The Good Day All Thread

That's a great idea Sjoerd! Didn't even think of that.

 

Well, I thought of it because when I am removing the winter mulch in the veggie patches, I always come across so many worms that were living under it. I select a few and chuck them into the compost bins to help with the composting process. They are safe in there from birds, shrews and moles.

 

Good Tuesday morning to you! My husband is out foraging (used to be called grocery shopping) and I'm catching up on some house cleaning. While cleaning the kitchen countertop, I saw two hummingbirds, and then a red-bellied woodpecker. I gave up on cleaning for a bit and just bird watched!
I hope you all have a lovely surprise or two today.

 

Angus and I were out at 6 am this morning. He enjoys sniffing the tracks and trails of whatever came through during the night. He and a fox have a "pee off". I'm sure they each do rounds - Angus in the AM and the fox at night. The Grosbeaks were waiting for the railing of bird seed. I sourced some dead standing trees for the woodstove that I will go get after a cup of tea. They are my size...wee and easy to manage. Only about six inches at the base. It is hard to believe that we are still having a fire. September to May will be a new record.

I had some seedling heartbreak yesterday. A wee troll dug its way into the greenhouse and snipped off twelve dwarf french marigolds seedlings, and sampled all of the broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. It also enjoyed a rather hefty patch of spinach. Hubby laid down a rather impressive trap line with gopher traps, rat snap traps and mouse traps. I found the two holes. I've also put blood meal all around the greenhouse. I hope with the green starting that the little monsters will move on to fresh natural greens.

I sure didn't expect that. It's a first and made me a bit blue. It looks like, apart from the marigolds which are all neatly stacked behind a pot ( I have a tidy type A personality little %##@) the other seedlings will survive. It trampled some of my other flowers and broke them off in multiple spots, but I think they will make.

I certainly don't dare put anything outside without that new netting for the next few weeks.

 

Oh Mel, what a shame! We have all lost plants, one way or another, but avid gardeners, like you, just keep on trying!
I had 65 roses started from cuttings, and in pots with neat little labels on popsicle sticks. Our cat thought those sticks were fascinating to play with, and I had to wait a full year until the roses bloomed so I could tell what some of them were! Can you plant the marigold seeds directly in the ground?

 

What a shame, Mel. I am suffering with you. Just awful. However, after all the blues and cursing….there is still time for new planting. Just get on with it.
Those nasty leedl beasties need some attention. Hopefully, your man’s efforts will help you.

It is always a big question for us when to plant things out, or even in the greenhouse. I begin combatting the rodents a couple of months before things go outside.

Fingers crossed for you.

 

Thank you folks. I've called a local greenhouse to ask to purchase some vegetable plants from her stock before she takes it to town for sale. I don't have the calendar for starting again this year, and I'm afraid the short season time line doesn't allow for direct sowing of seeds for these particular plants. The electricity bill for starting my own was supposed to be in lieu of buying bedding plants, but there will have to be an exception this year - which is okay.

So far no results from the trap line, other then a little note saying "I like the cheese in the mouse trap...please send more."

 

Mel your stories are so funny the way you use humor to describe serious incident s. They are always worth nice chuckles… mainly due to the fact I have experienced the very same situations… moles, voles, mice, and ground squirrels can cause a lot of damage. They get in my greenhouse slippery littles stink pots… I have sprayed the area with mint and put down blood meal too. Seem to deter them all very well.
We have the Chip n’Dale’s of the century… always scampering around digging in all the pots I put out yesterday from the greenhouse. Now using ammonia soaked on rags to kill their dashing thru the patio plants.

Oh once your DH comes home from his foraging trip I hope he found a specials treat for you too…

 

Good morning, and it is good here. Competent electricians showed up and are finishing the electrical work in the bath remodel. The first one didn't finish the job, the second just didn't return our call, and these guys, bless 'em, got here on schedule and are hard at work.
We had low water pressure last night, and now no water, but are assured the local water company is working on it. Living in a third world country (Texas) is not for the faint hearted!
I consoled myself by stripping the dried thymes, regular and lemon, and putting them in small herb jars. I love the smell of herbs. My hands smell of thyme, and it's better than the most expensive perfume!
Wishing you all a good day! Things are looking up here . . . .

