Although it’s common every single year, we didn’t want another big snow to come our way. Unfortunately, today, it’s snowing hard, covering up my daffodils that were just coming up as well as all the trees and ground. We’re forecast to get between 8 and 13 inches. Right now, we’ve got about 5 inches and it’s snowing very hard. Oh well, it’s supposed to warm up very soon and it’ll all melt. And we do need the moisture!
Buffy is taking it easy today, lying on the bed, taking a snooze. Gee, maybe I’ll join her. Naw, I’ve got dishes to wash and a small plastic greenhouse to put together. I bought three new ones online with clear plastic covers. The ones we have now have the green plastic with mesh and we’ve found they photo-degrade in a couple of years, which the clear ones do not. And the covers cost as much as the whole thing.
We had a glitch with Sarge’s neutering. Only a day home and some tissue was hanging down from below his scrotum. Oh oh! No, he didn’t chew or lick. We watched him closely and had a plastic cone on him when we couldn’t. So yesterday, back to the vet for another minor surgery. As he was beating up the plastic cone in his crate, Will took Hondo upstairs to bed with him, locking him in. (Hondo, not Will!) and we let Sarge roam the downstairs as he wished. To make sure there wasn’t a problem, I slept on the couch by him all night. He was fine. Then, when I let him out this morning, he rolled in the fresh snow and tore his plastic cone collar. I taped it up but need to use some Gorilla Tape to make it stronger. (I ordered an inflatable, tougher collar, from Chewy as well as an after-surgery “suit”). They’ll be here on Friday.
Will and I will be on PBS North for a few minutes, Thursday at 5:30 then Friday at 8 PM Central time. Here’s a link: https://pbsnorth.org/show/almanac-north/ It is on Almanac North.
I guess it will also be on YouTube on Friday. Here’s the link for that: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSqxcFoS8NZy-vO89s-FpRR3g4r3C5hg1
I don’t have a clue as to what we’ll be doing but I guess I’ll be happy if I don’t look like a crazy person! — Jackie
I watched Almanac North when it aired last night on our local PBS. They did a great job showcasing your farm and seed business. I enjoyed seeing the gardens and animals! You did a wonderful job telling your story, you came across real and relatable. I’m sure it’ll be inspiring to everyone that watches.
I thought they did a nice job. The photography was outstanding. I enjoyed seeing the gardens too, so green and lush. Not white and brown!!
I watched the video when your daughter posted tge link Jackie, it was great, I loved seeing you and Will surrounded by all your gardens. It was such a nice plug for Seed Treasures too.
We sure thank Jenna for posting the link. She’s now excitedly learning to garden. That’s wonderful!! We enjoyed watching the show too, with all the melons, peppers and tomatoes. Come on spring!!
Dear Jackie,
We had wild weather last evening and a tornado went very near us but MISSED our house. So thankful for that. It is very rural here and hopefully it was just in the woods and not at the Amish farms. Snow is beautiful but you do get tired of it after so long. I had my first hummingbird on 4-1 and put out a feeder that same day. I got to see one feeding around dusk on 4-2 so it on with the sugar water for now. We will have a cold snap in a few days. I have not been keeping up with the “winters”. I think it might be Locust winter or maybe Blackberry. Has anyone out there been keeping count? We already have Redbuds and Dogwoods winters but can’t remember what is next. We are having more tornado weather tomorrow night. So, all should “hunker down”.
Bummer about the snow, but moisture is a silver lining and I’ve always heard that snow puts some nitrogen in the soil, so bonus. We are getting some rain. We are still behind what we need and the ponds and lakes are quite low. My daughter lives in KY and they had severe weather night before last. Tornado sirens went off several times and heavy rain and wind. Thankfully their area was spared severe damage. Spring is a bully this year. Hoping that Sarge and Hondo can reach a truce soon. Sarge is a handsome dog for sure!! Sending prayers for a blessed week.
Thanks so much Marilyn! I’m so glad the storm skipped the area your daughter lives in. I always cringe when I see severe weather hitting an area of the country and always pray folks stay safe. They say that snow is the poor farmer’s fertilizer, so I wonder about that. Our beaver pond is very low this spring.
Speaking of trees breaking, neighbor heard another of ours come down – yep oak. Blocking a path so it will have to be somewhat dealt with. But no other collateral damage – as in branches from nearby trees knocked off or smaller trees trapped under the tree.
Rain and wind here but as you say, we’ll take the moisture. Going to till on Saturday (if no rain) or Sunday. Then get the first crop of taters planted.
A couple of months ago we bought a small electric tiller to assist in weeding.
Still waiting on a call to schedule the cat’s surgery. If I don’t hear by noon tomorrow, I’ll ask my vet’s office to make a call on our behalf.
Morel sighted downstate from me so I’ll be on the watch here soon.
Wow, you’re tilling and going to plant potatoes?? That’s awesome. We can’t safely plant ours until the second week of June. But we always harvest plenty. I’m thinking of getting an electric tiller to use in the flower beds and hoop houses. We’ve always used Mantis tillers but it seems lately they don’t last more than two years. Pretty expensive to keep replacing!
Morels are my favorite mushroom. Unfortunately, we haven’t found any big patches here, only a single, here and there, which I leave, hoping they’ll increase.
