Tooty2shoes's Blog at GardenStew.com

We Love to EAT Out

Tooty2shoes — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:49:32 -0400

Author: Tooty2shoes
Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 2:49 pm (GMT 0)

Both my honey and I love to eat out on the weekends. Frees up our time so we can do other things that we enjoy.
One of the restaurants we dine at is Perkins. We I just read an article that told you what you should not eat and what you can substitute as a lower calorie meal.
Now this meal sounds really healthy but it is loaded with calories, fat, and sodium. Go figure!
It's their Butterball Turkey & Dressing meal. White turkey meat is one of the lightest meats you can eat. But because it is covered in gravy and it comes with so many starchy side dishes it looses it's good for you benefit. That meal includes mashed potato's with gravy, broccoli and cranberry sauce and a roll. Are you ready for this----
That meal has a whopping 1,000 calories, 49 grams of fat (yikes!), 19 grams of saturated fat, are you ready---3,230 mg of sodium.
That's more than a weeks sodium need in one meal.

The article suggests that you substitute eating their
Top Sirloin Steak Dinner, w/baked potato w/ whipped butter blend, Butter-steamed broccoli and skip the roll as it can add an extra 120 calories.
The above meal is 570 total calories, 22 grams of fat, ).5 g trans.fats,280 mg of sodium. Even though the fat is higher in this meal. It is still a better choice.
We I know what I will be ordering the next time I go to Perkins. Stay tune for more restaurant bad for you and good for you meals.

Not Raccoons!

Tooty2shoes — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:38:20 -0400

Author: Tooty2shoes
Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2013 4:38 pm (GMT 0)

Well last fall I finally designed a suet holder that has kept the crows from devouring all of the suet I put out for the woodpeckers. It's a bit crude, but it works.

Suet feeder to keep out the crows. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

Because the roof is slanted and there is not enough room for the crows to sit on top of the suet they have been leaving it alone.

But because it is mounted on a maple tree in our front yard the raccoons have been coming and eating it at night. A week ago I went to let our little dog out around 9:00pm to do her job. When I turned on the porch light and saw threw the window in the door a raccoon sitting by the tree licking it's lips after dining on my suet. I never let our little girl out without first checking to make sure there is nothing that she will try and chase.
I quickly grabbed by 22 rifle and stepped outside on the front porch. As soon as I opened the door it was off in a flash. I took a shot at it to scare it off.
Now I have been taking the suet in every night and putting it back out in the morning. I guess they have to eat too. But not my suet!
So the suet saga goes on. I think my next scheme will be to put a piece of wire mesh over the suet at night and then take it off during the day. I love the quote by the wicked witch in the Wizard of OZ---I'll get you my pretty.
Here is a pic of the suet feeder on the tree from my kitchen window. Look for info on the bird feeder in a post I will make later.

New bird feeder with suet feeder on tree in background. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

I love the old fashion tinsel.

Tooty2shoes — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 09:16:42 -0500

Author: Tooty2shoes
Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2012 2:16 pm (GMT 0)

My Mom had found me a box of the old fashion lead and tin tinsel we use to hang on our Christmas trees when I was a kid.
I hate the new tinsel as it sticks to everything because of the static electricity it seems to produce. Well this year I decided to use the one box my Mom had found me. Wow it really made the tree sparkle and come to life. I will post pic's as soon as I get around to it.
But then I found this website where you can order new tinsel made from tin and lead from Germany. The website is; johnwsheetz.com I am going to order several more boxes for my Christmas tree next year. They also have some great wooden toys, puzzles, and games that you would not find in to many stores.
I was so thrilled with my find I just had to share it.

Boy I could just kick myself! No really.

Tooty2shoes — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 21:21:42 -0400

Author: Tooty2shoes
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 1:21 am (GMT 0)

I'm a bit late posting this. But better late then never. In June we drove up into northern Wis. to Bayfield and Ashland. It was a really nice drive and we saw some great scenery especially along lake Superior. We stopped at several points of interest. One was this neat Barn built in about 1940 something. It was ordered through the Sears and Roebuck catalog. You could also order complete homes threw them also. They were really ahead of their time.

Neat Barn ordered from Sears. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

But here is why I could have really kicked myself.

