Amend the Soil Dummy

Posted on 02/07/2023 by Grumpa Joe

Rainy days make me feel gloomy. Why? Beats the heck out of me. Maybe it has something to do with barometric pressure. Although we are badly in need of rain and now we are getting it in barrels the effect is one of depression. The saying is “April Showers Bring May Flowers.” but it is July and the rain is late. Many of the seeds we planted did not germinate and now instead of a flush flower garden and a luscious vegetable garden we have bare spots. All I know is that Lovely is blaming the lack of growth on the bad dirt I put into her garden. Bad dirt is top soil loaded with lots of clay marbles. I must agree that when this stuff dries out it looks like poorly finished concrete. All I can tell her is better luck next year.

Since this year was construction to expand her two measly 4 x 8 (64 sq ft) plots into one 8 x 20 ( = 160 sq ft = 250% bigger) fenced, and rabbit proof beauty I didn’t have enough time to get enough compost to amend the soil. Oh well I’ll wait until fall to do that job. Better luck next year. That is, if we have a next year, but we must stay positive and healthy. In the meantime we will harvest the few vegetables that are doing well, cucumbers and tomatoes.

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Take Baby Steps, Fast

Posted on 06/06/2023 by Grumpa Joe

This has been a disappointing day. It began with sunshine and quickly morphed into a grey cloudy day with occasional sprinkles. Needless to say the temperature has been cool. I love warm, to very warm days like those we had a couple of weeks ago. There is an upside to this kind of day, it is great for the garden. The soil remains damp which helps the seeds that Lovely planted germinate. Several of her plots are showing signs of major growth. I even sowed some flower seeds around the perimeter of her garden and they too are sprouting. Hopefully they will mature and yield some colorful blooms.

About a month ago I dumped two dozen comet goldfish into the pond and now I watch them grow in size and reduce in numbers. The most I can count is eleven, so where are the remaining thirteen? Most likely in the belly of a bright green frog that lays in wait at the edge of the water. I’m tempted to dump another dozen or two into the water to become cousins to the ones that are now three times the size of what they were when they were first released.

After I finish this post I will cut up a potato and plant the eyes in a pot just to see what transpires.

My latest art project is progressing although rather slowly. I’m beginning to lose interest. I have learned something though, that is, that every time I make my own pattern I make it too complicated. As an artist I am a realist and try to make my pieces accurate. That means I wind up with too many small pieces of complicated shapes in an attempt to capture the subject realistically. Oh well, I keep telling myself to take baby steps, which is what I do. The trick is to take baby steps but fast.

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