Category: gardening

Warm and clear. Back in Houston, where it seems a bit less humid. Clear for the next couple of days should be nice. It stayed overcast, but got hot and muggy too at the BOL yesterday. Well into the 80s. Spring is well underway.

I slept in, woke feeling more myself than previously. Looking back I see that I first complained of being snotty on the 28th. 5 days or less is great for getting past the worst of it.

I did a few things on my list, finished the door install. Got the threshold installed, and installed the weatherstripping. Then the knob wouldn’t work, so I replaced it only to have the same symptoms happen again. The only thing that changed over the last weeks was the weatherstrip, so I pulled it out.

I didn’t get my garden planted. I spent the afternoon messing with the sprinkler pump. I just couldn’t get it to prime and pump no matter what I tried. I ended up taking the one way valve off the inlet (without getting in the water) and checking it. Seems fine and I took the time to clean it. Nothing worked to get the pump to pump. Motor runs fine though. I’ll have to dig deeper next visit. It could be that it has actually failed. Or the impeller is shot…

So I brought the stuff I was going to plant home with me. I’ll either plant it here, or leave it in pots, and take it up next time. Drove past our shared garden and the potatoes are going nuts. The new peas have all sprouted, and the radishes, turnips, and other stuff is starting to really grow. Even the persimmon tree in my yard went from ‘no buds, I wonder if it died’ to ‘hey, those are buds’ in one day.

The rest of you need to get going on your gardens.

Today I’m catching up on auction stuff, maybe doing pickups. I have several to do, but can do some on Wed. if needed. I’ve also got all the stuff here that should be done, with one fewer weekday to do it. Kids will need rides too.

There’s plenty to do now that I’m feeling better, that’s for sure.

Oh, I finally found the bucket of himalayan pink salt I KNEW I had somewhere. I took it to the BOL. I brought a gallon bag home, which should last several years…

Stacks. They are good.

nick

Cool and damp at the BOL. It was overcast and cool all day yesterday, until late afternoon, then it got beautiful. Even a tad warm… sun came out, wind died down a bit. Spring. All three weeks are lovely.

Didn’t do much in the way of work though. Given the day, I’m not to heartbroken. Basically I just piddlefarted around in the dockhouse, messing with fishing gear, and occasionally throwing a line in the water.

I did test the sprinklers and determined that they haven’t been watering. The pump lost prime so no water was coming out… or the inlet is under the muck again. I’ll be investigating that today. I really need the sprinklers to run.

Wife did some caulking and painting, so some minor stuff is coming off the list.

Kids had fun with the egg hunt. There is a lot more room to hide stuff here than at home. (yes, we’ll still keep doing it as long as they want to play along. It’s fun.)

Dinner was entirely from the fridge, freezers, and pantry. Oh, except for a ‘heat and eat’ loaf of garlic bread. Ham, baked beans, smashed cauliflower. Neighbor gave us peach cobbler for dessert.

My head is clearing, but I’m coughing more. Dunno if that’s a good thing, but I hate being snotty. I know some of you think Airborne is a scam, but I find that it works for me. Don’t know the mechanism, don’t care, if I can take it instead of more serious meds and get some relief.

Today will be a mix of small things, if the weather holds. I’ve got some blueberry bushes to plant, some herbs, and some squashes. I’ve got a couple of small jobs to finish, and the sprinklers to troubleshoot. At least my head is feeling better. Still don’t want to climb a ladder with a chainsaw, so the limbs might get a reprieve until next time.

I may not now my limitations, but I know when I’m getting close. 30ft in the air with a chainsaw and a stuffed head is dang close…

Better to get some extra sleep and push stuff off until later…

Stack, stack, stack… you won’t regret it.

nick

Cool and clear today, with moderate temps later. I’m hoping for a lot less wind. It was very nice yesterday, apart from the howling wind.

Slept late, got a slow start after that. Piddled around unloading the truck, putting some stuff away. I even put a lure on a new pole (that I fished out of the lake) and tried fishing for about a half hour. LOTS of work avoidance going on. Eventually, I got the pole saw and chainsaw out and dropped a dead tree. I took off a branch by standing on my truck to reach it with the pole saw, and that let me drop the rest through a gap between an oak and the persimmon…

Took a while to cut it up and stack it, but I got that done too. Buddy came by and we went to look at the garden. The potatoes are a foot high now. Radishes and turnips aren’t blowing up yet, but I’m still hoping they start growing at some point. That’s gardening though, once it’s in the ground, it’s largely out of your hands.

Stack canned goods.

And labor saving devices like chainsaws- with all their supporting infrastructure.

Stack.

nick

Cool and “crisp” here at the BOL. I’m hoping for clear today, but we’ll see. Supposed to be clear. It was another gorgeous day in Houston before I left yesterday. Sunny, cool, not much wind. Spring is awesome.

Did my pickups and errands. Loaded the truck, and headed to the BOL around 10pm. And that simple statement belies the hours spent driving around and the traffic, which was epic even by Houston rush hour standards. I did pick up some veg and some blueberry bushes to plant in the garden. The bushes are for up here for sure, but I haven’t decided on the peppers, zukes and cukes, or some of the extra seeds. I did get some herbs and mint for here.

I’ll check on how our group garden is doing today too. The potatoes are thriving, the rest is a mixed bag according to my buddy. I brought some onion sets for here as well. I think I’ll add them to the group effort, rather than my little patch. I may just cover my patch in black plastic and try to sterilize the soil this summer, and plant in the fall. It won’t really be sterile, but it’s supposed to knock the nut grass down. I think it will depend on if I get some irrigation working for the garden.

I also got some lumber and trim to do maintenance on the dock and the dock house. 16ft pressure treated 2×6 is pretty freaking heavy when it’s wet. I will be struggling to handle them unless I put the job off ’til they dry out a bit.

I need to get some insulation and plywood to cover the walls in the garage, but I figure those are good things to get locally. I think I need to start spending money in the local economy. It’s a small place, and it can’t hurt to be a known entity. I’ll have to look for opportunities that won’t cost much more and that are actually available here.

Meatspace baby.

Stack some relationships. And stuff. Plant your garden.

nick

Sunny and clear. Temperate. Nice. If I’m lying, I’m crying… Yesterday ended up being a gorgeous day. Shirt sleeves, with a nice breeze, and mostly clear sky. Very nice by afternoon. I’d like more of that today please.

Did my auction pickups. Couple of kerosene heaters, solar panel, some smalls for the BOL… desk chair for my wife to use up there… Spent some time chatting with a couple of my auctioneers. Always good to touch base and talk.

Didn’t feel like driving up to the BOL at the end of the day though, and I was watching my bids in a big auction with a lot of stuff I wanted. So I will likely head up today. WHEN is an open question, but not “if”. Unless something changes.

I’ve got chores to do up there before we all go back for the Easter holiday. It would be nice to get ready to do a bunch of attic work too, and knock most of it out next trip, before it gets really hot.

I don’t have any good observations for today, brain was pretty empty by the end of the day. It’s springtime, and that’s a time for looking to the future. Do your cleaning, repairing, and planting (actual and metaphorical.) Get ready for the rest of the year. It’s bound to be a rough ride.

Stacks of stuff, and a deep bench of people you can count on, will help.

nick