What's Been Going On Lately

Temperatures have changed, and the sun finally came out.  The rain stopped, we’re waiting for the partially cleared clay (hole) to dry. We have more skimming, tilling, and fencing to put up before adding rich soil, and planting seeds / seedlings.

While waiting for this area to dry out, Bulldog Man and I decided we’re going to start our orchard.  We purchased our first apple tree, a Honey Crisp.  Because it was raining like crazy, we stored that tree inside the dog run against the house.  This way the deer would leave it totally alone.

Since the rain stopped, we dug a nice hole twice the size of the tree’s root base, on the south side of the property, where the tree will have sun access and plenty of space to spread out.   We added moisture retaining soil, and compost to the hole then planted the tree.  Then we placed T-Posts, and fencing around the tree, to help protect the tree from deer eating the branches, leaves, or apples when they come in.

   

 

Starting this orchard has put a smile on my face.  Now, I can’t wait until next week, when we go purchase a couple more trees.  Our goal is to plant more apple and peach trees.  Eventually, we’ll have all the trees we want planted.  This is a project in the making!!!

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I needed a larger place to dump my compost.  Right now, I have a plastic barrel designed to spin easily.  It’s just not big enough for the size of garden we eventually would like to have. 

 

After having all of our sub floors replaced in the house, we were left with all kinds of left over plywood.  Bulldog Man, Tank, and I pulled out several pieces we thought would work for making a large compost holder on the ground, not too far from the new garden we’re working on.

 

We pulled several small trees, previously cut down in the back part of the property.  Bulldog Man decided we’re going to use the trees in the corners of the compost box for support.  Here’s what the project looked like as it went up. 

Plenty of openings for ventilation, and water access when needed.  After helping the guys with the project, I attached the small trailer to the old yard tractor and drove it down the driveway toward where our drain ditch is located, out by the gate, to rake up two trailers full of damp wet leaves, and drove them over to the compost box, where I dumped them.  Everyone knows compost needs wet leaves and worms!

Tank was home to help wearing his strange boots!!!

 

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The other day while going outside, I came across approximately 23 – 25 wild turkeys, walking around our pond, near where we feed the deer.  I realized I forgot my camera, and ran back into the house.  This obviously scared the turkeys, and they wondered from the front area of the house into part of the woods out back.  I was able to capture part of a large group walking through.  This was the largest group I’ve seen on our property.

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A friend of mine, Harry at Self Sufficient Mountain Living,    commented on my blog stating he sure wished he had my energy.  I responded back to Harry with, “I have arthritis in my back, and hips. If I don't keep moving the pain is worse”.  It’s true!  So I keep on….keeping on!  My doctor suggested I see a pain management doctor to help with the pain.  Off I went to an amazing pain management doctor up in Oklahoma City.  He examined me, looked at my x-rays and MRI, and made an action plan.

This past Wednesday, I went in for 6 lumbar epidural steroid injections and 1 sacrum (to the hip) epidural steroid injection totally under anesthetic.  These injections are to help reduce inflammation around the spinal nerves and pressure on the nerve roots.   I should know in a week or so if the injections will make a difference with my pain, and actually delay/prevent me from having surgery.   I don’t dwell in my pain; I get up daily and MOVE!!!  

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In the state of Oklahoma, you’re allowed to feed the deer……..please don’t send me complaints about this!!!  I feed the deer because there isn’t much for them to eat in the winter time.  Twice a day, I provide corn and apples.  When spring starts knocking at the door, I slow down their feed to one bucket, and then eventually to none.  Lately, the deer have become a bit possessive with the feed.  I’ve started spreading only one bucket in several areas across our dam for feeding.  

 

I’ve attached several pictures of a pregnant deer trying to hog the feed, she bites and kicks the other feeding deer. 

Life is good living in the country!

Honeybells - Bananas - Coffee??

The last time I went into town to do groceries, I came across a deal I couldn’t pass on; Honeybell oranges, $2.50 a bag.  I picked up 4 bags, took them home, and peeled all of them with a little (very little) help from Tank.  We removed pith and separated segments. I setup for canning, and canned 10 pint, and 3 quart jars of Honeybells.

