Another end to this thing called winter is fast approaching and while the fall and early winter were relatively mild, the end has been fierce with its gusting winds and frigid air. Those who read my blog regularly know that February is my least favorite month, but it is there so there you go! There are things in life that must be dealt with and deal with it we shall!
According to the knowledgeable meteorologist, we are to have a pollen burst (whatever that is) brought on by the early warm temperatures followed by the recent frigid temperatures. Every spring is a pollen burst when plagued with allergies. One can only hope that the "burst" will be fast and short!
My car is already tarnished with a coat of yellow which definitely does not accentuate the carbonite gray nor is it a welcome accessory to the matte black interior (doesn't matter if the windows are never down, the crap sneaks in through the air ducts!).
Anxious for the warming temps and visions of summer, hubby and I uncovered the pool and BAM! the frigid temps rolled in and picking those dreams right out of the air and scattering them northward! As much as I would love a thick blanket of snow, it is too close to Spring for me to welcome it with bated breathe and open arms.
I trimmed the dead protective leaves of my banana tree right before this perilous weather and sit here wondering if those lovely green leaves will make a comeback giving my little feathered friends a perch when the weather does warm. Most of the fruit trees and flowering shrubs bloomed only to freeze in these devilish temps leaving it iffy if there will be pears or plums this year with few if any azaleas.
Yes, I am tired of soups and breads (potato, broccoli and cheese, cabbage and sausage, chili, vegetable, taco) I crave grilled chicken, steak, salmon and even burgers with a fresh salad on the side!
I am ready to say goodbye to winter and "Hello" Spring! Thanks for visiting and remember to
Keep Smilin!
Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts
Friday, March 17, 2017
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Root Crops
Did you know onions are to be planted on the "dark of the moon"? Well, Monday is the day and my sets are ready to go! Can't wait for sweet onion slices on big fat hamburgers!
Potatoes, red and russet, will go in the ground on in Monday also. It will be a busy day! Those little eyes are "scabbing" over right now. The scabbing process helps ensure healthy eyes that don't rot once in the ground. Potatoes take around 90 to 120 days to mature so I will probably get in two crops this year. I just love these early springs, but I am not foolish enough to start above ground crops as yet. I do believe we might have a frost or two before this winter is officially over.
I did get my greens planted last week and can already taste those fresh turnip greens and a large slice of cornbread, but the pot lickker is this best part.
Until next time . . .
Happy reading!
Belle
Potatoes, red and russet, will go in the ground on in Monday also. It will be a busy day! Those little eyes are "scabbing" over right now. The scabbing process helps ensure healthy eyes that don't rot once in the ground. Potatoes take around 90 to 120 days to mature so I will probably get in two crops this year. I just love these early springs, but I am not foolish enough to start above ground crops as yet. I do believe we might have a frost or two before this winter is officially over.
I did get my greens planted last week and can already taste those fresh turnip greens and a large slice of cornbread, but the pot lickker is this best part.
Until next time . . .
Happy reading!
Belle
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Grandpa, a tall, slender man, couldn't stay in the house for any length of time. He enjoyed cooking and didn't mind cleaning the kitchen, but that was the extent of his household chores. He was an outdoor man. Piddling in his barn, cutting the grass or working his garden was where you could always find Grandpa. A quiet, gentle man, he was always a pleasure to be around. Some may have called Grandpa a simple man, but he was far from simple minded. Sharp as a tack with patience to spare, he could design and build anything from a piece of furniture to a house - he designed and built his own home, but he knew how to make do with what he had.
In the winter, I would follow him to the barn and watch as he worked on tools, repaired chairs or tables, or built some piece of furniture for the house. He was a fine carpenter and seem to be able to build a beautiful piece of furniture out of scaps. He used hand tools - no, not the power tools of today - to slowly plane the wood to the perfect size. He used a brace and bit when holes needed to be bored and made his own sand blocks for achieving the smooth beautiful finish on his furniture. He carved his own dowels and biscuits to ensure a good tight fit to each piece of furniture he made. I could sit idly by and watch him for hours, but when I "got on his nerves" he would tell me to go check on Grandma and make sure she was alright.
