Start with a good reliable soil test for soil pH and major nutrients and dig in with these simple soil tests, 1) Soil test for organic matter. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drainsâ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. to see what else might need be done to start making that soil into something that will grow plants that will produce edible fruit. The people at your local office of the University of Minnesota Cooperative Extension Service will be able to help as well. Here is a link that might be useful: UMN CES

This storm came from the west. Last week's storm (and it was a doozy here too!) was from the north which brought the cold arctic air clear down to us. Your problem Connie, is you live close to the arctic air. It doesn't have to travel very far before it gets to you. LOL The four day a week school system is great for students in sixth grade and older. The little kids struggle way to much for the schedule to be a success. The district tried this for two years when Jesse was in first and second grade and she struggled and struggled and struggled. For on thing, the days are longer and the breaks are shorter. Because of being required to cover X amount of subject matter in less time the teachers cannot/will not do the refreshing little kids needs....like, on Monday go over the new math concepts covered the Thursday before, etc. etc. It being too hard on the little kids was the reason the stopped doing this before. Now they are doing it again. Morons. This time Digger was a junior and a senior and things went much smoother. But then, she is older, more mature and learned the first and second grade basics. We're such a tiny school that when there is an away game everybody goes and not just the students. Teachers travel with the teams too. We got into trouble with the State Board of Education because of the low attendance scores. During the basketball season it wasn't unusual for the boys and girls teams to travel to a game on Wednesday or Thursday, then again on Friday. Throw in the wrestling team traveling somewhere during the week and that's a lot of time for students and teachers to be missing school. Now, supposedly, we are not to travel to games/meets on any day but Thursday to cut down on absenteeism. This is a joke. Most games are legal but about 1/4 are not. The starting and ending dates of the school year concern is strictly for the teachers, They don't want to start early and stay late. To this I say 'big woo'. Building in a snow day means we would have to have that many more days on the calender so they just don't schedule one. The board thinks they can fool mother nature. Morons. The thing that baffles me the most is if our schools are in session until noon (or if a student is in school until noon) it is considered a full school day. They could send everybody home at 12:15 any and every day and still meet the attendance standards. (Test scores would suck but that's beside the point) So why didn't they bundle the kids up and TAKE THEM HOME at noon, in full daylight? *sigh*. "There weren't any kids on the bus" is how the district is excusing the two drivers who ran off the road yesterday. Again. 'Big Woo'. Morons. Sometimes I think a man named Crandall actually owns this coal mine. Long ago if the roads were closed and guys couldn't get to work the mine would just not pay them for that day. New management changed that policy ten years ago and started taking a guy's sick/personal day. In a bad winter could pretty much eliminate a guy's sick and personal leave. While he was boss guys had to be pretty careful when they called the federal safety hotline because he would get even with them. Right now the union and the company are arbitrating two cases of harassment because miners either called the hotline OR said 'I won't move my piece of equipment because it isn't safe." The pit bosses will try to intimidate the miners. They can't fool with the old timers like Custer but guys who just started are pretty careful because they are afraid they'll lose their jobs. Yes, I think Mr. Crandall's son or nephew is running this mine. Now they have a new manager and he seems like a decent guy. Maybe there won't be any flack over last night? There's been times when the roads were closed and carpools would run the blockade, go to work and divvy up the fine between them. They've stopped doing that. The union lost an arbitration over road closures because if one carpool gets through (and takes the risk of a wreck or a fine) the manager figured EVERYBODY should get through. That's why they all stayed home last night. One fellow in Custer's carpool has only worked there two weeks and until he's off probation he has no time off. He was nervous and wanted to go by himself. Custer finally got the union president on the phone who assured him NOTHING would happen to his job if he stayed home where it was safe. I'm not sure he believed the guys but when Custer pointed out that collectively the guys in the carpool had over a hundred years at the mine compared to his two weeks he did calm down and listen to them. LOL Poor Kid. Driving on bad roads does not bother me. When my babies would get sick I would drive into the jaws of hell to get them to a doctor. I know what to do on slick roads; my vehicles were heavy and reliable. I also know 4x4 doesn't mean you can't drive 76 miles an hour on ice/snowpacked roads. LOL What always worried me was people who aren't as cautious as I am. They're the ones who'll get you in a fix. Today is beautiful though. The skies are blue, the wind isn't blowing and the birds are stealing cat food and driving the cats nuts. I'm feeling pretty good too. A little stiff and sore but I think it's because I've laid around all week. My house is starting to bug me too. My living room is a wreck and the carpets are begging for a vacuum. I think this means I'm feeling better. Lori

Not to hijack this thread but we cut down an annoying black locust tree that was growing in a bad place and it's sprouting from several places by the trunk and I'm finding seedlings coming up in the garden too. I keep pulling them out and cutting the new branches off of the tree. What's the least environmentally harmful way to deal with this? I'm willing to keep hacking off the new limbs every so often unless that would be a permanent maintenance. Please advise.

The shower will work same as ever. That part only stop's water draining from tub. You can likely adjust the old part. That's why the rod is threaded and has a lock nut. Just "jiggle it"and don't apply a lot of force while pulling out and re-inserting or you risk bending it..