JUNE 2006
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(PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM TO READ JUNE 1, 2, 3, ETC. THANK-YOU)
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Monday, June 26th, thru
Friday, June 30th, 2006.
A work week of pulling weeds and re-plowing the six foot wide walking paths between the rows of plants.
Deer and woodchucks sampling diffent plants and veggies, but the overplanting every year, allows for their share.
We have live trapped (in Have-A-Heart traps), and relocated three woodchucks, so that will slow down the animal consumption, because they are daily eaters.
I relocate them on the other side of at least two rivers away, in a non-residential, non-farming area.
Deer we have no control over, they are in most of the gardens every night, but as the leaves of watermelon and squash plants get bigger, they become less tastier, and then the focus is on the fruit.
Birdwatching is something we do in the Sunrise Room, usually several times a day.
Regular visitors at the feeders are the humming birds, nuthatches, cardinals, rose breasted grosbeaks, goldfinches, house finches, song sparrows, chipping sparrows, chickadee dee dees, and within sight, robins, tree swallows, bluebirds, and wrens.
Usually there are bird songs we hear throughout the day.
At dawn the crows, cardinals, cranes, and mourning doves, wake us up.
In addition, Bob White Quail whistle to us throughout the hot summer days, transporting me back to the summer sounds of my childhood on my grandparents farm.
Cat watching also is a regular quiet time with us.
Most kittens born on the property over the years by Tuxedo, Joseph, J.J. (Joseph Junior), Raggedy Ann, or Cutie Pie, are gone before they are half grown, their mothers' taking them to other areas to hunt and establish their own territories.
We haven't seen a kitten near the house in years, and many times never see the kittens at all, or just get a fleeting glimpse as they disappear into the high grass.
So, an unusual event this year is to see two kittens, at different times, on our East Patio.
Tuxedo and Cutie Pie are the respective moms.
If the wild little kittens see us move inside the house, they disappear instantly.
We also love to see the well fed neighbor's horses come grazing down the electric fence line past our south kitchen window.
All eight of them are are gorgeous!
On weekends a herd of saddled riders on horseback come, following the fence line and waving to us, most of them in their teens.
Our area has been an island of drought for the past month and a half or so, thus we have carried water to all the plants several times.
This means running garden many connected garden hoses, hundreds and hundreds of feet, to one of 5, fifty-five gallon steel barrels, filling them with water, and then carrying that water in watering cans to each plant.
Visiting hands have pitched in to help water and assist in the ongoing harvest of veggies and food preparation.
A particular treat of late has been diced turnips in our stir fries. The turnips are so tasty that we do not peel them, just dice up the whole turnip and begin sauteing them first, before adding, green zuchinni, yellow crook neck, red onions, orange carrots (and sometimes diced cabbage, etc.).
A long row (80 feet), of mixed lettuces, of different colors, shapes, and textures, has been very productive this spring and summer.
It is a gorgeous, colorful row, of thriving plants.
Robert Mills (ordained with Kathy in May of 2005), and wife Brenda from Iowa stopped by on their way to P.O.L. at Kiel, so we had the opportunity to chat with them till late evening, and also dine out at Kountry Kitchen for their unlimited perch fish fry, on the veranda of their store, overlooking State Highway 22.
(Followed by a very thick strawberry malt!)
And so, the bird singing, summer weeks, slip away.......
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Sunday, June 25, 2006
Bob and Kathy
Bob was hoeing, fertilizing, and watering tomato plants when Kathy came to tell him that mom and Eva requested his card-playing presence at mom's O.K. Card-Slinging Corral!
Kathy joined us there to also do some card-slinging with us.
Mm popped for Kentucky Fried and we did eat heartily!
And then a slow drive to Eva's and then home, successfully avoiding deer by driving about 30 mph on the backroads!
And then a quiet evening on Public Television, with our favorite detective, Miss Marple.
