Dawn419 & doc's LSTA: Confounded Computer!!!

[Dawn419]

Had a terrific time at Bakers and am so tired that I just can't sleep yet!!

The day started out kind of questionable... I was in bed before 11 p.m. but around 3:30 a.m., I wake up to this warm, furry body next to mine and doc hollering "OFF! DOWN! NO!"

Bub's in the bed with us and not wanting to leave. After what felt like several minutes of doc and the loosing battle, I raise my head up and can see lightening flashes in the west window. Doc got up and unplugged all things computer and got Bub off the bed. Yay, I can go back to sleep...BOOM!!! The thunder starts and it's pretty much right on top of us! I buried my head under the pillows and finally got back to sleep.

Back up around 6:30 a.m. and it's raining, still! We'd already decided that we were going, rain or shine and if it was raining when we got to Bakers, we'd just make a run for it to check out seeds and plants!

It rained the entire ride to Mansfield, MO until we turned off to hit the road towards Bakers and the road was dry, trees covered in white dust and the creek held no water. Made it there about 10:15, not much after the gates had been opened for the day.

I was really dreading having Dad with us but had to get over it as he was such a trooper and good sport. By the time we got done wandering around and buying a few things, we'd been there for 3 hours and I think he was pretty much over it. But we helped a few folks pay bills and came home with a few new plants and plenty of seeds (mostly towards next years gardens ).

Mom was overwhelmed by the Seed Store as she'd never seen so many varieties all in one place before. And she told me she can't wait until we go back there again! I knew she'd be hooked!

Came home with things we wanted a few things we didn't know we would get and will post that list tomorrow!

We left and got almost to West Plains, MO when mom asks if there's any place else we want to stop so we checked out the main Hirsch's Feed Store and it was HAPPY MONDAY, all over again! They carry food grade DE, have a full line of Apiary supplies and atleast sold veggie plants in 4-pack cells.

There was a guy selling cedar Langstroth hives at the festival for $265. They were gorgeous and we got his business card, sure that we'd be buying from him only to be able to get pine Langstoth hives from the main Hirshs for just under $200. We just might be starting our beek journey next spring.

Well, I'm outta here for now and will post the few pix I took and a list of our goodies tomorrow/today!

 

[Denim Deb]

Sounds like a good day.

 

[Dawn419]

What a nice morning! Yesterdays rain was ahead of a cold front and it's only in the 70's right now!

Didn't take near as many pix as I expected to yesterday, since it was all new to us and there were so many cool things to check out!

Looking down on the festival from the parking lot (field):

Kids Activities tent (left), vendors tent (right) and the Pioneer Village (background):

Looking across the Village to the gardens and camping area:

Random pix of the Village:

Mom and I split a bundle of 25 Georgia Jet Sweet Potato slips ($9.95) and can't wait to tell her what a great deal we got. After looking them up on-line, most places sell a dozen slips for around $17.00.

I brought home 3 small Valerian plants and 2 Horehound plants. Paid $4.00 a plant but can't find either one locally so they'll pay for themselves in the long run.

Was wanting to get some Strawberry plants but the only ones we found were $10 a pot (buy 2 get one free) so I passed on them and spent that money in the Candy Store...um, I mean Seed Store!

Seeds I bought:

Asian Winged Bean

Red-leaved Hyacinth Bean

Moonshadow Hyacinth Bean

Romanesco Italia Broccoli

Early Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Pacific Beauty Calendula

Sunset Flower Milkweed

Cumin

Fish Pepper

Ozark Giant Pepper

Leutschauer Paprika Pepper

Burpee Long Keeper Tomato

Jersey Giant Tomato

Anise Hyssop

The tomato and pepper seeds were on sale for $1.00, so I saved $9.45 on the seven packs I picked up.

Well, I need to get back outside and take advantage of this actual spring-like weather we're having! Anyone want to come help plant Irises or dig rocks so I can get my berries in the ground???

 

[Dawn419]

The GRRR Report!

I'd let the chickens and guineas out to free range early on Sunday since we'd be gone all day Monday. Around 4 in the afternoon, I started filling feeders and waterers so that I wouldn't have to deal with it in the morning.

