Well, as i sit here, peering out at the snow melting away, i am getting back to thoughts of camping, or a reasonable facsimile of it. Ruth is feeling much better, after her throat opening operation (A gift of many years of smoking.) But, her lungs aren't getting much better. (Another gift of smoking) This summer, i'll probably be going in my little pick-up. I'll make up a cap for it, and sleep in the back, near the terlets! There are 4-5 Bluegrass happenings i'd like to attend, but the price of gasoline will be the factor in that. But, today, here in W. PA., the sun is out, the snow is gasping its last, i have several things to do now, to get ready for summer. Most of the folks from our camping club have gone on, but i do see a few once in a while. They don't go any more. Too tough on the old body to sleep out in a tent, they say. Me? I'm 86 this summer (well, last September) but i still like to sleep out in a tent or camper cap or a motor home. The skeeters take one bite, spit it out, and go on to younger victims! We've had all kinds of campers, from a world war one army tent, to our motor home, with a bunch of tent campers tossed into the mix, and one truck cap. I'd see a cheap panel truck on a car lot, buy it for cheap, drive it a week, then stuff some sleeping bags, a 50 year old gasoline stove, a jug of clean water, a box of food, an old ice chest, and dishes, and go off for a weekend of fishing! Yeah, i looked like a Gypsy, but i had fun. Ruth always said it gave her a rest from housework. I took her fishing once, but she got her hook caught in her jeans more than in a fish! Thats when she decided it'd be much better for me to go with my buddies, and leave her at home! We got into camping way back around 1965. I had the old Army tent stuffed away in storage, so we took that, my ancient gasoline stove, a styrofoam ice chest,plenty of blankets, food, and cash. I had taken a ratty old '53 Mercury station wagon on trade for a car i sold, so we loaded it up with the camping stuff, tied the tent, ridge pole and others on the roof rack, loaded the 2 kids and Ruth in it, and went off to Shawnee State Park, in PA. Before going any further, i must say this: Who ever owned the wagon before me, had taken off the wooden side rails from the doors, etc., plugged the holes with masking tape, and painted it all with a brush. So, there we go---looking like Tobacco Roaders, and happy! (A pause, while i laugh at the thought!) WE got to the park, and they finally let us come in to camp. They put us right beside some smarmy old geezer, who towed his AIRSTREAM with an INTERNATIONAL STATION WAGON!!! Those were the De Rigeur for towing, at that point in time. Well, he looked at us with a "Jaundiced eye", and refused to talk to us. I'm not the kind to be harmed by smarmy old stuck up gents that drive trucks. Nor International station wagons. We got the tent set up, the camp stove working, made coffee, draped some plastic sheeting, ate supper, got a little camp fire going, toasted marsh-mallows, and were happy----went to bed----and----BOOM, came the lightening, and the RAIN--lots of it--tank cars full of it-- and the WIND--much. It flowed into the tent, and it flowed out! It came in thru the canvas, and flowed out, after giving all of us a cold bath! Thank heaven the windows rolled up on the car. We finished the night out, inside of it. Next day, we went back home. Ruth went to Sears and Roebuck's the next week and bought a new tent, sleeping bags, blankets, and a plethora of camping gear, including a new gasoline stove and an ice chest and water jug! And, we also bought a much better looking car, too! And, went camping in style!

Dear Alexandra, Thank you for your advice. That video was very informative. I don't have a "melocactus" (what the video owner has); and now I need to research what mine is and if mine is a "desert cactus" or not. When I watch YouTube videos or research online, I get quite confused as they always talk about seasons (winter, spring, etc.). Where I live, we only have two seasons (sun and rain) and that makes me wonder how to treat my cacti. Should I water deeply and let dry fully between watering? Should I water often? When are my cacti "growth seasons" and "dormant seasons", etc. But I guess I just need to wing it and see if my cacti grows, etc. -- Dear Pagan (fakechuchi), Your comment made me feel so much better. I'm an optimist and would like to think my cactus is "fine" as well! Ha! I really have no idea but I'm truly trying my best. Thank you. -- What I did: I put the cactus back in it own small pot. Pot has drain holes. I used very gritty cactus mix that I made. I planted it back up dry. Not too deep (I can't plant deep anyway because it doesn't have a lot of long roots). It's standing up fairly well.. No need for support for some reason (the body is quite firm, you see). I put chopsticks on the sides (I made sure not to hit roots) in case it tilts over when the sandy mix shifts. I won't water until.. I don't know when.. Until a few days? Or weeks? I don't know.. when I see any sign of growth I guess. Or when It seems so weirdly dry.. It's indoors now, by a NE facing window. So let's see how he goes. Wish me luck!

If you are using raised beds you don't need a tiller. It would be impossible to use it in raised beds. I use a garden claw and it works great in good soil but wouldn't work in clay. I suggest you make your beds and fill them with good soil because clay takes a lot of amending to make a good growing medium but is fine and holds moisture under a layer of good loam. If you need a tiller occasionally you can rent them by the day. When we first moved to our house the soil was all clay. We did buy a tiller because we wanted a garden(not raised beds). We moved in late summer and that fall and let it be known that we would rake leaves if we could keep them. We spread them on the ground and tilled them in. The next summer we planted our garden and what a dismal failure it was. Plant roots have a hard time growing in clay. It took 3 years of raking and tilling and amending the garden with what compost we made and old manure(fresh manure has lots of weed seeds)before we got a decent garden

Thanks for the suggestion. I like the colors of that house, it is very calm and appealing. Blends well all together.