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Saturday, June 24, 2006
Bob and Kathy
A long workday of laundry, cleaning floors, planting hoeing, fertilizing, and, late in the afternoon, the pair of us doing substantial watering with watering cans.
Also, picking garden fresh pea pods, spinach, and zuchinni.
We live-trapped another woodchuck in the doorway to the woodshed.
(Where else would (wood) one find a woodchuck?)
This one is the same size as young one that has been keeping our parsley mowed.
We habituall relocate them in a non-farm, non-residential area, across two rivers from here.
Woodchucks have hit our broccoli and brussel sprout plants very, very hard.
These plants have no leaves at all, and even partially eaten stems.
In several other gardens, watermelon, winer squash, and canteloupe plants have leaves completely eaten off, leaving bare stems.
Woodchucks and deer both do this, but this year there are no deer tracks around the damaged plants, so we're fairly sure it's the woodchucks,
Fancy that, the only herb they have eaten so far is the parsley!
Some of the plants now have leaves that are larger and less tasty, so the leaf bandits will probably eat less and less.
Among the survivors are 500+ watermelon plants, and 300+ winter squashes and canteloupe plants.
First planting of pole beans are 5 feet high and the third planting of pole beans, cucumbers, and peas, have all germinated and poked their little green noses out of the ground.
We took several breaks to do some birdwatching, which is particularly interesting now that the recently hatched goldfinches, chipping sparrows, and especially, house finches, are now coming to the feeder in increasing numbers.
Typically, the young birds stand in, or next to the food, and instead of eating for themselves, will beg for food from the parents, and any other bird near them.
This begging works about half the time.
Slowly they are figuring out why mom and dad go to the feeder.
It's always heartwarming to see a non-parent stuff seeds into an open mouth that is not its child!
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Friday, June 23, 2006
Bob and Kathy
Bob hoeing, fertilizing, and watering all the patio tomato and herb plants.
Kathy counselling on the phone.
Barb Voltz popped in from Madison with a surprise visit.
Bob fertilized and watered 20 upcoming basil plants, and, the third planting of peas, pole beans, and cucumbers.
Cuzzins' Billy and Jerry stopped by, joined us for lunch with Barb, and then Jerry checked out Barb's car for her.
The Cuzzins had just returned from an auction and haed their pickup truck stacked high with metal purchases.
Jerry hitched up the 20 horse Allis Chalmers Tractor to the haywagon, Bob brought out six big cushions, and away the six of us went around all the gardens, tractoring our way down the rows of plants and haywagoning around the walking paths!
Kathy and Barb went to Portage, to pick up Bob's mom and her sister Eva, four a four handed card game with Barb and Bob.
Bob finished planting several kinds of beans, more zuchinni, and some carrots in Garden 2.
Kathy fixed a great meal with lots of veggies and tasty soups.
Just at dusk, Barb headed for Madison, and Bob and Kathy took the two sisters, Helen and Eva, to their respective homes.
We ended our evening with Kathy's sundae and Bob's root beer float.
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Thursday, June 22, 2006
Bob and Kathy
Kathy housecleaning and meal preps, and Bob hoeing and watering plants till 8 p.m.
Kathy weeded the lettuce patch and then picked three, one gallon pails of fresh lettuce varieties, and a 5 gallon pail of green onions, finishing around 9 p.m.
Lots of veggies rinsed and put in the fridge for those garden fresh salads that Kathy and Bob love so much, and which Kathy eats, every day!
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Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Bob and Kathy
It felt so good to wake up at home in the morning!
And have the drive home, already behind us.
Open bedroom windows opened us to the morning songsters: Cardinals, Sand Hill Cranes, Bob White Quail, Robins, and Crows, Crows, Crows!
Bob weeding, hilling, hoeing, and watering in various gardens, and Kathy weeding and picking lettuces till dark.
Animal critters that regularly sample parts of our gardens are the deer and woodchucks.
