to a Greek restaurant I've not been to before but I think will be good.  Early this afternoon my wife will be getting home from taking care of her Dad, so then we'll go for a walk, probably down to the Atwood area for maybe a drink and a snack.  There will likely be lots of people out and about today so we'll see how crowded the bike path and businesses are, but I expect everywhere to be busy as many people like us will be eager to get outside and enjoy the weather today.

This evening I'll be grilling out for the first time of the season; natural casing hot dogs that I got from the butcher when I picked up our last quarter cow.  And maybe, possibly, could there be a fire tonight?  The weather will be good for it but it may depend on how tired I am by then.  Today should be a good day to lift my spirits, and sorely needed.  Have a great weekend, everyone!

(Edit: It's going to get way too windy this afternoon for a fire, but I think I'll manage with the grill.  Windy like last post so I'll have to check out that wind map again.)

Happy Spring 2022

Happy Spring equinox, everyone.  It was a beautiful day today, sunny here with temperatures getting up to the mid-60's.  I slept in and we had a lazy morning but then early afternoon we took a walk down to the Atwood area for a lunch and conversation at Wilson's and a short stop at the Harmony.  The bike path was very busy, as expected for how beautiful this Sunday was.  There were lots of walkers like us and bicyclists trying to make their way, too.  It is a bike path, after all, though on days like this and for summer events the walkers seem to outnumber the bicyclists by a lot.  I got this picture looking back on the way down when few were around us for a minute, and it was much busier on the way back.

The green in the far right middle is fake grass, but still a nice outdoor area behind the ice cream shop that we will visit when it gets warmer.  Otherwise, there's not any green that is noticeable yet, unless you look very close and in the right place.  We do have a few things around the yard starting to grow, and you can now just start to see buds on the trees.

We had some new snow on the ground yesterday morning, but not much and it didn't last long before melting.  The next few days will be cooler with a 'wintry mix' at times, but only a couple nights below freezing in the forecast and no highs below, thankfully.  You can finally really feel that spring is in the air, so hopefully soon I can write less about the weather and more about going out and doing things when the opportunities arise.  I plan to walk more now that the weather is getting better, and just try to get out to do more things.  There will come a time when the heat of summer will force us inside, hopefully not too often, but working from home now for so long I know I need to make more of an effort just to get out of the house a whole lot more often than I have.  Winter is not an excuse anymore and with the pandemic seemingly under control getting out and about should be easier to do this year.

Happy Spring, everyone.  I have high hopes.

Christmas, Fire and More

It's close enough to the holiday to say Merry Christmas, everyone!  Not a white Christmas here this year as today was relatively warm, dark, foggy and damp all day and I expect more of the same tomorrow.  It's a quiet evening in tonight and my wife and I will exchange some small presents.  We were planning on visiting my Mom tomorrow along with my brother and sister and their families, but with the Omicron variant being so prevalent and the hospitals bursting at the seams plus some family members' questionable decisions (I'd love to write more - maybe later) we will be staying home for Christmas Day.  There may be a Zoom call with all of us like last year, we'll see.  Here at home, my wife will cook a ham and bring her Dad over for a time and the Packers will play, but that's about it for us.

I did not get to have a firepit on the solstice like I have the last two years, it was cold and just way too windy to consider a fire, and that day the city picked up the stick pile before I could burn it.  Yesterday, however, the temperatures were above freezing and the winds were mild.  I started the fire about quarter to four in the afternoon and was out there until about six.  Long enough, and with sunset before 4:30 it was getting pretty chilly by then.  Last year my last fire was December 28, so we'll see what the weather does, if there's any more.  The fire picture was taken right about sunset, and I had to remind myself to take a picture.  I'm sure I have thousands of pictures of the firepit by now so I don't always anymore, but every one is unique.

