Dang, is it Sunday already!? This past week sure flew by in a fast hurry for me - how 'bout for the rest of you folks?

My baby comes home today!! I have to be at the St. Louis airport to pick her up at 10:30 pm - oh joy; St. Louis in the middle of the night! She does not want to come home yet, but is a little happier about the fact as Ryan (fiance) will be heading for Ft. Knox, KY for 6 weeks of temporary duty starting 6/24/01 - that's only 5 1/2 hours from us! Plus, he will be home on leave in August AND we sent our old computer down to him so that the kids can keep in touch via the net, rather than phone lines. I still expect her to be kinda cranky for a while. I'm sure this next year will drag for both of them.

Pop just went out the door muttering at the hummingbirds - they had feed in their feeders when it got dark last night, but had managed to drain them all by the time we got up this morning. We had added two more to the porch for a total of 5 - doesn't seem like they last any longer than when we just had three of them out!

The chickens are enjoying their new pasture and Hubby was tinkering around with some ideas for portable fence panels involving PVC pipe and chicken wire - I forsee a trip to Rural King in the near future! We're gluing together a contraption for Bun to get out in today - also PVC and chicken wire. It can also be used for a few hens.

I tried to herd the chickens over toward the berry patch last night with little success. I figured we'd have drunk chickens as you can smell the old berries fermenting in the sun! There are a ton of corn borer moths out in the berry patch - this is the first year that I have seen such a thing. May not bode well for our corn crop. But we will be mowing off the tops of the berries and tilling the rows down to a respectable width here soon, so if they are laying eggs it shouldn't amount to much.

Well, I'm off to go stare at my muddy garden - I'm afraid that Pop had better lock up all the tools and Hubby had better hide the tractor key, as I am very tempted to get planting and the ground is still to wet to work. I'm sure I can find some weeds to pull - sigh!

You all have a happy week!

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2001

Answers

David mentioned yesterday our big pea adventure. He's making wine today. I think I shelled peas for over two hours yesterday. I ended up freezing about 5 pounds, laid them on trays so they will be free flow and then into 1 gallon ziplock bags. We still have loads more coming, we'll sell at the farmers market this week and then pick at the end of the week to freeze more. If we can just keep the peas going, they look great now but they have forecast a hot dry week!

We drive down to Russelville (Arkansas Tech) to take our 13 year old to a 3 week long art and music camp. Arkansas has this wonderful gifted and talented summer program where kids can apply to these camps and it is all free of charge YIPPEE! I'm so pleased for her but hate to give her up for 3 weeks. Brittany is quite the musician playing french horn, trumpet and flute and learning clarinet. She signed up for beginning band again this year because she wants to learn drums. She plays the French Horn in advanced band. Did I mention it is never quiet at my house.

Well gotta run. Kim

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2001

Gotta get back out into the garden and do some more before the rain comes this afternoon. It did rain last night, but not heavily, so I'll see if I can work the ground at all . . . I've got some rows plasticized, so I can plant those, I guess, as long as I am not getting actually rained upon!

Polly, about those summer hummer feeders -- I read somewhere that they should not be placed where the morning sun will strike them. The liquid cools off with the night, and if they are warmed too quickly (such as when the sun hits them), they will siphon the liquid out. Perhaps that is what is happening to your feeders. You might want to rethink your locations, perhaps experiment with moving a couple. Of course, then you might wonder if the birds have found them at all . . . .

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2001

Joy, our porch wraps around the south and west sides of the house and we have three feeders on the south and two on the west. Four of them are small feeders (4oz) and one is an 8oz feeder. The small ones are all stuck in hanging baskets and are shaded by the flowers; plus there is a big maple tree to the south that helps to shade them. I think the darn hummers just get up earlier than we do! They are drinking over a quart of nectar each day - Pop and I are arguing over that; he likes the Perky Pet nectar that you just mix with water, where I figure I will go broke a little slower if I make my own with 4 cups boiling water to a cup of sugar. He thinks it has to be red, I think the color is bad for them, besides the feeders are all near red, pink or purple flowers so that ought to attract them. So, he has his jar of nectar in the fridge and I have mine! Can't tell a bit of difference as far as the birds are concerned!