Infrequent munchers, are the Sand Hill Cranes.
We routinely watch the birds on the East Patio from the Sunrise Room.
Our oversized bird feeder lasted 30 days, since being filled.
But with so many fledged out baby birds following their parents to the feeders, we don't think this recent filling will last 30 days this time.
Fledged out House Finches and Chipping Sparrows, for example, sit in the food and open their mouths for mom and dad to still feed them.
They are so effective in their begging, that sometimes, a bird from another species will feed them!
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Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Bob and Kathy
"Chef Pablo" made delicious waffles for breakfast, which was a relaxing time with good friends and warm conversations.
And tasty food.
Then off to the Veterans' Administration Hospital in Madison for Bob's appointments for x-rays, an orthopedic (Bob's knee) M.D.specialist, and then Pam, our wonderful physical therapist.
After seeing the x-rays, the orthpedist recommended a continuation of physical therapy.
Surgery is an option for the future, but for the present, he suggests we give physical therapy some devoted attention.
Pam let us know that there was a considerable improvement (80%) in my knee flexiblity, compared to the last testing in physical therapy.
Lots of outside work and physical labor were probably the key factor in this positive change.
Also another substantial weight loss (another 7 pounds), due to all the veggies and garden and lawn exercise.
The orthopedic doctor was wonderful.
Covering all options, and all extremes, and basing his recommendations on recent research with field test studies of patients.
Talk about quiet joy.
My blood pressure and pulse readings after seeing him, were the lowest ever!
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Then off to South Town Theater in Madison (one dollar per ticket on Tuesdays!), to see INSIDE MAN, with Denzel Wahsington and Jodie Foster, and THE SENTINEL, with Mike Douglas, etc.
Both were good action movies with very talented actors.
Afterwards, off to Catherine Bloomers for a Tuesday night meeting of TALK, LOVE, AND CHOCOLATE, a discussion group where participants bring something with chocolate in it to eat!
After a great discussion, with old and new friends, we left early, arriving home just after dark
It felt so good to get back home!
Yippee! :-)
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Monday, June 19, 2006
Bob and Kathy
Off to Mad City (Madison,Wisconsin) to do some shopping before seeing two movies ($2.50 per ticket), at Market Square Theater: Antonio Banderas in TAKE THE LEAD, and Anthony Hopkins in THE FASTEST INDIAN IN THE WORLD.
Antonio was superb as a volunteer, teaching ball room dancing to inner city high schoolers.
Anthony, outstanding, as aged "kiwi" New Zealander, who did actually set motorcycle records on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967, that still stand today.
Ken Adi-Ring, who has his own motorcycle, joined us for this movie.
Both movies were interesting and inspirational.
Then off to Deb nd Paul's who were hosting an A Course In Miracles discussion group at their home in Madison.
We saw part of the dvd of Gary Renard (author of: The Disappearance of the Universe), filmed at Pathways Of Light, and enjoyed Gary's easy going talking style.
We had a great time meeting the new (to us) group members, and interacting with them during the discussion.
Afterwards, we had a fun time "catching up" on all the recent events in our hosts' lives.
And they, were so interesting, that we stayed up "well past our bed time."
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Sunday, June 18, 2006
Bob and Kathy
Ten a.m. service with Phil, Mary, LeRoi, Kathy and Bob.
Good discussion followed that was helpful for all.
The three fellows went out to pick veggies for salads and a steamed dinner of carrots, taters, turnips, and large yellow onions.
The turnips proved to be a big hit again. The slices were so big, and so thick, that we called them turnip steaks.
After dinner, we watched a series of spiritual movies on DVDs.
Of particular interest was INDIGO EVOLUTION, a feature documentary exploring the Indigo Children Phenomena, with commentaries by a variety of "experts."
Interviews with parents and children were a thought provoking highlight of the docmentary.
A growing concensus seemed to feel that all children are Indigos (as are all adults).