About a half hour after sunset it occurred to me to also get a picture of the tree that was cut down as a follow up to the last post.  There was no more activity over there since and the trunk still stands, and stands tall.  It's twice as high as their garage and about as tall as their house, it was a very big tree to begin with.  You can kind of see the fences that would require the use of a crane parked in front of their garage to get the branches out.  But the biggest surprise is how this picture turned out.  Again, this was about a half hour after sunset, the first pictures I took were pretty dark so I tried using the 'night sight' feature on my phone camera.  Quite the difference, I thought, this fully looks like daytime!  But it was not quite completely dark out yet so turned out quite a bit brighter than actual.

Another takeaway is though I lament the loss of the tree, the dozen or more in this same picture, both near and in the distance, shows that we are not in any danger of being treeless in the area anytime soon.

Have a great holiday and stay safe, everyone.  Go Packers!

Thanksgiving Eve Fire Video

I recorded my fire the other night and edited it down to a 6 minute video.  A tedious process, but now done so I'm not going to waste it.  Much of the video is from the first part of the night, then I skipped past most of when I was on a video call with my Mom and niece, with an outro of a fire in the dark.  Air traffic was heavier than usual, not surprising with the holiday, and taking off generally south above me.  The sky was very overcast, the temperature surprisingly moderate at about 50ºF when I began at just after 4:00 in the afternoon.  There were lots of sticks that had fallen on the neighbors yards out front that I grabbed and burned up this night.  The extended forecast was much colder so I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

There is a squirrel distraction about 4:45 and plane lights passing through the trees about a minute later.  Otherwise it's just me relaxing, feeding the fire and being lost in my thoughts.  Sit a spell, relax.

Link is here for email readers.

Happy Thanksgiving Thoughts 2021

With what I've been going through with my health recently and work frustrations bubbling up again I've been pretty down and maybe even ornery lately.  As I sat out by the fire last night I thought it would be good to think of things I am actually thankful for, so I gave it some serious thought and started a list.  Let's see if I can expand on that this morning and maybe get to 10 good and meaningful things for which I am truly grateful.

1. My wife.  It's hasn't always been easy but I just can't imagine my life without her.  I don't know anyone stronger who could deal with me and everything else she's had to deal with the last several years and more.  I've been guilty of being self-centered, taking things for granted and not listening as I should, and improving myself will only help her, so I am determined to become a better person.
2. My health.  I've taken this for granted, too, for far too long and it seems to be catching up to me.  I need to eat better, drink less, exercise more and lose some weight.  Very much easier said than done, but increasing health issues is a good motivator.
3. Family.  My mother and sister, specifically.  I don't like my father and my brother has been pretty distant.  When my mother's husband passed and then the pandemic hit I started to get closer to my Mom and my sister is always there with a smile and encouraging words if I need her.  I love them both greatly.
4. Friends.  I don't have many left these days, more acquaintances than friends.  I want to continue to work on those relationships and in some cases not let the distance between us cause that friendship to wane.  It seems harder to make friends the older I get, but much of that may be me so I should work on that more.
5. Blogger friends.  Delcatto and Blue Witch have been friendly towards me for a long time now and I'm grateful they keep coming back.  I like to read their blogs about them and their lives, and have learned much along the way.  Knowing they are there has helped me try to write better and more interesting things here.  I've not reached out to other bloggers much in a long time now, but Nic has been a relatively recent breath of fresh air and as a bonus he creates music pretty consistently so I always look forward to his next song.
6. Our house.  When this blog started in 2009 we started looking, and originally didn't think we could afford a house right in Madison.  But the market was in our favor and we found a nice house with a nice yard close to whatever we could need or want, right here in the near east side of Madison.  Yes, it is very small, seemingly too small for us at times, but overall I think we found a good one and have improved it in many ways over the years.
7. Madison.  Related to the last one, we live in a good area and city with a majority of like-minded people as us.  That changes rather quickly and surprisingly when you get outside the county.  When we traveled to pick up our last quarter cow it was shocking the amount of pro-Trump flags and signs in the rural areas.  I don't remember such divisiveness before he came along and thankfully don't have to worry about that too much here in Madison.
8. Music.  Music continues to be a joy and an escape for me even as I get older.  I don't go to live shows as much as I used to and am pretty unwilling to travel longer distances for it anymore, but I still enjoy discovering new music and I'm always looking for my next 'latest-greatest,' even if at a lower volume these days. 

