October Week 3: Early frost?

2 years ago

Well, while I had ice on the windshield yesterday (no frost), I only had dew this morning. I was thinking early frost (Nov 2nd) looking at forecast, but then...November isn't really early, is it? It's just that we had super extended hot summer. I always wish the transitions (spring and fall) lasted longer.

My gardening urges have began to return after the heat broke and moisture fell.

I've planted out several perennials I had started over the last two years, over the last two days. I'll probably have to water sometime today just to make sure roots settle in.

I hope everyone is enjoying the much cooler weather?

Featured Answer

slowpoke_gardener

2 years ago

Kim, it take a special woman to put up with all my bull, and, I have a special woman.

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Comments (38)

Nancy Waggoner
2 years ago
I have mixed feelings about the "much" cooler weather. We're in the mood to go fishing, but the mornings are now a bit too cool for us. Still--might be good a bit later.

One nice thing about the cooler temps is that I'm seeing new life in some of the plants I thought had perished due to grasshoppers and/or the heat.

I'm trying to find a plan for working out that will basically transform this lazy unused body over the past 2 yrs into a mean gardening machine again. I DO look forward to being outdoors to see what I can do. And traveling to town to see the school.

Have a good week, everyone!
dbarron
Original Author
2 years ago
Take your cats for a walk on leash, Nancy. I'm sure that will give you lots of exercise (insert video that I saw on FB of person dragging a chow chow who is completely laying down on the leash). Seriously, long walks are good for you...but work up to it. I didn't really feel I had walked 3 miles yesterday going around the lake. The key being I took my time, I stopped and looked at things, and just enjoyed myself.
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Thanks Jim! The slow growing trachy has proven to be very cold tolerant. Its a small plant, but it survived 5F with no protection other than a flipped over garbage bin (no lights or frost cloth like all my other palms get). Its also in full shade so the sun doesnt warm it up much in the winter. Thanks wetsuiter! Not sure what I plan to do with the sabal minor seeds. I have at least 40 of them, so maybe I will give a few out and then I'll try a few myself and whatever is left I'll plant in my yard and see what happens. Im not sure If I will throw them in a forest or not, but if they prove to be great growers and I get some more seeds next year, then I definitely will give that a try (maybe not in a forest, but in a friend's yard). Thanks Jacklord! I wish I lived in Miami, that would be a great place for tropical plants! I live about 20-30 miles south of Manhattan so its much more suburban than a place like Queens. Thanks Greg! I know, I had a ton of pics, but usually there are even more than this! I have definitely expanded my collection a lot this past year! My pindo grew about 3 fronds (the newly planted one, the one in the ground for 3 years grew only 1/2 a frond this summer!). I think thats pretty good for the first year and Im hoping for even better growth next summer. I cant wait till Im walking underneath a canopy of palm fronds! The ginger isn't edible, well actually I think it is edible to a certain extent, but its not grown to be eaten. The flowers are extremely fragrant (probably one of the most fragrant flowers you can grow) and thats the main reason why people plant them. I never really thought much of them until I went to Hawaii and saw them planted by the 100s! I got my butterfly ginger as small bulbs from Hawaii (they grew VERY fast since they are only a little over a year old) and the spiral ginger I got from a trade (a nice sized bulb that is probably gigantic right now). Thanks kelly! Its getting more and more jungle like every year! Not sure where I will be putting the plants soon! Thanks for looking everyone! I'll post some bloom pics when some more of the plants go into bloom (like the gingers and sky glory vine). -Alex
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Moni, I have nights like that a lot, especially if I go to bed early. It is like my body decides it has slept enough and is done with sleep for the night, but my brain always is saying "No.....let me sleep!" I always think I'll make up for the missed sleep by taking an afternoon nap, but then I rarely do. Congrats on demolishing the shed. That's a lot of work! I bet gardening will be more fun with that eyesore of a shed gone. I hope you enjoy your camping in the rain. I like camping in the rain as long as there is a place to retreat to in order to stay warm and dry---even if that place is just a little tent. Larry, It sounds like you have a good solid plan in place. Isn't it amazing what a pain in the neck that tall okra plants can be? I don't want any plant so tall that it makes harvesting difficult. Amy, I am so sorry for the loss of Ron's sister. My deepest sympathy to you all. I hate hearing the news about his other sister's cancer already being end-stage before y'all even found out about it. While I respect a person's right to reveal their own health information as they see fit, I don't understand it when people don't even tell their immediate family members that they have a terminal illness. I totally understand why you wouldn't want to go to NJ given the current state of your mother's health. There are days I don't want to adult either. There's not much new to report here except maybe the snake in my garden. This week I have cautiously entered the garden and done a bit of clean-up work virtually every day. Even if it isn't much work completed in one day, it does add up over the course of a week. I have been careful and watched for snakes. Yesterday I was in the garden only long enough to pull up a few morning glories and moonflower vines sprouting near my tomatoes---mainly because I went out there to check on the tomatoes and then just noticed the vines accidentally. They were trying to climb the tomato plants, so I ruthlessly yanked out every one of them. I still don't know if my fall tomatoes will have time to mature, but the fruit wouldn't stand a chance of doing so if I let the vines climb the plants and cut off their sunlight. So, I never saw or heard a snake while in the garden, but..... While walking down to the mailbox very late in the day, I glanced over at the garden fence as I walked by and there was a shed snake skin woven through the fence about 5' from the entry arbor. I suppose the snake threaded itself through the woven wire fence and rubbed itself against the wire to help remove the