Your turn. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

Step right up. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

Just to funny. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

This was just to funny. Someone really has a great imagination. Here are the rules for using it;
1.Do Not stand facing shoes.(Man that would hurt)
2.Do Not use this machine while in the prone position. (No kicking while you are down)
3.Only one person at a time please. (this is a self kick you machine-not have someone else kick you.
4.No climbing on the machine or horseplay.(please practice safe self kicking at all times.)
5. Children under 12 must be supervised by and adult.
6.Failure to follow the rules may result in you being asked to leave the machine. (we will have to Kick you off)
Cost
$1.00--for a good kick (the positive mental health benefits could save you thousands in analyst fee's)
$2.00---if you require proof that you kicked yourself (have someone take your picture so you can show your friends or analyst)

This is a self-service machine, based on the honor system. If you use the machine and do not pay, you will kick yourself later.
Bayfield winery does not claim to have invented the self-kicking machine. People have been kicking themselves for a long time.
Use it at your own risk--We are not responsible for those who do not like the way they were kicked.

That is just to funny. The pic's that follow are of painted murals that were on the street buildings in Ashland.

Painted mural. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

More street murals. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

The next 4 pic's are of one long mural featuring settlers who lived in the Ashland area.

Another neat mural. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

Ashland mural. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

Same mural. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

last pic of settelers mural. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )
The quality of these murals was amazing. The last picture is of a restarant we ate at. I always wondered just how big Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox was. Now I know.

Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

Well I guess with this last picture I will just mooooo-ve along. He, he, he.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing!

Tooty2shoes — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:38:53 -0400

Author: Tooty2shoes
Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 3:38 pm (GMT 0)

We have one little females Red Squirrel that surprized me if what it likes to eat. It loves the Grape jelly I put out for the Orioles, and the suet that is suppose to be for the Woodpeckers. She is the only squirrel that eats the Jelly. The other Red squirrels and Fox squirrels just ignore the stuff. But not her. She is here everyday to get her Jelly fix. A few of the other Red squirrels do eat the suet, but not as often as she does.

Jelly eating Red Squirrel ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

Yummy I love suet. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

Little Red loves her new toy. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )
This last pic is of the scare crow I put up to keep the crows from eating the suet. It worked! But little red thinks it's a great place to play on. I think she is giving the scare crow a hand in keeping the crows away. He,hee.

That took care of them all.

Tooty2shoes — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:43:18 -0400

Author: Tooty2shoes
Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 2:43 pm (GMT 0)

Since I put out my scare crow the crows have been leaving the suet alone. But I still have to move it every night. I put it on top of my bird feeder to keep the furry critters from eating it. I would put out a live trap but I am not to thrilled to see what I may catch in it besides a raccoon.

Not them eating my suet!

Tooty2shoes — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 10:14:09 -0400

Author: Tooty2shoes
Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 2:14 pm (GMT 0)

Well I have tried to get my photo's to load to show you my scare crow I put out to get rid of the crow's eating my suet. But can't seem to get them to load from my card. Oh well.
The above scare crow did keep the crows from eating my suet. I had to move it around everyday to make it look like it was real. Otherwise the crows would get use to it and still eat the suet.
But I was still finding the suet gone in the morning, or on the ground chewed up. Hummmmm. I figured it had to be a raccoon or a possum. Both I really dislike.
So I moved the suet to the top of my bird feeder which they can not get up on to. As I was passing our kitchen window about 9:00pm I saw something walking up to the tree where the suet had been. OMG it was a huge and I mean huge raccoon. I grabbed the 22 and opened the front door. As soon as it heard me it ran for the hills. It was hard to see it because it was darker out but I did get 2 shots off at it. I could hear it's claws hit a tree out near the driveway as it scrambled up it.
Took a flashlight out to see if I could get a better shot at it. But there where so many leaves on it I couldn't see anything. Darn those raccoons. But since I took a shot at it I don't believe it has come back. One of my neighbors about a 1/4 of a mile down the road from us has trapped 3 that were raiding his bird feeder. He had said that two of them where really big raccoons.
Well I am hoping that, that is the end of the coon stories.

This is nothing to CROW about!

Tooty2shoes — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:06:21 -0400

Author: Tooty2shoes
Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 3:06 pm (GMT 0)

For the last two weeks the crows in our area have found my suet feeder I have mounted on our maple tree in the front yard. I was a platform feeder that I had put a few nails in and then I just stuck the large hunks of suet I get at a local meat market on the nails. Well in one day the crows have the suet all gone and my woodpeckers are looking for their snack.
I have tried to put a plastic netting over the suet which the crows just pull off, and throw it on the ground. I thought well I will move it right next to the house in front and that should keep them away. NO good. They come up there as well. So now I am going back to the drawing board and will be trying to design a suet feeder that you have to cling to like the woodpeckers can do but not the crows I hope. Will keep you updated. I will put a pic of the feeder if it works to keep the crows away. At the rate the crows are eating my suet I can go threw 27.00 dollars worht of it in a week. Oh well, let the games begin.

