We Got The “Big Man” This Week!

And we’re storing up as many memories as we can. Hayden is in Indiana having Grandma & Grandpa Time!  Last week was spent with Adams parents and this week is ours, then he heads back to SC.

I HATE having him so far away!

This is one evening I won’t forget! We went out for ice cream, perfect for a hot humid evening right?

Um, not so much. 

The ice cream started melting like water dripping from a faucet. It didn’t set up properly.  Then a nice breeze started…..I turned around and found a very chocolate covered boy! This photo was taken after he was partially cleaned up.  Imbiggin the photo and you’ll see his arms and shirt are covered

I laughed so hard….and so did he. Grandpa? Not so much, it was his truck we were riding in.   A few squirts of dish soap and his shirt is good as new.

It’s been a fun week, I’ve decided 16 mo Grand daughter Alixandria is part monkey.  She will climb anything but her all time favorite is a kitchen table.  And she’s not picky…any table will do, her mama’s, mine…yours if you let her in the house.  We can have the chairs all pushed in, come back less than a minute later and there she is….happy as a clam sitting on the table…talk about blood pressure check!

One thing I’ll say about this child is she has her own opinion on fashion

So far this week we’ve built roads,excavated through the rock

learned drink from the water hose…

and in the afternoons when it’s to hot & humid to play outside we watch a

Disney movie….

Because we are not tired and don’t need a nap…

The garden?

I’ve been out a few times

But I have more important things to do this week…like sidewalk chalk, more roads, building fairy houses….

Have a wonderful week, I know we will.

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,family

Playing Catch up

We are home from our trip and playing catch-up big time.  Apparently it rained like crazy while we were gone because the garden has taken off like crazy! The beans are heavy in bloom and the squash has just gone crazy! When we left, this plant was knee high on me…keep in mind I’m 5’9 and have a 33 inseam.  Right now it’s hip high!

Glad I spaced these further than normal because it’s just huge. Now, we’ll see if these blooms fruit.  Last year I needed to hand pollinate them all…realllly hoping that’s not needed this time around.

The raised beds needed some serious work. Most of the lettuce has bolted & I’m letting it go to harvest seed.  The asparagus transplants appear to be a success.  There were about 6 new shoots popping up….which I munched on while weeding.  

My tomato’s are slugging along…very slow growing this year.  At this rate I’ll still have green tomato’s come the first frost

The potato’s are doing pretty well. I’ve needed to hill them twice this week. I added a layer of straw to help retain the moisture in this 90 degree heat streak.  I’m really hoping they do well this year.  The second potato bed is starting to show signs of growth as well. It’s my first year with them in the ground & both beds went in late…but it’s looking good so far …really hoping for some spuds this year after the last 2 yrs. fiascos!

Hmm, my rows don’t look to straight! I’ll have to run lines next year…lets hope those taters don’t mind LOL!

 

The strawberry bed…after all the rain & week of absence is a hot mess. Before I left it was weed free.

Nice,

Pretty blooms showing through all those green leaves.

What we came home to?

Looks like I have a few hours of work with the hand trowel in front of me.  We went through the bed picking what we could salvage and tossed over a gallon of soggy/rotting berries.  I’m so thankful the bed it tiered or it would be a rotting mess rather than just needing a serious weeding.  Think once I have it cleaned up I’ll add a bit of straw to those bare spots to  help slow those weeds down.

The heat is up this afternoon so we caved and came inside till it drops under 90.  Looks like the laundry and dust are calling my name.

Maybe I’ll sew a bit or knit instead!

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,gardening,catching up

 

Day of Mulching

Monday morning we’re taking off to Milwaukie for a few days.   Business related for hubby and a nice break away from here.  He will come home & I’ll stay in northern Indiana visiting friends for a few days. I am so looking forward to it.  I’ve never been there so new places are always neat to visit.  The Harley  museum is close by the hotel so I’m hoping we can get over there.

The down side of leaving for a few days….lots of work to be finished up before I go.  Isaiah & I  were at earth first this morning for another trailer load of compost…we took it to his house and 2 hours later he, Erika & I had it unloaded in their flowerbed.

 

For right now, we’re using it as mulch…the addition (another bedroom) scheduled this fall will tear up the flower beds but my thought is we can start amending the soil some now.

We went back for a second load to finish it off & the rest I’ll use in the garden.

While they finished “mulching” I was able to get in 3 more rows of potato’s & 3 more roma’s.   My BIL had dropped off more rabbit poo the other day so I was able to mix it with the compost when I planted.  I’m interested to see how the 2 separate potato beds do.  The first bed I put in the main garden (generally used for spinach and lettuces) & it’s shaded for about 3 hours in the afternoon….the second bed is in full sun.  I ended up adding another layer of compost over both beds….and then went through the rest of the garden dressing everything with the black gold .  It was hot, and I didn’t want to know the temps.  About 3pm I turned the hose on myself & by 5 pm when the hubby got home my arms felt a mile long….and the ground was rippling.  A loooong cool shower later I felt human again.  The rest of it is staying in the trailer till morning but I need to have it emptied and cleaned out by 1pm. 