skin. I am pretty sure that snake skin wasn't there when I was in the garden because it was right at eye level and there's no way I wouldn't have noticed it. I don't necessarily think it was a venomous snake. Based on the shed snake skin's size, appearance and location, I think it was from a Rough Green Tree Snake because they love to hang out on the coral honeysuckle and cannas there in that immediate area. Still, I'm never happy when snakes send me an "I am here" message in the garden. I think I'll stay out of the garden today. I keep waiting for cooler weather to arrive and make snake activity during the daylight hours more rare, but it just isn't happening yet. Maybe next week. It was a lovely and hot summer day here yesterday, which probably is a gift in October. The girls played in the wading pool for close to 3 hours while I sat in the shade, watching them and supplying an outdoor picnic lunch eaten beside their little wading pool. They'd already had lunch before we went out to the pool, but worked up a big enough appetite to eat a second lunch a couple of hours after the first one. I told Chris when he picked them up in late afternoon that they had an extra lunch in the afternoon and might not be hungry for dinner. It is possible that they crammed in a second lunch in order to avoid dinner because Chris was going to cook a fish "with eyes still on it", in Lillie's words, for dinner and the girls were uneasy about having to eat a fish that looks like a fish. We were joined by lots of butterflies and dragonflies lurking near the water the girls splashed out of the pool. I do not believe I saw or heard a single hummingbird all day. Maybe the last one has headed south. We had a lot of wind yesterday and it kept the mosquitoes off of us for the most part. We'd have a little skeeter trouble when the wind temporarily died down for a few minutes here and there. The mosquitoes? We have the usual ones in great profusion ever since rain started falling in significant amounts again, and 2 or 3 days ago the large gallynippers showed up. Ugh. If it is possible to hate mosquitoes more than I already hated them, then I really, really hate those gallynippers. Dawn
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Larry, That is a beautiful and awesomely tall example of variegated reed grass! Maybe yours is going to get head high to the Jolly Green Giant? Jacob, If I didn't have the 8' tall deer fence all around both garden plots, the deer and I would not be friends. I think Bambi lost her mother, perhaps to a hunter. We have tons and tons of fawns this year---it seems that most does had at least twins this year and one that comes regularly has triplets. I love seeing them. If only the fawns could stay little, cute and adorable forever. People who hunt the property due west of us (it is the buffer that sits between us and the river, so they get a ton of wildlife) are getting pretty large bucks every year....say they sit on their property and wait for the bucks to come off our property. I rarely see the bucks because they feed at night, but I know they are there because every now and then late at night when we are out late, we spot them as we are arriving home. 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Where he grew up in Pennsylvania surrounded by woodland, nobody had fences so you could look out and feel like you owned hundreds of acres of forest as all the back yards and farms just sort of flowed together. So, he remains anti-fencing based on fond childhood memories from the 1960s and 1970s.....even though, if you go back there to his childhood neighborhood now, everybody has fencing and the farms and woodlands mostly are housing subdivisions with lots of fencing. I still think that someday I'll at least have a fenced back yard I can landscape. We'll see! Nancy, I am so sorry about your mom's passing. I know I don't "have to" comment, but I want to. Tim and I send you and your family our deepest and most sincere condolences. What an incredible, long life she lived, and you did everything you could to move her to the place that was best for her to live out her final stage of her life. You were a great daughter and I suspect it is because you were reared by an amazing mom. 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October 2018, Week 3, From Summer to Autumn to Winter
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Comments (38)
Jennifer, I'm hoping you were able to finally make it home, enjoy Wine Wednesday, and get some rest. You cannot go into this weekend too tired! Some other weekend, yes, but not this one because you are going to stay so busy. Rebecca, Hmmm, pepper bitterness generally only is a problem is you are harvesting them and using them green. They only truly shed the bitterness when allowed to ripen to their full mature color, but there are different degrees of bitterness along the time scale so that the further peppers progress away from being younger and smaller to being older and larger, though still green, the more the bitterness usually fades. I don't know of any weather or nutrient condition that makes them more bitter, but if I run across any description of something that does, I'll try to remember to come back here and tell you. When our mom told us to go out and play, it was pretty easy for me to go out, play a very short while, and then quietly slip back into the house and go into my bedroom and read. With 4 kids coming and going, if you were quiet once you were indoors, you could get away with that. With the seeds that you're sowing that won't sprout, are you surface sowing? That is what works best with me with green seeds---I broadcast sow on the surface of the growing medium and don't cover them up. I do lightly pat them down so they have good soil contact. I don't know if the seeds of greens necessarily need light to sprout, but I know they sprout better (and at a higher germination rate) for me if I don't cover them with soil. I got lower germination rates and slower germination when I covered them, even lightly, with anything---even compost or the lightest amount of peat moss. You are NOT a garden failure. It is either the seeds or the growing conditions that are failing you, so be kind to yourself and please stop feeling like a failure. If I were to allow myself to feel like a failure every time something in the garden doesn't go my way, I'd be so depressed and disheartened that I'd give up gardening. Instead, I push on relentlessly, overplanting everything, figuring if one thing doesn't work, another one will. And, on a lighter side, this is Oklahoma where the weather is cray-cray, so just blame the weather when something fails! Jennifer, You're welcome, and I agree that gardening is grounding. I feel like it