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Saturday, June 17, 2006
Bob and Kathy
Off to Waupon, Wisconsin early for Marge Schmaltz's funeral service and dinner afterwards.
Dwayne was the school superintendent who hired Bob as a High School Spanish and English Teacher way back in 1967.
We met all four of the children today, Jon, Gretchen, Bill, and Holly, and all their families.
Bob had worked with Jon and Bill when they were new Wisconsin Correctional Officers, many, many, years ago.
Very warm rememberings by all involved, at a church that Marge and Dwayne had helped create.
Bob had a chance to thank Marge, and all her family at the service, for the loving kindnesses shown so often to Bob's children at the Schmaltz home, at that time near Pardeeville.
On the way home, we passed Fox Lake Correctional Institution, a state prison that was Bob's second home for 13 years.
LeRoi, Kathy and Bob did extensive watering of three gardens (by hand).
And finished the evening with steamed veggies (turnips were outstanding!), and CCC, (Chocolate Cherry Classic), ice cream.
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Friday, June 16, 2006
Bob and Kathy
Bob out in the gardens in the morning, and Kathy prepping the rooms for possible week end guests.
Le Roi joined us inthe afternoon, brought sprouts to add to our veggies for supper, and then Mel (Carmella), joined us for the 7 to 9 pm Dream Interpretation Group.
We held this meeting in the patio tomato garden, (15 tomato plants around a coffee table and 7 chairs).
An unusual visitor was Joseph, our oldest feral cat. She sat in a chair and listened to every word we said for two hours!
CCC!
Chocolate Cherry Classic Ice cream!
And carrot cake!
And then, when Mel was leaving, we turned off the outside lights and watched the stars from the south patio.
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Thursday, June 15, 2006
Bob and Kathy
Bob out watering in Gardens 6 & 7, fertilizing in G1 & G3, watering G1 and the patio plants.
Kathy doing phone work for our July family reunion (in Illinois and, afterwards, here at bumpityroad), and then we left Kathy's Saturn at Kirby's, our local mechanic, and picked up our '86 Caddy, which really sounds smooth since Kirby worked on it!
And now....some birdwatching during the hottest part of the day!
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Many bird friends showed up!
Among them: cardinals, chickadees, chipping sparrows, crows, goldfinch, house finch, rose breasted grosbeak, ruby throated humming bird, song sparrow, tree swallows, wrens, etc.
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Kathy prepping the house for potential guests, and Bob out till dark, fertilizing, hoeing and hilling, and watering.
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And......another candlelight supper!
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Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Bob and Kathy
Kathy worked with two of her students taking ACIM courses through Pathways Of Light. One, in Arkansas, the other in the Catskills.
Bob worked outside, moving hoses, steel drums, tractor work, weeding, and watering.
We went to town for a few stops and visited mom, who was not feeling well.
The last 90 minutes before dark, we watered by hand, carrying water from the steel drums to the plants, in our 2 1/2 gallon watering cans.
Lots of steps.
Lots of deer tracks.
Lots of garden hose.
Lots of water moved by hand.
Showered with love.
(And water.)
Lots of happy plants!
Smiling their little green smiles. :-)
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Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Bob and Kathy
Bob out in the gardens early, Kathy working inside, until Bob's Aunt Eva (a.k.a. Mother Superior) called, saying that three ladies were waiting for him to show up at the card-slinging table (the others being mom, and sister).
"Card-slinging" continued throughout the afternoon at mom's in Portage.
Then Bob took Eva home, and then came home to a great supper of salad, baked potatoes. and salmon patties, (that were absolutely scrumptious).
Bob had four whopper patties.
They were so yummy!
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Monday, June 12, 2006
Bob and Kathy
Kathy drove to town to run errands, make purchases (including fertilizer), while Bob played in his "sand boxs."
Later, Phil and Mary picked Kathy up to show her the home they were interested in buying near Wautoma (about 45 minutes north from here).
