Yesterday it was 45 and today they say we’ll hit 50 and the sun is out. What a relief! I never appreciated water dripping from our roof so much as this year. Yesterday Will and I, along with the dogs, took a nice walk down the drive and onto some of the trails he’s been making with the dozer through the pines on our ridge. They are getting so big that they need thinning and in between other projects, he’s been going out there and thinning and pruning the lower branches so they’ll grow quickly and be nice and straight. In the bargain, we’re getting some nice walking/riding/atv trails. The rabbits are starting to eat the bark off of tender young popple trees so we know the sap is starting to run. Luckily they don’t actually kill many trees but I hate to see them munching the bark on our few maple saplings as some of the trees get girdled and don’t survive.
Today I saw a raven with nesting material in its beak! And I saw the first grove of blooming pussy willows. (Okay, so that bunch always blooms early.) Will has taken the OSB octagon down from the 12-foot peak in our living room. He is plotting out the pattern of wood pieces he’ll place on it to finish the peak with a decorative medallion. (I think this was hurried when the ceiling fan crashed to the floor a couple weeks ago! It shocked both of us. Luckily the dogs and I were in the kitchen and Will was sitting in his chair so nobody was injured. The glass globe shattered as did the four light bulbs but no other damage was done to the fan. Also lucky that the new laminate flooring was not done.) After examining everything Will found that he had “temporarily” left the locking ring loose so he could finish off the octagonal piece in the center of the peak which did not get done for quite awhile. The ceiling fan jiggled around and popped the ball that it hangs from loose and down she came! When Will’s finished, it will look great, I”m sure. And he is going to be sure to lock the fan in place this time.
For those of you who were wondering what the Idingtion Spring looks like, here’s a photo of where we are getting our water until our water line thaws out. It’s a bit inconvenient but not so bad. We’re sure glad that spring is there and has great water!
I’m starting my tomato plants next week. It’s so exciting. Not only are we planting our old favorites but we’re trying several other great open pollinated tomatoes too so we can add the good ones to our seed listing for next year. (By the way, we still have a lot of seeds so if you’re wondering if you should order, go right ahead. We’re still in great shape and spring is coming quickly!) — Jackie
TSJ
The spring is natural, but it has been dug out or “improved”, in that it has an 8′ cement culvert sunk into it along with gravel lining the bottom to keep the water clean and clear. The culvert has a 4″ cement top so onbody can lift it or contaminate it in any way.
Thanks for posting a picture of Idington Springs. I was always curious how a spring continues to flow when every thing else freezes up. We don’t have these problems on the gulf of Texas. I wonder if the spring is natural or is it an artesian well? It would be nice to see a frozen Lake Superior but……I’m really not big on deep arctic weather. Grin. Thanks again,,,,,
Wendy Hause,
The fabric was so thin in Will’s old raggedy shirt that you could about read through it. (He wouldn’t even let me wash it at the end because it would have fallen apart in the wash!) I saved the buttons and added the “shirt” to the bonfire.
No, we don’t have to boil the water from the Idington spring. In fact folks from Duluth, coming up for weekends, bring jugs so they can get good-tasting spring water for drinking to take home.
Robin,
Yes, I do use Pro-Mix and think it’s the best seed starting medium out there. I’ve used Pro-Mix HP (with 65-75% sphagnum-peat with perlite and lime added) and Pro-Mix HP with mycorrhize. Both are excellent. I buy big bags every year from our local nursery/greenhouse so I always have some on hand. It’s also good for transplanting into larger containers before setting plants out.
It’s recommended that you rinse your used pots out with bleach water then rinse well to avoid disease problems. To tell you the truth, though, I’ve never done it. But I’ve never had any disease problems in my seedlings either. Maybe it’s the Pro-Mix? You get nice healthy plants from the get-go.
Hi Jackie! Glad to hear that you’ve finally got a taste of spring! We did too, that is, until today where we’re getting a fresh 8 inches and back to single digit temps with 30 mph winds. Hopefully old man winter’s last hurrah! Have to laugh about Will’s old clothes. Same here with Mitch. Those old shirts would make great tomato ties! Planted our J&W tomato seeds just a few days ago. Eagerly awaiting the appearance of sprouts. Thanks for the picture of the spring. Bet the water tastes just wonderful. Do you have to boil it for drinking?
Jackie, I believe I read where you use pro mix. I know there are different kind. What kind do I need to start my seeds? I was going to reuse some pots from last year, do I need to clean them with anything special?
zelda,
These are wild maple saplings and there are thousands upon thousands of them. We’re just letting nature take its course here. I wouldn’t bet on Will not wanting to wear his raggedy clothes after getting bone salve on them. It didn’t smell too good as it was. lol
Jackie, if you want to protect your maple saplings try Sepp Holzer’s recipe for bone salve in his book Sepp Holzer’s Permaculture. It will protect them for years, you don’t need to apply it every year. And with large enough pots you may be able to make enough to sell. A bonus to making it is that if Will gets it on his raggedy old clothes he won’t want to wear them any more.
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