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

[moolie]

Love the photos! Your path looks lovely, and my mouth is watering just thinking of all the blackberries you'll soon have

We now have thunderstorms in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow, it's definitely the season.

 

[Wannabefree]

Cool pics Dawn! I got my first blackberry yesterday, and it was VERY tart, made me pucker I like them a bit tart but that one was ...SUPER sour.

I wasn't aware that walking sticks molted. That's pretty cool

 

[Dawn419]

Thanks all!

I thought the storms were finished when I logged in last night only to have another good one move in around 12:45 a.m.. I about jumped out of my skin when the clap of thunder boomed directly overhead. Got a nice soaking rain for just over an hour with that one and it put our rain total up to an inch and a half for the evening! I was sure that the wet-weather creek would be running today, but it's not, so that means the water table is still low. :/

We have chances for pop-up storms today but it's looking like they're all well south of us. It's okay, I don't mind sharing!

Got a few of the plants pulled from the driveway but not as many as I'd hoped to. Oh well! :/

It was neat to do the research on the turtle, since Mom asked me if I thought she was laying eggs. I had no clue and enjoyed learning something new. It takes about 3 months for the eggs to incubate but can take longer. Qoute from the link:

How long does it take? At least the summer. Probably about 3 months or so. Sometimes, however, the young will overwinter in the egg, so don't lose hope. Normally, 4-6 eggs are laid.

I never knew Walking Sticks molted, either. That's what I love about this place, I've been learning so much from first hand experiences and enjoy that I can document some of it with pix and stories.

Tried to pick some blackberries, but the wasps said NO. I'll wait until it cools off a bit, then it's MY turn!

Well, I'm gonna get off here and try and get my watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydews and winter squash plants in the ground, since that area is now in the sshade.

Hope everyone is having a good day!

 

[snapshot]

I was wondering about sulfa drugs and sulfer also. I am allergic to the drugs and what about sulfer water? I was raised on that.

 

[dragonlaurel]

Neat pics of the walking stick! I've never seen one molt.

I don't know that I'll be able to do the sulfur. I'm allergic to sulfa drugs, so I'm assuming this would also be a problem for me.

Since you're allergic- stay away from this! It is definitely absorbed through the skin and spreads everywhere pretty soon.

Dawn- Cool pics! That sawdust would be good in a hugel too.

 

[lazyday]

Dawn, you can send the rain my way if you feel like sharing. Rain keeps missing us
I sure hope it is a paw paw tree. If it is and you are thinking of digging it up to move, you may need to research, because it is my understanding they tap into the mother tree so it is tricky to just dig up and oh yeah I am jealous but happy for you. Just think of me when you get the first fruit I can smell and taste it now.

 

[Denim Deb]

As far as I know, all insects molt. Some will go thru several molts B4 they become an adult. The in between stages are referred to as instars. And, when they get ready to go to a different instar, they have to molt because their skin is too small. Once they reach adult size, they no longer molt.

 

[Dawn419]

Dawn- Cool pics! That sawdust would be good in a hugel too.

I was thinking that, too! Have a small pile of old, rotted wood in the garden that I can use for a small, experiment hugel...adds to list.

Dawn, you can send the rain my way if you feel like sharing. Rain keeps missing us
I sure hope it is a paw paw tree. If it is and you are thinking of digging it up to move, you may need to research, because it is my understanding they tap into the mother tree so it is tricky to just dig up and oh yeah I am jealous but happy for you. Just think of me when you get the first fruit I can smell and taste it now.

Tried to blow some back up to ya, but the wind was too strong. I'll rain dance for ya, though... :bun :bun :bun
If it is a Paw Paw, it's a young one about 10' tall. I'm content with where it is and read about them being tapped to the mother tree, so I don't plan to move it. I want to do some more looking and see if I can find the mother tree. The possible one is on Mom's fence-line so the mother could be on the neighbors land but I can easily get permission from them to look. If it is a Paw Paw, I've got my that I atleast have a fruit/seed source and if so, will gladly send you some seeds if I get ahold of them.

As far as I know, all insects molt. Some will go thru several molts B4 they become an adult. The in between stages are referred to as instars. And, when they get ready to go to a different instar, they have to molt because their skin is too small. Once they reach adult size, they no longer molt.

A bit of info about Walking Sticks. I've got a pic of a pair of them mating...somewhere on the computers' old hard drive.

For today's news:

Picked more blackberries today and have managed to beat down a pretty nice pathway into the patch by the Dakota. It's been slow going since I only harvest the berries that come loose at the first slight tug. My gallon-sized freezer bag is half full...only 28 and a half pounds to go for our 5 gallon batch of wine!

My least favorite EE hen has gone broody! Leave it to ChaChi aka Challenged Chicken (not the brightest bulb in the box) to do so. I planned on spending tomorrow figuring out what I can move her into,that is snake and critter proofed and then doc informed me when he got in this evening that he'll be bringing home about a dozen feed bags of sawdust so I need to get cardboard down in the garden on another pathway.

I'd move her and the nest to the Chick-n-Barn but it's all grown up around it right now and not fully snake-proofed with hardware cloth. Will measure the doors on the bun cages and see if I can fit the nestbox through it. If that won't work, then I may just use one of the 2 x 4 frames that we brought home from Mom's.

Well, busy day ahead so I'm outta here, for now!

to All!

 

[dragonlaurel]

It ya can't blow some rain up to her, can I have some? It keeps missing us!

Just thought of something- isn't sawdust pretty flammable? Be careful about it during dry season.

If that pawpaw is coming up from the mother tree, it will be a clone, and will need another tree for pollination.

Still jealous about those blackberries. They sound sooo good. I'd go for some blackberry cobbler now but the wine is good too.

 

[Dawn419]

Hey dl!

I'll try sending ya some rain the next time it's in the forecast.

I'm not really worried about the sawdust and it's flammability (is that even a word? ), since we have 17 acres of flammable when it's too dry here. And I can always soak them with the hoses if I do get worried. I'm more worried about some of the yahoo's who wait until we're under burn ban to build the biggest, nasiest smelling garbage fires when we've got winds, setting us on fire. :/

I've got Paw Paw seeds planted from a tree in Kentucky...just waiting on sproutage, so I've got cross-pollination covered.


I never got any garden pathway work done today, or blackberries picked BUT...

The Challenged Chicken is moved to her own little broody hut.

I used the 2 x 4 frame for the "hut" and it's sitting on the greenhouse shelving from the fall coldframe. The hut is wrapped with 1/4" hardware cloth. It's not going to win any beauty contests, but I think it'll work just fine.

Got her moved after doc got home from work and she never made a peep...until I decided to take pix before it got dark. Had every bird we own fly into a hissy fit after she went into one!

I just need it to work until I can get the jungle cut back from around the Chick-n-Barn , again ( ) and finish getting it snake-proofed.

Doc wasn't too thrilled with me spending time/a full day worrying about a safe haven with the Challenged Chicken, but, free chicks are just that...FREE! If any of the eggs hatch, fine, and if not, I won't loose sleep over it. New hens would be good and roosters will be good too...in freezer camp and eventually on our plates!

Well, I'm about over my day of "not what I'd planned to do" and am going to call it day and get to bed earlier than I have been.