Well today's the day.

Tooty2shoes — Fri, 18 May 2012 08:41:22 -0400

Author: Tooty2shoes
Posted: Fri May 18, 2012 12:41 pm (GMT 0)

I have finally gotten up the energy to plant our veggie garden. I have been reading up on companion planting. Very interesting. Did you know that carrots and tomatoes do not get along well. The tomatoes will stunt you carrots growth. You will still get carrots. But they will be smaller than normal. I also have found out that you can spray 3% hydrogen peroxide on plants that have fungus to kill the fungus. Yippy! I love doing things as green as possible. Our peach trees have been attacked by curly leaf fungus. They will be getting a bath with the hyro today.
I found all this info on a neat website with a lot more neat natural ways to deal with all kinds of garden problems. Check them out--www.ghorganics.com Well I better get those veggies in the ground. Have a super day.

It's Happening Again!

Tooty2shoes — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:35:51 -0400

Author: Tooty2shoes
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 11:35 pm (GMT 0)

I thought we had the salmonella thing under control. Well 2 days ago my hubby found a dead Gold Finch. We had seen a Finch that was acting the same way the Siskins had done when they were sick. Now today I found another Gold Finch dead by the front porch. I am soooooo bumbed out about it.
I guess I will have to take down the feeders again and bleach them. Then wait for 2 weeks or more to rehang them. I will not be putting out a bird bath for atleast 1 month. I am thinking of putting out a automatic waterer they us for chickens. That way the could not poop in the water as easily as they can in a bird bath.
I am hoping that no other birds get sick. I will be keeping an eye on our feathered friends to be sure they do not become sick also.

Normal Temp's Not Good!

Tooty2shoes — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 09:44:20 -0400

Author: Tooty2shoes
Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 1:44 pm (GMT 0)

Well once again this week we will be having normal temp's. Our low last night was 32, ouch! I had ice on the surface of my bird bath. Our high today is only going to be 42. Burrrrrh. Our low tonight is suppose to get down to 27. Unreal! I will be wrapping our blossoming fruit trees in prayer and believing that they will be fine. The rest of the week is suppose to be in the mid 50's to possilbe 60's by the weekend. I know the fruit growers in the Door County will be settng out heaters for the next couple of nights. Oh well. Enough said. I need to go and let the goaties out of the barn and get my day started. Have a great one.

Frost!

Tooty2shoes — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 08:32:44 -0400

Author: Tooty2shoes
Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 12:32 pm (GMT 0)

For the last 2 nights we have had frost with temp's dipping down into the high 20's. Our really warm temp's a few weeks ago started everything growing and budding way to early. We are now having seasonal temp's. That is causing some very anxious moments for the fruit tree grower in our state.
But so far we have had little or no frost. So our few fruit trees should be ok. Well I better get going and have some breakfast before it is noon. Have a very blessed day.

New Scrape wood Feeder with part of old one

Tooty2shoes — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:00:51 -0400

Author: Tooty2shoes
Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 12:00 am (GMT 0)

I did post this in the crafts section. But I figured I would put it in my blog also. I took down all my feeders to get the salmenella under control that was killing off our small birds.
The platform feeder was the first to go. Because the birds can sit in the seed, poop in it, and spread disease that way.
I took all the screws out of it to start with. But the only thing that came apart was the roof. Oh Boy!
The guy I bought it from several years ago glued it together besides screwing it together. What kind of birds did he think anyone was going to feed.
So I got out the hammer got the roof supports off in one piece. But the floor and sides of the feeder broke into pieces. I also had to take the metal skirting off I had put around the bottom to keep the squirrels out. This is what I ended up with to use from the old feeder.

roof supports and metal skirt. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

Roof and base of platform feeder ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )
In the above photo you can see the base with the corner roof supports still in place. The first photo has the four posts that use to be the roof supports.

I reused them and cut new sides and a smaller bottom. Then I made it a hopper feeder to keep the birds from sitting in the seed. Now they can sit on the edge of the feeder and reach in and get a seed. I also made the roof hinged on one side so I can fill it. It didn't turn out to bad. I had a couple of goof ups and had to recut or rescrew some of it. But all in all it went pretty well. I didn't even hit my finger once. Now that's progress.

