Sweet Puppy Called Lilly

 

 

This is our distant relatives new puppy.  Apparently he is of a mix breed, but looking mostly terrier.  They got him from the SPCA  I was told.  Sorry to mislead my readers but it is a “her”.   She is a cutie and never lets up on chewing and playing. 

I don’t know how you readers in Canada or Austria would find a loving, adorable, dog such as this one, or if you have a animal shelter to check in with.  We, here in United States, have shelters where you can go to find an animal for a pet.  I haven’t been there myself, but I hear they are a wonderful place.

Now, if they had chickens, that would draw my interest!  (I hope they don’t or I will never hear the end of it).  We don’t have a dog, only a Scottish Fold Cat and she leaves my chickens alone and hunts gophers.  Living here, one must do something to earn his keep. 

This is a little “break” from my green house, but I did plant some leaf lettuce yesterday.  That is exciting also.  Until we get all the other seeds we have ordered, we can’t plant .  But I will post again when we are at that point. 

Magazines anyone?

                                                                                         

 

This  time of the year I get new magazines  in the mail I have never ordered, or a renewal of one automatically, that really doesn’t expire until four months from now.  If you don’t cancel it they will keep sending the magazine for another two years. 

This really drives me crazy because then I get a bill for one I have never renewed.  Sometimes I just tear up the renewal form and the bill, thinking they will get the message.  Not so. 

Does anyone else deal with this situation?  It is frustrating to me because sometimes I can’t remember if I have renewed (paid) for it or not.  I really only have three that I have ordered. 

I would really like to hear from the rest of you to learn how you deal with this situation.  I get enough mail the way it is, without adding more bulk to my box. 

I am sorry to complain instead of writing about my  garden and chickens, but this is really bugging me.

 

I need to know that others are on my side.  Let me hear from you.  

A Clean Window in the Kitchen

 

Today the sun was out bright and early on my window in the kitchen, and proved to me that I needed to wash the windows to improve my view.  I cannot believe what a difference it made.
I really need to catch up on my house duties anyway before it is time to start my greenhouse seeds.
I do love working out in the garden and could spend all day very easily, if only I didn’t have to cook and clean! But once the produce starts coming I love to cook and  put up things that we grow here in the garden.  The greenhouse is getting nice sun and warmth.  The end of the month I hope to get  some seedlings going  and experiment with a few things to learn about the humidity factor and sun in the greenhouse, since I haven’t done this before. 
My chickens are wondering where the “greens” are that I promised them.  I wish I could make them understand that we need to grow them!  
In the meantime my husband is still filling his planter boxes he made with fresh rich soil, wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow, and it is looking good.  That is the progress up through today.  

From the Greenhouse to the Slopes

 

   

Okay, how much time should we spend on the greenhouse?  My husband is building two redwood planter boxes for the one side, and I am waiting for some shelves to come that I ordered.  I plan to do seed germinating so I wanted the shelves. 

So, while we are waiting, the ski slopes were calling for my husband and a friend.  So, he had a rooting good time in the cold and now he is ready to finish making the other planter box.  Its amazing how warm it can get very quickly in just a few minutes, like a sauna. 

I just need to be patient for one more day, and my shelving should be here.  Then I will get the tools and put it together and move it on in.  At last! 

Then comes the ordering of the seeds. 

Dreams In My Greenhouse

                                                                                               


This is what I think my greenhouse will look like in three months.  We all have dreams and that is a good thing! 
I did pick out some heirloom vegetables from the Petaluma Seed Company, however, I am not finished yet in picking out  all I hope to grow.  But, for starters, this is what I have for now:  Tigerello Tomatoes, which are a striped variety,  Basil-Emily, Zucchini (careto)  Radishes (Giants of Sicily)  and a leaf lettuce called Mignonette Bronze.   I will let my husband do onions and potatoes and etc. 
I am sure I will add some cucumbers for my relish that I do.  These things take time, because I think of last year after the garden was done,  I should have planted more---------. 
This is serious business, is what I tell my chickens!  They talk to me and I know they are saying, more greens,  Mom!  So ----I have to plant with them in mind. 
You have to understand,  this is my FIRST greenhouse.  I am a little nervous and a little excited. 

A Preview of What is to Come

 

This is a greenhouse just like the one we are assembling.   We have another one yet to be put up.  It has been “off and on”  because we have very cold weather and blowing snow.  But I am very anxious to get going with my tomatoes, especially.  Also some sweet giant radishes of which I have ordered and some leaf lettuce to get started.  These are just the beginnings of my garden. 

I am ready to begin!  I will tell you the proper names of my selections next week.  I have found that even in the snow, the greenhouse is warm when all the vents are closed.  I have a potting bench already made to fit exactly. 

I know the date on this post is wrong, but this is the eleventh day of January.  Some of the problems I have with the programming   of this set up has been haunting me for a couple of weeks.

So I wish you all a good weekend and next week I will give you the proper names of what is to be grown in my wonderful greenhouse!

LA –LA-LA-LA-LA-LA!  Today is a Good Day for Opera!  

Greenhouse On Hold

We woke up to snow again this morning, so that has delayed the working on the greenhouse for a couple of days. 
I am still having trouble getting a picture of the greenhouse to show it to you.  My computer is not doing what I tell it to do, and that is exhausting to me.  I have been trying to get a picture up for several days and I obviously have not been successful.  But I will give you the dimensions.  We are putting two of them back to back lengthwise (16 feet).  They are six and a half feet wide with air vents and large doors on either end.

I have a potting bench already made to go inside.  I am claiming one side and my husband gets the other side so we can grow what each one wants.  I think this is a good plan. 

Since I can't send you a picture just yet, I will give you the company where you can get most any seeds you are looking for for your garden or greenhouse.   It is Petaluma Seed Bank in Petaluma, Ca.   The web site is
https://www.rareseeds.com/petaluma-seed-bank//
 This is a fun site to visit, just to see all the varieties of one vegetable!
You will thank me a thousand times for this info!  Enjoy!  https://www.rareseeds.com/petaluma-seed-bank/

Our First Greenhouse

 




     We started to do a new project---a greenhouse we got for Christmas.  Friends and neighbors are coming by to give us advice and where to place it.  We happen to be very popular right now with friends because they all have different ideas. 
We had to go and buy pea gravel to put in the floor about 4 inches thick, because we used treated 4x4's to set the frame on and bury the 4x4's until just the top is showing.  We had to get it plummed just right because that would make a difference in the roof and the door. 

We are excited about finally getting it to the finish point, and putting plants and veggies inside to grow.  I even tried to put a photo up but today my computer is not letting me.  Oh well, that's life.  Maybe when we get it all up and running I can try to get a picture up for you all to see.

I did take all my Christmas decor down today and got it all packed away for next year, but I didn't get to clean things up where it has been sitting for a month.  That will come tomorrow.

If you are one of the numbers that know how to do a greenhouse let me know. We are open to any ideas and suggestions.