surely is as good for our bodies as it is for our souls. I understand how you feel about meat, and I think you are not imagining it---you just have a soul that likely communicates with the souls of the animals. I feel that same way about people, especially native people here in the USA. When we visit a state park, for example, which is the scene of large battles between the native Americans and the European invaders who called themselves Americans, I swear I can feel the souls of the native Americans talking to me....like, I am walking in their shoes on their land, though not in a literal sense as I am not at war with anyone. I feel their pain and suffering when I walk an area like that--not in an intellectual way, but in a true emotional/intuitive way. The first few times it happened to me, I felt quite unsettled by it and then I decided to just accept it and to not try to overanalyze it or to fight it. I hope y'all enjoyed sleeping in today. Nancy, I really used to live in pepper hell because I'd grow 15 or 20 kinds of peppers and wear myself out trying to preserve them all. Now I grow only a few kinds, and only the ones we adore most, and it has made the pepper section of the garden easier to control, and has made the inevitable kitchen mess/workload more manageable too. When we first moved here and I finally had a sunny space to grow stuff (in the city, we had far too much shade so my garden was tiny), I grew far too much of everything. It was fun, but the garden and my life both are more manageable now that I have cut back and am trying to grow only enough excess beyond what we eat fresh to give us some food to preserve instead of trying to grow as much as possible and then ending up worn out from dealing with all the excess. It did take me about 15 years of growing far too much of everything before I started cutting back, and I still am trying to get the balance right so we have enough of each thing, but not too much of anything. Well, with tomatoes, I'll likely always grow too many just because I like to have a wide variety of shapes, sizes, colors and flavors. If growing too many tomatoes is my worst garden vice, then I think I'll be okay. Tiny will learn. Even Yellow Cat, who roamed our neighborhood for a good 10-12 years as a semi-feral cat before deciding to move in with us for his retirement years, still had to learn. After a lifetime of dodging wild things, he still liked to come inside and sleep all day and roam all night, which made me nervous. After a bobcat chased him up onto the roof of our house during the middle of the night, and I awakened to horrible screaming and had to quickly open a second story window to bring him in off the porch roof, he quite abruptly became an indoor cat at night, and outdoor by the day. By then he must have been 14 or 15 years old at least. He might have learned the lesson of nighttime safety a bit later than I would have liked, but he learned it, and then he lived for several more years to enjoy his retirement before he died of old age. My dad was naturally quiet by nature, and I took after him, so I never really was a chatterbox. Our oldest granddaughter? She'll talk 24/7 if you'll let her, and I never knew constant chatter could wear me out until now. We are trying to teach her that it is okay to ride in the car, for example, in companionable silence if you don't really have anything to say that isn't just mindless chatter. It is getting better, bit by bit, but we have a ways to go yet. We got drizzly, drippy, mostly misty rain most of the day yesterday, so no sunshine yet again and today is expected to be pretty much the same. The heavier rain is expected tomorrow. I miss the sunshine. The amount of mud we have is unreal. In the back where I feed the deer, the mud is just a churned up mess, so I keep moving the feeding area to grassier spots without as much bare ground showing, though the deer don't like change. The dogs and cats both are going stir-crazy from being indoors so much, and I am right there with them. Whenever I let them go out, or when I go out myself, because we are in between bands of rain/drizzle/mist and it seems wise to run outdoors while we can, it almost immediately starts to rain again. Just let me walk down to the mailbox without a raincoat or umbrella, and it will start to rain as soon as I am down there, 300' from the house. It happens every time. I'm so bored with being stuck indoors I have cleaned out the spice drawer and thrown away out-of-date spices, which meant (of course) making a list of the few that I threw out so I'd be sure to replace them this weekend. My constant cleaning out of drawers and things might be making Tim nervous. He survived the closet cleanout, but I haven't really touched his dresser drawers, nightstand drawers or anything in his office (where all the desk and printer table drawers are crammed full of stuff) and I think he might be worrying that someday when he is at work and I am bored, I might clean out the desk drawers and throw away some of his precious junk. Of course, I will not but the thought of it probably has him antsy. I am dying to get my hands on the garage/shop which is 1200 s.f. of 'stuff', some of which he actually needs and uses but much of which seems to be 'just in case we ever need it again' type clutter. I might make the garage/shop my 2019 project and work at it month by month. He'll have to be home when I do it though, so he won't worry I am throwing away too many of the things that he deems important. On the other hand, we'll never move to another place again because just the thought of packing up that garage/shop building would make him decide that moving is not going to be worth it. (grin) Seriously, when we moved here, we knew this was our forever home. However, I didn't know that "forever" applied to every piece of anything ever put in the garage. I'm really starting to get worried about the prospect of an El Nino winter. If the rain continues on through February the way it has been now, planting is going to be delayed for weeks if not months. I cannot decide whether to order my Dixondale onions for the usual early arrival date in February or to strategically order them to arrive 2 or 3 or maybe even 4 weeks later than usual in case the garden still is a mucky mud hole like it is right now. They've raised our chances of El Nino developing for winter here in the USA from 65-70% to 70-75%, so it is seeming more likely, even if it is going to be a Modiki El Nino instead of a regular one. Dawn
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slowpoke_gardener
2 years ago
I would love to walk long distances again, this time of the year was my favorite time to be out in the woods, I could walk for hours and thoroughly enjoy it.