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2001

Been harvesting garlic and onions this weekend, so they're all laid out to dry. Need to finish weeding the strawberry bed, and get it mulched. The Japanese beetles are back, so I've been hand-picking them the last few days. If any of you have used milky spore, how long did it take to notice much difference? Been harvesting raspberries, but never seem to have enough to do much with (2c today), so I may try freezing them and doing something later. Reading a wonderful book, "My Grandfather's Blessing". Have a great week.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2001

I'm with you, Polly -- no commercial mix, no food color. Better for the hummers.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2001

Hey everybody, I've been harvesting sugar snap peas,big boy peas, broccoli, cabbage,and the biggest head of califlower I have ever seen. I've never had very good luck with califlower, husband pointed me to it and all I could say was wow ! It was a foot across, I was almost scared of it, He He. I've had 3 kids born this week 2 does and a buck, they are all about 3/4 boer and cute as can be. The little doe that was born yesterday was white with a black head and neck and a star on it's forehead. I can't believe how pychic I am sometime, I told my husband Brian what the kid would look like before it was born this is the second time I've done this. Earlier in the spring my white saanan doe bred to a saanan buck had a black and white spotted kid,I quess she's a sable, he looked at me like I was a nut when I told him we were going to have a black and white spotted kid and sure enough we do. Our silver barred cockrels will be ready to start butchering in a week or so. I keep hoping I'll have a premonition of someone besides me butchering them , no go so far. Hope everyone is healthy and happy. Sherry

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2001

It truly is amazing how fast a week goes by, Polly. Hope your trip to the airport went okay. Our closest airport is Bangor Inter. which is pretty busy, but I can't imagine what St. Louis is like!! Hubby and I had a really nice weekend, for a change. We finally got our boat in the water Sat. a.m. Then for several hours, wondered whether it would sink or stay afloat (paranoia!!!). But of course it was fine. So we spent the rest of the weekend "stocking" it with essentials in case we decided to spend the night out on it. We will, eventually, but first we have to get the feel of this boat----it's 21 ft. long compared to our other boat which was 19 ft. It is TRULY nice to get TOTALLY away from everyone (family included!!) on this boat. All we have for communication is a CB and, of course, a fish/depth finder. It's very relaxing to be out on the water (Lake Atlantic) alone with your partner, justing talking and watching the seals chase fish or the dolphins surface right beside the boat wondering what you're doing there!! Of course, then we had to come home to the reality that the garden wasn't quite done being planted. But that was taken care of Sun. afternoon. Now, as long as we can keep up with the weeds (yah...right!) we should be all set. Sold the last of my baby goats last Sat. Think I'm going thru' "empty nest" syndrome!!! And now I'm down to just two milkers---my wrists are giving out on me. Anyone know of a natural way to help Carpal Tunnel Syndrome??? Can't stand the thought of surgery ----or giving up my goats!! Have a good week everyone...thanks for being there!

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2001

Marcia, read the end of last weeks Chat thread. Earthmama has been helping me with my Carpal Tunnel. I'm milking 3 goats only, and it really gets to me. But truthfully, it's better since I started doing what she suggested, it really is. I would not want to do without my wonderful goats milk either!

I put pictures of my new cow (which Steve is going to milk a little for us and the calves will get the rest themselves) over on the thread on CS that Annie started about my birthday. Go see her pic, she is really nice.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2001

Marcia, massage can be very helpful with carpal tunnel syndrome. And it's a place you can reach yourself. Just squeeze and rub your arms from shoulder to fingers, giving more attention to the tender spots. Or see if you can find a local therapist to barter with. Where do you live? Polly, I've always used a homemade mix for the hummers, too. Well, back to work for me.

-- Anonymous, June 11, 2001

Cindy, Well that's a big DUH on my part!!! I knew I'd seen somewhere on some thread about wrist problems. I went back and read Earthmama's advice to you....sure will give it a try!

Laurie, I will definitely try the massage....sounds like a job for my hubby!! I do wear wrist braces at night to keep my hands from "falling asleep" all the time. Thanks for the help!

-- Anonymous, June 11, 2001

Cindy, haaapppy bleated (that's "happy belated" in human talk, but sorta different in sheepspeak) birthday wishes! I tried to express them before but my ISP has decided to kick me off frequently and I have to write fast and/or send posts without much proofreading these days. Anyway: Happy Birthday!

