Homesteading

March/April 2006

It was a late night venture. I was trying to wash out the puppies' bowls outside with a bucket of soapy water and the water hose. I was tired and forgot that I'd be bent over to the ground for the chore. About the time I am feeling sorry for myself I hear a Whippoorwill. Very nice and then, I hear another answer him. Then I could count at least 6 in all from all different directions. 

Sure made the chore easier and the time fly by. How sweet the sound of the country can be. The howl of the coyote is spooky and keeps us close to the house but the birds call and fly around through the dark and that is their world.

We had just over a week of winter weather but now we're back to spring time and it is oh so nice. This past week has been spent without running water. Randy found that the pressure tank was rusted completely and it was this weekend before he could take it apart and get another tank. It didn't fit anything the same. Two trips into town on Saturday and another on Sunday. Randy is getting really sharp, instead of buying one pipe to fit, he bought two and was glad since the threads on one wouldn't work. #2 did fine. The switch was burned up so he bought a new one which wouldn't work so he had to work with the old one and make it work until he can get another one. But no more buying from Lowe's; their products are lousy. 

We've not had quite the extreme heat of the the end of February and beginning of March. The spinach will all go to seed though. We'd have to start seed in November or so. 

The trees are buddy or blooming. Even the Russian Olives are becoming noxious and they are a distance from the house. Most of them are dead and need to be taken away. Since they still have their thorns, that is a chores saved for when the gloves are handy. The Redbud tree is pettier every day. The blooms start sparse and then get thicker. I've take some lower limbs as cutting and have them in the greenhouse to see if I can make some new trees. We'll need some pretty trees for the courtyard behind the new house. Even after the blooms are gone, the leaves are an awesome heart shape. CLICK HERE to see the greenhouse. The last page has pictures of the plants inside now. CLICK HERE to see the Redbuds. 

The chore of the day was to find a water hose to reach the pampas grass and the desert willow trees. Wasn't difficult after I figured out what would reach and had an end to attach the sprinkler. Works like a charm. Not much water pressure and makes me wonder how we'll do with low pressure in the new house. 

How hot was it? Yesterday tied a record high, 88 degrees. Today broke a record that was set back in 1898. The old record was 86 and today reached 95. It was a blistering 105 in the new greenhouse. The tomatoes loved the warmth but the spinach will surely go to making seed now. Same for the newly sprouted spinach.

We could still have an April blizzard but we did have frost early last week. It's only been a few years since we were hitting 109 every day for the first week of May. We have the extremes as I tell people now and then.

I turned the water sprinkler on this afternoon and became the most popular human in this county. There were birds in every wet spot. A beautiful female cardinal took a long sprinkle bath and then jumped into the water pan to do the wing splashing big time, swimming from one end to the other. Such a beautiful sight. Even the chickadees joined in the frivolity. But to look across the yard, I counted 8 bright red male cardinals. Such a sight to make me smile.

The rain we had last week has evaporated and while some did soak down, most in the top layer is dried out. I saw the first flowers of spring yesterday. We have one that has a pretty yellow flower; a wild flower and always welcome. It does have aroma but that's mild to the upcoming Russian Olives, honeysuckle and oak blossoms. Then I noticed that there are new blooms on the hyacinth out by the daffodils (that don't bloom). They are a beautiful pink, the hyacinth that is. I had moved a bed full of the giant white iris to a new bed. it hasn't bloomed in well over 10 years. As I get new beds ready by fall, I will moved all the tubers. There is another bed of mixed iris, purple, yellow and blue. They too have forgotten how to bloom. I have learned that they must be moved regularly to keep them blooming. Except for the daylilies. They like where they are and have made a tremendous appearance every spring. It's later than others but a nice show every year.

I noticed a few periwinkle flowers so I set the sprinkler to give them a nice long drink. The birds didn't mind sharing. I hope to get out tomorrow with the camera and take more photos of the new greenhouse. Oh, the tomatoes are looking so very good. Now, my little cherry tomatoes are ready to be moved up into individual cups. I do think that I will have more than I could possibly want. Randy likes he more acidic big Whoppers from Parks. So the cherries will be mine.

Tomorrow is promised to be cooler, lots cooler. 68 for a high. What a relief that will be even with the cool north wind.