Because ……(insert drum roll) we get to go to pick up and load Erika’s bedroom set & Isaiah’s bunk-beds from…… her ex’s. 

It’s taken an entire stinkin year and a court order issued yesterday to get them.  Erika’s bed set was given to her from Mr. Fix-It’s grandmother right before she died so come hell or high water we’re getting it back!.  The old style inlayed bed frame and dressing table.  In all honesty were almost afraid to see what condition it will be in.  We’ll be taking snacks and water bottles as I know he’ll keep us waiting. ….because he can. 

Crawling off to bed…

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,composting,gardening,garden

 

Rain! Rain Came Today!

Wonderful glorious rain!

Straight rain & sideways rain washing my windows & boy-howdy did they need it!

We caught the edge of that sever storm covering most of the mid-west. The skies have stayed overcast all morning so, we know there is more sever weather to come. Storm shelter is ready andwaiting.

  But right now..

The Garden is happy Happy HAPPY! 

The birds are happy & feasting on worms

The birdbath has been filled…

then nearly emptied due to a morning bird party.

I

The garden was watered well saving my water bill. Right now I can almost watching it grow

The down side… once it stopped raining the humidity level has shot up to 80%

So I’m inside for the afternoon working on another table runner

playing with Christmas color & sewing, thinking cool thoughts.

What are your plans for the day?

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,weather,sewing,handmade,sever weather

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Just Hangin Out

For ever so long I’ve wanted a clothes line.

A real honest to goodness clothesline.

Dryers are one of the largest (if not the largest) expense in our electric bill.  And lets face it, I’m cheap….I can’t stand watching that power meter spin. 

SOLAR POWER!  I want to let the free sun and wind to do the job.

Lately I’ve been using stand up dryer racks which are nice but outside they get blown over outside & I wind up with the racks set up all over the house. 

My improvised lines that criss crossed all over the back deck were ok for small garments & socks but every thing else hit the ground, & most ended up stained with debris from the trees.

   I’ve looked at the collapsible style but they are now all constructed of light weight aluminum & flimsy…not like the heavy ones we grew up with.

A few weeks ago we were visiting  our SIL/BIL Jessie & Mike.  They’ve been working over 12 years building a house themselves. It’s just a beautiful location.  Meadow, hill side, fruit…yes I drool.(It’s the family that gave us all the raspberry canes) I would trade in a heartbeat even if it meant starting the gardens over! Anyway, we talking about improvements they were currently working on and future plans, fencing etc.  Jokingly I made comment “well, that clothes line will be in your way…I’ll do my part and take it home”

The following week we got together at our house & when they left….this was on the patio

THE CLOTHES LINE!!

Saturday morning I got the washer running and went out side. 

30 minutes later

I had that bad boy setup in the side yard

By the end of the day I’d hung & dried 4 loads of clothes. I couldn’t wait for the washer to finish and hang the next load.  Others who live here think I’m nuts & shake their heads.

It’s been used everyday since & I hugged Jessie when I saw her today.

It’s the little things that make me happy,

Is there anything better than fresh sun dried sheets & towels?!?!

So yeah, I’m just hangin out!

Have a great evening!

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,clothes line,solar dryer,free & fun gifts

The Heat Is On..May I Borrow Your Goats?

It’s 83 right now and just 9 am.  If the predictions of the weather man are correct this will be the coolest morning of the week.  The heat wouldn’t be so bad but the humidity is killer.

Last season when we took the pool down we had planned to have another up for this summer.  Well, life happened and…you know there are other priorities.  After much discussion, we’ve decided to put in another pool.  We don’t go out much & I figure it’s our entertainment.

Working here its been our cool off treat. Last summer I’d set work goals and take a dip in the pool to cool off…then get back to work. I was not looking forward to 90 degree days with 80% humidity this summer.  I just can’t take the heat without some relief.

We’re switching location though.  It will go in the large clearing behind the garage…between the 2 houses.

Which means I need to get this mess needs cleaned out.

I need goats. 

A few years ago we had a nasty windstorm and lost numerous trees.  The debris pile (hidden behind stacked wood & rabbit hutch) was a handy wood supply for the fire pit & bonfires.

Since we’ve ramped up gardening and fruit vines…and building the addition it’s been neglected & become just a bit out of control…I need goats

 

Vica, briars and honeysuckle have taken over…also poison ivy. LOTS of poison ivy!

I need goats

The lyrics “break on through to the other side” run through my mind as I’m cutting limbs and shrubbery

Hard to believe a few short years ago we mowed this & it was my kids path to the creek

For the past few days I’ve been working clearing it out using the… dive in and chop/hack your way out method. Goats would help.  Goats would get nice and fat on this mess!

There are trees grown up over 3 inches in diameter already

ironically, somewhere under this mess is a wood chipper

May I borrow your goats?  They would be well fed!