Guess what...an inch of rain today, and at 4 pm it was all of 49 degrees out. Happy growing weather, folks. Snow level is 3500 feet, which means new snow at the pass. Grumble, grumble. I guess both hiking and corn growing got a set-back today. However, my complaints are nothing compared to those poor folks around Houston. We haven't heard from Vicki lately. I hope she's okay....anyone heard from her?

-- Anonymous, June 11, 2001

Haven't seen anything from Vicki, but I am behind on posts. I was chatting on line with a friend near Houston on Saturday night. Her house was high enough not to flood, but her yard was all awash, and her dogs wouldn't "go" while standing in water. Poor puppies, I don't know how they've coped since then!

-- Anonymous, June 11, 2001

Happy birthday, Cindy!
(sorry I'm late!)

-- Anonymous, June 11, 2001

SPLOOSH! We were supposed to get "light rain" tonight. Got a lightning storm, heavy downpour, and a tornado watch. I dragged my seedling boxes (the gardening on the deck experiment) under the "shelter" of the tree that overhangs part of the deck. I hope they didn't get beat to death. The boxes were too heavy to move elsewhere.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001

Used my truck to haul a brand new wooden post style garden box built by one neighbor over to another neighbor for his wife's birthday.

"Any delivery charge?"

"Oh, a couple of bucks for the gas tank."

"How about some pork steaks fresh off the grill for you and your wife, instead?"

GAWD!!! I LOVE this neighborhood! :)

(:raig

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001

Yipee, skippy!!!!! Finished planting the garden AT LAST!!! I had really begun to wonder if it would ever happen. Still have some sweet potatoes, and a couple of specialty items that I want to try, but the main necessities (as I call them) are finally in. Made my last bean planting, corn, and late root crops today. Will still do various greens etc. and continue to "built" my raised beds and perennial gardens until snow falls. Now, the unending task of adding mulch etc. etc. etc. Oh by the way, I had a bunch of those stinking thistles coming up through 10 inch mulch and I sprayed them with straight vinegar yesterday (they were just tender young ones) and today VANISHED!!! Am I a happy camper or what??? Happy week to all.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001

Shhh....be vewwy vewwy quiet....I'm planting tomatoes.

The weather has finally hit 80 in the days, and reliably in the 50's at night, so the remainder of the indoor tomatoes are going outdoors (well, a couple are staying in as an experiment) in 5 and 6 gallon buckets. Potatoes are up, so are the beans, the zucchini is already blossoming (this is a big deal for those of you who don't live in the Temperature Challenged region of the country). Whoo hoo!!!

After it being too cold and wet to plant for days (weeks) on end, suddenly it went to hot and dry, so that I am having to water everything, some trees included, in order to prevent them from stressing out and dying. Fortunately, we've had two good rain storms the last two days, with clearing in between, so despite it being hot and muggy out (I'm enjoying a little respite in front of a fan and some ice tea, then it's back out at it), at least I can get things done and then have them watered adequately.

The new 4 slot compost bin is done and ready to put in place! Each one is about 5' square, and I am just raring to start throwing stuff into them. I am hoping that this, along with my little old original 3 3' bin complex will be enough to handle all my mother and my yard wastes come fall when the leaves come down, instead of her hauling them off to the landfill. That broke my heart every time they'd go!!! She'd send off grass clippings too!!! Is that a crime or what? Visions of nice layered leaves/grass/straw/bunny & guinea pig poop/horse manure dance in my head. I start to get feverish ideas about the local microbrewery that wants someone to haul off their spent hops and grain regularly, but no, that is probably more than I can undertake. Maybe the local coffee shop....

The baby guinea pigs are quite enjoyable. They have learned to eat carrot peelings, clover, and dandelions and do so with gusto. Their mom was battery raised and still isn't too sure about the carrots and dandelions, but will do grass now at least. The babies simultaneously have a fit of 'popcorning' as it is called in guinea pig circles. They all dash madly about, jumping and bucking in the air in high spirits and happiness all of a sudden, and then all stop. They've doubled in size in less than a week, they are quite amazing. It's too bad that they don't have valuable hair or something for homesteading value (I'm not going to eat them!!), so I guess they will just have to be vindicated for their manure production (what there is of it!) and stress-relief. At least they DO accell at the latter.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001

Well, the seedlings in planter boxes came through the big downpour looking pretty good. I think the tree sheltered them enough. The garden, however, is kinda muddy. I see I have low spots in the paths. Right now, the ought to be called mud puddles. They were threating us with downpours again, but now it looks like its not going to happen. Sposed to hit the 90's tomorrow (Yech!) -- might be able to get some things planted, and fill in those low spots.

