JUSTUSNAK...Summer coming to an end!?

[justusnak]

19 May 09

What a BEAUTIFULL day!! The sun was shining....light breeze..and in the 70's! We were able to get some firewood moved...and some brush hauled to the burn pile. Ohhh, its HUGE! LOL Its gonna be an all weekender burn. Bring on the hotdogs and marshmellows!!
Monday night I went to the local auction house. I just love going there. I am always on the lookout for hand tools....not power. I found a few great deals!!
These are hand drills. They didnt come with bits, but we have plenty and they will fit... $3.00 each.

This hand drill is HUGE. $7.50

This hand saw... $7.50...but we never have enough saws!

Not sure I would WANT to use this...but for stripping fence posts...it will be handy.

So, not great finds...but handy ones!

 

[justusnak]

21 May 09

What a beautifull day it was! In the low 80's...sun shining..light breeze..Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, finally!
DH and I decided to get out both of the rideing mowers, and tackle the "yard" We mowed for 2 1/2 hrs, and didnt get it all done. But you know what...I dont mind. Just getting out in the sunshine was a good feeling. Altho..I REALLY need to remember sunscreen. Not sunburned...but the native american really shows, when I get sun..and its a GOOD thing...but WOW, im dark already! DH promised that tomorrow he will retill the last garden...so I can get it planted. The first garden is growing great! Potatos are already covered for the first time, and ready to be covered again. The peas are climbing to about 6 inches already..I pulled the soil from around the onions, so they can set..and the beets are just coming in thick. The Brocolli is already setting small heads. Yum...can't waite! I should be picking radishes in a few weeks...ohhh, I love radishes! I am going to try to get my carrotts in tomorrow as well. I will be planting them in large crates, with good soil...hopeing for a good enough crop so I can cann them. I just love cooked carrots, with butter and brown sugar!
Sonny boy is doing great. I am thinking I will take him off the bottle. He is eating pellets, grass, and drinking lots of water. Besides, I have to chase him and catch him to get the bottle in him...and I think its makeing him more timid of me. He will eat the pellets from the bowl when I hold it..and today he came up, and let me scratch his chin! His little horns are getting longer...and so cute! Nelly was in a mood today....throwing her head around, kicking her heals....guess the heat was getting to her and putting her in a sour mood. I quickly calmed her down in the shade, with a few pellets. She is such a brat!
Not much else happened today.. made fried chicken, potato salad, deviled eggs, and sliced cucumber in salad dressing with a little vinegar. With a big glass of iced tea...I called it done!

 

[TanksHill]

Sounds like you had my kind of day. Did you read on Bees journal the funny story about the guy on the lawn tractor??? Such an image!!! We were just discussing how little clothing we do or do not were while riding our lawn tractors. Kinda funny.

I love seeing the hand tools I wish we had someplace around here to buy them. Oh but should they be on that beautiful hem stitched linen??? I guess they do deserve a special place.

Can I ask you some questions about your onions?? I planted sets this year for the first time and I have no idea what to do with them. They are about a foot tall and looking like huge green onions. What now? How long, on average of course does it take the onion to form? My bil used to fold the tops down, do you know why??? Why did you pull the soil away???

Sorry if this is to many questions.

Sonny sounds like hes doing well.

Diner sounded great as well.

 

[justusnak]

You know, after I took the pictures...I saw that I had laid them on that linen..and thought...DUH...stupeeeeed! LOL
Its ok tho, not a mark on it.
As for the onions...you know...im not sure why some fold them over...my aunt was just telling me the other day, she just "folded her onions" I never have, but I guess its to keep them from going to seed. I pull the dirt away from the onions, so they have better room to grow, and the skins toughen up....makes for better storage time. I have over 100 onions in the garden, and plan to store at least 80 or so, over the winter. Last year, When I pulled them, I braided the green tops, and hung them in the garage. ( it stays just about 65 degrees in there, summer and winter) Worked great! I had fresh onions for months!

 

[EweSheep]

Dont they get soft or dried out? (the onions)

 

[justusnak]

Nope...they dont get soft, or dried out. Thats why I pull the soil away. It toughens up the outter skin, and keeps them fresh.

 

[TanksHill]

So are the onions round bulbs when you pull the dirt away?? I know I may just be rushing things but mine look a bit like leeks. You know all greens and just a root bottom?? I should have wrote down when I planted them. I get so excited when I start planting it's kinda a frenzy!!!

 

[justusnak]

My onions are about the size of a gumball....when I pull the dirt away. Now, Im not saying this is the "proper" way...but it works for me.

 

[justusnak]

24 May 09

Ohhh jeesh....did I get MY holidays mixed up or what!?? ITS NOT LABOR DAY WEEKEND!!
Hubby took this next week off....so we can get a few of the larger projects done.
We spent ALL DAY..and I mean all day...digging a ditch for drainage. BY HAND. We got started around 10:30 am. ( Hubby likes to sleep in) We Dug...and dug....and cussed a bit..untill 7:30 pm.
The ditch started at 1 ft deep, and ended 200 feet later, at 2 1/2 feet deep. Ya see...we have issues with standing water in the front of the house. I mean...this area looks more like a small pond! It smells bad, nasty green and brown "stuff " growing in it...skeeters from HECK...so, it has to be done. I started on the shallow end....all under water. Hubby started on the deep end...all under ROCKS! He had to use the pick ax...MOST of his digging. So I would stop, and go down there and help him a while..then back to my area. Im sunburned...my hands are blistered..my back hurts...holding my coffee almost brings tears to my eyes. But...you know what..its a good feeling. We got a LOT accomplished yesterday. Only problem is..we are supposed to get rain, for the next 5 days...so we wont be able to get the gravel and pipe in...and MOST LIKELY..the rain will fill the ditch back in, with mud.
After we finished digging...we got showers, and decided dinner out was a good thing. So we headed to town..and went to the China Buffet. What a treat!
IF I can get hubby up before the rain...he said he would till the garden one more time for me, so I can get things planted. Another back breaking job...that MUST get done before the rain.
I am takeing steaks out today...we will have a BBQ...rain or shine! I think I need to run into town, and get hubby some beer. He doesnt drink much, and I think after yesterday..he deserves it. Tonight...if no rain..we will have a bonfire. SO MUCH to be burned.
Well...it has taken me 15 minutes to type this..so..I think I will get more coffee..and then head out to the animals....then to town.
Have a great Memorial weekend all. BE SAFE!

 

[Farmfresh]

We should be comparing ditches!

I hired a big "poor" teenager to dig a drainage ditch about 3 foot deep 2 feet wide and 30 feet long with a big "catch basin" at the end of it yesterday. My ditch is in front of my garage (so the digging was through a gravel driveway!) and designed to keep water from racing down the drive into our detached garage and leaving the floor of the garage full of mud.

A friend and I unloaded and spread a truckload of the dirt on her low pasture this morning. Now I have to get the gravel (hopefully tomorrow) and lay the pipe. My teenager is coming back to do most of the hard stuff. I would rather pay him and save hubby's jacked up back and my arthritic joints. Even at that there was still loads of work to do. I cooked a big bbq chicken feed for my worker, and bought the pipe and supplies, and kept him in iced tea yesterday.

Happy Memorial day weekend and Happy Drainage ... to us both!