Kathy liked the house alot, as did Phil and Mary who made an offer for the house to the realtor.
Upon their return, Phil and Kathy made supper for us, salad, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, and Peanut Butter/ Chocolate Overload Pie.
Another Candlelight Supper!
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We had a quiet meditation in the Patio Tomato Garden with Phil and Mary prior to their leaving.
(Which tomato plants and herbs, Kathy has been watering every day, with rainwater from the roof, collected in a 300 gallon Rubber Maid cow tank.)
Four chairs and a coffee table, surrounded by cherry and grape tomato plants.
With the background music of a variety of songsters, including cardinals, crows. bob white quail, blue jays, sand hillcranes, etc.
(There were three bird songs that Bob was not able to identify.)
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Sunday, June 11, 2006
Bob and Kathy
Sunday 10 a.m. meditative service with Phil and Mary, followed by lunch with a smorgasbord of veggies, etc.
Weekend electrical watering rates are 1/4 the weekday rates, so Bob spent Sunday afternoon watering plants and filling six 55 gallon steel drums with water for the weekday waterings.
Housework kept Kathy busy all day, cleaning, washing, meals, etc.
But we did enjoy a candlelight dinner at dark!
And two back to back Public Television mysteries, solved by our favorite detective, Miss Marple!
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Saturday, June 10, 2006
Bob and Kathy
Bob's sister Ruth, and Terri, brought Mom out for the day.
Terri helped Bob pick green onions, and they also raided fridge #2, for gallon pails of icicle radishes and multi-varieties of lettuce.
Mom did lots of birdwatching, reading, lunching, chatting, and card playing.
It was a great opportunity for Mom and Kathy to spend time together, while cooking lunch.
Mom peeled potatoes for mashing, while Kathy washed the lettuce, for tossed salad.
Then, to go along with it, we also cooked some sweet corn on the cob, which was delicious!!!!!!!
Mom has become a rather avid bird watcher and asks lots of bird questions.
Tree swallows nested in one of the bluebird houses in the driveway, and we watched them feeding their young, wrens taking twigs into a bird house gourd for a wren nest (sometimes the twigs were difficult to get into the gourd), and lots of fledgling wrens and house finches flying everywhere.
We saw 11 varieties of birds from inside the house today.
Mom thought the Goldfinches were quite pretty, and, the Rose Breasted Grosbeaks.
And she loved the Cardinals.
After taking mom home we made a few detours, one to the popcorn stand, and another to pick up a Peanut Butter/Chocolate Overload Pie.
Kathy did lots of inside work, and, watering of tomatoes, broccoli, and peppers.
Bob is on a roll, just Ho, Ho Hoeing along, one row after another.
It is really nice to sit and eat fresh vegetables with most every meal.
Some of them picked just minutes before we eat!
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Friday, June 9, 2006
Bob and Kathy
A long day of housework and gardenwork.
Kathy picked rhubarb, turnips, and broccoli, Bob, Ho, Ho, Hoed, for most of the day.
Fresh green onions, baked potatoes, garden fresh lettuce and radishes, sweet corn, etc, we just veggied our way thru the day, one meal after another.
We always include a stint or two of birdwatching from the Sunrise Room.
Baby birds are following their parents to the feeders (house finches and house sparrows), and begging for food.
They were a very lively group at the feeder and underneath it on the patio.
Ruby Throated Humming Birds, a Mourning Dove, and lots of bright lemon Goldfinches, were part of the passing flock today.
A candlelight supper for Bob and KatKat, household chores, and a sense of much accomplished today.
Cutie Pie, our littlest feral cat, brought a tiny kitten to the patio today and nursed it, while Bob was hoeing the patio tomato plants.
A little tiger gray kitten, eyes barely open, with a little tinge of yellow?
This is the first time that any of the feral cats have ever brought a kitten to our door.
