Well, we plum forgot to start a Chat Thread again. With spring comming on, it's so fun to see the different parts of the country waking up from a long winter.

I've spent a week just trying to keep our house warm down here, went from all the windows open to 0* yesterday morning. This cold is different from the normal, it's bone chilling wind. My outdoor stove blows in hot air on the east side of the house, and mother nature blows in artic air thru the walls on the west side. Kinda meets in the living room! Even with a beenie and scarf around my face, it still hurt my face outside. Get this, today is supposed to be 52*. Oh please let it stay warm. One good thing is I managed to work allot on my site, had to stay inside!

Steve's grandpa, who was 96, passed away this last week, and we were busy with all the family over the weekend. Everybody's doing allright, he was ready to go home. Steve's mom gave us a 4 foot Umberella tree, was at the funeral home, and I'm afraid this poor tree will die in here from the cold!

I mean it, I'm going to stucco the whole inside of this old farmhouse this summer! I don't care anymore about keeping the neat old wood look, it's freezing in the winter. I'll have to figure out how to seal these wood floors, the floors are very cold. Even with the straw under the house, the cats make holes under there for the air to go thru. I don't like carpet, holds too much dirt.

No more kid goats yet, soon though. I think the garden and all will start blooming in the next couple weeks now, it's time. I did manage to mow the yard with the riding mower last week before this last cold snap. I have pups due end of this month, always an exciting time around here. What's up at you all's places?

-- Cindy in KY (solidrockranch@msn.com), March 05, 2002

Answers

We are cold here, too! 18* last night and I have had the flu--too weak to carry wood in the house. So, DH felt sorry for me and brought wood in and started a fire!LOL

I am so happy, to begin, to feel well again. I hate not being able to get up and do things! Must remember to say a thank you for my health! Something, I seem to take for granted!!!!

I have all the beehives painted and put together. My peach and pear trees are so close to setting blooms that I am afraid that they will freeze.

Must start redoing my strawberry bed (too much grass). Any suggestions on keeping it out?

Think Spring!

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), March 05, 2002.

Spent last night replacing wet insulation and putting the boards back on the house after the plumber fixed our frozen and split pipe. I will spend today repairing the hole he left INSIDE the house. I WAS going to till the new garden spot on borrowed land, as the weather man says it will be 60 degrees, but the snow hasn't melted off as quickly as I had hoped and the new site won't be dry enough. Even pure sand needs to dry off a LITTLE! Still, I am hoping for good root crops this spring, there. Some for the owner and some for me. My own yard is very heavy clay: better for beans and melons than carrots. I MISS SPRING AND I WANT TO GO OUTSIDE............ Ah well, warm weather has never failed to arrive, sooner or later!

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), March 05, 2002.

Howdy Cindy, have you tried those stiff insulating boards under the house. I have a room that is way off the ground on pole like things and it has a wood floor. Hubby put a plastic water barrier and then Celotex(sp?) over that(underneath)It helped 100%! I imagine that you can find a spray on type for under the house too, if you couldn't get under there with the stiff insulating boards. I love wood floors too. Did you know that termites love straw? I used to insulate the crawl space under the house with it and the termite man said that it was not a good idea. We took it out and closed off the places where the air was getting under the house in the winter. Open it back up in the Summer. We just had a ton of company last week. Had 8 teenaged boys in the house for one day and evening and 6 teenaged boys for most of the week. IT was a lot of fun and sure a LOT of cooking for those hollow legs! Sure is quiet around here with just my 3 children today! My daughter is relieved to have all of those yucky boys gone!(her words) The goldfish outside are chattering their gills, the cows are snuggled under the barn roof, the chickens are barely peeking out of the coop, and it is cccccccold this morning. Supposed to be warming up and melting this snow off a bit. Have a great day all! :~)!

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), March 05, 2002.