New feeder from old one. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

Roof opened up to put in bird seed. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

Sad situation here.

Tooty2shoes — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:10:24 -0400

Author: Tooty2shoes
Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2012 2:10 pm (GMT 0)

We I finally took down all of my feeders to see if I can get a handle on the salmonella my birds (mostly pine siskins) have been dropping dead from. I built a different smaller feeder out of scraps I had. It has a feeding shelf that the birds can only sit on and not get in the seed and contaminate it. Got my hubby to help me get down a sheet of plywood we had up in the barn. So now this week I will see about refirbishing the platform feeder into a self feeding with only a small space for the seeds to come out of like the above feeder I built.
I also have been scattering seeds around the deck in different locations so the birds have some seed to eat. Had a cardinal show up the other day and look around like he was saying. What the blankity, blank is going on here. I knew there was a feeder here yesterday. Will post some pic's of the feeders. Well I better get some breakfast in me and then off to work. Have a super great day.

Boy did we get dumped on!

Tooty2shoes — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 11:43:16 -0500

Author: Tooty2shoes
Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 4:43 pm (GMT 0)

Today we woke up to 7 plus inches of snow and it is still falling. It's pretty if you can stay in and enjoy the scenery. But alas it's Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to shovel I go. I figure that we should have about 10 inches or more once it quits snowing. We must have 30 or more Pine Siskins at our two feeders. Plus all the regular winter birds we have. I feel sorry for the animals when we get this kind of weather. Well I better trot out and do some snow shovel exercises.

Almost done shoveling the deck. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

7 inches and counting. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

Pine Siskins. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

Unusual Foggy Sunrise>

Tooty2shoes — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:03:19 -0500

Author: Tooty2shoes
Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 9:03 pm (GMT 0)

Last week one morning upon rising I walked out into the living room and looked out the patio doors to be greeted by this wondrous site.

Sunrise threw fog ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )
Wow, God sure knows how to give one a beautiful start to ones day. I waited a few minutes and then got this second shot.

Sunrise threw the fog. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

I love the pink and the purple coloring. Now where are my paints. After a 1/2 hr. it was completely gone. I am so thankful and blessed to see such an interesting and beautiful sunrise. Enjoy!

Red Polls and Siskins galore!

Tooty2shoes — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:29:18 -0500

Author: Tooty2shoes
Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 10:29 pm (GMT 0)

As I posted before we are having a pretty mild winter. But I would have thought it would have kept the more northern birds up there.
We have had an abundance of Pine Siskins and Red Polls at our feeders. They sure can clean a feeder out in one day. But it is fun seeing these new birds at our feeders along with the usual Woodpeckers-Ladder back, Downy and Hairy, Chickadees, Cardinals, Blue Jay's, Goldfinch's, 2 kinds of Nuthatches and Morning Doves.
But here is a pick of one of the Red Polls sitting on top of our Christmas tree. It's out on our deck to provide the birds with some extra shelter as it is really open back there with few trees.
Well I better get going and get those goaties in the barn before it gets dark. More rambling next week.

Red Poll practicing poll sitting. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

Cardnial and Pine Siskins ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden )

Our Briends the Firds

Tooty2shoes — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:08:24 -0500

Author: Tooty2shoes
Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:08 pm (GMT 0)

Here is a funny written article my Mom gave me many years ago birds. Thus the title--

Our Briends the Firds--A Lature Nesson in Modern Spoonerism.

Very pew feople are afare of the wact that if it weren't for our little feathered briends, the firds. The kinsect ingdom would strip our frees of their toliage. Our plants would threace to sive and our cronderful wops of ceat and whorn, arley and boats, and other stuff too menerous to moomshun. Would dither and wye.
This would be a deedidy intradge, for eventually, then, manpeer would dissakind from the ace of the ferth and there'd be nothing left but bawling crugs and snithering slakes. What a holoplate that would be to contemcaust!
So let us be nind to all our kirds--even to the spowly larrow. Who spends the setter part of the bummer killing yugs for her bongsters...the very sugs that bumday might be dotting horrible pleeds against the rewman hace!
Now in order to show our buv for the lirds, we must surely learn habthing of their someits. So here is a small but lomprehensive kist of some of the more well-bown kirds. Which may either be rept for future kefference or waist into the bass tossket:
The Dickachee: he sticks around in the shinter and wivers.
The Loboblink: he sits in the top of a wush and borbles while his wife fings up the bramily.
The Bumminghird: he sucks blector from nossoms and then mams like scrad.
The Jue Blay: a crovely leature to observe. But stealy a little rinker. He nobs rests.
The Firple pinch: he sings with a wherious cistle until his mate has faby binches. After that, he's sactically prilent.
The Orned Howl: he einks his blyes and weems very size.
Queny astions?
It can be a bit rard to head. But I am sure you will ogure it fiut.
Boy I am so glad that we don't talk like that now.

