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Fences

Category: Yard work! | Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 2:59 am

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I think I've mentioned a couple of times that our yard is divided into mini-yards. It has to be fenced to keep out javalina, skunks and deer. I'd like to say cats, but they just climb over.We don't have a lot of stray dogs but there was a coyote a couple of weeks ago. We have a dog that we keep in the yard. She has all the shots and tags but you never know what the other dog has.
Today, I scooted around the yard on my knees and sometimes my seat, cutting the grass and weeds out of the fence lines. You can't do it with the lawnmower and the weedeater doesn't get that which grows through the fence. Anyway, our weedeater bit the dust last fall and we haven't replaced it yet. I started with the small front yard, patio area. I deadheaded pansies and the rest of the daffodils and the grape hyacinths and trimmed the lower leaves off of the hollyhocks and pulled out some dead tulip leaves. I swept up more of the pollen thingies that fell off of the mulberry tree. I didn't have to do the herb garden because I just finished digging it and I cleaned between all the flagstones then. I did have to pull and cut grass out of the gravel path because when I dumped the gravel there last year I didn't put plastic under it. Dummy! I continued to Chance's big yard, our backyard. DR mowed it Tuesday morning. I guess that was yesterday. I cut around the honeysuckle and the lemon balm and the morning glories and around the bridge and down the little wash and up the little wash and under the swing and lawn chair. I did along the garden fence and up by the flower bed. I did along the fence to the new yard behind the big shed. It's too rocky in some areas to use the lawn mower, but it doesn't have grass yet except along the fence with the backyard. Chance's little yard just needed along the sidewalk. We put plastic under the graveled area. So, I was down to the work area. I have to move stuff around to cut the grass there. There isn't much because right now it's packed pretty full but I need to get to the fence that's covered with the climbing roses.I'll need a long sleeve shirt and gloves to do that area and I'll probably still end up full of thorn punctures. I can probably finish it tomorrow. I would have finished it today but about 3:30PM my knees said, "ENOUGH!!!" We'll see what they say in the morning. Then, I've got to get some things from the greenhouse into bigger pots or into the ground. I have some more seeds to plant. Since it's been in the 80's for more than a week, I think I can say it won't frost anymore.
We took the quilt off of the bed and are using flanned sheets now. Last night I was thinking that soon the flannel sheets could be packed away too. It does get cool toward morning though. Today, I was thinking maybe it was time to open some windows. We do have the door open except when Chance is inside. We don't let her in the front part of the yard. She thinks it's all right to run through the flower beds. I tried to tell her to use the path but she thinks it's easier to cut across.
I think I still need to rake up all the debris I cut today too. Compost most of it. I put some branches in the dumpster today. I found a few dead branches on a rose bush and they went into the dumpster so I wouldn't step on them or pick them up with grass and poke myself. Our yard is two lots. The big shed is on one lot and the house is on the other lot. The lots are about 55 by 90 feet, maybe. I haven't really measured the lengths but I know the widths is 55 feet. So, it's total approx. 110ft by 90 ft. It doesn't sound too big but it is to my knees. We have eight areas fenced seperately. I wonder why? Some were already seperated and some we fenced to keep Chance safe. Oh, well! More work tomorrow. Dooley

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Done, well maybe

Category: Herb Garden | Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 2:44 am

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I'm done digging the herb garden. I poured a bag of fertilizer on it. I just raked that in. Then, I set about eleven flagstones into a path around the arbor and out the other side to what will be a river rock path across to the driveway. We looked for a round tub for the big white ball but didn't find one that we liked. I guess we will find one when we aren't looking for one. That is what usually happens. We don't need it tomorrow anyway. We went up to Prescott and came home with two flower pots to fit a table, three more bags of potting soil, a butterfly bush(black knight) and eight six paks of petunias. Also, a cement block and 10 foot long pieces of rebar. We stopped and had lunch too. So, when we got home I finished working in the herb garden and planted six of the paks of petunias in the four pots around the bridge. I have two six paks to plant in the front of the house tomorrow. I put twelve cups of earwig food in the garden and flower beds last night. There were no earwigs in the cups this morning but there were a few beetles. I'm going to put some pieces of board or cardboard in the garden and see if I can find some slugs. I found a conal snail in the greenhouse and Dan says these eat slugs. Oops! I've been throwing them out. I did make some low shelves so nothing in the greenhouse is setting on the ground now.
We have a neighbor who is 73 years old. I told him I would give him some of the herbs from the greenhouse. He was gathering some pots to fill with potting soil when he turned and started to go after the potting soil and fell over his wheelbarrow. He spent three days in the hospital because he messed up his shoulder and it swelled all out of proportion. They kept him until the swelling went down. He has a brace that he has to wear. I told him I would come over tomorrow or the next day and fill the pots for him. The herbs aren't exactly ready to move from the greenhouse.
I told my neighbor Frank that he could have some too. I potted up some lemon balm for him and some summer savory. I do need to get the cumin and the borage in the pots soon. Their roots are coming out of the peat pots. I need to get some seeds in the garden too. We need more than squash.
I got to plant the butterfly bush but DR says he has to dig up a water line first. It's one that drains rainwater from the garden. After the water goes through the little wash it goes into an underground pipe that has developed a leak and it's making the ground soggy. I think when the guy across the alley used his end loader to level the ground it must have been too heavy and cracked the pipe. There is always something that has to be done before you can do something else. I think I should be done soon, but then there is always weeding and watering.
I sat and watched the hummingbirds this afternoon. They were flying around the lilac bush.
The light ran out before I was finished so I guess tomorrow will have to be started with the rest of the days jobs. Dooley

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Almost done

Category: Herb Garden | Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 1:11 am

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I really thought I would get that herb garden digging finished today but I didn't. I have a space about 4 x 8 to finish and a little grass to dig along the path and I have to dig some weeds between a few flagstones yet. I watered all the bushes really good today.I think they've been needing a long slow watering so it would go deep. It was near 90 today but it was cloudy so it didn't feel too bad. I did it slowly and stopped now and then to do other things. Dan & I were standing in the herb garden talking when he started shouting to run. Go into the back yard. I didn't know what was happening but there was a loud sort of roaring, buzzing noise and I run after him. We stopped and looked up and there was a swarm of bees going over head. it was huge. Thankfully it kept going. Dan said they were probably looking for a new home. They went right over where we were standing. It was Dan's second experience with bees today. He went camping with his group yesterday and they were planning to stay all day today. But, just about dark last night a beekeeper showed up and unloaded about 40 bee hives just down the road. This morning there were bees all over the place and they weren't happy. One lady had to be taken to the hospital because she was stung and started to swell. Dan said he wasn't stung but several of the others were stung. They just couldn't stay in the area. I guess maybe the bees will settle down in a few days but I can't see why the beekeeper would put the bees next to an established campground with people camping in it. Some of the campers were going to lodge complaints with Game and Fish or the rangers who are responsible for the campground. it's on government land.
I put pork loin roast in the Nesco Roaster so I guess I should go and see what else I can find to finish supper. Dooley

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