Well, 10 was an arbitrary number anyway and I don't want to add something lesser just to get to 10.  I may remember something good that I missed later, but I think I have 8 very good things to be thankful for here and it was good for me to consider and reflect upon these.  Now it's time for me to do some cleanup for Kate's family coming over to celebrate the holiday.  It's currently snowing big white flakes outside, and my wife has been busy cooking up the cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and other goodies while the turkey is already in the oven.

Happy Thanksgiving and a great long weekend to all!

October This-And-Thats*

Looks like I haven't done one of these posts since May, and I've not written a lot recently so I must have something to say.  Yes, it's time again to start typing and see what happens!

• First, Feedburner said the blog mails would end in July.  Then they said August.  Now, here it is nearing the end of October and the emails are still going out.  I'm certainly not complaining, but there has been nothing posted about it that I've found since they said August.  A change of plans, perhaps, I guess time will tell.
• 
  While our fall has been warmer than normal so far, we have become more seasonable recently.  We normally get our first frost about October 7 and this year we got our first frost and freeze the other day, on Thursday night/Friday morning.  It all goes downhill from here now until we come out the other side in several months time.  Yes, I complain but I don't move away.  It's another Wisconsin pastime, kind of like last post and probably a big reason for it!  Well, at least there's no snow in the forecast yet.
• Last weekend we did some yardwork and got the gardens ready for winter.  The back left garden has been fully planted with garlic.  The back right garden with the monster herb plant that the name escapes me now has the rest of the area planted with just an odd collection of bulbs that we had stored downstairs from planting and replanting things in the flower beds.  It will be interesting to see what comes up in spring; certainly some tulips, daffodil and hyacinth are possible, and who knows what else.  You can see here if you look close that the squirrels already dug one big bulb up.  That's also why we have that old makeshift cover over the garlic.  Then the strawberry and raspberry plants have been cleaned up and straw put down for winter.  All the compost soil has been emptied from the left side of the compost bin into the gardens while the right side fills up with yard waste.  Shredded paper to cover it all and the bottom of the empty side, we'll start using the left side only soon and let the right side break down to go into the gardens next fall.  The compost bin is one of my favorite things I ever built.
  
• I've not been walking as much recently, not because I don't want to walk but my knee has been acting up.  The right one, the one that I busted up the femur there back in 2010.  Perhaps it's the change in weather, but I don't remember this from recent years.  Not painful so much as uncomfortable as the patellar tendon seems tight and aggravated.  Hopefully nothing comes of it and I can continue my walks soon.
• My mouse broke yesterday, thankfully it waited until after I was done working.  The scroll wheel started making noise so after work I ordered another one, the mouse must have noticed and shortly after gave up the ghost.  I have the same mouse but wireless that I'm using now, but it's not as responsive and is currently driving me a little batty so I hope the new one arrives early, it's currently scheduled for Tuesday.  Come on, Amazin' Prime!
• Speaking of work, we are now required to be fully vaccinated by a date in December.  President Biden's executive order for government contractors.  That would be us, and it includes fully remote workers as well as those who go into the office.  I've already provided my proof of vaccination, and really no bother to me as I've been vaccinated for quite some time.  There are others I know of who are not, though, so it will be interesting to see what happens and who believes in not getting it so much that they lose their job.  
• I might give the impression that I color my fires more than I actually do.  Normally I save the color for when we have people over, but sometimes I do add it just for myself.  I'm thinking I may have one tonight, after the Wisconsin football game so I'd be out there just a bit before sunset.  It will be chilly with temperatures in the mid-40's F and falling, and I'm not sure I'm quite acclimated to these temperatures yet.
• 
  Speaking of the football game, I like to have a special football snack for games.  It can be almost anything, but today I'll be trying a recipe that I found.  Well, I'm not going to exactly follow the recipe, it will be my take on it.  Dill pickle, ranch and bacon pizza!  Sounds good to me, but disgusting to my wife.  We'll see how it turns out, but I have high hopes.
• I've taken a few pictures of neighborhood Halloween decorations when I have walked, but I feel kind of funny taking pictures of other people's houses, so I haven't got much.  There is one house that beats all the others, hands down.  It's dark and with a steep pitched roof so looks like a good fit for Halloween even without decorations, but their display is pretty impressive.  Not everything even fits in one shot unless I'm pretty far back.  I am impressed, and I'll have to make it back after dark some night because I know they have lights for it, too.