Water, water, everywhere!

Tooty2shoes — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:20:48 -0500

Author: Tooty2shoes
Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 10:20 pm (GMT 0)

On Jan 2nd my honey's family had their Christmas tree hopping party. No we don't hope over the trees-heee,hee, hee. We visit each other homes and have a progressive dinner. Because he has so many brothers and sisters we usually do 4 homes one year and then 4 more the next.
I was in charge of making the salad. Of course I over did it and made 3 salads instead of just one yummy one. Well the crab salad turned out to be very yummy. But the other 2 were flops. Never serve a salad recipe you haven't tried first.
Oh well. After the last home where dessert was on the menu. We headed home and walked in the door around 8:15 pm. I then went and used the toilet. Excuse me for mentioning that. But this is where the above mentioned water came from. Before I used the toilet I had noticed that someone had not flushed the toilet. I do not make it a habit of looking into the toilet to see what might still be in there. Anyway I did what I came to do and flushed the toilet, washed my hands, and left the room.
My honey and I watched a little TV and decided to go to bed around 9:00pm. I figured I better let our little dog out to go pee one more time. As I walked past the hall leading to the bathroom I could hear water running. I thought maybe I had left the faucet on after I washed my hands. So I headed to the bathroom to turn it off. OMG it wasn't the faucet running it was water pouring out of the toilet and on to the floor. It had been running onto the floor for over 20 minutes. I didn't know what to do first. So I giggled the toilet handle because usually when ones toilet is running the thingy in side has not sealed so giggling the handle stops the water. NOT SO in this case. It started to run out of the toilet even faster. YIKES! So my ightening fast mind said hey just turn the water off at the wall. I did and was left standing there in my soggy socks in about an inch of water on the end of the bathroom where the toilet was.
I had yelled for my honey who was standing in the doorway with his mouth hanging open not sure what to do. So I started grabbing bath towels out of the linen closet and throwing them on the water to soak it up. As I was getting the water soaked up my honey decided to go down to the family room and see if the water had run threw to that room. Well sure enough.
He came back up and said that he had put a large cooler under the dripping water to catch it which was now coming threw the suspended ceiling. I thought I better go take a look. YIKES! The carpet was all wet in that area and the title that was leaking looked like it would come crashing down any minute with the big bulge it had in it's middle. My honey said-oh it will be ok until morning. I knew better and went to get something to stand on so I could poke a hole in the center of the wet bulging ceiling tile. It was like opening a faucet as the water poured out into the cooler. I just gave my honey one of those you have got to be kidding me looks. Seeing he wanted to leave the mess until morning. So after the water stopped running out of the hole in the tile. We removed it, soaked up as much water as we could from the carpet and dragged ourselves off to bed a 10:00pm.
I am so thankful we where home and it didn't happen when we would have be gone for over 3 hrs. That would have really been quite the situation then. I shutter to think of it. So now it is all back to normal with a few new ceiling tiles installed. We may be getting a new toilet as it has given us trouble with not flushing correctly before. Hope my rambling wasn't to long winded. Makes me tired just thinking about it. I think I will go and take a nap. Bye for now.

Happy New Year 2012

Tooty2shoes — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:45:56 -0500

Author: Tooty2shoes
Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2012 12:45 am (GMT 0)

It is hard to believe another year has come and gone. We are finally getting some snow. Nothing major in amount. But it started out as drizzle then changed to snow and the temps got colder making the roads an ice covered mess. Plus the winds have kicked picked up blowing what snow there is into small drifts across the roads.
On our way home from church we spotted a Northern Shrike. First time ever. I read up on them and they are a bit rare to see. What a treat.
Then when I was standing doing the dishes watching the birds in the feeder all of a sudden they took off like they where being chased. Just after they took off a hawk swooped in and was gone before I could blink. I guess something was chasing them. Hope they all got away and didn't become hawk lunch.
Well that's enough rambling for one evening. Have a super great night.