today,,,,

greenspun.com : LUSENET : CountrySide Family : One Thread

got rained out of work on Fri,, so I got a chance to get another laod of logs to the mill,, last one for a few weeks. Today, got my hands on some more truck inner tubes,, so I went to the beach, laid in the water,, relaxed,,, got some some sun, water felt like bath water. Its so humid right now,, no muhc of a breeze either. I had to add some supers to the hives, thistle is getting ready to bloom, and if the rain doesnt go away completely, should be an ok crop this year. Mowed the lawn, thats one bad thing about this weather,, it needs a "cutten" once a week. Glad I have a mulching mower, would hate to have to rake it afterwards.

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), June 22, 2002

Answers

I mow mine only when it reaches 10" to 12" deep for use as green manure.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), June 22, 2002.

That's sounds pretty good Stan, even if the water was luke warm. Have to admit it's been years since I layed around in an innertube and the thought appeals. Not any good swimmin' holes around these parts that are both cool, clean, and uncrowded. Used to be the best quarry, spring fed with fearsome limestone cliffs that lured the daredevils, but they filled it in and put a warehouse there. Looks odd, unnatural, magnified by the panoramic backdrop. I can't even imagine donning a bathingsuit(yikes, that thought alone is frightening) and stepping foot in a swarming pee pool, as my eldest refers to them.

Days after the soltace it seems a bittersweet waning. The chicory, milkweed, multifloral roses, and queen annes lace are blooming their fool heads off. The greens have faded a bit and some of the fields are even golden. Round bales abound. Today I had the pleasure of seeing someone raking hay, it always make me smile. But then I find the plume of dust in my rearview mirror amusing. Snakes and turtles are basking, quail skittering the roadside.

DD's friend Melissa is here. She has 18 siblings adopted from all over the world with varying disabilities, emotional and physical. I am awed by her parents. This morning there was a gift in the barn, two actually, FINALLY that last doe kidded. Two bucks, darn. But it has been a very very doe year, so can't complain too much. Although they are absolutely gorgeous, huge, perfect chamois! I adore those, and these are the first we have had born here. Double darn. Melissa has no experiance with farm living, so they were especially a prize to her. As are the usual chores, milking, feeding the kids, etc. They are up in the top pasture picking mulberries to eat with some icecream. Maybe after lunch we will slather paint on some fence and then of course fill up the pool when they bore of it.

Well, best get to lunch. I think a big salad with grilled chicken and some french bread with a bit of garlic maybe. Have a most wondrous day all!

-- Patty (SycamoreHollow@aol.com), June 23, 2002.


....changed our minds, tooooo hot for painting! Went caving instead, Melissa had never been in a cave. It is a mild one at first, but still adventurous. We only went 1/8th of a mile in, or so. Much fun! Collective wince when we came out as the world seemed on fire. How the heck can air turn to molten lava! I remarked how we should just move into the cave, DD said we would surely be living the high life then! Saw one of the protected species of bat that live there, a newt, and lotsa frogs. Quite lucky in our treasure hunt, I'd say. I taught Mellisa what poison ivy looked like as well, prudent to be sure! She told me stories of dolphins playing and fins of killer whales and a dead baby shark she found once. Also, how her mother told her to never wear red while swimming as it looks like blood, and especially NEVER if it is raining! I think she had a good day, hope so.

Question, what does bat poo look like? Seriously....? (I should already know this, but don't!) :)

-- Patty (SycamoreHollow@aol.com), June 23, 2002.


bat poo,, guano,,??? it all depends on what type of bat, and its diet. BUt if its an established cave for bats,, there will be a pile of, brownish to blackish,,,,,,goo, to dried goo. If they are bredding in the cave, you should also get an amonia smell,, like used cat litter. Ive never seen guano in pellet form,, or chunck form

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), June 23, 2002.

Goo? Could you be a bit more specific? lol

Actually, it was at a different cave entrance. Noticed a smell right off. Like....dead fish or polluted, bacterial yuckyness. Not ammonia smelling at all. Then upon closer inspection, saw poo, off to one side and fairly specific to one area. Looked like moist mouse droppings, I hadn't imagined guano that way. I assumed that was what it was, but I thought it would look like bird poop. (?) :-D

Smirk. I gotta go milk, hehe. On the subject of excrement, a raccoon left me a smelly something on the seat of my truck last night, (accidentally left the window open)HOW RUDE!

-- Patty (SycamoreHollow@aol.com), June 23, 2002.