I got my 3 containers of sweet potatoes potted up and brought inside yesterday to try to over-winter, I have never done this before, but my neighbor and I want to grow a lot of sweet potatoes, winter squash, and pumpkins next year, so I have been trying to prep for it.

I have a lot of other projects that I need to do, but they include a lot of climbing, getting down on my hands and knees, and lifting, which I am not good at any longer, but hiring help is not easy either.

I ate my first turnip greens for this fall yesterday, I should be able to have a lot of them this year.

I think Madge and I have stored more food this year than ever before. We have not canned anything, but did put more stuff in the freezer and stored more squash, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes. I don't have a good way to cure things, I hope they keep well.
AmyinOwasso/zone 6b
2 years ago
I'm ok Nancy. I fell the other night and ended up going to minor emergency to exray ribs yesterday. I'm ok, just really sore.

Ron harvested the sweet potatoes. He was disappointed, but we put them in late. All things considered, we got something like 18 from the slips off one sweet potato. Probably could have bought them cheaper than what we paid for water, but, we are gardeners!

Nancy, my current TV show is Silent Witness on Britbox. There's something like 21 seasons. Kind of a British CSI. They killed off a young Benedict Cumberbach recently. A young Mr. Bates (Downton Abbey) was in the first episode.

I've been trying to call the IRS about letters sent to my dad. I keep getting "due to the volume of calls for this subject we cannot take your call at this time." This is after you thread your way through the menu and enter a social security number. They won't let you skip through their menu either. Mutter mutter mutter.

Scheduling doctor appointments. Went to the bank and Boomerang diner one day this week.

I do not do well his time of year. Lack of light greatly effects me. I could hibernate, though I'm not sure how it would be different than my normal life.

I read the other thread, but can't remember it now. Everyone have a good week.
OklaMoni
2 years ago
Danny I went back to last weeks thread and clicked on your picture link. GREAT photos! Thanks for sharing.

Amy... so sorry you are hurting, but it's good, you know nothing is broken.

Nancy, just keep walking. Set your phone to keep track of your steps... and see, that you don't over do.

I just got back from a 24 mile bike ride, and I will prolly be sore tomorrow... as I am signed up for a swim/lap lane tomorrow...

Enjoy the sunshine

Moni
dbarron thanked OklaMoni
dbarron
Original Author
2 years ago
Amy, my unsolicited advise (since I'm good with that) is that you maximize what light you do get. Get outside more ;)

We went to a dog park today...wow! It was wonderful, I couldn't have conceived of like 30 dogs in a very large enclosure (can not really see from one end to the other (at dog size scale at least)) that had not a single altercation (as dogs came and went pretty constantly) in 2 hours. Jasper enjoyed it and we were both tuckered at end and took a nap. I was still tuckered and broke my no afternoon caffeine rule and had an iced tea. We owners had our dogs to talk about and break ice, so it was nicely social for us too.
Nancy RW (zone 7)
2 years ago
Garry is being rewarded. He has gone crappy fishing with the neighbor. He deserves a break! (from his duties as a caretaker and from me--LOL) I've still never tasted these famous crappies, so am waiting with fingers crossed. AND he is going to go again tomorrow! And I will meet John at the school tomorrow. That means Garry may have to take my little car down to the marina to go fishing. Driving's easy, and getting into the truck is a breeze--but getting into the teensy car isn't easy on the best days, so that might take some practice.

I went out to see the peppers just now, and saw billions of flowers!! And many teensy peppers. Pepper experts--will these blooms and peppers have time to grow/mature, do you spose? Probably not, I'm thinking.

And wonder of wonders! I assumed this year's asters were el blotto because the grasshoppers took them down to the ground. But lo and behold! The asters tataricus had bounded back and are probably 3 feet high and full of flowers!! WOW. So I was walking along in the back yard, feeling all smug and fine, when I happened to think, "What if I happened to fall on uneven ground?" I would be up the proverbial creek. While I don't consider myself to be a sissy, this might not have been smart--my first yard outing sans aids or Mr. Supervisor. So I ended up going back up and onto the deck. I must admit, walking up the yard incline wasn't as easy and walking down it. I put the walker up a week ago tomorrow. It's shut up in Garry's office room. Out of sight and mind. It's rather glorious, actually.

What an absolute riot, Danny, the idea of putting even one of the cats on a leash--even more of a riot to imagine all three at once. I oughtta try that just for a funny video. Can pretty much guarantee we could never get a harness or collar on Tom the wild one. He'd probably have our arms for lunch and dinner. Well, maybe we can try just Jerr and Tiny. I think I could get a collar on Jerry and maybe even a harness on Tiny. Too funny just imagining. Garry will love this idea, too!

I'm so excited about the peppers and asters, I believe maybe I will keep on with this gardening business. And yes, Moni, will keep walking. But I need strengthening exercises, for sure!

Okay--going to go look for books on how to go from comatose to fit as a fiddle. XOXO, and Amy, believe I will give Silent Witness a try. Get GDW will like it too. I am so sorry you fell. Ouch!
slowpoke_gardener
2 years ago

This had been a good day for me also. We went to church this morning, then after church daughter and grand daughter came over for lunch. Madge is still not feeling great, so lunch was less than it is some times, but still great.

Granddaughter tried to help me with posting pictures. We still don't know why the newer pictures wont post. The above is just one of the pictures we were playing with. It is one of some of the pumpkins I fed to the cows last march. It is easy to grow more food than you can eat. I gave the last pumpkin away to a repairman that came to repair a water leak this summer.

I don't have much gardening to talk about. Daughter and grand daughter pick about all the okra and peppers I had left in the garden. I also gave onions, garlic, sweet potatoes and butternut to take home, also gave grand daughter some onions to take home and plant. I am doing my best to encourage the kids about gardening.

I hope this picture will post, I am still scratching my head over posting pictures.
Kim Reiss
2 years ago
Amy I feel your pain. Please be more careful. Our age it’s harder on us to fall.
jlhart76
2 years ago
Our 2 older boys grew up going to the dog park every week. 6 hours on Sat, another 5 or 6 on Sun. Then we started dog sitting & brought the dog park to us. They can be great ways to socialize, but occasionally you get the butthead neighbor.

I'm spending some time in Grove with my dad. My oldest brother died yesterday so we're waiting to hear from his wife what the plans are.