So we put a box with an old blanket in it, next to the door, to see if Cutie Pie will accept it.
She is a tiny, tiny, mama cat.
And she really is a "Cutie Pie."
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Thursday, June 8, 2006
Bob and Kathy
Bob's mom called so he picked her and her sister (Eva) up, to come out and visit, birdwatch, and play cards.
Kathy and Bob drove them home, and then went to Culver's to indulge in tasty sandwiches, fries, unlimited beverages, and.........A TURTLE SUNDAE!
We got home at before dark, and were so tired that we were in bed by 7 p.m. and slept the night thru.
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Wednesday, June 7, 2006
Bob and Kathy
Phil and Mary joined Bob at BumpityRoad and then on to Madison to pick up Kathy at the Madison Airport.
The four of us then visited Deb Phelps at the beautiful home, that she and Paul just moved into on Madison's northeast side.
Paul was flying helicopters at Camp McCoy for two weeks, so Deb joined us for the 4:40 p.m. movie, Ice Age, The Meltdown, at the Market Square Theater.
Afterwards, the Mankes and Thompsons saw the 6:40 p.m. movie, Lucky Number Sleven, with Morgan Freeman, etc.
Barb V. joined us after the movie and we all went to Perkins Restaurant on University Ave. for some chat time and a night cap. Barb insisted on treating us to dessert for everyone, to celebrate her birthday, tomorrow.
She was also elated to find that she did not have cancer again (having had the big C twice already).
We had a quiet, slow drive home, which was necessary because twice, deer were getting ready to cross the road in front of us.
Then we got out lettuce and radishes for the Mankes to take home with them, and by midnight, we gratefully stretched out to rest and sleep.
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Tuesday, June 6, 2006
Bob and Kathy
La Colombianita (Silvia), La New Zealand Kiwi Mystic Girl (Kirsten), and La Bubbly Fountain Of Love Forever (Lisa), had all left Pennsylvania today for a trip to the Catskills and a gathering with David Hoffmeister there.
Thus, La Angelita De Bumpity Road, ( Senora Katarina), spent the day alone, packing and preparing for bumpitying along on the road home.
Normally, Bob tries to stay out of the gardens during the hottest part of the day (from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), but today was overcast and cloudy with sprinkles of occasional rain, so I was able to spend the morning and early afternoon Ho, ho, hoeing, and fertilizing winter squash and melon plants.
This has taken an eternal number of hoeing experiences over an eternity of meditative days. About............1,231 hoeing meditation experiences with squash and melons.
True, I have overplanted.
But the deer and the woodchucks have not taken their shares yet.
The Sand Hill Cranes have joined the garden party this year! So far they have feasted only on the sprouting Bird House Gourds.
(Ninety feet is a short row, long rows are over 800 feet long).
But they started in the middle of a short row, and took out every single plant to the end, leaving me with half the planting. So far.
As all the plants get bigger, they become less tasty to the wild critters, but right now they are at that tender-tasty stage.
Bob had sliced raw turnips with peanut butter for a snack, and they were crunchy, succulent, and tasty!
Most of my walking paths between the rows are about 7 feet wide in all of the 7 big gardens.
Where rows did not germinate, were washed out by heavy rains, etc, the width of those walking areas between rows is much, much wider than 7 feet.
Plenty of room for even a tractor and wagon (loaded with hungry friends), to move about and load produce, especially during the fall harvests. :-)
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Monday, June 5, 2006
Bob nd Kathy
Four angels in Pennsylvania fluttering in joy together.
Kathryn, Lisa, Kirsten, and Sylvia.
Bob fluttering in his sandboxes.
Carrying water and making hundreds of mud pies.
A Santa Claus, preparing gifts?
Ho, Ho. Hoeing?
.......
The child eventually leaves the play pen.
But the play pen never leaves the child.
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Sunday, June 4, 2006
Bob and Kathy
Phil and Mary stopped by at 10 a.m. for our morning meditation and service.