Okay, this wireless mouse is really driving me nuts.  I may have to get out the tiny cheap one that comes with the computer, at least before work on Monday.  I thought a mouse pad would help, but not really.

Well, there's football to watch and pizza to prepare so that's enough writing for now.  Hope everyone is enjoying your weekend, I'll let you know how the pickle pizza turned out!  Maybe I'll add a picture later, if it was as good as I expect...

*Updated after the game.  Pickle pizza pictures (say that several times fast) after the break!

Last Tiger Lily

We have two different kinds of tiger lilies in the flower bed along the porch.  One kind that was here when we moved in, a little larger and later-blooming, pretty much on each end, and another kind along the middle that is earlier-blooming.  They've all been done blooming for some time now except for one stalk near the far corner.  After all the rest were done this one still showed a few flower pods yet to open, so I've been watching it to see if they all actually would bloom and, somewhat surprisingly, they have.

When there were 3 or 4 pods left on the stalk I started taking pictures of them, anticipating each to be the last.  I didn't believe the small ones would grow in the cooler weather.  Even now there appears to be a very small flower bud there but I just can't see it being able to grow enough to bloom, so this, I believe, is the last tiger lily of the season for us.

On one of my recent walks I picked a gourd that was growing wild along the bike path, not in one of the community gardens, either, but along the creek.  I saw the vine growing all year, and this last time it was roughly cut back and I saw two left that looked ready, so I took one with me.  Not sure why or what I was going to do with it, it just seemed like an autumnal thing to do, maybe place it somewhere as a fall decoration.  I expected the squirrels to mess with it, but so far they haven't.

And the flowers we have left in the stump area are still doing very well.  We've had several cool days recently, this weekend being the exception and maybe our last summer-like temperatures.  The days are fast getting shorter and leaves are starting to change and fall, though it will still be some time before raking and gutter cleaning is due, thankfully.  Stores are all decked out for Halloween, and we have a few houses in the neighborhood that have pretty impressive displays.  Maybe later in the month I might try to get some pictures to share here.  I do like Halloween, it may be my favorite holiday. 

Today, my wife is out and about tending to her dad and his matters, which has taken up more and more of her time recently, so I have been doing chores around the house and checking things off my list.  Soon here I think I'll take the bicycle down to the Harmony Bar and Grill for lunch.  I've been doing lots more walking than biking this summer, and this may be the last time I get the bike out.  Hopefully I keep up with walking even as the weather turns, but I admit it has been more difficult to make myself do since my back has been better.  I used to walk to make it feel better, so now I should walk to help it continue to feel better, I think.

The Badgers play later this afternoon, and shortly after they start the Brewers play game 2 of the opening round of the playoffs, and before that's over I hope to be out by the fire.  I've not done that in a few weeks due to the weather and also allergies started kicking my butt again, so I'm hoping the wind and weather will be on my side.  Whatever your plans, have a great weekend, everyone!