In the spring, Grandpa would get his mule out and plow the garden. Poor old mule, that was the only time Grandpa put him to use. Grandpa felt that if you wanted to eat you had to plant and Grandma's freezer was always full. He had a huge field that he planted each and every year. From the road to the barn, about 300 feet, he turned the ground and layed out the rows. I would go with Grandpa to the seed store and we would come out with bags of limas, string beans, corn, okra, squash, cucumbers, crowder peas, watermelons, cantelopes and of course tomato plants. Grandpa didn't waste garden space on vegetables he didn't like, but he was known to plant a few gourds for his bird houses and scoops.
I wasn't allowed in the garden until it was time to put the seed in the rows, but I sat at the edge of the yard and watched as he turned the ground. I had the job of dropping the seed, but Grandpa was awfully finicky about dopping the seed. I would scoot down the row on my bottom putting the seed in the row. Grandpa would place the first few seeds and tell me to space the rest of the row just like he had done. He would follow me covering the seeds and if I didn't have them spaced right he would tell me "too close together" or "too far apart." I loved scooting down the row in the freshly turned dirt curling my toes in as I scooted along, but man those rows were long. When the planting was done, we waited on the rain and watched for the little shoots to poke through.
My work was done until picking time, Granpa didn't trust anybody with a hoe in his garden but him. I would sit at the edge of the yard and watch him hoe up and down those long rows. Sometimes he would take a break and send me for a glass of water while he rolled him a Prince Albert. Grandpa didn't smoke much, but he enjoyed his cigarette after eating, midmorning, right before bed and those breaks after hoeing the garden.
I think of Grandpa often, but this time of year when I turn my garden, lay out the rows, and place my seeds, he is very close to me. Grandpa always had enough garden for the whole family. Maybe I will make my garden bigger this year.
I have been looking for those same Alabama Black pole beans that were so good tasting and had little or no strings, but I have not found the first one. One of these days I will find someone that has a stash and maybe they will share. For now, I am off to my garden for more planting. The ground has warmed and tomorrow is Good Friday! Thank you all for visiting and come back soon!
Happy reading!
Belle
In the winter, I would follow him to the barn and watch as he worked on tools, repaired chairs or tables, or built some piece of furniture for the house. He was a fine carpenter and seem to be able to build a beautiful piece of furniture out of scaps. He used hand tools - no, not the power tools of today - to slowly plane the wood to the perfect size. He used a brace and bit when holes needed to be bored and made his own sand blocks for achieving the smooth beautiful finish on his furniture. He carved his own dowels and biscuits to ensure a good tight fit to each piece of furniture he made. I could sit idly by and watch him for hours, but when I "got on his nerves" he would tell me to go check on Grandma and make sure she was alright.
In the spring, Grandpa would get his mule out and plow the garden. Poor old mule, that was the only time Grandpa put him to use. Grandpa felt that if you wanted to eat you had to plant and Grandma's freezer was always full. He had a huge field that he planted each and every year. From the road to the barn, about 300 feet, he turned the ground and layed out the rows. I would go with Grandpa to the seed store and we would come out with bags of limas, string beans, corn, okra, squash, cucumbers, crowder peas, watermelons, cantelopes and of course tomato plants. Grandpa didn't waste garden space on vegetables he didn't like, but he was known to plant a few gourds for his bird houses and scoops.
I wasn't allowed in the garden until it was time to put the seed in the rows, but I sat at the edge of the yard and watched as he turned the ground. I had the job of dropping the seed, but Grandpa was awfully finicky about dopping the seed. I would scoot down the row on my bottom putting the seed in the row. Grandpa would place the first few seeds and tell me to space the rest of the row just like he had done. He would follow me covering the seeds and if I didn't have them spaced right he would tell me "too close together" or "too far apart." I loved scooting down the row in the freshly turned dirt curling my toes in as I scooted along, but man those rows were long. When the planting was done, we waited on the rain and watched for the little shoots to poke through.