Stuff with the house are close to a standstill. Waiting for the next round of to dos from the loan company so we can hopefully get through underwriting & move to the next step. I'm just ready for it all to be over.
slowpoke_gardener
2 years ago
Jen, I am sorry about you losing your brother.
dbarron
Original Author
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
A death in the family (understatement) is never good. Sympathy! I hope the house moves along swiftly when you're ready to deal with it.
slowpoke_gardener
2 years ago
Down to 41 last night, frost probably wont be far into the future.

We seem to be hitting the age that we are losing friends of family more often. I graduated high school in 1961, and already lost many classmates, I have one sibling left, and one uncle left, but thank God we have lost no children, I think that the loss of a child would be very hard to deal with.

I saw a friend yesterday that I ran with in high school. I had not seen him in months, he has been having health problems. I remember think "he sure looks old", it there had been a mirror in the back of the church, I would have probably looked in the mirror and thought " who is that ugly set of twins", as we were leaving. Out of a class of approx 60, I think we have lost at least 4 in the past year or so, and many before.

Prayers to all of you, we never know what tomorrow holds.
dbarron
Original Author
2 years ago
Well, I've been plugging my pots of stuff into the ground and watering lightly. There may be rain tomorrow (hope so). Right now, we look to have frost/freeze on the first day of November. It's not that long away, is it ?

Well Nancy, have you tasted crappy yet ? :)

I'm thinking I can start yard cleanup for the fall now/soon. When taking the dogs out (3 am...because I woke up), I was thinking I should put the lawnmower battery on the charger, decided to wait till I could actually SEE in the garage to wade through the mess the armadillo left me from the mid summer imprisonment. That along with trying to do continued warfare on the fence row that keeps growing up, will keep me busy this winter I guess.
slowpoke_gardener
2 years ago
Well I had a pretty good day yesterday. I took Madge out to eat in Greenwood. about 9 miles away. While there, she Got a text from my helper, asking if I was home ( he was wanting to work a while). She sent back a text saying to come in about 30 minutes.

I was already tired and did not really need him because the projects I need to do are things he needs help with, and I did not have the tools and material ready.

The young man is a good helper, but the things he is not sure of, I have to help, or do myself. I finally just told him that we need to just put everything off till I felt better. After he went home I rested a while, then cleaned out and tilled 3 rows in the garden, Made the mounts for a ceiling fan for the front porch and mounted it, just the sub structure, not the fan. Helper can mount the fan today. Madge does not like me climbing, but sometimes that is easier than trying to tell someone every move they have to make.

I feel better today, and, if he is still not secure enough of mounting the ceiling and light, I will have him remove the two front wheels on my small tractor, so I can have the flats repaired.

It is also about time to winterize the mower, tractors, and, other junk I have. Things like that the young man is really good at. He is also good at cleanup work, especially if he can use the equipment, he is really good with the small tractor, zero turn, and the side by side, I can understand that, because I was the same way, and, I am still like that. If it were not for the junk I have, I could do very little around here.

Well, I need to go lay out some work for my helper to do today if he comes.
hazelinok
2 years ago
I started a post on Sunday and lost it probably half-way through....

So...I'm going to backread now. (Many years ago I was on another forum and we called it "backread"ing when we went back to read everyone's posts.)

First. It seems the posts are out of order. Or maybe my brain is out of order.

Amy, I'm glad you're okay! How scary. When I go out for my final walk around the property and to close up the coop, I always tell Tom to stay awake until I come inside just in case I fall...or something else.

Danny, I agree. Being outside helps with depression and the blues. Even if it's cold, but light--go outside and sit for awhile. And exercise is good too. Everyone's level of exercise is different, of course, but nearly everyone can move more. I'm trying to get my friend who has a lot of health issues to simply move more. She wouldn't be able to get down on the floor or do my kickboxing exercises, but she can do some leg lifts from her sitting position and some light weights.

Truth is: I don't like taking the time to exercise at all. BUT, I feel better when I do it. When my feet were flared up about a year ago, I found an exercise video on YouTube for foot injury. It has become one of my favorites. It's only 15 minutes and I try to do it at least twice a week.

Nancy, did Garry get any crappy? Growing up, crappy was one of my family's favorites.

Jen, I'm so sorry about your brother.

If there's anything I can do to help you get ready for your move, let me know. I'm only a few minutes away.

Larry, as soon as I cut up some Oklahoma Reds, I'll let you know how they look. There's one that has a slice on it and it looks like normal orange inside. We didn't get many good sized ones and what we did get are still curing, I guess.

I forgot how long they need to cure. We brought them into the house when there was a risk of frost last Friday. They got a week in the hoop house and there were some really warm days that week. I should check them today. See if they've firmed up a bit.

It's nice to have a day off always.

I got up at my regular time and did my regular chores. Also started laundry and did the kickboxing video. I had a mound of dishes from last night to deal with this morning. I made meatballs and spaghetti, garlic bread, and green beans.

Speaking of green beans...Blue Lake really is just a good bean. No matter how big the pod gets, it has no strings. It had a nice pleasant flavor. My friend/neighbor, Marilyn, is giving me all of her fall beans. She always grows Blue Lake.

I should have made a list. I had a list in my head when I woke up and now I can't remember everything I wanted to do.

I really need to clean again. My sister-in-law and brother-in-law are coming in on Thursday. They don't stay at our house. She is allergic to cats and, well, we have three. She has been able to be at our house for a couple of hours if she takes her medicine. But this was when we only had Charlotte. Or at our other house when we had Harry and Asher--but that house was very large. This house is quite small. More cats in a smaller space.