Aw, Nuts!

It's not been an overwhelming year for black walnuts as only one of neighbor Dave's three trees is producing this year, but there's sure enough.  In the past there's been years now and again when it seems never-ending.  One year I think I stopped counting at a thousand, or maybe it was less, not sure.  But next time it's so plentiful I may continue the count just for fun.  Not sure how often they produce, whether every other year or whatever, I may have to look that up.

I just use my outdoor grabber (no bending!) to pick them up and toss them in the back corner behind the lilac bush, every day or every other day when the season comes.  The squirrels love it and are happily fattening up for winter, leaving black walnut litter everywhere, too.  And they stash them in the most odd places sometimes.  We've found them in the corners of the back steps and doorway, on the railing, and various odd places in the garage even, when I leave the door open.  In pots, in the gardens, and under leaves or grass like that's a good spot.  I even found one in the hanging plant out front.  Not sure how they got in there, but they did.  Bastards.  ;)

But how in the heck did they get one in/on the telephone wire that runs along the back yard property lines?  I thought I'd never be surprised where I find one, but I was a bit surprised at this one!

Happy Autumn, everyone.

Updates For Dog Days

We seem to be entering the dog days of summer now, and if I'm not mistaken the constellations agree.  When I posted recently and said it seemed like peak summer perfection at that time, I was correct.  The signs of a waning summer are visible now, but it's way too early to dwell on them.  Lots of good outdoor time yet to be had, thankfully.

The last several weeks have been pretty mundane around here.  We had quite the hot spell so spent most of our time indoors for a while, but have had lots of open window time, too.  Otherwise, it's been pretty routine; work all day and house chores and relaxing at night, not much socializing at all.  Where we live in Dane County we're sitting pretty good compared to other places.  We have a very high vaccination rate and things have been pretty relaxed for awhile here, but with the new variant we've started wearing our masks everywhere again and purposely not going out when we don't need, just to be safe.  We'll get there eventually, it'll just take more time - and vaccinations.

I know I've not written a whole lot the last several weeks, and my last couple posts have been mostly pictures, which actually prompted me to write more about them.  This may be like that, too, so sorry if you weren't a fan!  I just thought maybe I'd do a few updates on some varied things.

To start off, back in January I was considering whether getting the local newspaper delivered was still worth it to me.  Well, I kept getting the paper for a few months after, but canceled it at the beginning of May and I haven't looked back since.  I still get most of my news online, as well as sports updates.  The biggest change, really, is I saved one more daily cartoon to read online.  Money well saved, I think.

Update number two: Squirrels are still bastards.  This little bastard was just so picturesque this morning as he worked his way into a black walnut on our back railing.  I ran him off right after as I don't want any of that black walnut litter staining the wood, if I can help it.

All these pictures are from today, but most have a connection to past happenings.  See the rest after the break!

This Week, In Pictures (Mostly)

I don't think I have many words to say, but I'm sure I'll think of something.  I do have several pictures of our area from this past week that I'd like to share.

This is what's left of the potted plants on the stump, and it doesn't look too bad.  The rest had been ravaged by the rabbits.  Not pictured here are the flower pot out front and petunias on the back steps.  The only thing left out front was a green stalk of a yellow marigold that was still trying to live, everything else was devoured.  I moved a couple petunias out front and surrounded the pot with chicken wire and they seem to be doing well.

For the sake of keeping the home page tidy, see the rest after the break!

No Cukes This Year

We've given the vines enough time to show their flowers if they were going to, and they didn't.  So yesterday we pulled them all out.  They had just gotten so big and were reaching everywhere no matter how many times I guided them back into their own space.  The back left garden was so completely overrun we just pulled the fence up and brought the vines out almost in one big, tangled piece.  Pretty much filled up this year's side of the compost bin, but they will break down easily now that they're pulled.