Remember last year we had tilled prior and planted potatoes on Good Friday – March 29th!
My Grandpa (as did his family) always planted on Good Friday. We must in some type of micro climate (his family’s farm was an hour south of where I am) that allowed tilling and planting for over 100 years!
Poor Sarge. The cone of shame. Last month I was able to get about 40 (yes forty) cats snipped and snipped. Hope the snipping helps the situation between Sarge and Hondo.
As to weather……. Yes, it is wild. Our normal last frost here (N. Central TX) is March 15. This weekend we are to be in the 30’s for a low! Also getting rain (and possible tornadoes/torpedoes as I phrase to separate tornadoes an d hurricanes). We have our wood heat stove going right now! Sigh
Just wanted to tell you how wonderful you are for that neutering tally – so many cats safer and so many kittens prevented. Well done!
Poor Sarge is having a time with his cone of shame. He’s so big and rammey he has beat it all to heck. It’s held together with Gorilla tape. I think the surgery will help him but Hondo still thinks he’s the boss, even though Sarge really whipped his butt last time. And Hondo is too old to neuter; 13 years. We may just have to keep them separate.
Good for you, neutering that many cats. That prevents a whole lot of unwanted kittens down the pike. Both our females are spayed. I love kittens but two cats are enough for now.
Luckily our beagle boy didn’t even need.his cone! He hated it so much that we took it off and watched him. He didn’t bother his neutered part at all! Go figure…. The same snow here even though we’re about an hour south of you. The snow was pretty but it melted off the trees, still pretty deep on land. We had a hard time getting over a hill on our road because the County doesn’t feel the need to plow our dead end road…Why do we pay taxes???
Oh well, I am very happy living in “the sticks” :)
Our snow is off the trees and melting fairly fast, although in the woods, there’s still quite a lot. Our drive is a mile and a half long and we plow it. When it’s this mild, however, we don’t as you end up throwing a lot of driveway dirt off into the woods with the snow. Yep, our driveway is kind of awful right now. Hey, it keeps the riff raff out. : )
We are trying for spring here in the Copper Basin Alaska. The last two days have highs in the 50’s and just barely freezing at night. The green house got up to 75 when the sun came out. Maybe I can get on the cleanup in there soon that I was too infirm to do last fall. Our snow pack is much less than the last two years so maybe we can be ready to plant out door crops on the small garden plot that we couldn’t plant the last two years because it was still too wet to till Fourth of July the last two years! My old dog is emulating Buffy!
Yep, critters sure know how to relax! Right now, Sarge is asleep in his crate, Hondo’s upside-down on the sofa and both cats are napping on different beds. They have us trained! We’re starting our greenhouse up on Wednesday, as the nighttime temperatures are going to be in the twenties and days in the forties and fifties. I’m transplanting peppers and hope to set them out in there soon. We have hardly any snowpack at all. It’s pretty dry and it worries us. I, too, need to clean in the greenhouse soon. I didn’t get to it last fall either. Hey, we do what we can do, right?
Well, maybe they can get your show on before NPR and PBS face the chopping block from the fed government. We, in far north California, have had a wet spring. It’s wonderful. I read about our Sites reservoir, yet unbuilt, and how it will hold the same amount of water run-off that all reservoirs in the state combined can hold. Here’s hoping maybe our governor will get it built soon. Otherwise, a new map of fire danger came out listing our area as extreme fire danger. Allstate has pulled out, but we hang on to them, despite, and they are this moment trying to get rid of us again. We have more hoops to jump through. I pulled volunteer carrots yesterday, have sweet potato slips in the ground, and am hardening-off my germinated bell pepper plants. Two more weeks and the temps will change so I can direct seed!!
Wow, you really have spring!! I’m jealous. I sure hope you don’t face fire danger. That’s scary. We got a foot of snow on the ground…Bah!
Aw the ‘cone of shame’, is the title in our house. we’ve taped the one we have several times! They do save on repeated return visit to the doc’s though. I too would like to emulate Buffy today. am recovering from a bout of UG. been slowly getting things back up to speed. Green house here is sprouting green in most every pot! Thanks again for the info on seeding in peat pots. These are the healthiest most vibrant of all starts.
The snow is a slow down but as you say,’ we need the moisture’. After several heavy rains, we now have the March(this year April) winds drying it all back out. The semi arid region here is known for this. with water, grows anything :)
I guess the price of living in Gods country is living with natures watering system!
Have a good un up north!
Yep, Sarge has gotten the cone off two times so far and it’s Gorilla taped up all over. Sure looks pretty!! Ha ha. But it is doing its job. Only six more days to go. We ended up with a foot of heavy, wet snow. But no ice and the trees aren’t breaking down over the driveway so we’re happy.
Here in eastern NC, we are supposed to be almost 90 for the next several days. Everything is blooming and the pine pollen has turned the world yellow. We have most of the early stuff in the garden, I’ve done a pantry inventory (last year was such a horrible gardening year that lots of things are critical to can this year), I’ve got someone coming to pressure wash the house later this week (neither of us can do ladders now) to stay ahead of the algae on the north side, we started clearing the bottom of the pack house yesterday to do floor repairs, and we still have to take down the old greenhouse (tree fell on it over the winter) and we put up a new one. Ah, spring! A leisurely time to revel in nature!