ANYWAY...they stay in their fancy RV that is worth more than my house and property.

Still...they might come out for a bit and it really needs to be cleaned just in case. BUT, I really a have a 100 other things that are much more interesting that I would rather work on.

Probably most of you saw my Garden Monday post on FB so already know what is happening in the garden currently. Lots of greens and brassicas. Rick's cover crop. That's basically it.

It is chilly out there probably because of the wind. I didn't stay out for long this morning--just checked everything. Tom needs to mow tonight.

(Living Oklahoma is on TV right now and they have a sweet potatoes on it.)

Y'all were talking about TV series. I need to find some because once the the time change hits, I'll be indoors most of the night.

There's a channel that showed up on my YouTube--From the Mind of Christine McConnell. She is extremely interesting and I don't even know how to describe her videos. Very unique. Apparently she had a short series on Netflix, so I'll plan on checking that out. From reviews, the first one isn't too great, but the following episodes are. She has a Patreon. Has anyone done Patreon? I haven't, but might pay for hers this winter because I really want to see the tour (and her restoration) of her recent purchase--a mansion in New York. I don't know if her Netflix series is similar to her YouTube videos which usually feature (in a very unique way) a project she is working on.

Something else that came up "for me" is Midnight Mass. It was one of those..."if you liked The Haunting of Hill House, you like Midnight Mass", so I'll probably check it out too. I like creepy things--not gore, but just creepy.

Anyway...I'm rambling and wasting time. Have a good day, everyone!
Nancy RW (zone 7)
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Hi all--no crappies yet! He didn't go fishing yesterday, but neither the neighbor nor he had any luck Sunday. Today we're going out and will look for catfish--but truth is, it's such a beautiful day, it will just be sheer joy being on the lake; any catfish caught will be a bonus.

As you know, HJ, I rarely watch Youtube (unless it has to do with native gardening). I will watch anything with Margaret Roach tied to it--or Joe Lamp'l. And haven't really done anything with Patreon besides dabble. My interests are pretty much centered on art (with emphasis on oil painting), quilting, literature--all with a bent toward the classical--and gardening.

The school garden is hardly in any better shape than the one here--well, I mean there are lots more flowers and color. But the snake gourds are done, a trellis of morning glories has fried, stuff looked kind of beat up. And there was one huge huge vine that I couldn't figure out. Well yesterday it became clear that it was some kind of cucumber, I guessed. Knew it wasn't Armenian, though looked like it--but I didn't like them last year so knew I wouldn't have planted them at Lincoln. I thought and thought. I realized last night what they were. (One of the volunteers had come while John and I were visiting and said they were horrible--great big seeds and weren't any good sauteed.) They were the Chinese Okra!!! Angled luffa. I had planted them JUST for the flowers and vining properties. (John HAD remarked that it was covered with lovely yellow flowers--hahaha). So I told him the only way anyone would want to eat them would be when they were babies. And these were all probably 12-15" long and with heavy ridges. I wonder if we can use them for loofas. I'll have to research--because there are a truckload of them on the vine!!!

Garry has spent time working on his machinery and the boat, so reminds me of you, Larry--he is so good at all that stuff. He is a champion fixer-upper!

And Mr. Waggoner is champing at the bit, so I best bid you all adieu for now. I'm glad Madge and you have some good places to eat out, Larry--that's one of our favorite things to do, and we always have such a good time visiting with each other.

Danny--I figure Amy and you and I ought to meet up one of these days. We'll have to think about it. For now, be safe everyone. Hugs to you all.
dbarron
Original Author
2 years ago
I could certainly come to Wagoner or Owasso.
slowpoke_gardener
2 years ago
I had another good day. I never get all done that I want, but I still keep chipping away at the projects. I can make a small project last forever. I enjoy it, but it gets on Madge's nerves, she would like everything done, no later than yesterday, I just want to enjoy what ever it is I am doing.

I got my pressure washer working, and washed the side by side and the small tractor. I took the two front tires from the Kubota tractor to town and had them repaired. I got the overhead structure made for the outdoor ceiling fan, cleaned out the tomatoes from the south garden, and all the mineral tub plants removed, and made ready to plant winter stuff. It may be too late to plant anything in the tubs, but I have a lot of seeds and may as well try something.

Madge went with me to town to get the tractor tires repaired. The lady at the tire shop said that the tires would be ready in 30 to 45 minutes. I told the lady that Madge and I would just sit out front in the truck and pretend we were in a drive-in move, and she might want to pull the shades and not watch what went on, but when I got back in the truck we could not remember what went on in a drive-in move, so I had to just sit there and tell Madge tall tales for 45 minutes, which is not really hard for me to do, can we count that as " together time", even if there was no bonding?
Kim Reiss
2 years ago
Larry
You crack me up
Kim Reiss
2 years ago
That is so good Larry. I am 56 and pray someday I find someone to put up with me.
slowpoke_gardener
2 years ago
Kim, Madge and I were older than 56 when we got married, in 2 more days we will be married 15 years.
dbarron
Original Author
2 years ago
No one would put up with me (and I wouldn't blame them, I probably wouldn't put up with me). My mom told me when I was in my 30s that I was too set in my ways to ever get married...seems she was right (so far).

