Yes, it’s miserable, trying to work when it’s in the 80’s, but we’re trying to make good use of this unseasonable weather. We have a chance of rain next Tuesday and Wednesday, and we’re also planning on how to water the Wolf Garden with David’s huge 500-gallon poly water tank and a pump to run sprinklers — just in case.
Meanwhile, we’re planting like crazy, as we can. I try to go out every morning early and either till where needed or plant more beans and corn. Yesterday, I set in 10 pounds of German Butterball potatoes and five more rows of beans. I’ve also got another patch of corn in and a row of San Felipe pumpkins from seed. Tomorrow, Will is going to set up five more 16-foot stock panel trellises for more pole beans while I take a run to get a perm, so my hair isn’t in my face all the time. No vanity here! It’s supposed to be 91 or higher tomorrow so I might not be planting again until evening. Thank God the bugs haven’t been bad. Our friend, Dara, had very bad black flies at her place, making wearing head nets necessary. So far, none are here. Yet. While I was coming back to the house, across the pond, I spotted a Bald Eagle sitting on a dead fir tree, along with two Magpies, hoping he’ll come up with something to eat.
On Saturday, we’re going down to Moose Lake to watch our grandson, Mason, graduate from high school. It seems like just a few months ago he was begging David to carry him around on his shoulders and show him how to skip rocks in the pond. Now he’s a member of the Air National Guard, even before graduation. Of course, Will joined the Marine Corps and went to Vietnam before he graduated. (Yes, he did get his diploma later.)
Then, on Sunday, we’ll hit the garden hard, planting a whole lot of corn and squash too. I won’t be setting plants in the ground yet, even though they’re ready and we have no frost in the forecast. It’s too sunny and scorching. That’s pretty hard on newly transplanted veggies. I’m waiting till Tuesday afternoon, when the clouds are supposed to come in, being cloudy on Wednesday too. I hope.
We’re enjoying seeing spring pop up like crazy. Our daffodils are in full bloom, as well as our cherries and plums, not to mention the apples in the orchard. Even the wild blueberries are flowering like mad. With no frost, we should have an abundant fruit harvest. Unless the drought steps in. We’ll have to wait and see. — Jackie
Interestingly,
I have been following you since David was a youth and now he has a son graduating high school! I’ve learned so much from you over the years and still am. Thank you.
It’s in the 90’s here in McDade too, and pretty humid. So, like you, I work the garden in the morning.
Nice photo of Will. Seems like Mason matured over night! Time surely flies by. Sounds like everywhere is getting strange weather patterns-hot/freeze temps. winds . We got a windstorm other night from unusual South! Sideways rain1 1/2” ! lightning for up toward 3 hours. My corn shot up!! Transplant covers were all fortunately secured so no loss. Earwigs have made a mess of most of my beans. Got them sprayed good and they are rebounding but have to replant a few varieties. Hope we all get some good results with our garden s this year sad to hear bees are missing in so many areas.
We desperately need rain – we were over average last month and severely under average this month. Have one pesky squirrel who is a menace at the bird feeder. AND I swear I saw him on the rafters of the strawberry patch fencing. Weather app shows good chance of rain this coming Fri thru Mon – we’ll take anything we get.
Picked a quart of strawberries – we do water but it is just not like getting rain. I will need to add new plants next season. I did not do any weeding in the asparagus patch today and you’re right. Drought doesn’t seem to deter weeds.
It seems like a few months ago David wasn’t all that old lol. I hope life has given Drew a good turn or too.
It’s very dry here. I’m planting every day and praying for rain with each row of seeds or plants that go into the ground. Without it, we may be in trouble. We’ll see.
By .01 inch, we had the driest May in history for our area – third and fourth were during the dust bowl. Second was 1992.
I read an article about how rains are coming in deluges then no rain periods. This is not good. So we continue to water the garden.
We did some clean up of our storage shelves. Made a trip Memorial Day to resupply paper goods (and add to cat litter supply). I could then figure out how much more the shelves could hold and we filled it up today. Did we get the best price on all we bought – probably not but we have the budget dollars to do so. I deal with non-edibles (I do pet supplies), better half does food. And he’s filled our pantry full. I need to do one more round of stocking up on soap, shampoo, laundry detergent et al. Neither of us has a warm and fuzzy on the economy and the weather.
