With the warmer weather, we’ve stayed busy cutting and splitting wood, picking up things, and buying a new-to-us truck. Our old plow truck is pretty rusted out so we’ve quit licensing and insuring it, only using it on our driveway or around the homestead. Old Blue, our ’85 Chevy truck is still in good shape but with more than 300,000 miles on the original engine, we decided to retire it until we can afford to restore it. The ’05 Subaru Outback has developed a light knock in the engine which hasn’t been helped by changing oils and adding STP oil treatment. Usually this doesn’t “go away” but indicates engine problems. We needed a truck to haul hay, lumber, logs, and trailers so we decided to look around. Luckily, we found a very clean, low mileage F250 Ford in Cook which had been well maintained — a 1999.

Yesterday we drove it down to Bill’s for Mason’s birthday party so everyone could see our “new” truck. We had fun watching a house full of rowdy boys having Nerf wars, playing Pie Face, and grabbing candy from a piñata. (Luckily, it was a multi-ribbon piñata, not the whack-it-with-a-stick one! Kelly still has a kitchen left.)

While the boys played Nerf war, the adults visited around the kitchen.
David and Ashley “help” the pinata shower the boys with candy.
Ava got “pie in the eye,” playing Pie Face

We have a big winter storm roaring our way, so we spent today getting ready for it. Will stacked the last of the firewood in the aisle of the goat barn and hauled round bales for the cows and horses while I ran for feed and a few groceries so we don’t have to spend much time outside tomorrow. We’re supposed to get 8-12 inches of snow after rain all day, with up to 40 mph wind. Not nice!

In the meanwhile, I’ve been germination-testing our seeds. I’ve found putting a paper towel, dampened with warm water folded up with seeds inside, in a closed Noosa yogurt container works perfectly when set on the warm shelves behind our wood stove. The last one I opened held 20 Painted Mountain seeds, randomly taken from the container they are stored in. Every single one germinated! Wow, that’s what we like. Over all, our germination has been running very high this year, making us very happy. And I’ve almost got the Seed Treasures website updated completely. (Click on the “Seed Treasures” box below to take a peek.)

See how well the Painted Mountain corn germinated?

— Jackie

6 COMMENTS

  3. Crazy weather here. Last week we had five days when it didn’t get above zero. So far this week we had one 36 hour period in the upper thirties and just barely freezing last night and 15 inches of snow forecast for tonight and nothing below upper teens for the rest of the week. Any new recommended tomato varities. Are any of the paste tomatoes short season enough for up here in Alaska.

    • Mia’s Italian Paste is a very large, quite early tomato in our garden, usually about the fourth variety ripe…and lots of them, too! Most are in the 12 oz size too.

  4. I’ve enjoyed reading your blog for a long time. You have such experience and knowledge! I’m 65 and will be moving to a senior apartment soon with no outside access for a garden. I’ve had some experience with veggie gardens over the years and now I would very much like to garden some things indoors under lights. I’d love to include some veggies if possible. Herbs, lettuces, spinach, green beans, eggplant, tomatoes…..Have you any experience with this type of gardening? or can you direct me to a knowledgeable expert?

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