More Snow and More Planting

It was snowing lightly when we got up this morning.  After breakfast we started doing one of the things that I don't enjoy.  That is boxing up all of our indoor Christmas decorations.  We started with the nativity scene.  I unloaded the closet that has all the empty boxes.  We will fill them with the inhouse decorations.  

I worked on putting each piece of the nativity scene back into the Styrofoam containers.  After nearly three hours I still couldn't get all the pieces in.  Carol was going to the post office.  I wanted to push the snow of the driveway before she backed out the car.  When I got back in the house.  She had put the piece in.  It was kind of like putting a three dimensional puzzle.  I had it upside down.  She put the right side up and it fit perfectly.

We then put the nutcrackers away and put the pictures and knickknacks back in their usual places.  It took three boxes.  The above photo shows the TV and the items on top of it.

 I caught the mouse that has been eating the corn seeds.

 I reset the trap in case there is another mouse around.

I planted leek seeds in the 1206 tray.  One in each cell.  I used a small spoon, picked up one leek seed, and put it in each cell.  I covered each seed with vermiculite.  

I set the trap for the photo.  I later planted the seeds.

The corn seeds were put in three six packs.  Above the six packs is a 1206 tray holding 72 leek seedlings.

I planted one row of radishes, and two rows of Detroit red beets.   It takes about two weeks for the beets to germinated and one week for the radishes to germinate.

I cleaned the snow off the front sidewalk.


Comments and questions are welcome.

Surprise Visit From Lisa and Emi

We woke up to more snow.  About two inches on the driveway.  I tried to blow off the snow. but it was too heavy.  I used my snow plow to push off the snow.  I quit and went back to the house.  I watched some of the news, boiled the eggs and made the toast.  Carol really slept  in.  I went back out and pushed some more snow.

I walked out to greenhouse two.  The furnace was on.  A mouse dug up something in the tray.  There was another tray that yesterday a mouse made a hole in the bottom of it.

We drove to Fillmore for some groceries.  Lisa called and told us that she is coming to see us.  We bought lettuce, bread, and baloney for some sandwiches.  I also bought some mouse traps to catch the mouse or mice.  I screwed the trap to small board.  I didn't want the mouse to drag the trap away. I baited it with a little piece of bacon.  I also bought a spray bottle to make a soap solution for the aphids.

I bought a brush to scrub beats, carrots, scallions, and radishes.

The night snow left beautiful covered trees.

I pushed off the snow from the concrete driveway, and the driveway in front of the house.

Also, I pushed snow to make a path two the greenhouses.

This is the sidewalk in front of our house.  I pushed off the snow and later swept the side walk and steps.

Emi, Lisa, and me.

And now Emi and Lisa.

Lisa and Emi brought us a Christmas tree.  It was a Christmas gift from Lisa and Elizabeth.

I cut a kohlrabi for the chicken.  They have eaten all the leaves.

Comments and questions are welcome.

Cold Lazy Day

Snowed a little during the night

Cleaned the driveway twice.  First I used the leaf blower which easily blew off a half inch of snow.  Later in the afternoon I used my homemade push snow plow.  I then cleaned of the front sidewalk.  I pushed the snow off and then swept off the rest of the snow with a broom.  I went to the garage several times to build a stool, but didn't get started.  Maybe, tomorrow.

I put on my new overalls and with a few shoulder adjustments, they fit pretty good.  The were the cheapest ones that we could find at the Cal Ranch store.

I walked out to the nursery several times and the plants are doing quite well.  I watered those on the heating pads.  A new crop of lettuce is germinating.  I wore a jacket every time that I went out side.

At several times during the day I spent time with seed catalogs looking at tomato plants.  Good cherry tomato plants, good early tomato plants that did not crack.

The hoses in house six are frozen.  The lettuce plants this morning looked pretty tough.  The looked much better late this afternoon.

There was light snow all day

Snow, Deer, & Robert

It started to snow some yesterday afternoon.  It snowed some off and on all night. In the morning there was about three inches of snow.  After then morning chores I walked around the yard some.  

There were a lot of deer tracks in the fresh snow.  The above photo shows some of it.  The tracks were on the east side of the house and then went in a south westernly direction.  I followed them the south west corner of our yard.  

I looked up and there they were in our neighbors yard watching me.

I kept walking closer and taking pictures as I walked.  I didn't use all the pictures.

The last picture is the above one which I think I am about thirty feet away.  

Last year I made this snow plow and used it to make a path to the hen house and also to the greenhouses.

Robert and Jeanne visited us for awhile.  Carol had prepared lunch of ham, corn, and Jello.  I made some tapica pudding.  I took Robert out to the greenhouse. I explained to him my plans.  We later went back to the house where we talked about purchasing the necessary seeds.

They wen

No Heat for Several hour this Morning

Strange thing this morning. Each night we turn off the furnace. I was up a little after five. I turned on the furnace and it did not start. I turned it off and on several times and still no heat. I showered in a cold bathroom, put on my jacket. After breakfast I called Andrew Brown. He called back would be in Holden a little later this morning.. He discovered that there was no power at the furnace.  He checked the circuit breaker.  It was off.  Last night I turned off the furnace instead of the out door lights. I felt rather stupid. If you have heating and air problems, call Andrew. 

The temperature was 64 when I got up and then dropped another degree before we got the power back.

I planted more  Vates Blue Scotch Curled Kale Seeds. 

And more  Ruby Red Swiss Chard Seeds.

I transplanted the Vates Blue Scotch Curled Kale plants that were planted several weeks ago.  This is a 1706 tray.  I used the cone for a dibble and made hole in each sell.  Then I put a kale plant in each hole.

This is how it looked after I finished.  They should be standing up in the morning.  

This is a tray of transplanted Swish Chard plants.  I didn't use the dibble here.  I laid the plant over the cell and used the back end of tweezers to push them into the soil.  It was much faster.  We will see how it worked in a couple of days.

This is a tray of lettuce that is ready to be transplanted.

I transplanted them in house six.  I spaded a row next to the main isle where I then planted them.

Another picture.  It took me quite awhile to put the drip line down.  I got it working and let the water run for nearly four hours.  There is no heat in house six now.  Hope they don't freeze.

A view from the west end looking east.

There are three different tomato plant that I put them in larger containers.  There are two each.  Banana cherry, Purple Plum, and large orange Roma.

Late this evening I got these 2x4's at the construction site down the road.  they were in a dump trailer.  I got permission from Andy Bray.

These two tractors are decorated with red Christmas lights.  They really look good at night.


Comments and questions are welcome.

Pre Christmas in Eagle Mountain

This morning we were on our way to Eagle Mountain for a pre Christmas party with family members.  Robert and Jeanne, Lisa and Eric, John and Emily,  Melissa and Dereck, Eric and April and their nanny.  I took a bunch of pictures.  I didn't get a picture of ever one, and a some are in several pictures.

Hannah 

Hannah 

Paityn again 

Tai, Robert, Merrill and Paityn  

Maison and Jeanne 

April and Nanny

Quinton 

Melissa's Dog 

Hallie, Jeanne, and Paityn 

Carol, Lisa, and Tai 

Derick, April, and Hannah 

Jared and Maison 

Hallie, Jeanne, Jared, and Derick 

Emily and Madelyn 

Carol and Hannah

Comments and questions are welcome.