It was a brisk 49F when I headed out today to walk, in my long jeans and hoody. I took the bridge shot before the sun rose, but my aunt pointed out that the water is way low. Course, if you get 2.5 inches of rain in 4 months....that's why :)

I have most of my seedling stuff planted in the ground, though I still have cyclamen sowed in Jan 2019 in the windowsill (which should probably be planted, but I want to see flowers for sure before I plunge into ground), and lycoris in the laundry room sending up first leaves from November 2020 sowing (they made bulbs over the winter and spring of 2021). They could be planted, but since they're sending up leaves, I'll wait till spring. I ordered 4 or 5 ornamentals from Select Seeds Sunday, they shipped today. All annual stuff: texas phlox, anmi (like queen anne's lace), cleome (last try..darn slugs...will keep inside), and some violas (pansies) which umm I'm too late to start now...maybe in December or January for spring?
slowpoke_gardener
2 years ago
Danny, the picture is pretty. I would like to have access to a creek like that to steal rock and gravel from. I have a creek in my pasture, but very small amount of rock and gravel.

We have been cleaning our fur baby's grave. I expect Madge will be buying more flowers to plant around the grave.

Madge and I hauled the trimmings from the grave and garden to place in ditches along the creek. Madge is warming up to the side by side, which I like, the machine can be a big help around a homestead.
jlhart76
2 years ago
Why is it everything happens at once? Realtor called earlier, we close on the current house Monday which means we have to move this weekend. Thankfully my brother & his wife are coming down with my dad to help with the smaller stuff. Cliff found a couple movers for heavy lifting, got the truck rented, so now we have marathon packing tomorrow to finish up. So I guess my garden is officially done. Once we move, I'll have to start planning the new garden.
dbarron
Original Author
2 years ago
It seems it's always that way. It was that way when I needed to get Dad's house cleared and I had just brought home a puppy, and probably a few other things. The world could be less chaotic and more spaced out, but it doesn't seem to be.
Nancy Waggoner
2 years ago
Another day on the road— will catch up when we get home.
dbarron
Original Author
2 years ago
Hope you've made it home Nancy, busy night out on the town? I wasn't aware that Wagoner didn't roll up the roads after dark. Oh, I got it, they probably turn the Internet down for the night too. (Haah, teasing Nancy is fun lately)
slowpoke_gardener
2 years ago
Danny, its funny that you mention something like that. I can remember when everything around here shut down long before dark, and on the weekend also. How times have changed.

The vegetable market next door is going strong. My neighbor told me late yesterday that he had 14 pumpkins left, has sold all of his okra, and while we we sitting there talking, a lady came up and wanted 14 pounds of okra, neighbor said that he may be able to get that Sunday.

Those Old Timey Cornfield pumpkins produce very well, and are very hardy. The Arabat did very well also. Two of the cornfield pumpkins sold for $30.00, one weighed 16 lbs, the other weighed 14 lbs. I told neighbor that he could have all the produce that he wanted out of the wildlife garden to sell to help pay for the water bill. I have kept all the produce I wanted, and there was quite a bit to sell. The okra was producing 20 lbs a day in the hot weather.

We are not producing turnips yet, but selling a few greens. Neighbor said that he had one customer wanting 500 lbs of turnips ( he sells to other markets ). There is no way we can come up with 500 lbs of turnips at this time, maybe in another month.

I think that the fellow that is coming over to dig out stumps, is going to take payment in next years produce. I dont like working like that, because of my health I had rather pay as I go, I never did like to be in debt.

It seems as though people are afraid of the economy, and want another source for their food.
Nancy RW (zone 7)
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Hi everyone! Danny, I kinda think they DO roll the Wagoner streets up when it turns dark. Pretty sure they do. There aren't any bars in town. Lots of churches, though. El Lopez is a great Mexican restaurant, and it might be one of the few places one would still be at after it begins turning dark.

No, we were back in Broken Arrow yesterday. Two days in a row. Yesterday was a lot more fun than the day before. But both days took a 5-hr chunk out of our day.

We need a boat mechanic genius here. Now. Locator and trolling motor are dead. GDW finally decided to get a new battery for them. Nope. Now he's back at square one. When we were on the lake Tuesday and he discovered neither worked, it was a little discomfiting at first. Then I remembered that in the old days there were no locators. And once I reminded us of that, we were fine with not knowing the depth. After all, he does know that lake pretty well, knows the deceptive spots that are unexpectedly shallow. Hold everything! Stop the presses! He bought the wrong battery! It's the other battery that was dead! So now he's on his way back to town for the right battery. LOL

Dixondale catalog arrived this morning, and if there are two things that make me want to garden, they are garlic and onions! And I felt a sharp pang, missing Dawn.

I also have enjoyed seeing FB photos of the garden in years past during fall. Fall is such a lovely time of the year. The colors--and the sweaters! And the crisp air. I am saying little prayers that we have a lovely mild Oct-November so that we can spend a good bit of time on the lake, since we hadn't been able to earlier.

I am beginning Week 7 of post-op hip replacement surgery. I put the walker away in one of the extra rooms on October 11, after surgeon gave his blessing on walking without. Now I don't limp unless I've spent a long day on my feet, or unless I'm just having a bad day. Used to be I'd have a good day once in a while, the rest were bad. Now I have a bad day once in a while, the rest are good. Feels remarkable to not have the pain I had for a year and 7 months. I wish I could encourage people to go see joint specialists--IF they have insurance. This makes me so crazy, that so many people DON'T have insurance. So so wrong.

I have my garlic ready to plant and will get that in by end of October. And will get my onion order in early to Dixondale, as they get booked up quickly. I get the onions delivered by Feb. 20 or so.

We're not afraid of the economy, Larry--no sense in worrying. Though maybe we should close out our savings and put the money under a mattress. BUT I had a great laugh the other day--did you all see that a recall is in effect for onions? All commercially bought ones, apparently, though I didn't have to check, because we're still eating our homegrown ones. One more reason to grow our own food, right? I can now get our big deck containers cleared out and get some greens planted. I'm so thankful I feel so much better.