 

Honeybells segmented



4 quart jars for the refrigerator

 

For the pantry, excuse the bread in package above (son likes this crap)

A present for my compost

 

 

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While out and about, I decided I was going into the big city; Oklahoma City, to make a pit stop at Whole Foods for some specialty items to include fish, and these unique bananas.  They’re from Guatemala, red bananas, also known as Spanish Red, Colorado, or Lal Kela.  When this banana ripens it will have a thick maroon peel with a pink-salmon flesh, and is sweet and creamy with raspberry highlights.  I’ve never heard of this banana, and decided I was going to snatch up two, bring them home, and give them a couple of days to ripen.  Then Bulldog Man and I can test them and not share with anyone else in the family, lol…………………….

Have you ever heard of, or tasted these bananas?

 

 

 

 

Free coffee grounds! 

Huh?  You heard me, free coffee grounds.  While in town, I stopped off at Starbucks to pickup a free bag or two of used coffee grounds for my gardens and compost.   And…..well…. maybe a cup of coffee. Okay, there you have it, I splurged.  Note: you don’t have to make a purchase to get the free grounds.  These grounds are packed back in the original coffee bag, sealed and placed in a basket inside the store for customers to help themselves.  If the basket is empty, ask the clerk if they have used coffee grounds you could have, they will be more then helpful and pack you a bag. 

Anyway, back to the coffee grounds.  These grounds are a great source for acid loving plants i.e. parsley, blueberries, thyme, and basil.  Coffee grounds are also great for late summer, early-fall vegetable gardens. 

Coffee is another ingredient, when added to your compost, that will help create a well balanced nutrient for your garden.  When composting, please remember to use 1 part greens (coffee grounds, vegetable peels, egg shells) to 3 parts browns (paper, leaves, straw, pine needles).  You always want to make sure your compost pile is moist and turned periodically.

Hard to see, adding to compost

Another great reason for using coffee grounds is that earthworms love coffee grounds.  It provides the worms with nutrients, and in turn you will see the worm population increase, making great soil and nutrients for your garden plants.

Compost - Property Work

Last night Bulldog Man put together an above ground compost container for me.  We wanted to go this route to prevent rodents and snakes from deciding to visit and stick around while the compost decays.  When the compost container was up and ready for vegetable scraps, I went into the house and brought out a sealed bucket of vegetable scraps I had been compiling for the last week.  I opened the bucket to dump the vegetable scraps and wanted to gag.  The smell of rotten vegetables death hit me and I thought I was going to throw up (the vegetable scraps had sat in the closed warm bucket for a week).  I hurried up and closed the compost lid and OMG……you could still smell it.  I decided to put a little straw in the compost to help soak up the vegetable juice and let it sit over night.  Today we added manure to the compost and moved the compost container into the garden away from the house (due to the smell).

Funny story, I remember as a kid, barefoot, running a bucket of vegetable scraps out to the compost in Crestview, Florida.  Now the compost was on the ground in the far back of the yard.  As I got to the compost pile and started dumping the vegetable scraps, I felt this movement under my bare feet.  Guess what I was standing on?  A very large rattle snake!!!!!  I screamed and ran back toward the house.  My Mom came out wanting to know what was wrong, I couldn’t speak, and I was white as a ghost.  She went over toward the compost pile and realized why I screamed and ran back toward the house.  Mom immediately grabbed a shovel from the side of the house and went after that darn rattle snake.  The snake made its way out to the side road.  As Mom was trying to chop its head off a car was driving by.  It slammed its breaks on and ran over the snake 5 times before the little bastard turned into road killJ.   I never went outside to the compost barefoot and without a shovel again.  So the moral of this story is no compost pile on the ground for me!!!!!

This morning, I worked on the yard cutting the grass (again!), weed whacking, weeding, and picking up trash that had blown in on the property.  Bulldog Man and Tank worked in the garage going through and getting rid of things we no longer need.  Putting up shelves, and organizing the garage. Bulldog Man plans on making a shelf to put up the gas containers off the garage floor.  We took a little time out today to grab a brief nap in the prime heat of the day.  This evening, I’m doing some laundry and I will be going out into the garden to see what needs watering and fixing because of the wind.  Heck, I may even plant some seeds.