Hello? Is this thing on??

Two funerals of close family members within two weeks.

A rampaging garden.

90 pounds of plum tomatoes.

$600 worth of surgery for poor Kip (it was minor, and everything is well, thankfully!)

A busy work schedule, and full-on construction at home.

And today?  A diagnoses of "not yet pneumonia".

I really will get back to blogging more regularly, promise.  Once everything calms down a bit :)

Until then....

Two hot dogs on the beach.

Two reluctantly cool dogs in the lake.

Kipper rocking the vet-supplied t-shirt  (whilst smelling Katy-feet).

  Some of the harvest.

Possible fabric selections for my bedroom.

 And cake.  Because there should always be cake!

 

You know you've been working too hard when...

...the sawhorses start staring at you.

But at least they aren't talking to me.

Yet.

I promise to post an update on the house soon.  Really.  :)

Sufferin' Squash Attack!

The squash is taking over the world yard.

Mostly, it's spaghetti squash.  Like this:

This is only one.  Without moving, or looking under leaves, I counted 19 more friends for this guy.

20+ spaghetti squash.  Not too much, right?  Right?

And then there's the buttercup squash - cutest thing in the garden:

Except for this:

Baby watermelon!  All together now - awwwwww!

And this:

Baby pattypans!

Okay, I'll stop with the squash.

Right after this:

Yellow zucchini!  (Thank you, spellcheck inventor, because I never spell zuchinni zucchinni zucchini correctly).

I've been eating green zuchinni zucchinni zucchini for a while now, the acorn squash is just flowering, and the cucumbers... well, the less said about them, the better.  I don't think I'll have too many this year.  But I am getting some lemon cucumbers:

Even though the plant looks like this:

The tomatoes are coming right along, along with the peppers, finally:

Cayenne!!


I've been eating radishes, spinach and some lettuce for a while now, and just harvested 3 heads of this:

And two napa cabbages - stir fry tonight!

The heads are rather small, but I had to share with the cabbageworms {shudder}.  In fact, they got one entire head, and one didn't head out at all, so the napa is batting 50% this year. 

Other things have been going on while I've been busy elsewhere:

Peas!

Beans!!

I'm surprised I have any peas, after the Great Rabbit Attack of 2010.

Not only did the *&@* thing eat the peas, it SLEPT on them.  Morning after morning,  in spite of the fence, I'd look out the window to see the rabbit snoozing away.

So then I killed it, gave the carcass to the dogs,  and spread it's fur to warn all the other rabbits.  Bwahahahahahhaaa!!

Okay, not really.  But I did spread fur around the garden and it seems to be working!  I have an excess of fur for some reason...

"I'm cute!"

You're fat!

 "I don't like you anymore.  You hurt my feelings"

That's okay.  You're still fat.*

The garden is growing, and doing quite well, especially for my first one ever - at least in my opinion.

"But the garden is not us, so it is unimportant.  Now get us food"

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*Katy has actually lost ~3 pounds so far.  So while she has a weigh way to go, she's doing really well!  Good girl!!  And yes, a house update is coming!

To do, or not to do.

What I've done since last I blogged:

Had out-of-town company for the weekend.

Started the insulation.

Fenced in the garden.  Damn rabbits.

Bought some pretty* plants, even though I said I wouldn't this year.

Mowed the lawn in between rain storms.  Yes it's still raining.  I think I might need to plant gopher wood next.


What I haven't done:

Groomed the two scruffy beasts who were once schnauzers.

Planted more lettuce, radish, etc.  Between working later, rain and company, I didn't get this week's planting done.  No lettuce for you!

Planted the pretty plants.  In the flower beds that don't exist yet.

Figured out where I want flower beds so I can plant the pretty plants.

Called for quotes for fencing.  Need to get this done ASAP.  Damn rabbits.

Called for roofing quotes.  Have I mentioned the roof now leaks?  Damn rain.

Planned out the one wall of the main bedroom, so Dad know where to put outlets.  Decisions, decisions.

Finalized the shower, toilet and sink models for the new bathroom, so Dad know where to put outlets and plumbing.  Decisions, decisions.

Figured out who's sleeping where once we get the drywall up in the new main bedroom, closet and bathroom.  Decisions, decisions (yeah, I know there is only the two of us, but still).

Posted real posts, about what I saw last weekend (hint: it involved red coats and gun fire), about the renos, about the garden.  

Posted about why I will never, never, never shop at Home Depot again.  Ever.

A million and one other things, like laundry, and dishes, and cooking, and grocery shopping, and cleaning, and and and and and and and and.....

It all gets done, eventually.  But it seems like days are flying by, and there are so many things to do!

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* Pretty = non-food plants

I should have planted rice.

We've had over 4" of rain in the last two days alone, plus 0.5 - 2" every day for the week before that.

Lots of water around.. a bit to much in some areas!

The garden is coming along though - even if I did plant late this year.

In other news...

We have walls!!

This is the wall between the new bathroom and walk-in closet.  Dad's talking about drywall, so I think things are progressing well :)

 My oldest nephew is staying with me for a while, and he comes in handy at times... until the axe breaks, that is.