The dog got to go van riding today (she loves it) and to go into a large pet supply store, where she was appropriately admired and fairly well behaved. When she gets tired of looking out the side windows, she tries to get into the front between the seats. I could hear her thoughts today -- I could drive this thing if she'd let me sit there!

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001

Yup. I could see Blanca driving now...

"MOTHER-of-pearl!!!!"

(ever seen that commercial?)

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001

I picked up a new little registered Alpine baby girl last night. She is 6 weeks and tiny, tiny. Her mama wasn't supposed to be bred, she is a young doe, but somehow she did. I got her from the same place I got my other Alpines. I tried and tried to get her to take a bottle, she just chews it. I had to give her some milk with a syringe, and she took some. Tonight she drank pretty good for Steve. She is eating hay and grain ok, but I want her to drink milk for a long time cuz she is so small.

She is pure white.............Whoa......as soon as I typed that it hit me. That's the third white animal! I was going to write that someone else will get a white animal, happens in three's. Sharon's white stallion and Joy's white dog. After I read about Joy's dog I thought about that. Well, it's me! I got a white animal! I had never seen her untill last night when I picked her up. She need a name starting with R.

I am still real busy around here, trying to keep ahead of the garden and mowing now that it dried out a bit. Got a load of gravel for the road today, and completely wore myself out push mowing, it was a bit hot today to be mowing. One doe is ready to birth anytime, hoping it is twin girls!

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2001

Hey, Cindy, I already have a white cat (she was born with two small grey patches on her head, but all that is left of those are 3-4 grey hairs). Does that make a difference?

Julie, I remember that commercial now -- yeah, like THAT! I have this feeling I'll be hollering MOTHER OF PEARL

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2001

a lot now. Maybe I should change her name?

(sorry, continuing the previous post where I hit send too soon!)

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2001

No, that dosen't count, someone else was going to get a white animal, a new one. Hey Sharon, you still have your white Stallion, Thunderhead?

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2001

Speaking of white things, I aint much of a fan of white, (white walls, white transluscent skin [like mine], white furniture, white carpets, etc,) but I do have a history of white dogs...oh yeah......forgot about the couple hundred sheep I used to have....

Anyway, my current white thing is a GP doggie, who has taken to wantin to spend lots of time in the house (air conditioning), which is bad enough since as much as I love her, this is a farm and she often smells funny......but now since it seems to be lightening and thundering more often than not, she wants to crawl in my lap alot..........which is (as much as I love her) not really acceptable.....so that's the end of my story....

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2001

Swelter, swelter. I think it hit 90 today, and boy, is it humid. Yech, I hate weather like this! The weather forecasts say that Fri.- Tues. will be below 80, and Fri.-Sun. will be dry. I hope they're right!

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2001

Earthmama, how old is your GP doggie? I assume it's still young. Definatly not a good habit to start! Considering the size and the air conditioning. My dogs insist on comming in and going straight to the bathroom and lying down. (I wonder who taught them that) I have spent many summer afternoons in there with 6 dogs, a little TV and the phone. General now looks up at the one lightbulb and then looks at me with those questioning eyes. It's gone black a few times in there and there's no windows. No air either and it gets real stuffy. They just don't understand what's happening, poor things, I wish I could explain it to them. But they do feel safe with me in there, when they lay down they take a big sigh of relief breath, like, all right dudes, we made it!

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2001

Joy,I;m with you complaining about this weather, Yuk! I'm wilting! I bet the tomatoe plants love this though. And allthe people who are tirid of rain, so glad that a cold front is coming! Tren

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2001

That's it!! I quit! I need a break! No, what I need is a couple more weeks of vacation - Hurry up September!!

On Tuesday, Sis informs me casually "Oh, by the way, Mom - the cheerleaders are having a rummage sale Saturday; my stuff needs to be there by Friday afternoon." So, in between working in the garden and planting my perennial bed and mowing the yard and griping about the weather - now I have to mark rummage stuff too!! Just kills me to write these prices on things, as I remember what I paid for most of them at the Yuppie Teenager Store. Ah well, I will have considerably more room to store junk once it's over! And given the 90+ degree heat and the humidity, it is pretty pleasant to be inside in the AC.