I actually may return to quilting this winter. . . I'm kind of missing it.

OH!!! Jen! I just remembered, after seeing a FB post from you. YAY that things might be about wrapped up for you, even though it does mean a mad dash this weekend. Wait a minute. Have you closed on the new place yet? I have lost track.

Okay friends--love to you all!! Even dbarron.
slowpoke_gardener
2 years ago
Nancy, I have 10 mineral tubs I am playing with. I have them on a shelf on the edge of the deck. I have planted turnips in one tub, carrots in one, 35 walking onions in one, and still have peppers in one. The others I am trying to get ready to plant. I put compost in the rest of them this morning. I am really just shooting from the hip on this container growing, but I think I can learn. I have been to town twice and forgot plants both times. I have a lot of seeds, but it is getting a little late to start planting seeds outside.

I have really been adding a lot of compost to the containers and the gardens. O course the compost I make will have a lot of weed seeds in it, but I will be able to make it work, I just have to pull a lot of weeds.

I have a lot of joint pain also, but have only had one joint replaced. I waited too long on my right shoulder joint and had a lot of damage. I have been taking antibiotics and pain pills for 2 weeks and feel pretty good now, but it wont last when I stop taking the meds.

I like to take the meds in the spring and fall, I can get a lot more work done then.

I need to get up and do something, I keep going to sleep.
jlhart76
2 years ago
Closing has been bumped again. But we have early access to the house & my dad and brother are coming tomorrow to move the garden stuff. The water test came back positive for bacteria so we have to have it treated and tested, but I think to speed things along we're just going to have rural water turned on. That way we don't have to wait another week to close. If it were just us, we might be able to manage with having to boil water. But we got the dogs to think about and they can't go without water.
slowpoke_gardener
2 years ago
Jen, I am sorry about the bumps in your life, but sounds like you have a good game plan.

Yesterday was our anniversary, but we did not feel like doing anything, maybe we can go out to eat today. Getting old is not as much fun as I had hoped it would be, but I guess it beats not getting old.

I graduated high school in 1961, there were 5 of us guys that were pretty close, 3 are already gone, so I guess my best game plan is to just to try to keep getting older.

Kim, I use to live in closer quarters than you. I was an over the road truck driver, and lived in the cab of a truck. I was single and stayed on the road as much as I could to make more money. I have been gone as high as 10 weeks at at a time. I met Madge when I was driving a truck, I use to tell her that when I retired I was going to build a house just like the cab of that truck, and then rent half of it out. The truck had two beds and two seats, and I only needed one of each. I had already bought the old house that I grew up in, and started remodeling it at the time, but my health headed south and I quit working on the house.

I put heat tape on the plumbing and did not heat or cool the house. I had twin beds that I installed one over the other, sort of like bunk beds. I hung quilts around the top bunk, and just heated that few feet between the top and bottom bunk when I came home. I installed a florescent porch light on the head board for a reading light. I was home so seldom that the electric and water bill was at the minimum. I drove my small truck so little that the fuel bill was very little, and all my supplies I would buy out of state so I could take them off my taxes.

Kim, at 56, you still have plenty of time to build a happy old age. Madge and I got married at 62 and 67, Madge is the oldest, we have had a fun life, we have lost some family and friends, but that is the way life goes.

I dont think I will do much today, hoping to feel like taking Madge out to eat.
jlhart76
2 years ago
Got the first load moved. I'm sure we looked a sight hauling a trailer full of plants down the highway. I'm mostly more interested in the containers and potting soil, but maybe a few tomatoes will survive. Now to finish the move, close on both houses, and start setting up like we want it.
Kim Reiss
2 years ago
Larry thank you for sharing. I get down being alone so much of the time. I look forward to sharing my life with someone again and having land to garden. My son said I should pray for both in one package.
My house is coming along now that I have gotten motivated to finish.
slowpoke_gardener
2 years ago
Kim, I am not against prayer at all, but for me, I think God wanted to do some work on ME. I lost my job. my youngest son had to be sent away, my marriage fell apart, and it seemed that I lost most of my friends. I think that some times friends seem to just hold back because they don't seem to know what to do either.

After the divorce, I thought that it would be a good time to do some things just for me. I seemed to always put my family first, maybe before god. I spent six years just goofing off and going places. By the time I got to the point I had a life alone, I met Madge, I did not want to get married, and Madge felt the same, but we became good friends. Madge had no home, and I don't think she made enough money to support herself anyway. She lived with her single daughter and grand daughter and shared cost.

I owned a house, it was not much of a house, but it was enough for me because I lived in the cab of an eighteen wheeler, driving all the lower 48 states and part of Canada. There was no reason to come home, so I stayed gone trying to make a little money.

The truck stop life is not a good life, so I spent my time in the cab of my truck studying the bible and reading self-help books.

Madge's daughter met a man and wanted to get married, and Madge felt that she would be in the way. I did not want a fine Woman like Madge to be out alone in this crazy world, so I grabbed her before anyone else could. we have been married 15 wonderful years.

My advice would be, keep having a close relationship with God, keep trying to be the best person you can be, and if God sees that you really need a man, he will pick out the one he wants you to have, and toss him in your lap.

I guess to make this a gardening post, is to say that Madge and I think we live in the Garden of Eden, but we don't run around naked because of the respect we have of all the people driving the highway in front of the house.
Kim Reiss
2 years ago
Larry that is great advice.
And exactly what I told God years ago. If he wants me to get married he will have land in my lap

October Week 3: Early frost?

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