wyodreamer - we're not in Wyo any more

[wyoDreamer]

Wow, I have really been remiss on this journal.
Here are a few notes to myself.

Garden Notes:
- so far I have 1 row of paste tomatoes planted - 6 Amish Paste and 12 Roma
- 1 row of tomatoes partially planted - 2 grape tomatoes and 4 better boy slicer tomatoes. Going to see if I can find any more started plants but it is getting pretty late in the year for starts. Hopeing for heirloom varieties, but not holding my breath.
- peas have been in the ground for 1.5 weeks and are starting to pop out of the ground. 1/2 row of snow pea, other 1/2 row is sugar snap pea. 1 full row of regular peas. Need to get the pea trellis set up.
- 1/2 row is planted to gladiolus. Crossing my fingers that they grow, I love a vase full of cut flowers on the table, it just makes me happy. And now that my flower eating cat is gone, I can have cut flowers in the house. DH just does not understand...

The first section of garden fence has been strung up. We bought a fencer attachment for the tractor and it sure makes it easier to run fencing. The garden fence is going to be tough because not all of it is accessible by the tractor.

Lilac blooms are done, the bush by the garden shed only bloomed for 1 week. The lilac bush back behind the calf barn bloomed for 2 weeks. Maybe when the dogs are no longer digging holes under it, it will do better.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I agree with you. Flowers make me smile. Not only do some smell nice, but... I can't walk by a bloom without touching it. The velvet softness of the petals is a tactile experience that can not be duplicated. I will often rub the petals on my face. Weird???? !!! Every veggie garden MUST have flowers. My usual: Calendula, Nasturtium, and Marigold. All chosen for their color "pop" as well as their benefit as insect repellent, medicinal qualities, and attracting pollinators. I've also done glads, and iris. And have recently added Zinnia. (Thank you @Beekissed for nudging me in that direction.) Then there are the "must have b/c it just smells nice", not to mention it's useful qualities: rosemary, citronella, lemon balm, mint. The latter 2 should be confined to buckets. I find that a bucket placed at the end of a row does great to direct the water hose so I don't drag it across a row of plants!

As for DH "not understanding"... I think that's a "guy thing". My DH will "appreciate" a vase of flowers on the table, if I prompt him. Otherwise, I doubt that he would even notice that they are there!

 

[wyoDreamer]

I had an interesting encounter on Saturday morning. A car pulled into the driveway just as I was claening up from breakfast. A gentleman was waiting at the gate when I got my shoes on and went ot see what was up. The dogs were giving him the business - so he was not going to open that gate, lol.

He introduced himself, and said he was from town. He and his son were looking for a piece of land that they could raise a couple of meat steers on, so he was wondering about our abandoned pasture areas - or maybe the hay field.
I was kinda hoping that my DH would pop out and join the conversation but no luck.
So I tell the guy that we were going to plant some trees in part of the old pasture where the soil is so bad, which really dissapointed him. DH plowed up parts of the other fields for wildlife food plots - so those areas weren't available. And that a neighbor took the hay off the hayfield for his horses and as he worked hard to revitalize that field and plant it to hay before we bought the property. Since we don't have equipment to maintain a hayfield, we have been letting him take the hay off just to maintain it.

So with all that said, I told the guy we weren't interested and I hoped that he could find a place. He was a really nice guy and I felt bad for him - would have really liked to do something like that because I keep trying to talk DH into raising a couple of beef for ourselves and family.

The I go in and tell DH about the guy. And say that I wished he would have come out and joined the conversation. DH didn't even realize that anyone had been there. Then he proceeds to say he would have been interested in the guys proposition and that he was thinking of tellling neighbor that this was the last year we were going to let him hay the field.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I bought 2 Knock-Out Roses yesterday at the grocery store. A pink and a red. I love roses.

DH says - where you going to plant them?
I says - I am going to plant them in the garden for now. And when we are finished with rebuilding the fence for the dog yard they are going in the corner by the garden shed, outside the dog fence. He thinks that is a good location and he will ALLOW it. I am glad that he still thinks that he is in charge. Those roses were going there whether he said yes or not.

 

[wyoDreamer]

DH has always been kinda goofy about our property. He has been planning to install a farm gate at the field entrance to the hayfield for 3 years now. Still has not done it.
I am kinda in shock that he said he would be interested in doing a deal for someone to raise a beef or 2 on our property in exchange for meat.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Oh, and he is looking at this for when I retire. A mini hay baler for my compact tractor. I could make hay off our hay field all by myself - the mini round bales area only about 50 pounds and are 20"x28" in size.

A way to keep me busy and make some money I guess.
Actually, he was always "not sure" about raising a steer because of having to buy hay. This opens up some options for us.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Now that's cool!

 

[wyoDreamer]

They are very popular in Europe - with the small, mountainous fields. They are fairly affordable, too, the one pictures is under $7,000 - alot less than buying a used square bale maker around here.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I've seen those bales on Craiglist around here occasionally. They're cute, lol!

 

[wyoDreamer]

this morning I made myself a special treat for breakfast: Cherry 3-2-1 Cake

Just added diced sweet cherries to a yellow 3-2-1 mix. I think any fresh fruit would be wonderful in this!