I also got the trellises installed today (finally!!) in the squash, cucumber and tomato beds. Taking a page from "All New Square Foot Gardening", I made the frames from electrical conduit placed over 2' rebar (which I hammered ~ 12" into the ground - the original ground, NOT the soil added to the beds), with plastic mesh (from Stokes) held on with cable ties.  We'll see how they hold up once the plants start climbing - I have my doubts about the squash bed. 

A close-up of the corners.  The actual corners that go with the conduit were SEVEN DOLLARS each.  I found these plastic elbows for 1/10th the price.  There were barbs on them, which I took off with the help of Dad's grinder, to allow them to fit in the conduit.  They may not last as long as the galvanized ones, but at the price, I can replace them every year for the next decade before I'm losing money on them!


Now, if we could only get some sun...

I go back to shelter now?

The indignity.

I go back to shelter now?

You refuse my request.  I have no choice...

...but to kill you with the green laser Eyes of Death.

Look! Green things!

Radish seedlings!!

More seedlings!!  (Kale??  Can't remember)

Asparagus!!!!

Garlic!

Most seedlings are up now, with the exception of most of the herbs and the peas & beans (got them in LATE!).  I also made a trip up to Lee Valley after work on Friday, and picked up a few things - all necessities, I promise ;)

Nasturtium seeds (I want to try pickling the green seed heads this year), a rain gauge, min/max thermometer, oriel feeder, plant markers, staples for holding down shade cloth and floating row cover (also bought those), some cheap garden clippers and a small sprinkler.  I have almost NO garden tools, and so am gradually increasing my selection.

The rain gauge in action - I like it, since it has a floating disc that makes it easy to read.

The markers in place in the herb bed.

I also bought these tall tomato spirals.  I planted four tomato varieties this year, two of which require staking (I'll be putting up netting for those), and two that don't, but will do better with some support.  So I'm trying out these spirals, and am comparing them side-by-side with the traditional tomato cages.  Already, I'm liking the spirals better, since simply putting the cages in the ground bent almost every one, and broke one of them.  The spirals are much more expensive, but if they work, and last longer, then they will be worth it.

I also bought a charcoal grill (not at Lee Valley)...

... and got it put together just in time to light it and grill some steak and zucchini!!  Sorry, no pictures of that - I was too hungry :)

Babies!!

We've got babies!  There are at least two in there, and possibly three - I didn't want to get too close and disturb them too much.  I'll take pictures every few days, and post them, so we can all see them grow up :)

On a completely unrelated note, can anyone tell me how this is comfortable?

She sleeps like this all the time, and glares at me if I move her.  Silly Katydid!

What do you mean, the weekend's over! Didn't it just start??

Doesn't look like much, does it?

What was my plan again for this long weekend? 

1. Plant what I can in the garden.  Almost done.  Since the weather turned HOT, I did plant out the tomatoes and peppers, and planted the brassicas, herbs, mints and "salad" bed (lettuce, beets, spinach, chard, carrots and green onions - all the plants that don't really go in any other bed, which are all grouped by plant family.  'Cause that's how I roll) .  Hopefully, tomorrow after work, I'll get the squash/cucumber bed and the peas and beans planted.

2. Get the rain barrels set up.  Let's just ignore this one, k?  Well, I did get some cinder blocks from Mom & Dad's house.  Okay, fine, Dad delivered some cinder blocks.  And moving on...

3. Go to the local Garden Club plant sale tomorrow morning, and not buy any plants.  I didn't do too bad!  I didn't buy any tools, but I SCORED in the plant department - a Jerusalem artichoke and Egyptian onion for the Middle East herb bed, all for a grand total of... wait for it... $2.50.  Minus 10% for being a garden club member :)

4. Clean. The. House.  House?  What house?  What is this "clean" you speak of?

5. And hopefully celebrate a good friend's ATCH on one of her dogs.  Go Kyra!! Total, 100% success!  WAY TO GO, KYRA AND G.!!!

You found a WHAT in the yard?

Chelydra serpentina

AKA Common Snapping Turtle.

I have NO idea what it was doing in the yard, even though I am close to both the lake and a catchment pond.  Close, but not that close!  Dad did his good deed for the day, and carried it down to the catchment pond and chucked in it released it back into it's natural environment.

Official turtle carrier.

Apparently, the word in the neighbourhood is that this is a pretty good yard to hang out in.  I have my yard toad* (who is back this year!!), and some new neighbours:

Red-Winged Blackbird eggs

Remember that small tree in the front yard that the tree guys cut down?  It was surrounded by a bed of daylilies, which are still there.  And is now a nesting site!  The nest is only a couple of feet off the ground, so I hope the eggs don't get eaten by a ground predator :(

Mama bird on the roof (behind the shrub - she's shy)

Annoyed Papa bird

Mama and Papa aren't too thrilled when anyone is in the front yard, but hey, we were here first :)

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*Not sure if I've blogged about the yard toad before.  I have a toad in the yard, that I run into (but not literally!!) every time I mow the grass.  He's cute, and this year, he has a friend :)