We gardened all weekend

We've been busy gardening! Jim made me frames out of PVC for two of my raised beds. I'll try to get a picture for you later, right now I'm just too tired. You put row cover fabric over the pipes and use clips to hold it. That way it creates a little greenhouse and raises the temperature a bit. I'm still trying to get a decent tomato crop. The first year I planted tomatoes they did great but it's been too cold lately, especially last summer. So we'll see if it helps.

I have four tomato plants in the ground, two in pots in the greenhouse, and four others in pots on the patio and in the yard. So ten plants altogether.

I put in lettuce and onion seeds today. I planted some onion sets yesterday but they look a little old so I'm not sure if they will survive. I also put in seed for arugula (salad type green) and bok choy. Later I'll put in carrot seeds but they like it warmer. I also potted a lot of herbs I started from seeds. And a few flowers here and there.

Jim is going to make me another raised bed in the front yard for more dahlia tubers. More of last years dahlias are coming up then I thought would and I have already bought more.

The current bushes (2) are doing great and the logenberry that a fellow librarian gave me is doing very well. It looks like a blackberry vine except it doesn't have thorns. I'm going to plant the other one this year and train both of them up a couple of trellises to disguise the compost heap.

Both columnar apple trees are making apples! We are watching those with great interest. Hopefully I will be able to give Jim apples to eat!

Books & movies online from your local library

This next one isn't what you asked for but since my library provides audio books and movies online I wondered if the Battle Creek library might not do the same. the COMMUNITY RESERVE claims to have it all, audio books, ebooks (books in print online), and movies. I would check with Aunt Peggy and see if you can have a Battle Creek library card. You have to have a library account to access their materials. You'll need to install some software but it's the same source our library uses (Overdrive) so I'm familiar with it and can set it up on your computer for you.

Free online movies

So you want free online movies? Well I found these that appear to be reputable and legal sources for watching movies online.

The Motion Picture Association of America provides an extensive list of free and legal movie sites that will allow you to watch or download movies for free. Since these sources have been vetted by the movie industry they are safe at least in regards to legality.

I tried the Hula.comsite and it worked pretty easy. If you watch the movies online you don't need to download and/or install any software. They also provide access to TV shows you may have missed or don't get in your area. Plus the advantage of watching when you have the time.

"...many networks, such as ABC, NBC, and SciFi Channel, provide at least temporary access to watch shows on their Web sites. They also provide additional content like cast interviews."

Another source you might really enjoy is Public Broadcasting Service

That should keep you busy and entertained for some time to come. Enjoy!

More gardening and free movies

Monday, besides helping you with your DVD player remotely, we've been gardening again. I've been pulling weeds and checking the beds and pots to see what Dahlias are coming up from last year. I also discovered another clematis has survived after all. That would make three if they continue to survive. While dahlias, ferns, and fuchsias do great here, clematis seem to be touchy. Until this weekend I thought only one had survived. I hope they do better this year!




After we weed we are also mulching the beds. Looks like it's going to be a dry summer for us (i.e. drought), so we need to do everything we can to keep moisture in the ground.

As per your request I've been looking for reputable, legal sources for free online movies. I will post the best results tomorrow.

Sunday, May 24 - more gardening

Besides talking to you, we worked in the yard again on Sunday and had a friend over for hamburgers. Unfortunately while it was beautiful out it was too windy to grill outside. Besides, we were all starved and didn't want to wait for the charcoal to heat up! Thank goodness for the George Foreman Grill! We had a great meal and a good time. Pat brought over the vegetable dishes and her new walking exercise video and I showed her our Wii Sports.

I'd potted up a rosemary and a catnip plant for her so she took those home. I'd started them last year for her. I leave you to guess who each plant is for!

Spring means gardening for us

Hi Dad! As I mentioned on the phone we've been pretty busy this weekend.

I harvested a really big bowl of lettuce and then dug up the plants so we could work on the raised beds. The lettuce plants were leftovers from last year's garden. We also pulled up all the carrots that overwintered. We'll have to see if the carrots are too woody but we certainly got a lot. This isn't even counting the two bowls of carrots we'd pulled earlier this spring.











I looked online for tips on using overwintered carrots. Looks like carrot cake and roasted carrots are the two best options. Boiled carrots will take 45 minutes if they are woody.

Jim then helped me put some bags of mushroom compost and top soil on three of our four raised beds. He took the rototiller to the beds so they look great and are ready for me to plant seeds.




I potted a bunch of petunias and impatiens for both the front and back yards. We ran out of potting soil so we had to go to Fred Meyers to get more.

We did more weeding too (always doing weeding) and talked about where we want the electrician to run a power line out to the greenhouse. We're having an electrician come out to hang our new ceiling fans, rewire the garage, and run power out to the greenhouse. Apparently the wiring in the garage isn't quite up to code. So before we do any more work in the garage we'll have that taken care of.

I also worked on the table legs for the table we're building for my study. I'm spraying them with black enamel. I'm hoping that we start on the table top soon.

After that I took a nap. For four hours! I guess all that fresh air and sunshine was more than I could handle.

Giant catfish in the Amazon

Thought these might interest you...

Giant Catfish of the Amazon

Phractocephalus hemioliopterus

Red Tail Catfish

Frosty and the good life

Help me get my toy? It fell behind the couch

Frosty and Mom looking over the side of the couch at all the toys hidden behind it.

Keep looking I know it's back here!

Frosty looking out the window looking for Dad.

It's hard to stay cool when you wear a fur coat.

There's no slipper like Mom's slipper!

Oh, I know I could get stepped on laying here in the kitchen. That's part of the plan. I yelp, they say they're sorry and pet me. Sometimes they even drop foos on the floor. What's not to like?

What do you mean I'm too old to sleep with my stuffed toys!

Ah, a safe place to nap. So happy, so, so tired.

Pictures of Frosty the Wonder Dog

CHRISTMAS IS FOR GOOD DOGS TOO!

Oh, something smells interesting!

Something smells VERY interesting!

Frosty intensely stares at a gift in Mom's hands

NEW BALL!

What do you mean it's too big!

Grrr! I'm imagining this is you!

I love my pink bear

Weekly Web Tours by Daughters of Neat Dads, Copyright - 1999
Previously located at Geocities