It was a nice thought, getting some bonus cucumbers out of the garden this year, but it just wasn't meant to be.  And that's okay, it was still a fun thought and no harm was done.

I'm very pleased with the new gardens.  Even if putting them in was the start of my recent back trouble, it had to be done.  And I'm doubly glad they're metal because more than ever I don't want to do it again!

Solstice Plant Update

This has been a difficult spring, not being able to do all I want to do.  I've had to let things go for a later time, which is very much against my nature.  One of the things I've let go of is trying to keep protecting the potted plants, and the rabbits have gone to town on them.  Whether in the pots on the stump or the pot out front, they've just been eaten right up, even though other plants in the area were their favorites in years past. Only the hanging basket out front is doing well as it's out of reach.  And the petunias I moved onto the back steps about a week ago, so are making a small comeback.  We even put out a tray of water thinking they were eating them for the moisture during our mild drought.  Very discouraging, but I still will not be letting our cats out.  There are other neighborhood cats that roam free and they do come in our yard sometimes, but makes no difference.

Meanwhile, in the gardens, the strawberries and raspberries have been doing very well since being replanted.  The strawberries are winding down but the raspberries are just starting to ripen.  The (what I believe to be) cucumber vines have grown into monsters.  We've been trying to keep the vines on the fences but they are reaching in all directions and show no signs of slowing down.  If we don't start seeing some flowers soon we may start pulling them out, starting with the multiple large vines in the raspberries, but we'll give them a little more time.  The fence doesn't go all the way around the raspberries as I ran out of chicken wire, but it's working well enough as is.

Weather has been seasonable lately.  We've gone back and forth from air conditioning to windows open, and have had some rain lately with more called for here in a couple hours.  The front lawn had gone mostly brown so the rain is good, but we're still several inches below normal so far.

The view over the house is a little different now with one less tree, but it's still nice to look up and ponder life by the light of the fire.  Happy solstice, everyone.

Unexpected Cucumbers

We grew some cucumbers in our gardens once, but it was years ago.  Now, in 3 of the 4 gardens new cucumber vines are thriving.  The only way they could have gotten into the gardens is from our compost soil, from cucumbers we bought but went bad before they got eaten.  And, strangely enough, they are sold as 'seedless' cucumbers.  My wife likes them in her salad, I'm not a huge fan.

In the two gardens on the left with strawberry plants they are luckily close to the chicken wire and are climbing up and over it.  In the lower right garden there are several vines and they are attached to the raspberries.  This weekend we'll put a fence around that and I'll try to coax the cucumber vines over.  Or use delicate brute force, whatever works.

If we get a bumper crop I'll have to look up how to make them into pickles!

Also, almost two weeks ago Sunday the big peony (fuscia?) started blooming, and the neighbor's pink ones across the driveway.  There's only been little rain and the sun has been strong recently and this peony has lost it's luster, but the others are just beginning.  We also have one on either side of the gardens and last post I forgot exactly the colors.  I thought one was white and one was pink, but they're both pink - a very light pink.  Peony pics after the break!

Plant Day 2021

*Please note, this was written yesterday but pictures would not upload to Blogger at that time. An asterisk means it was written just now.

Regular readers will know that every May I take a week off for vacation, and one of those vacation days I call Plant Day - the day I go out and get ornamental plants and put them in pots to watch them grow and bloom all season.  Yesterday was looking to be the nicest day of the rest of the week, so that's what I did, but I ran out of potting soil so had to get some this morning to finish up.

The old tree stump is starting to fall apart now, especially the front side.  I actually tried to get less plants than I usually do so fewer pots on the stump, but not sure if I succeeded.  We also normally get two hanging pots, one for by the front door and one by the back door, but the hanging pot in back is in full sun all day so plants there usually get pretty rough looking by the end of the season.  I did put the yellow flowers you see on the stump in a pot that can be hung.  Those and the purple ones like it are meant for full sun, so if it stays looking good it may get put on a shepherd's hook by the back door at a later time.  

