Dreaming of Spring Gardening in the Middle of a Wisconsin winter part 2

[jvls1942]

35f this morning, going to get into the 5o's tomorrow. looks like maple sap collecting is about over, they are selling it for $12,oo a quart,
the cardinals are not making much headway with their nest, probably because he is spending so much shadow boxing,
Annie went to town, I suppose I will do the dishes
supposed to snow at about 1PM

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I woke up to a blanket of snow, and a few words of profanity. I'm over snow. I'd like to move on now.

I went out to my garden boxes a few days ago. They are actually thawed out this year already. Just waiting a few weeks and I'm planting lettuce and radish hopefully.

Deer have been munching every arborvitea in my yard. Been way too many deer. This is the first time in 30 years they have been in the yard like this. Next year they will all be pets the way it's going.

 

[Callender Girl]

How nice that Bambi's relatives want to become your pets (Okay, not really. I once left for work in the morning with a beautiful arborvitae in front of my house. At lunch time, there was a trunk. Just the trunk left, along with some smug-looking does).

Snow should pack its bags and leave for sure. Looks like rain here, but thankfully, it's 55 degrees. Of course, these days, that could change to below freezing in no time!

After I posted today, I got to get rid of a dead rat -- one of the critters that had eaten holes in my tall coop and built a nest under the floor. I'm hoping the rest of its family finishes eating the bar of poison I slipped under the floor. I hate to use poison, but I can't trap everybody.

Then, I spotted a coyote loping through the ditch that runs along the front of my property. I should have checked with you, Lisa, on profanity to see if you had any words I didn't use. I was grateful few motorists were there to see me do my coyote-chasing routine. Although it might have given them something to talk about when they got to work.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Poison is the only thing that gets rid of rats here. They sure can get out of control quickly. Always enjoy finding them dead.

Coyotes went off this past weekend. We are surrounded again. I'm hoping they don't den too closely. Bad enough I'm waiting on that fox to come back and start snatching birds. We changed things up last year so those inside the fence may be safer, but those that venture outside the fence will be fair game. Lets hope they learn to stay close.

 

[jvls1942]

freezing again this morning, 31f but no snow
thinking of dragging the raised beeds out of storage and starting to get them ready for planting,
I called DD Barby to see if she knows where I can get some rabbit poop. she said she has a half barrel of it left from a friend of hers,. all I need is a pailful or two,. she is raising four early girl tomatoes for me,. I do not want any more than that,.
I live trapped a rat once, better to poison them
we all should make a list of cuss words. check off the ones that work best for us.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

First time hearing frogs croaking last night, so we are finally getting somewhere.

 

[Callender Girl]

No croaking frogs here. But, yesterday felt like spring had finally arrived. Many years ago, I worked for a newspaper group that ran jewelry store ads that read, "Spring has sprung, the grass has riz; Mikesell's is where the bargains is." Terribly ungrammatical, but it got stuck in my head as I worked outdoors.

After plundering by critters last year, it looked like there were only two strawberry plants that hadn't been dug up. Yesterday, not only was I thrilled to see that at least eight of my strawberry plants had survived, buried under mulch and protected by rabbit fencing and hardware cloth, but the first two asparagus spears have popped through the ground. BTW, I don't trust Mother Nature at all; I replaced the mulch, in case of another cold snap.

Jim, I needed those new cuss words yesterday. Based on howling and whining, there were at least three coyotes out by my back fence line early yesterday morning. I literally made myself hoarse yelling at them in the dark.

 

[jvls1942]

I just had a mental picture of three coyotes rolling on the ground and laughing at you,,
I don't think spell check will allow me to type my choice cuss words. DD Barby could teach the marines how to cuss,.
we are making Olive Garden's kale soup,
zoupa.
Annie is frying the sausage now, it smells so good.
Yesterday we went out to a Chinese buffet for DD Barby's 6oth birthday.
cloudy, cool and windy today.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How's Annie doing Jim?

 

[jvls1942]

Annie isdoing very well,.
she sent her oxygen tanks back to Aspiris
she is getting more and more ambitious,
which means that I am getting more and more things to do,.
the zoupa she made is delicious. much better than at Olive Garden. theirs is good, though,,.
the reason for the ,. puncuation is because my finger lands right between the two keys , sometimes.