I'm filling the last chicken waterer when I catch a chicken silhouette/shadow in a spot that I thought I had the chickens fenced out of. So I walk out of the coop and I have a breach in the security. There's the 2 roos and my EE and EE crosses tearing up the greens and garlic in the small bed. So they are in lockdown for now, again!

The farmers almanac has today and tomorrow listed as non-planting days but good days for demolition so that's basically what I'm doing. I'm reworking the temporary orchard fence and making it much more permanent. Permanent enough that the southwest sectiom of fence is now connected to the front of the hoop coop and am going to try and rig another pcv fence to connect to the back end of the coop. By doing this, the garlic/greens bed will be a part of the orchard and hopefully more chicken-resistant.

Well, gonna get back at it but will be back with destruction, demolition and construction pix later this evening! :/

 

[snapshot]

Glad you had a good time out but sorry about the destructo fowl!!!!!

 

[Dawn419]

Thanks snap!

The chicken destruction is starting to get funny (to me) now as they've screwed themselves in the long run.

Most of the greens were specifically for them. Didn't find a trace of any of the plants so they've lost out on fresh greens and I sure hope they enjoyed them on Sunday during their little foray. The garlic bulbs should still be okay as I had them planted really deep and they only demolished the tops, or so it appears. Plus they will be on lock-down for a few more days...until I finish the fence and then possibly just because I said so!

Got the temporary orchard fence made a lot more permanent today, and I'm liking it much better, so far.

Chicken destruction:

Fence now conected to the coop:

New pvc gate project:

A change in the fence to make it easier to back the vehicles down to the garden:

Well I'm outta here...want to get up and at it early since it's suposed to be another cool day tomorow!

 

[Dawn419]

So much for getting up early today...slept in until 10!

I think the cooler weather has the bod in semi-hibernation mode! I'm sure that it also helps that I feel like I was hit by a truck, from working the bow saw and pruning loppers yesterday. I had to trim back a bunch of sprouted stumps in order to rework the orchard fence. Still have a lot of stumps to get trimmed back in the orchard expansion area but don't see that happening today.

If the wind will stay calm and the deadfall wood is dry enough, I may just work on burning the stumps that I got trimmed back yesterday. Will continue pulling as many tree root sprouts as I can as the ground is still wet enough to make them fairly easily to pull up.

Well, the second cup of coffee has kicked in so I'm gonna go out and see what I can get into!

Hope y'all are having a good Wednesday!

 

[Dawn419]

Happy Thursday!!!

Wednesday was very productive for me as I finished reconfiguring the orchard fence and now have four gates included in it for easy access.

I was going to end the fence at the back end of the coop but had enough wire to totally enclose the coop in the orchard area, which gives me a very shaded area on the west side of the coop. I'll be using the shaded area for lettuce/greens/herbs and flowers that like it shady and cooler. I'm excited about this new, hopefully chicken-free area and my hands and fingers are glad that I've run out of wire fence to mess with.

The west-side fence, gate at the soft-side shed:

West-side fence looking toward the north-end gate:

Looking back up towards the driveway:

After I did the fence pix, I headed up to the camper to put the camera back inside when I noticed a little purple flower on the fenced in berry bushes...my Goji Berry has a bloom:

And we got to taste our first White Imperial Currants. Nice flavor...sweet with a touch of tart:

And this area is where the orchard will be expanding to next:

Didn't get the sprouted stumps cut back in this area or any burning of the stumps done as the wind picked up and I didn't want to be working the fence project and have to keep an eye on fires, too. I won't multi-task when I've got fires burning.

Will be working in the garden today and I'm so ready to get my hands in the soil!

Hope y'all have a great day!

 

[Denim Deb]

Doesn't it feel good to have that all done? I'm hoping my garden is dry enough this evening to work in it. I have 1/4 of it left to prepare, as well as clean the goat pen and under the rabbits to add to it, then I have to get the rest of the fence up, and I'll be ready to go!

 

[Dawn419]

It feels real good, Deb!

Didn't get diddly done yesterday as I started a headache the night before and it refused to go away! Feeling like a million bucks today and will make up for yesterdays slacking.

Doc's week off starts today and we have a loooong list of what we'd like to get done but we're going to start small and with things that have been being put off for awhile. Today main thing is getting the downed tree cut up and moved out of the orchard are so I can finally get my berries and apple tree planted.

Hope y'all have a great day!