Oh and so am I!  Erika just called across the yard she has fresh cookies…have I mentioned I love having my daughter and her children as a neighbor?

COOKIES!

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,gotta do,yardwork,clearing brush

Gutter Talk & Nosey Neighbors

Ha! I know where your mind went & shame on you! 

Today we got the gutters up on the Little House.

We knew they needed done soonish but he wasn’t to thrilled to install them today.

It started when Mr.Fix It asked when we were going to get a bit of landscaping done over there..referring to all the plants we’ve collected & have all over in pots.  He’d taken a few loads of dirt over to the front so we could get started but without gutters installed, the rain was eroding the soil & would destroy all those (mostly) free plants.  After a trip to the hardware store and a phone call on the way back of “come over for breakfast, we cooked to much” invite from the oldest daughter we were set.  It went pretty smooth and would have been completed an hour or so sooner but, I forgot to grab right and left end caps so there was a bit of down time with another run to the hardware store.

While the guys were working on the gutters, we pulled up a bunch of ‘Rose of Sharron” bushes and transplanted them on the edge of the driveway in front of the house.

A few days after Erika moved in the neighbor across the field came over to see the house. There wasn’t a “welcome, congrats, are you excited about the move etc”…she made the comment she sat and watched Erika through the windows but wanted better look!!

So, the other day I walked over to her house to check out exactly what she could see & and figured the landmarks of her “view”…which is exactly where we planted those Rose of Sharron bushes! I mean Really! Who hasn’t looked in windows as you drive by a house with the curtains open, but to say you changed your seating for a better line of sight??!?!?!??! Actually its far enough away (about 4 times the distance of these bushes to the house) you cant see a thing! She must be using binoculars!!!

I think we fixed that problem!

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,property improvements,projects,nosey neighbors

Taters Are In

Late for our area but, they are in the ground.

 Yup, this year those spuds are in the garden and the buckets are empty.

I’d not had much any success with the potato buckets the past 3 years.  I harvested enough last year for a large skillet of fried potato’s. That’s all…. Not worth the time or water doing that again.  So late yesterday afternoon I learned to run the tiller.  I tried to get it going earlier in the afternoon but my arm strength is not quite enough to pull the cord hard enough, or fast enough.  Of course,  Mr. Fix-It came home and gave it one flick of his wrist (or so it seemed) & it was started right up dag-nabit! I figure there is no sense having these “tools” and not know how to use them.  Besides, the more I learn to do the less work it will be for him fit in after he gets off work…..and I won’t need to wait on him. Anyway, I was able to squeak in 3 20 ft. rows. They will get a few hours of late afternoon shade but it was the last useable space I had.  Next year we’ll mark out another section and have it prepped and ready to spud it up.

Everything else is growing well so far.

The lettuce is thick and filling out great.  I do expect the upcoming heat to put an end to that though.

Strawberries are still blooming and baring fruit.  I think we have 6.5 gallons in the freezer so far.  I’m pretty pleased with that as the first official picking season for these plants.

Squash…all but one have good growth

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Beets and turnips are both up and need some serious thinning

The beans are putting on a good showing

Blue Lake and Roma beans..

The weeds?

Growing like gangbusters!!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,sustainable living,garden,gardening,green things

Where Did The Week Go?

Its been a super busy week, Kitchen garden is ready to be planted.

Isaiah & I ran out to Earth First and got 2 scoops/2 yards of compost nearly killing the poor trailer.  After we were loaded and driving home I  noticed what I thought was heavy exhaust coming from the van.  It’s not been driven in months and figured it needed a serious tune up. Turned out it was the tire smoking!! It was rubbing on the bed of the trailer. Here I thought all those nice folks waving were being super friendly & admiring my towing skillz!

Thank goodness it was a old country road & not heavily traveled so I ever so slowly drove to a wide farm driveway and called for reinforcements.

Tire melt

The guys used some tie down straps a cinched up the trailer sides so I could on without transferring the load (thank goodness!) Unfortunately when we got home I couldn’t get the end board of the trailer off to easily dump and spread bits of it at a time….so Isaiah & I shoveled it out. Talk about a work out! It was 87 degrees and felt like 100.  We tried to make a a game of, took a few breaks spraying each other with the hose & got it done

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Kitchen Garden… Done and ready for planting

Raspberries are in the ground, I put them in last week but needed to wait for a trip to the lumber store to get posts for the trellis.  After Mr. Fix- it cut them to length,  Evie & I put them in last weekend. Instead of using the wire fencing I think for this frame we’re going with wire strands.  Cheaper…much cheaper.  Originally we used wire fencing for sturdiness & thinking long term.  The grid on the blackberries is nice for weaving in and controlling the vines but we would loose some berry clusters as the vines grew. Hopefully the standard wires will be different.

Laundry’s waiting

Have a great weekend!     

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,kitchen garden,raspberries,gardening,composting