I also have some petunias in a long pot by the back door.  Petunias are usually pretty safe and easy - when the rabbits aren't eating them, anyway.  Several plants aren't really blooming here yet, but with time I'm sure the pots on the stump will get more colorful.  You can ask me the names of the plants, but if it's not the petunias, marigolds or geraniums then I'll have to go look it up as I don't usually remember that kind of thing very well.

Today is much cooler (currently 45ºF!), overcast and rainy, as tomorrow is expected to be, before we get back to seasonable temperatures.  The big peony started opening its flowers on Sunday, and I worry because sometimes all it takes is one real heavy rain after the peonies open for them to go to shit, so you have to enjoy them while you can.  At the back of the garage are two other, smaller peonies, as well.  A white one left of the gardens and a pink one to the right (or opposite, I forget).  Those aren't blooming yet, they're always a bit behind the big one by the house.

And just a quick back update, I have an MRI scheduled in less than 2 weeks.  Hopefully I don't need to see the neurosurgeon or have surgery and can get the shot shortly after - and it works.  This pain sucks, so wish me luck, please.

*Pictures of the peonies and other things I found interesting after the break!

May This-And-Thats

I have a few things on my mind, and it's too small to hold them for long, so it must be time to get them out.  Nothing very major, just some updates, thoughts, and an announcement to my email readers, so it's time once again to just start typing and see what happens.

• Blog emails are going away in July, they will no longer be supported.  I've been looking for another widget or service to do this, but I'm not going to pay for it so it may not happen.  I have over a dozen friends and family currently signed up and I'm afraid I will lose those readers when this convenience goes away.  If you are one, click the link to the site at the bottom of your email and save it as a favorite now!  I'll provide more updates when I have them.
• 
  Remember when I wrote about my site being probed?  Well, it's happened each month since.  739 hits on March 24 and 760 hits on April 26.  I have no idea why, who or what it is, but it doesn't appear to be doing any real harm, either.  We'll see how many hits I get for May in a couple weeks, I guess.
• The extra dirt and old grill are gone.  My wife put the dirt on the neighborhood farcebook page and in a day one neighbor picked up a couple big buckets and a day or two later another took almost all the rest.  The little that remained I found places for in the yard and gardens.  Also, the rotting wood that was the old gardens I cut up and took to the dump last weekend, so now I have my garage back.  And that old grill I put out to the curb a day early and it didn't take long for it to disappear, no sticker required.  Maybe someone will try to clean it up and get another year or two out of it, but more likely it will be sold as scrap metal.  But now I have a 35 dollar sticker that I don't need.  Maybe I'll pay it forward and have my wife put it on farcebook and give it away to someone with an appliance they need to get rid of.
• I mowed the lawn for the first time this year on Wednesday.  The front needed it more and the back just in places, typical for the first mow.  Thus begins a (mostly) weekly ritual that will last until late fall.  Thankfully, it's a small lawn.  It's also showing wear in areas that I'll need to get grass to grow again.  This is likely due to me spraying the weeds instead of getting down and digging them out.  Trouble is, my back is no longer built for all that low work.  The good news is last summer I got a tool that I can get the weeds out while standing up, but it does leave a divot.  I'll just call that aerating the lawn.
• 
  Remember the drawer that I built downstairs for the cat's litter box?  I still look at it and think of how nifty it is.  After using it now for quite some time, I really like how it contains the mess a whole lot better than when the litter box was on the floor.  Oh, litter still gets dragged out, but mostly only onto the walkway and a bit on the stairs, and I just sweep it into the drawer.  If anyone figures out how to get a cat to wipe their paws, please let me know.
• BW left a comment over at Nic's recently that got me thinking.  It's about getting used to music that's not on CDs or records.  To a certain extent, I have the same issue.  I do have many releases on digital only by now, but I also have YouTube Music as a premium member, so have been trying to use that more.  The issue I'm finding is it's geared more towards individual songs, not whole albums, and I am very album-oriented.  Are all music streaming services like that?
• I have my spring vacation in a couple weeks, and I expect it will be better than last year's.  I don't have any big projects in mind, but I'm sure I'll think of something.  Or maybe I'll just sleep until noon every day and have a fire every night.  It will be different because my wife will be here working from home all week, but I'll hit two weeks after being fully vaccinated so I do plan on going out and about.  We also want to start inviting friends over for firepits and outside socializing soon.  I know vaccination is no guarantee, but I feel the benefits will outweigh the risk, at this point.