My work was done until picking time, Granpa didn't trust anybody with a hoe in his garden but him. I would sit at the edge of the yard and watch him hoe up and down those long rows. Sometimes he would take a break and send me for a glass of water while he rolled him a Prince Albert. Grandpa didn't smoke much, but he enjoyed his cigarette after eating, midmorning, right before bed and those breaks after hoeing the garden.
I think of Grandpa often, but this time of year when I turn my garden, lay out the rows, and place my seeds, he is very close to me. Grandpa always had enough garden for the whole family. Maybe I will make my garden bigger this year.
I have been looking for those same Alabama Black pole beans that were so good tasting and had little or no strings, but I have not found the first one. One of these days I will find someone that has a stash and maybe they will share. For now, I am off to my garden for more planting. The ground has warmed and tomorrow is Good Friday! Thank you all for visiting and come back soon!
Happy reading!
Belle
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Back to the Basics
Those days of one or two eggs are hopefully gone. One day last week we found four little beauties in the coop and yesterday hubby brought in three. With more sunshine and warmer temps these little darlings should start really producing. Not much sunshine today, but the weather is still warm here in central Georgia - at least there is no snow and ice!
Hubby decided to double the garden size this year and I am much afraid that he is about to double it again. With all the good veggies we harvested last year, he has found many new things he would like to grow. The potatoes, beets and bush beans are planted as is the asparagus. As much as I love fresh corn, it is not an efficient crop to grow. With only two or three ears to a stalk, the time and cost of the seeds, in planting and fertilizing does not equal a profitable return. We'll see if we can still get a dozen ears for a dollar this year. I may be way out of line with my thinking on this one.
I am growin my lettuce in containers this year. It will be easier to manage and will provide a lovely addition to the deck. I found some seeds for that delicious buttercrunch lettuce that I am more than ready to get planted, as well as some green leaf lettcue. I haven't tried to grow any of the oriental varieties, but the foliage on the ones I have looked at in the seed catalogue is so pretty I may try a container of those also.
The squash of last year was so good that we will definitely plant more of it as well as the okra. I will also put in some zucchini this year. Zucchini with some spicy deer sausage and tomatoes make a tasty sauce for pasta of any kind. Okra will go in last as the ground has to be warmed for the okra to sprout. Celebrity and rutgers are my tomatoes of choice, but we will see what hubby finds. He has been seed shopping and has found some pretty interesting varieties this year. Looks like my spring is already full, if I get all this stuff planted. Let's just hope the neighbor's chicken don't rape the garden as they did last year. They ate the seeds as fast as I put them in and those that did germinate provided fodder for those chicks all summer - they got more tomatoes than I did!
The warmer weather and the increase in sunshine has been a healing balm to my mind. It has been jumping with ideas which is a great relief as I was afraid my creativity was gone for good, so I guess I better get started on me an Etsy site so I can share my creations with the world. Who would have thought in the 1970s that we could reach so many people at one time via a keyboard and a internet connection as we do today. That is what thinking outside the box will do for you!
I thank you for dropping by and wish for you a peaceful and happy day.
Happy reading!
Belle
Hubby decided to double the garden size this year and I am much afraid that he is about to double it again. With all the good veggies we harvested last year, he has found many new things he would like to grow. The potatoes, beets and bush beans are planted as is the asparagus. As much as I love fresh corn, it is not an efficient crop to grow. With only two or three ears to a stalk, the time and cost of the seeds, in planting and fertilizing does not equal a profitable return. We'll see if we can still get a dozen ears for a dollar this year. I may be way out of line with my thinking on this one.
I am growin my lettuce in containers this year. It will be easier to manage and will provide a lovely addition to the deck. I found some seeds for that delicious buttercrunch lettuce that I am more than ready to get planted, as well as some green leaf lettcue. I haven't tried to grow any of the oriental varieties, but the foliage on the ones I have looked at in the seed catalogue is so pretty I may try a container of those also.
