What are you doing today? (besides shopping)
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. . . and as a person with a small farm near an interstate exit that folks see as 'out in the country' we really get tired of dumped animals dropped on us. During the recession we got lots of 'pet' dogs and cats dropped on us because the animal shelters wanted a fee from anyone dropping off an animal. We lost most of our poultry to abandoned cats and have lost goats to dogs who band together as hunting groups after being abandoned. We gave up on trying to keep livestock, but we have fruit trees. Now we have to protect fruit from squirrels, possums and raccoons. Be thoughtful about where you release.
I am careful about where I release. In my downtown neighborhood we get a lot of cats dumped here. People think that because there are pigeons here they wont starve. We end up taking many of them to the shelter because they need medical attention or cant get along with the other neighborhood cats. So I feel the pain too.
The place where we release possums is a somewhat fancy neighborhood albeit out in the sticks. These are horse farms. No one is trying to keep chickens. I doubt they even know how to cook an egg.
The place where we release possums is a somewhat fancy neighborhood albeit out in the sticks. These are horse farms. No one is trying to keep chickens. I doubt they even know how to cook an egg.
A windowsill tomato seedling finally sprouted. It's very scrawny. I have high hopes for the others to sprout
"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton
Work, no nap today, and lots and lots of little task-y things to do. The biggest thing to do is decide what music I want for the day. Hmmmm.....
Bach is not noise, Madam. (Robert, in Two's Company)
I have never ever had success with growing tomato plants from seeds no matter what I do.
@HonnyBrown wrote:
A windowsill tomato seedling finally sprouted. It's very scrawny. I have high hopes for the others to sprout
Kim
A former housemate of mine turned the backyard into a fenced vegetable garden. He grew his own family's heirloom tomatoes, from seed. But, he started them indoors, under "grow lights" at least about 6 weeks before moving them outdoors.
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
My neighbor from Vienna surprised me this morning with some real Austrian Apple Strudel. It's wonderful. I ate some for breakfast. I'm tempted to hide it from my brother but I'll probably share. She promised to make me some Cherry Strudel in June when she harvests her cherry tree.
After lunch, I'll go outside with hubby and hold the ladder while he climbs up just high enough to check the gutters in the front of our house. They may be clogged with small debris and roof sand from all the rain we've had this Spring. We'll have to have someone do the back for us....at 78 years old, my husband gets a little "loopy" now if he climbs up too high, and the back gutters are a good bit higher than the front.
Hah! I found the second season of Seachange. And Season 3 starts on May 11! Woot! I suppose they will then show Season 4... Aaaaaahhhhhhh..... 
Bach is not noise, Madam. (Robert, in Two's Company)
I slept past noon due to staying up really late watching one of the Jurassic Parks. Then I sat around with coffee playing a game on my phone. I have now eaten lunch and will spend the rest of the afternoon outside doing flower bed cleanup, and probably spend some time on the pc later this evening trying to find out how I will get some flowers for my deck without going inside a nursery. I found a few at Home Depot but I thought the price was unreasonable. I might have to wait a couple of weeks.
Homeschooling, cooking and cleaning and then off to my newly found guilty pleasure: Desperate Housewives. I wonder why I didn't find this gem earlier!
Oh please make sure he is very careful. My husband is 52 and it makes me nervous that he climbs ladders and roofs for his job or at any other time.
@guysmom wrote:
After lunch, I'll go outside with hubby and hold the ladder while he climbs up just high enough to check the gutters in the front of our house. They may be clogged with small debris and roof sand from all the rain we've had this Spring. We'll have to have someone do the back for us....at 78 years old, my husband gets a little "loopy" now if he climbs up too high, and the back gutters are a good bit higher than the front.
I will keep shamefully quiet about my savory strudel from Aldi's.
"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton
Honny, Aldi also has great camel-nut coffee cake over in the fresh breads area.
We made a quick run to the grocery store to fill in developing gaps in the pantry. Plenty of meats and poultry available. No long lines. TP in stock.
Now I am poaching a lot of skinless-boneless chicken thighs to then cool and freeze, one to a package. The trick is to never get to a rolling boil and never add salt in the poaching process. The salt will make the results tough.
We made a quick run to the grocery store to fill in developing gaps in the pantry. Plenty of meats and poultry available. No long lines. TP in stock.
Now I am poaching a lot of skinless-boneless chicken thighs to then cool and freeze, one to a package. The trick is to never get to a rolling boil and never add salt in the poaching process. The salt will make the results tough.
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Yeah, a caramel nut coffee cake is not coming home with me!
"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton
Hubby was going through a box of photos and found some he thought SIL would like. I put them in an envelope and walked them up to the post office (approx three quarters of a mile). Forgot my mask, so used the self-serve kiosk. Realized that I really missed post office shops.
Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. Eleanor Roosevelt
I know! I know! Hubby sometime thinks he can do all the things he did in his 40s and 50s!! Anyhow, a VERY HAPPY ending!! A neighbor down the street saw me holding the ladder while hubby was cleaning out part of the front gutters. This neighbor is a jack of all trades as far as construction, gutters, roofing, etc, and has recently retired after 30+ yrs of this stuff. So he's BORED SILLY! He came over, took over, and thoroughly cleaned out the front and back gutters for us!!! Climbed up on the roof so he could really hose the gutters out thoroughly. He wouldn't take anything for it. So I finally got it out of him that he likes to shop at Aldi, so we're going to get him a gift card. Wasn't that a lovely thing to happen??? We are counting our blessings tonight over it.@JASFLALMT wrote:
Oh please make sure he is very careful. My husband is 52 and it makes me nervous that he climbs ladders and roofs for his job or at any other time.
@guysmom wrote:
After lunch, I'll go outside with hubby and hold the ladder while he climbs up just high enough to check the gutters in the front of our house. They may be clogged with small debris and roof sand from all the rain we've had this Spring. We'll have to have someone do the back for us....at 78 years old, my husband gets a little "loopy" now if he climbs up too high, and the back gutters are a good bit higher than the front.
@guysmom.. wonderful to have neighbors like that! That was so kind of him.
It's beyond lovely, that is amazingly beautiful. And what a thoughtful reciprocation.
@guysmom wrote:
@JASFLALMT wrote:
Oh please make sure he is very careful. My husband is 52 and it makes me nervous that he climbs ladders and roofs for his job or at any other time.
@guysmom wrote:
Wasn't that a lovely thing to happen??? We are counting our blessings tonight over it.
Over the years I have worked with many 'recently retired' contractor types. A gift would be nice as a thank you, but you may want to check if he would be willing to be hired for occasional jobs at his convenience. These guys rarely are in a financial condition where they need to work to preserve their selected lifestyle, but they do find it very hard to stop working and tinkering, especially once they have completing their tinkering at home and are driving their spouse nuts 'improving' things that don't need to be fixed or improved.
I used to have a 'recently retired' HVAC guy handle the systems at my house and a rental. I had another 'recently retired' contractor who had moved to our state but decided not to get licensed in our state. He got my rental property as his playground for 6 weeks after some especially destructive tenants and left it spectacular. My neighbor is currently hiring a retired supervisor and head of maintenance from a gated community with golf courses and pools where he had a staff of 20. When Jack runs out of 'improvements' at my neighbors we are next in line for him to come play here. 2-3 hours a couple of days a week at his convenience.
I used to have a 'recently retired' HVAC guy handle the systems at my house and a rental. I had another 'recently retired' contractor who had moved to our state but decided not to get licensed in our state. He got my rental property as his playground for 6 weeks after some especially destructive tenants and left it spectacular. My neighbor is currently hiring a retired supervisor and head of maintenance from a gated community with golf courses and pools where he had a staff of 20. When Jack runs out of 'improvements' at my neighbors we are next in line for him to come play here. 2-3 hours a couple of days a week at his convenience.
Oh yes, he would be willing to be hired out. He was telling us that he has a friend in a remote part of Virginia that has hired him to come up and build on an addition, so sure, he definitely would agree to working for pay. The thing is, for his neighbors, he just wants to be a help whenever he can! He refused to take any payment from us, but I think we can get him to accept the gift card from Aldi.@Flash wrote:
Over the years I have worked with many 'recently retired' contractor types. A gift would be nice as a thank you, but you may want to check if he would be willing to be hired for occasional jobs at his convenience.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/29/2020 12:44AM by guysmom.
I did some app shops this morning. One of the assignments was to straighten up the display and buy 45 - 50 packages of seeds: herbs, vegetables, fruits and flowers! Fully reimbursed!
I have some planning to do and coffee to drink.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2020 03:37PM by HonnyBrown.
I have some planning to do and coffee to drink.
"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2020 03:37PM by HonnyBrown.
I'm drinking my morning coffee and in an hour I have a grocery order to pick up. Then a good 2 hours of disinfecting and cleaning groceries. Gah! Then if it isn't raining yet I"ll go do more flowerbed cleanup.
Rummaged around in a closet, made a wee mess, and found a cute top that fits better now than it did last year. Huzzah! Now, I have to restore a bit of order to the closet. Then, there will be resistance workout, major sorting of seemingly endless stuff, and early to bed.
Bach is not noise, Madam. (Robert, in Two's Company)
@HonnyBrown wrote:
I did some app shops this morning. One of the assignments was to straighten up the display and buy 45 - 50 packages of seeds: herbs, vegetables, fruits and flowers! Fully reimbursed!
I have some planning to do and coffee to drink.
I remember you are in Florida so would give this word of warning. Farmers around here (South of Tampa) do not put in crops such as tomatoes, peppers, melons and squash until after September 15 because even though summer is our rainy season, sun intensity will burn the plants to a crisp. If you plan to plant out any of those items (that take full sun in the North), plant them in semi shade or even full shade. Last planting for tomatoes is recommended as Feb 15th to have them finished before the strongest sun.
What you don't use now put in a ziplock bag in their packets with a piece of paper towel to absorb any condensation and put them in your refrigerator until late summer/early fall.
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