Well, that was fun.  The weather has been seasonable and we're still getting overnight frost now and again, at least for this next week, it appears.  Might be a good night for a fire, tonight.  Have a great weekend, everyone.

Nice Spring Evening

 

New fence, new gardens, new spring growth.

First Cardinal of spring, that I've seen, center.

I enjoy watching the air traffic.

And the trees are filling in nicely.

Gardens, Grills and Dirt

My wife and I finished the other half of the gardens yesterday, and it was much easier with her help than the first two that I did on my own.  The front left garden is at a bit of an angle compared to the others, but I'm satisfied for now.  I put in an order last night for mulch and a few other things that I picked up this morning.  That's one thing that's come of this pandemic - much more ordering online for pickup.  Never have to get out of your car, just show up and they put your stuff in the back.  We'll likely keep this up even after these pandemic times.

So I picked up 4 bags of mulch, and it took two in the garden paths.  I knew 4 would be more than enough but it was dirt cheap and I know we'll have other uses and places for it this year.  I also spread grass seed around the outside of the gardens and the mulched area.  I have a few other places in the yard to get grass to fill in, too, but that's for another time.  After mulch and seed I gave it a good watering, trying not to wash away the seed.  I hate to do it, but I may have to put straw down in the seeded areas this year to get grass to grow, but we'll see.  

The unused dirt pile in the garage is bigger now.  I had my wife post about it on the neighborhood farcebook page, but no one has inquired yet.  If there are no takers then I'll be hauling buckets to the dump next weekend.  I'll have to go there anyway as I'll need to get rid of the remaining wood from the old gardens.  I've been putting a little in the bin each week for trash pickup, but these bigger boards will be cut up and hauled off.  I do want my garage back sometime soon, after all.  And my wife's not keen on the idea of enclosing the whole area with a fence again, so we'll see how it goes and I'll likely have to get some chicken wire for one or two of the gardens soon.

We had snow flurries on a couple days this past week.  Nothing stuck, but one day it did look like a blizzard for a short time.  April has been below normal in temperatures for us, but also below normal in snowfall.  We still have a few days left, but I don't see any low temperatures below freezing and the highs get much better, very nice and warm the next couple days, then mid-60's (ºF, or upper teens ºC) for the rest of the week.  

The new grill is put together and ready to go, so can't wait to try that out one of these nice evenings.  The old one is starting to rust out inside and very dirty so it was time to replace it.  We got it shortly after we got the house so has served us well for over a decade.  Both grills are made by Kenmore, but I like the new one because there is no side burner (that we never used anyway) and the side shelves fold down, thus taking up less garage space.  Getting rid of the old one now will cost us $35.00 for an appliance sticker to have the city pick it up.  I could put it out on the terrace and hope some metal scavenger picks it up, but 35 bucks to guarantee it goes away is fine with me.

This year's big spring project is now pretty much done, so I'll have to figure out something to keep me busy on my spring vacation coming up in a few weeks.  My vacation will just about be two weeks after my second shot, so I may go gallivanting about to stores, bars and restaurants that I've been avoiding for over a year now.  It will probably seem a little weird, but in a good way.  And people, friends, so many that I've barely seen, if at all, in over a year.  I want to socialize again!  Do I remember how?