Seems like the bee in the bonnet to get out and PLANT something is going around. We rent here and hope to move soon, so I don't want to start a garden I'll have to leave. Decided to plant green peas in 2 liter coke bottles that have been cut down and holes punched in the bottom. That way, can move them with us when we go. Wonder if it will work out?

Bought a 25 pound bag of organic yellow onions a couple of months ago and found they were starting to go week before last. So I chopped and dried them. Was amazed at how few jars were required to store them after they were dried. I think I'm going to do a whole lot more drying of veggies this year and less canning. About killed myself last year canning 10 1/2 bushels of tomatoes and don't look forward to doing that again this year.

The first of the migrating birds got here last week. The kinglets are stripping the feeders just about as fast as we can refill them so they ought to go soon. And then the goldfinches will arrive. Seems to happen all in one day.

Coldest day and night of the winter was yesterday and last night. And it's still burning cold today here. Crazy weather! Like everyone else, I'm ready for winter to go and spring arrive.

Have taken great pleasure from my geraniums this winter! First year I could keep them alive all season - they always died in Texas, but seem to do very well in Virginia. Big blooms have brightened up the whole house this season. Lovely!

We are working on and off on the layout of the house we want to build. Fun and frustrating, too. But at least we are getting closer to understand what each of us wants in a new home. Oh! For the day when we finally can begin to build our dream!

Have a great week, everyone.

-- Carol - in Virginia (carollm@rockbridge.net), March 05, 2002.

I was pleasantly surprised this morning that the temperature was up to 20 degrees. After the last two days it was a real heat wave. We woke up yesterday to find that our water was frozen, even with the heat tape. I guess the deep cold and the wind found some little uncovered spot. Fortunately nothing burst and with time we were able to thaw them out.

This is the first year that I have had my does kid so late. Other than one doe, everyone kids in April. I was very unhappy about it at first, but I must say this old granny is not missing the endless trips back and forth to the barn in the cold nights.

I have lettuce and spinach in a big tub under the growlights that is up about two inches and in a week or so we should be able to have a little salad. Still struggling with myself to keep from starting a bunch of other stuff. The ground is frozen and covered with snow and in reality looks more like winter now than it did most of January. Hope everyone has a great week.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), March 05, 2002.

We got us a little cold spell that threw my body in shock everytime I went outside. It is beautiful today. Cindy do you have baby calves again this year. I've got three so far and have a dairy that's going to call with more later in the month. These goats of mine have been keeping me pretty busy now I have the new calves and I love it.

We've got the A frame with grow lights set up in the living room.I've got tomatoes and peppers started and in thier second pot. Brian has , broccolli, califlower, cabbage and lettuce going in the cold frame. Oh yea I have petunia, impatient and Daryll's stevia seeds planted and waiting for life on top of the frig. All is well in Chickadee Valley.

Hope everyone is having a great week.

-- sherry in Arkansas (chickadee259@yahoo.com), March 05, 2002.

Looks like spring has come back for a while at least. I sympathize with you Cindy about the windy cold. I've been doing lots of basketmaking in the cabin we lived in while building our house. There's a wood stove which heats the loft where I work, but the downstairs is freezing. The water I soak the reeds in sits in a pan on the floor and is filled with ice. I used to put rugs on the floor in winter when we lived there, but I think the suggestion of that foam insulation is a great idea. The wind whips through the walls; I did make window quilts which keeps the gale from coming at you through the windows, but then you can't see out. It's a great place in warm weather, but it really makes me appreciate our new, well- insulated house.

My garden looks like Venice; the aisles are totally filled with water/ice. At least the tops of the beds are still above water, but I wonder if I'll ever be able to plant this spring. Meanwhile I have lots of brassicas started under lights in the basement. Have also started many flats of herbs for sale and have just started my peppers and tomatoes. The basement is cold, so I have everything on heat mats and the lights covered with plastic. It works pretty well, but I sure will be glad when I can get some of the seedlings outside. Last fall I built a cold frame covered with sheets of plastic that I set over a raised bed on the south side of the house. I've been harvesting lettuce, arugula, bok choi, etc. all winter. It's really worked well; nothing has died even in the coldest days. Hope everyone has a good week.