If colleges/universities were offering degrees in what I do, I’d be on a short term retirement plan. Alas they are not. The skills are in such dire demand, I have co-workers in their early to late 70s. Of course corp america shares in the blame for the shortage IMHO.
Great picture of Will! We have been warm here, but just in the low 80s this week. It is supposed to be in the upper 80s next week and very little chance for rain. I’m going out to replant some of my garden this morning. After it was planted we got about 6 inches of rain and then it turned very cool. My beets have not came up and several hills of cucumbers and butternut squash did not make it. Something is eating my cabbage. I started with 15 plants and now have 7. Pretty sure there is a rabbit around. Im going to try to direct seed the cabbage and see what happens. Enjoy the graduation party. Children sure grow up fast! Sending prayers for a blessed week.
Thank you! It sounds like you’re having a rotten start to gardening this spring. We’ve often been there, done that also. But we found if we keep on trying, we somehow always get a harvest. Eventually.
That’s a great picture of Will! Your incessant “puttering around doing stuff”, planting, and caretaking continue to impress. Your first homesteading seminar was 14 years ago this week; I can’t believe it’s been that long! Honored to know you living legends.
Holy cow, it has been that long! My how time flies. We sure enjoyed the seminars and meeting you guys. Come up if you get the chance. We’d love seeing you.
I sure hear you. Our nighttime temperatures, for the 10 day forecast are in the 50’s. But with the crazy weather, we never feel safe this time of the year. Good luck with your temperatures.
We are looking at possibly having our first “heat wave” of the summer….. I know that the definition of a “heat wave” is different depending upon where one is…… Might also vary depending upon the time of year. Here it is 3+ days in a row of 90+ degree temperatures……… Sigh. Today is warm and HUMID after a surprise rain (2+”) yesterday……………
Wow, two inches of rain! I’d put up with hot and humid if we’d just get that. Today it’s going in the 90’s F and that’s hot for us.
Temps here in NE can’t make up their mind either, several days in the 80-90’s, then 60’s, and windy. We’re getting a few days of spotty rains now. No fruit here because of late frost, so hoping for a good veggie harvest. I might have to hand pollinate, there are almost no pollinators. It’s sad to walk through a pasture with lots of blooming clovers and see no bees. None. Just have to have faith.
Congratulations to Mason! A young man to be proud of. Thanks for the beautiful pictures, and sharing your life with us. Peace!
Wow, that’s shocking about the bees. Fortunately such crops as tomatoes, peppers, beans and corn are not dependent on pollinators. The first three have perfect flowers, with male and female in each, where corn is wind pollinated. It’s terrible, though, to see no bees. I was just watching them on the dandelions in our pasture as the clover isn’t going to bloom for about two weeks or so.
Jackie, thanks for the information! Hand pollinating a few squash & cukes I can handle. But doing that to several rows of beans? I’d have gone nuts lol!
I’m also planting like crazy. The ground is parched and we need rain. Darn voles ate 1/2 row of peas-pesky little devils. As usual the weeds aren’t hampered by the dry weather. I grow my vegetable starts. At the local farm and fleet plants were 4.95 each. A packet of your seeds will grow many plants. My home gas barrel is dry and I dread having it filled- the gas is for our farm. Prices on everything have really gone up. Fortunately for us we raise our beef and supply most of our vegetables/fruit. The heat is a bugger while working outside but I always remember winter will come.
Yep, I’ve seen how much plants are and what a poor selection of varieties there is, also. We were so fortunate in having filled both our farm diesel and gas tanks before the price leaped up. Thank God!!
Why the heck do weed seeds germinate fine in drought where vegetable seeds struggle??? And those voles!! Boy, I sure hate them. I think our resident fox and cat, Mittens, keeps them down. At least so far. Buffy? The only thing that cat has ever caught was a disabled grasshopper!
Well, I got out and put a bunch of Jersey Devil tomato plants in the garden bed yesterday, our weather being recently sunny and warm. But a quick check of the 10-day forecast shows it’ll be 36 tonight and 39 tomorrow night, so I’ve gathered up all my “garden sheets” to put over the tomatoes until the nighttime cold finally ends. for goodness’ sake, I wish the weather would make up its mind.