The squash of last year was so good that we will definitely plant more of it as well as the okra. I will also put in some zucchini this year. Zucchini with some spicy deer sausage and tomatoes make a tasty sauce for pasta of any kind. Okra will go in last as the ground has to be warmed for the okra to sprout. Celebrity and rutgers are my tomatoes of choice, but we will see what hubby finds. He has been seed shopping and has found some pretty interesting varieties this year. Looks like my spring is already full, if I get all this stuff planted. Let's just hope the neighbor's chicken don't rape the garden as they did last year. They ate the seeds as fast as I put them in and those that did germinate provided fodder for those chicks all summer - they got more tomatoes than I did!
The warmer weather and the increase in sunshine has been a healing balm to my mind. It has been jumping with ideas which is a great relief as I was afraid my creativity was gone for good, so I guess I better get started on me an Etsy site so I can share my creations with the world. Who would have thought in the 1970s that we could reach so many people at one time via a keyboard and a internet connection as we do today. That is what thinking outside the box will do for you!
I thank you for dropping by and wish for you a peaceful and happy day.
Happy reading!
Belle
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Around the Corner
Time is speeding by, whether this is due to my age and me moving somewhat slower or whether everyone else has sped up, but regardless the days are not marching but racing toward . . . something! Goodness, it seems only yesterday we were celebrating the beginning of a new year and now we are in the middle of the month.
We are just a couple of weeks away from starting our indoor seed beds for those plants yearning to be given a chance to flourish and produce. As I have stated before February is my month of depression. Not yet the end of the cold, wet and windy weather that keeps me inside and not yet the beginning of the warm spring temperatures that so heal my mind.
I have tried in the last few years to save some of my more interesting projects for the month of February to keep me busy and my mind stimulated. Planning my garden is probably foremost on my mind. I actually have two gardens - one for vegetables and one for herbs.
As I have aged, I have searched and researched methods to reduce the physical labor needed for a productive garden. As much as I enjoy neat and clean rows, mulching reduces much of the labor and results in happier and healthier plants and saves my back from much bending and pulling.
March is my month of renewal. The later part of the month always brings the first warm days as we start our turn toward the sun. I watch the temperatures change as we slowly make our turn back to the sun and the warmth motivates me once again. I probably should just hibernate from December through March! Spring cleaning come early here as the outside starts calling to me around the end of March when everything must be prepared for the spring days. My anticipation grows as I wait for my hummingbirds to return so I can watch their antics. I scour the garden for the first peek of green shoots hoping that I haven't lost too many plants over the harsh winter that has been so rough on humans and animals alike.
April arrives awakening all living things and I smile from inside. The month of showers doesn't bother me as I know God is watering his plants and bringing joy to my heart. The ground has warmed and the air is refreshing.
And then right around the corner . . .
Happy reading!
Belle
We are just a couple of weeks away from starting our indoor seed beds for those plants yearning to be given a chance to flourish and produce. As I have stated before February is my month of depression. Not yet the end of the cold, wet and windy weather that keeps me inside and not yet the beginning of the warm spring temperatures that so heal my mind.
I have tried in the last few years to save some of my more interesting projects for the month of February to keep me busy and my mind stimulated. Planning my garden is probably foremost on my mind. I actually have two gardens - one for vegetables and one for herbs.
As I have aged, I have searched and researched methods to reduce the physical labor needed for a productive garden. As much as I enjoy neat and clean rows, mulching reduces much of the labor and results in happier and healthier plants and saves my back from much bending and pulling.
March is my month of renewal. The later part of the month always brings the first warm days as we start our turn toward the sun. I watch the temperatures change as we slowly make our turn back to the sun and the warmth motivates me once again. I probably should just hibernate from December through March! Spring cleaning come early here as the outside starts calling to me around the end of March when everything must be prepared for the spring days. My anticipation grows as I wait for my hummingbirds to return so I can watch their antics. I scour the garden for the first peek of green shoots hoping that I haven't lost too many plants over the harsh winter that has been so rough on humans and animals alike.
April arrives awakening all living things and I smile from inside. The month of showers doesn't bother me as I know God is watering his plants and bringing joy to my heart. The ground has warmed and the air is refreshing.
And then right around the corner . . .
Happy reading!
Belle
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