Pop finally got the split row tiller on and has (with much out and out bitching!) got my berry rows down to 12" wide - gonna be a whole lot easier to pick next year; aren't they, Phyllis?! He also used it to cultivate our sweet corn and my sunflowers. Unc finally came down to plant his beans; says he's going to get that next planting of sweet corn in, maybe this evening - supposed to get some rain Friday, I think. I need to pull out my broccoli, and pick and freeze peas. Bun will be sorry to see the broccoli go, as she gets a stalk or two every day - reckon she'll just have to make do with lettuce and beet greens 'til the new crop comes on.

Well darn, my sandwich has disappeared so I guess I'd better get back at it - sigh!!

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2001

Yes Polly, it will be much easier picking next year and I will be sure to tell your dad it looks great when I see him. I'm sure bun will love the lettuce and whatever you give her. My garden just isn't doing very good. I replanted greenbeans for the 3rd time last night and I have never had so much trouble getting things to come up in the past. All 80 of my tomatoes look real good and all 9 of Maranda's potatos are finally up. I plan to head out early in the morning to pick more raspberries and try to beat the heat. Hopefully the rain will cool things off a bit. I sure hope it's not this hot for the fair next month. A couple of years ago it was unbearable and the animals had to be watched so carefully. It's so hard on them that way. Back to the raspberries, I live at the old home place and my dad always had old vehicles in the back lot of this 10 acres. The raspberries have always grown up and around those old vehicles. I saw or heard somewhere last year they grow there because they like iron. So usually if we get enough rain they do well, otherwise they are in full sun and dry up quickly. But we have woods all around us and there aren't near as many as there use to be, but we still find some. I'm sorry that your vacation is over already. They are never long enough. Hope you get all the rummage sale things marked and a good excuse to be in out of the hot weather.

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2001

O.K. you people, we waited ALL WINTER for this and now you are complaining already???? LOL Everyone around here is so grumpy and I am just smiling and happy. This would be like a winter day in Haiti!!! Garden is growing as I watch and I am loving it. Come on green beans!!!!

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2001

Well, the sun came out today! It actually got up in the low 60s. Yup. I guess I can't complain too much. Bozeman, MT got eight inches of SNOW!!! I'm sorry, what month is this again????

Definitely time to start thinking about building a greenhouse....

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2001

Well, another week has flown by for me. Justin's ball game for last night was cancelled. We got some rain and the field was too wet. Then Maranda's game, they lost by alot. She played catcher for the first time and she did pretty good. We had 2 new litters of baby pigs this week and all my baby rabbits are growing and so cute. The two baby kittens about 8 weeks old are jumping around in the grass and having fun. The goose is still setting on her eggs, but I think her time is up and they aren't going to hatch.

Michael has gone after feed and then we have to get busy. His weekend off and we all know how time off does, it just flies by. Phyllis

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2001

We milked Ginger last night for the first time and she is a dream to milk! She is soooo tame, she just stands there and lets you. The 2 bottle calves, one is hers, are doing good too. The are beautiful. I have cream in the fridge. Steve milked out 2 quarters of her bag and got 1 whole bucket full, you know, a milk bucket! It tastes soooooo good. I am so totally excited, we are putting up a new row of field fence today across the back pasture so the pony don't chase her. We named the full stock Guernsey bull calf Georgeous George, and we are going to keep him. (I know you shouldn't breed him back to her, the neighbor has a small bull) He has a perfect heart on his forehead. And the black and white bottle calf bought for me has a perfect star on top of his rump! See ya, Love ya, gotta go outside.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2001

Those calves sound so pretty. My brother-n-law has cows. My niece gets to bottle feed one now and then. They sound so cute with those markings. I put clothes out on the line this morning and I have to fix the chicken fence so the little breeds won't fly out. We have a dog that will kill them if they do. She doesn't mean to, she just tries to heard them back to the fence and they don't fly back in. Her name is Molly and other than that she is good dog.

Michael got back with the feed, so everyone is taken care of for today. Justin is mowing the back pasture and Maranda is at a friends and should be home soon. Phyllis

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2001