Absolutely

a beautiful weekend. We were able to get a lot done on the homestead. Raided the big box store Saturday for some more flowers and we were off and running. After looking at our progress it was decided that 'another' bed could be put in the space between said new beds and the older ones. So my Sunday was spent building said bed, running new water lines to all of the new additions, setting out all of the drip emitters, and mulching around everything as we had a ton of the stuff left over.

I was lucky in finding the old lines pretty quickly. I also installed the valves I wanted to on each bed so I can control what gets watered when.

Strawberry blooms are coming on and we already have the makings of some berries already.

Wife's Confederate Jasmine smells great right now. 

The lettuce has really turned around so we might get some of it before it gets too hot. 

Current overall view as of yesterday evening. Just a few more thing and I'm done for a while. You can see that the potatoes have really come on now. In the new, long bed I planted Blue Lake pole beans. 

After toiling away in the garden I went out and power- washed the front porch and sidewalk to rid them of all of the pollen flying about. My sinuses can't take much more of this stuff. 

The Wife, Boy and DiL are on their way to WV for the week leaving me with two dogs, 4 fish, and a deranged cat. The cat belongs to said DiL and son, and since he's gone and she is with us, so is the cat. On his defense it's new surroundings for him. Chewie could really care less but Ginny seems to want to play and is interested in Gunner (aka: odd cat.) We think this because Ginny was brought up with cats. She doesn't chase him, just scopes him out. We'll see who lives through this week. 

Cold front moving in mid- week so hopefully that doesn't affect anything planted or I'll be covering like a madman. Hope your weekend was productive too!

Comings and Goings

Well the Brother-in-Law and wife made it to their new home with his parents (Wife's too) in tow. I wasn't in town for their arrival but they are in all the same. And I didn't have to carry anything :) The in laws left yesterday on their trek back up north but I suspect that we'll see them permanently within three months. Mark my words.
Got a few things accomplished this past weekend, with help from Squeak, FiL, and BiL. Soffits and flashing are done as well as a door and window installed. I need to find a double door or I'll have to make one and install siding. Done. Well a ramp for the tractor and gutters for the door side. I plan on rain barrels at this end since it is next to the garden.

Spent yesterday (after sleeping in) cleaning the garage, removing the final rear brakes on the small car, transplanting all of my peppers and eggplants into bigger containers, and starting on the tomato transplanting. I am trying a mixture of Peat Moss, Compost and Perlite in my cups. Hope to do the remaining tomatoes tonight, or at least the ones we intend to keep. 

I suspect planting time will be around April 5th, although we have a big PB game that weekend. If not then March 29th or April 12th. 

Have a good week kids. 

Harvest Monday; October 28, 2013

Hello one and all. Beyond the one pepper from a few posts ago a two turnips we picked this weekend, nothing else. I need to update the spreadsheet and hope to do that tonight. Visit Daphne's Dandelions to see what others are harvesting this week.

After the big clean-up Saturday The Boy and I dug the footers for the outbuilding yesterday. Got all 6 done after a tedious layout. Now for the inspection then start on the frame. Whilst we were doing this, The Wife cruised around the garden with her 'good, husband don't touch' camera. Here's her results:

Yeah, look who's working! Quick post, off to eat lunch!

Harvest Monday - October 21, 2013

Very small harvest but one to be proud of. We actually got two more cucumbers which now brings our cucumber total to probably five for the year. And I spied some more coming in good Sunday but with the temps taking a big dip (as in freezing Thursday night/Friday night) I will need to dig out my covers. I was also able to pick four tomatoes but those plants are pretty much played- out.

 

The main garden is doing pretty good and I worked on a couple of the raised beds and planted some more radishes. 

 

The Wife told me she wanted more raised beds so those, along with my building foundations and ton of flower bulbs will be dug this coming weekend. Always busy. Go to Daphne's Dandelions to see how others are doing this week.

 

WOF of the Week. It's starting to get cold outside kids. Protect you snout!

 

 

 

 



Harvest Monday

Made it back to NC this evening from a four day weekend in WV. Had a big reception for the kids and of course it rained. Hell, it rained on us on the way home today. Busy, busy, busy we were. Helped finish off a bathroom remodel, landscaped two garden beds, mowed, picked up fallen tree pieces, seems like everything to be ready for the party.