Worked my fanny off today - and Hub's too! Spent about 7 hours outside, with an hour break to cook and eat dinner (at noon). We moved the chicken house and fenced them in a new yard - not as difficult as it sounds since we used bin panels; the things that made up the wall of the old metal wire type corn bins; and metal T posts. Then, we built a 8x8 box from stacked landscape timbers - the plan is to put a big round tank in it and call it a fish pond! (Which means running electricity out to the garden for the pump and filter, which means maybe I can have some fairy lights on my grape arbor - woo woo!!) We also put another layer of timbers on one side of my clothesline area so that I could put a thicker layer of wood chips under it - Pop has a pathological hatred of clotheslines and the only way he would let me put one up is if he didn't have to mow anywhere near it! I got those chips moved; and then spent a lot of time watering (read - moving a sprinkler from bed to bed) and weeding. Did take a couple of breaks to have some fresh snap peas off the vine, peek in the gourd birdhouse to see the three new baby bluebirds and sneak Bunny out some peas and fresh beet leaves. I did get another layer of straw put on my 3 beds of late potatoes - I use 2x8's to make frames that are 4'x4'; and stack them 3 or 4 deep,adding a new frame whenever the taters peek over the edge of the current one. I worked for about an hour setting strawberry runners where I wanted them in the garden strawberrys; then had to go out into the field berry patch and cut down the yarrow and other plants that were getting ready to bloom out there. Hmmm, what else did we do? Oh yeah, put some lattice on top of the grape arbor and started training the new grapes up the posts; and then Hubs took the net off and put the tailgate back on his old Dakota so that I could use it to haul some more timbers and maybe some horse poop too, later this week. A Dakota load of horse poop is about all I want to unload at one time!

Stan, we don't have a swimming hole, or an innertube for that matter; but I did take a short break in the horse tank that we have set up under the downspout from the shed! I went over to get a bucket of water to put in the bird bath, decided to dip my bandana sweat band in to cool off a bit and then just said "To heck with it!" and climbed on in - shirt, shorts, sneakers and all! Ahhh...sure made chopping those weeds out of the berry patch a lot nicer!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), June 23, 2002.


Patty, we use to have brown bats nest under the tin roof of our front porch (they haven't migrated back last year or this year). Sometimes their poo would land on the stairs to the porch and it did look kinda like mouse poo. I was going to say like hamster poo. Not at all like bird droppings. But I guess that would make sense since bats are mammals. And aren't they in the rodent family??

Is the cave on your property? I love caves but I am not a serious spelunker or anything like that. I think I'm just attracted to the natural beauty of caves.

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), June 24, 2002.


Bren, of course you are right! I don't know why I had a preconcieved notion of bird poop(funny phrase, that). Of course that was what it was, no doubt about it now, thanks. Whew, that stuff is...wow, words can't convey the olfactory delight. ;)

No, the cave is close, in a state park. Caves are everywhere around these parts. I love the ones with water, but I just love water. It sounds so neat and yes, beautiful. I don't get fancy either, but enjoy them. Would like to do more of it. I know one cave that is close to the river with many indian mounds near. There is a legend documented in various history books that a treasure is hidden there. River pirates stashed bounty. I didn't find it. lol :)

-- Patty (SycamoreHollow@aol.com), June 24, 2002.


Oh, Polly, I meant to say how much I enjoyed hearing about your day. Were the corn crib panels circular, I wondered? Funny about the clothes line, made me giggle. Faery lights are good! Speaking of, the fireflys don't seem as abundant this year. :( Interesting side note, someone told me that if you took an indiglow watch and matched their timing, they would gather to you. I don't have one of those, but I want to try it sometime. :)

-- Patty (SycamoreHollow@aol.com), June 24, 2002.

The fireflies here seem to be about the same but do you know what I HAVEN'T seen?? Shhh, don't tell now. I haven't seen a single Japanese beetle yet!! Of course, now that I've said this, I'll walk outside and see 100's. LOL But I've been kind of wondering what's up. It must have something to do with the very late freezes we had here late May. What ever it is, I'm not complaining!

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), June 24, 2002.


We are drowning here in south central Minnesota! I know its better than having a drought, but this is getting ridiculous. Hardly a day goes by with a downpour or three. But at least its warm; I love the heat, hate the winters. (I know, I need to move)

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), June 24, 2002.

(wispering to Bren) I won't tell!

Earth mama, you need to mosey on down here, it was 98 degrees yesterday. Melty.

-- Patty (SycamoreHollow@aol.com), June 25, 2002.


Speaking of bats...does anyone else have a bat house set up? A neighbor made one for me several years ago, but I've yet to see bats roosting in it. I mounted it on the east side of my house about 30 ft. off the ground. Maybe they don't like it there...not high enough or maybe it should be facing a different way??

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), June 25, 2002.

Marcia, if I remember correctly, bat houses should get as much sun exposure as possible, especially where you are located. A southern exposure might be better. The bats we had nesting above our porch were on the south side of the house. I believe there is lots of info on the internet.

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), June 25, 2002.

Well, I knew it couldn't last. I just saw 4 Japanese beetles! But still, only FOUR!!

-- Bren (wayoutfar@skybest.com), June 27, 2002.


Thanks for the bat info, Bren. Oh BTW...I'll trade ya some potato beetles for your Japanese beetles :-)!!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), June 27, 2002.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