I slept in this morning, although I can say that it was still morning when I finally crawled out of bed. I was so stiff and sore though it was afternoon before I really got moving. I think I over did it shoveling the last load of manure into the wagon yesterday. I know I got the wagon so heavy that it was actually lifting the old hydraulics a bit on the Ford so I had to keep engaging the PTO. No big deal but with that open PTO drive on that model I try to keep the thing off when it isn't needed for what ever I am pulling. Usually with the hydraulics off the wagon doesn't move but not this time.
Anyway I had just enough time to re-till a section of the garden for the Muskmelons and cucumbers, set up two more trellis sections for a couple of new varieties of cucumbers I plan on growing this year and then the rain hit. The only thing I had left to do was go into the shop and make some new support boards for the two new trellis sections. I started off with six trellis sections originally but only really used four of them the last couple of years so somewhere down the line I lost the support boards.
I can't complain about the rain though because we are still quite a ways behind where we should be to date this Spring. In fact the bottom half of my county was moved to the "Abnormally Dry" status last week. I hope we aren't seeing a repeat of 2012 developing.
At this point I need to go around and check my hives again. I hope the queens are kicking their egg laying into high gear because there is a lot of open comb in my hives after this horrible Winter we came through. Too much I think and I might have to start removing some boxes if they don't start filling em up soon. My guess is swarm season is going to come late this year for the majority of my kept hives but some of the feral hives out there may start kicking them out this week perhaps.
Kymber and Jamby sent us a wonderful Christmas card and some Lupine seeds back in December. Like the absentminded guy I am I forgot to mention it in a post and forgot to say Thanks.... She also sent me a fishing lure with the hook removed to rub in the fact that I never get to go trout fishing down here. I put the lure on my keychain BTW :)
Anyway I forgot all about those seeds and put them in the seed stash but when she mentioned them in a comment the other day Mrs. PP was like "Hey Where The F$#ck are those seeds Bucko?"
So Kymber got me in trouble lol.
Mrs. PP was busy planting those seeds all morning. In fact I had to fill in a spot for her with part of my Grape Vine manure so she could plant em. If I don't see bees on them this year I am never going to let Kymber live it down, or the wife either.
Hopefully the rain will stop enough here soon that I can get out and wheel barrow some mulch around. Going to be too wet to get back into the garden for at least a day or two now.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!
I have been busy working on stuff here as the rain supposed to get to us on Monday with the heavy rain on tuesday. I tilled the garden some just to loosen things up before the rain so that I can get back on it after it drys some. Rest up for the next go round.
ReplyDeleteSf - Well the rain is making sure I get some rest in this evening. I did manage to get the new Grape bed totally mulched in. Those grapes are already attaching themselves to the trellis nicely and I swear they grew some since I planted them yesterday. Looks like I won't be getting much gardening done the next few days that's for sure.
DeleteI didn't realize it was so dry down there; hope you get the moisture you need, and soon.
ReplyDeleteRP - Well it isn't what I would call dry but it sure hasn't been anywhere near as wet as it usually is. If it was normal you would be seeing me complaining about it daily :)
DeleteThat's the problem though if it is only damp right now what are we in store for come July?
I received some lupine from kymber too. I'm still trying to find a place to plant them. The problem is one you are sure to understand. Every time I get a little bed all ready to plant "someone" keeps putting vegetables in them. As it was I only had 3 sort of small places to plant them. The bed I had flowers in all summer got repo'ed and garlic is now planted there. One bed I have my chives, garlic chives and several herbs trying to start. The third bed now has half of it planted in onions, strawberry plants across the back and lettuce growing in whats left over. *sigh* I wonder if I could get him to till me up some space along the sidewalk... I'm not holding my breath though.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your bees!
Sci
Sci - I have the opposite problem. My wife keeps turning my productive beds into useless flower boxes. I finally gave up and let her have the entire raised bed area and started building new beds for myself over by the garden.
DeleteI will give her credit though she did not tear up the Asparagus or two strawberry beds this year.
Sci - you can plant them in a big pot or tub for this year, save the seeds from them (you'll get a ton!) and then decide where to permanently put them next year!
DeleteThanks kymber. That is exactly what I'll do!! As usual you came thru for me again.
Deleteyou are so very welcome, my friend. i owe it to you for all of the times that you've been there for me. lots of love to you and Mars, always.
Deletepioneer, Here's a link for Rain water collection that might give you some ideas.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.grownyc.org/files/osg/RWH.how.to.pdf
Jamie - Interesting read. I was lucky in that I already had about a 1200 gallon cistern next to the house. I filled that quick and rarely end up needing to tap into it. I pretty much let my over flow go out into the yard now and keep my two 50 gallon tanks rigged up to supply water to the garden. If it got so dry I would need to pump water back up out of the cistern and into the barrels for gravity feed into the garden.
DeleteThe expensive system is going to be the one I eventually build at the barn which I hope to use for watering the livestock. I haven't quite worked the particulars of that one out yet.
Are you sure there is just one of you? It sounds like you are doing the work of two or three.
ReplyDeleteMV - It sure seems like that sometimes. A lot of the pressing stuff is getting out of the way it's just right now if it is dry enough to do something I need to get on it. Before too long the grass will grow in so thick I won't bother with some of this stuff any more.
Deletehey buddy - you are very welcome for the lupin seeds - they are beautiful flowers and really do attract the bees. they also produce hundreds of seeds so that if you decide that the bees like them you can just toss the seeds anywhere - they really will grow in just about any kind of soil. tell Mrs. PP that i sent her a mixed bunch so that she should get pink, purple, white and beige flowers.
ReplyDeleteas for the keychain lure - jam made that and picked that specific lure for you! he has been collecting lures all of his life and he really enjoys making the keychains to send to friends.
anyway buddy - i would say to take a day or two off but at this time of the year, that's impossible. even if it's a rainy windy day there is still stuff to be done! and be careful with that wheelbarrel and mulch - jam does the same thing. spends hours filling the barrel over and over, moving the barrel all over the yard, empties into the beds and then wonders why his back and shoulders are killing him!!!!
one word buddy - hottub! get one!
your friend,
kymber