And the river was up and muddy.

All in all a good trip. I hope to have more pictures soon as being as busy as we were I didn't have time to take some myself. It down poured literally an hour before the party started if that gives you an idea.

Squeak and I did a harvest the 1st and another one on the 3rd because we weren't going to be around for a while, and The Wife and I did when we got back in town. We got a lot of tomatoes this time around, even taking some to WV for the in-laws.

I highlighted the past weeks' harvest days. 67lbs. of tomatoes. Not too bad. Visit Daphne's Dandelions to see what everyone else is harvesting this week. 

Pretty tired so going to eat something then head to bed.

More later....



It Begins Again

So it begins again............

Amy is nothing but sore. Sore at moving, sore at working, sore at me. Understandable. I would be too. Probably more so as I am a baby when I hurt. Not so when I feel good just in case you were wondering. :)

Anyway here's the final result.

The insurance company totaled it. Which is what should have been done as it probably would have never been right to begin with. So now we have received the adjuster's FMV on the car and we are not happy. Own a car for 4 months and it drops in value by $6,000.00? Bullshit. Plain and simple. I'd understand $2,500.00. This will be a fight for sure. We have gap insurance but still we will lose our down payment. Bullshit! Not happy. 

And on another note Amy asks me if I was blogging tonight. Beyond the car I didn't really have much. "Well, you could tell everyone how much you love me." So here it goes. I am not good at this stuff so please leave now if you want; no hard feelings. 

My wife is goofy and blonde as all gets out, odd/moody to the extreme, a purveyor of scrapbook supplies, and a general pain in my arse. 

1. Goofy and Blonde- This is something that she will not deny and one of the greatest things I love about her. Some questions don't need answering, they need a smirk by me and an explanation. Case in point: A friend and myself are in Columbus watching a golf tournament. She calls me saying she had locked the baby (JT) in the car at school with the keys. Since I'm in Columbus what can I do? Told her to hold the phone down to the door and I would see what I could do. 
2. Odd/moody- Now before we go down this road I am as moody as she is. No doubt about it. But there are times where it just flies out of left field. No doubt about it and you say "What the f*ck?" Where did this come from? What do I do now? 'Flip coin.' "OK, you're right!"
3. Scrapping- This is one thing that she loves and I wish I could help her do more. She loves doing things that will preserve our family, bring joy to others, and just create. Hopefully we can work on getting her the space that she needs for this. Just not in the garage!
4. Pain in the Arse- She is that. For sure. No doubt about it. But, and I mean but, everything she does is for our family. Period. For all of the questions she asks (think interrogation room), all of the nosing, all of the 'what are you doing, why, where, when, with who?' her main purpose in life is us. I know this. And as much as we bicker back and forth I know where she stands and I hope she knows where I do. She stands with this family and those around her. I hope that she sees me standing beside her. 

It will be 21 years together this coming June 26th and I couldn't thank the Lord for anyone else. We are not perfect, that much is for sure. But there is no one's hand I'd rather be holding now or in the future. She is unfortunately stuck with me. I am that fortunate.

That's it for tonight kids. It's been a while for the WOF of the Week but I have saved up some good ones for next time. Until then, grab the one you love and tell them they are a Pain in the Arse!!!  

Sunday Sunday Sunday!

Ode to the Monster Truck Announcer!

Today began bright and early with walking the WOFs then the rising of The Wife. For now on we'll call her Amy. I think she tires of The Wife persona. She was slow getting out of bed but she needs to keep moving so she is doing just that. And she has started a pot of chili for this cold Sunday.

After our ritual of watching This Old House and Ask This Old House, my task will be to continue my transplanting of the tomatoes into bigger containers, maybe move some of the flowers into bigger containers, and start some more tomatoes per requests from people and start some more peppers as the other ones haven't done too well. A quick show through the plants....

Calendula

Sweet Basil

Shasta Daisy

Lavender Lady, Borage, and Oregano from front to back

Peppers. My standard California Wonder ones aren't doing too good. Got more seeds to take care of that. 

Evening Primrose and Candytuft, front to back.

Off to get all of these transplanted. 

Busy day today so off to it. Stay warm kids.