 

That sounds like the makings of a wonderful day Lady J.

Today is the beginning of a warmer weather trend for us. Still lows of 1 or 0, but highs in the teens, and expecting two days of 28 C on the weekend. It will be a big melt. Today is a push today to finish the greenhouse and get it ready for hardening off tomatoes and peppers. The heated soil cable still needs to burried and connected. The propane funace in my daughter's room that I use for growing these lovelies died last week. The gas guy phoned and will try to come Wednesday if the road is not too muddy. Gas furnaces are above my pay grade, and Hubby is off of the contortionist part of his resume for now.

The creek is beginning to rise. All of the big wigs come out for a party at the bridge on Friday ( they have far too many meetings to come sooner). With the beaver diversion, the creek has found a new path away from the culverts. The culverts that are there are 2/3 plugged so not keeping up. I've pulled out some plant debris, but they really need a backhoe with a thumb to do it safelty and properly. I've been the squeaky wheel but they are the "experts". It's about a foot away from breaching the corner of the road at the end of our driveway, so it will be fun. There is a neighbour with a private road and bridge that may be able to allow residents to divert the creek if the road should wash out this week, but we shall see. The property has a new owner and it would be at their discretion.

Bread is in the oven, as well as some buns on deck. Tomorrow is a long town day, so lunches will be prepped and packed today. We are expecting our first Thunderstorm this afternoon. It would be nice to hear thunder and rain today - it's been a long time.

 

Marlin sorry to hear of the water pressure. Sounds like the remodel is almost complete. And yes the smell of thyme is wonderful and calming . I agree a lot bet than spendy perfumes.

warmer weather is in the forecast here. 80 degrees by fri. What a record jump. From 40 to 80 in a week. Good luck on your maters and peppers. The warm weather will be good …Poor Hubby contortionist sounds grueling..

out catching up on stuff .. you all know the drill when it comes to winter clean up..

 

Playing golf yesterday, on one hole we had to look for one of my partner's ball. He'd driven it just a few yards off the fairway into the rough. Just grass, but four or five inches high, so you'd have to be almost standing over it to see it.

There are thousands of trees around our golf course, many over 100 years old. In the area we were searching there was one about three feet across which divided into two trunks, about four feet off the ground. Nestling where they divided, was a mallard duck on her nest. She just kept perfectly still. Her colouring almost matching that of the bark of the tree so hard to see. We wouldn't have noticed her if we hadn't been looking around the tree for the ball. We quietly moved on, finding the ball a few yards further on.
We get a lot of birds on or around our course. Canada geese, (they are a pest), crows, pheasants, woodpeckers, two flocks of parakeets, moorhens, herons, the occasional kingfisher, (we've a lot of lateral streams and a few ponds).
They know we aren't a threat to them. The pheasants can amuse as they will often stand a few yards away from you guarding their "patch."
They are obviously wary of foxes, but few are around during the day. We know when they are about as they occasionally leave footprints in the bunkers.

A few years ago there was one that used to hang around the tenth tee, as it knew players often stop there for a drink and something to eat before they start the back nine. It usually got thrown something, like a bit of a sandwich or a biscuit.

 

Tired, but have gardening meeting in town today and lunch with a friend at the farmers market. Life is good, but mornings like this I need lots of caffeine.

 

Good morning all! Today is shaping up well--we have water, electricity, and last night's storm didn't do any damage other than making everything too soggy to work outside.
I have a pot of chili (with beans, please don't tell Texans that) on the stove, and a cat purring at my feet. She wants attention, and what Timi wants, Timi gets!
Wishing a good day to you all.

 

Chilli with red beans—yum!
That’s the way I make it too…but then, I luckily do not have the Texas baggage. Poor Mart used to give me what-for for doing this.