We had a profound and hilarious discussion afterwards around the ideas of being an eternal being while simultaneously living in a physical world.
Afterwards, Bob did housework till about 5 p.m. and then worked in the gardens till 9:31 p.m.
Mostly hoeing, fertilizing, and watering by hand, about 709 hills of different varieties of watermelons and winter squashes.
Peas, pole beans, and cucumbers, are all reaching up for the fencing in their climb upwards. These are plants that I give extra attention and waterings.
Also the 15 cherry and grape tomato plants around the entrance patio.
And Kathy's herbs.
The half moon was bright enough for me to do watering by moonlight.
Then, a bowl of soup, and a shower.
And opening the bedrom window to the night breezes.
And the night sounds.
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Saturday, June 3, 2006
Bob and Kathy
Lots of hoeing, fertilizing, and watering, watering, watering, in the gardens this morning and afternoon.
Went into mom's to meet Victor, Flossie, and Eva for some card playing.
It was realllllllllllllly very relaxing after the hard labor in the sun during the day.
After a four hour card-slinging session, we all filled up on pizza and lemon pie, and then made our way home.
It was a beautiful drive coming home, and when I stepped out of the car, the moonlight was so bright that I could see fairly well.
I just went back out on the patio.
It is a cool, gorgeously bright, moony, starlit night.
What a delight to inhale the texture and coolness of that moon drenched air!
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Friday, June 2, 2006
Bob and Kathy
Bob into Wally Mart early to have warranty work done on the rear Caddy wheels (both were leakng air).
Then a visit to Bob's mom to play cards and then just sit and chat.
A few more rows finished up the planting in Gardens 6 & 7, with Acorn, Buttercup and Butternut winter squashes, and a "few more" Charleston Grey Watermelons.
Weeding, hoeing, watering, and fertilizing in G1 & 2.
The patio tomatoes and herbs were all watered by dark, also, from the 300 gallon tank of rainwater.
When I was mowing near the house today, a mama snapping turtle attacked the tractor I was riding on!
When I passed her a second time, her head really snapped way, out trying to grab the tractor a second time!
She was one biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig turtle.
And she was gorgeous.
Unusually agressive, but really quite a handsome and fearless critter.
On her way to lay her 25-30 eggs in the sand, probably next to the west patio (where two mama snapping turtles laid their eggs at the same time, a few years ago), or in one of the gardens where there is also a lot of sand for them to dig a hole, lay their eggs, and then cover them up.
Other kinds of turtles also lay their eggs in the sandy gardens.
A few days of hot weather and the soil temperature gets warm, and then come the mama turtles to dig their nests (with their hind feet).
Skunks will dig out and eat all the eggs if they find them.
But the adults, are very, verrrrrrrrry tough critters.
I reckon that the adults have no natural enemies.
Except maybe a 16 wheeler.
I'm serious. :-)
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Thursday, June 1, 2006
Bob and Kathy
A new month!
Hip, hip, hurray!
Kathy having a ONEderful time with loved ones in Pennsylvania.
She calls or e-mails, usually both, every day.
We send each other copies of all our e-mails, so the flow of sharings continues with all our friends in the universe.
Bob continues plowing his 7 foot walkways between the rows of plants.
If all those walkways were put together, it would be over a mile and a half walk!
Same for the rows of vegetables.
Although the paths take up 80% of the garden space, and the veggies only 20%.
Suffice to say, Bob does enjoy walking, and working from, a wide, firm, and weed free path.
I harvested all the ripe white icicle radishes today, rinsed them, dried them in the sun, spread out on the haywagon, and then packed 18 quarts of them in 4 or 5 quart icecream pails.
Also, 32 quarts of lettuce, also, in ice cream pails.
So, fridge #2 is filled with veggies.
A 60 foot row of green onions is also ready for harvesting!
Salads galore!
Yummy!
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