-- Katherine in KY (KyKatherine@Yahoo.com), March 05, 2002.

It has been very cold here the last few days, but is starting to warm up this week. I bought some broccoli, cabbage, and red cabbage plants yesterday and some Swiss chard seeds. I hope to plow the garden in the next day or so and get them in the ground. I also need to get some seed potatoes and plant lettuce, etc. My husband has got most of the new improved (guinea and deer proof) fence done around our garden. The daffodils are blooming (I'm surprised they didn't freeze the other night). I love their happy yellow blooms. I'm debating whether or not to get some new chickens. I have a lot, but I want to try some different varieties. I just can't seem to make up my mind yet. I guess no decision is a decision! :^) I need to get excited to clean out the chicken coops too--:^(. That is not one of my favorite jobs. I kind of enjoy cleaning the goat stalls, but not the chicken coop. Fortunately one of my daughters doesn't mind helping me with it. I also bought some blueberry bushes, peonies, and impatiens to plant yesterday. I came home from the store and my husband said "in the planting mood?" Yeah, I guess I got a little spring fever! This all sounds a little disjointed, but you get the picture. Happy planting all!

-- Sharon (spangenberg@hovac.com), March 05, 2002.

Love this forum! We are in the City in Phoenix, AZ but plan to be in the country as soon as our house sells. Any advice on raising a herding dog for my sheep (future plans)? Thanks.

-- Narita (hsnrs@att.net), March 05, 2002.

Hey Cindy, the last few days have been really cold down here too, but we're starting to warm back up. Today was 54 degrees and I finally got back outside. It's suppose to get in the 70's by the end of the week. I hope the temperature stays warm from now on. I'm over winter!

Got potatoes, carrots and onions planted last weekend before the cold snap came. The plants I've started inside are growing like weeds and can't hardly wait till it's time to plant outside. We've been trying to get a whole lot of little things done outside. Changing where we keep the wood pile, cutting down small trees, building some beds, and general clean up. Seems like there is always tons of things that need done but I'm wanting to do all this stuff now before the garden gets my full attention. Too many things to do and not enough time. Dave's going to end up and divorce me!!!! :) Nah, where else could he have so much fun?! Have a great week and stay warm!

Annie

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), March 05, 2002.

It sure would be nice to live anywhere past Ill. right now Upper Mich has been very cold the last week but thats not hard to deal with the 120 inches of snow is. Were suppose to get more the rest of the week. the 120 fell over the last 5 weeks send spring north please LOL

-- bob vadnais (robertvadnais@aol.com), March 05, 2002.

Well, it's beautiful here this week in Central OK, but Lance is too busy to help figure out this new garden plot! Besides, I need him to run the roto-tiller, it's too big for me! (A big old toro)

I'm very anxious, and I have reminded him more than once that I need to get the potatoes and onions out, as well as the carrots, and peas, and ....

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), March 07, 2002.

I had the doors and windows open again now, beautiful weather. Supposed to get a little cooler then warm back up. I'm up late delivering pups, babysitting a dog, doing the midwife thing. 2 girls and 1 boy since 12:30 am. It's now almost 4. Can't believe how many people are on here so late at night! Allot of posts since midnight. Don't you all ever sleep?

-- Cindy in KY (solidrockranch@msn.com), March 09, 2002.

Had an old farmhouse in PA sprayed under the floors from the root cellar(was everyone under 5 foot tall in 1865?) with expansive foam. Made a world of difference and was a good bargain.

Out here it's cooled down alot the last 2 days with a bit of rain. Got clear down in the 40s at night. ; )

-- Dave (multiplierx9@hotmail.com), March 09, 2002.