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We have a teenager coming over to put our garden cart together either this afternoon or tomorrow afternoon. This morning, we are going to TSC for goat minerals, O'Reilley's for my window shield wipers and Kroger for boneless chicken breasts--cheap. It is almost time to make dog food again and we need some for us too. EBay photos so I can get the 3 items listed, I wrote drafts for yesterday.
 
Bought 15 bags of cypress mulch for my front flower beds. Maybe our son will come help spread it. The grand girls will enjoy planting in the garden.

Your post made me think of my mom.

Dad's yard takes several hours to mow (and that's with a six foot mower) and a good day to pickup leaves in the fall. When he died I'd told mom that I couldn't maintain two households and strongly suggested she move to town to pay a Home Owners Association to maintain the yard and for snow removal. I'm not a young pup any more so when I get home from work I'm usually spent for the evening or by the time I drive to Mom's it's dark. Saturdays I reserve mostly for the wife's "Honey do" list and Sunday is a day of rest (sleeping the afternoon away in preparation for next weeks work). Mom could sell out, move into town and come out money ahead. She decided to stay.

Then mom started planning these "projects" for me. Most would take a day or two to completed and while I'm there can I mow, clean gutters, paint, cut down a tree and etc and etc.. When she isn't pleased with my response times she makes subtle comments to family and friend how I don't "visit" often enough.

Love her with all my heart but her attempts to manipulate me isn't going to work.
 
I'm going to have to gird my loins and get this lawn tractor going.

The grass is over 2 foot tall even with both flocks loose in the yard.
I now have two Eastern Brown snakes living under the floating slab of my lean-to laundry
and they're not in a good mood coming into ...ahem......winter.
Yeah...Johny's got company.
The last thing I want is to step on one of them.

Did I mention how much I HATE mowing?
It's the reason why I brought a huge lawn tractor that cost more then my first car.
It's a pity the dealership uses really poor quality batteries.

My daisy chained batteries didn't go so well.
I used the lead from my genset that is designed to recharge solar battery banks.
The leads and clamps got very hot and started smoking.....yikes!
BUGGER.
New plan.
I've had a very close look at the cut off switch under the seat and I believe I can
jury-rig it so I don't have to have the old, useless battery in the battery well and keep the larger
car battery in the foot well.
This process is prob. going to involve a gross weight of electrical tape and a lot of muttered prayers
and appeals for forgiveness for slips of the tongue.

I HATE unreliable machinery and while I do have the ability and nouse to fix issues I bitter resent having to.
I pay large amount of dollars on the front end in an effort to side step issues and then.......:cry:
 
My husband had the same complaint from my husband when we lived near her years and years ago. We would visit and she would have a million things that needed doing. Mom had only daughters, and I was the only one who stayed married, so husband was it. It got to the point he didn't want to visit her. But then she'd say that she'd get on that tall rickedy ladder to put stuff up in the attic by herself, and hoped she wouldn't fall cuz no one is around to hear her scream. Moms.
When we visit her in Kansas, we just pick her up for the day when she's ready and bring her where ever we're going. Then we bring her back to her apartment. There's consierge service where she lives (free) to hang up pictures, get things down for you...they do not allow seniors to have step stools. Drives her crazy. We'll be there next weekend, but thankfully two of my sisters will be arriving a few days beforehand and they can do some of the crazies that she wants to do.
 
I'm going to have to gird my loins and get this lawn tractor going.

The grass is over 2 foot tall even with both flocks loose in the yard.
I now have two Eastern Brown snakes living under the floating slab of my lean-to laundry
and they're not in a good mood coming into ...ahem......winter.
Yeah...Johny's got company.
The last thing I want is to step on one of them.

Did I mention how much I HATE mowing?
It's the reason why I brought a huge lawn tractor that cost more then my first car.
It's a pity the dealership uses really poor quality batteries.

My daisy chained batteries didn't go so well.
I used the lead from my genset that is designed to recharge solar battery banks.
The leads and clamps got very hot and started smoking.....yikes!
BUGGER.
New plan.
I've had a very close look at the cut off switch under the seat and I believe I can
jury-rig it so I don't have to have the old, useless battery in the battery well and keep the larger
car battery in the foot well.
This process is prob. going to involve a gross weight of electrical tape and a lot of muttered prayers
and appeals for forgiveness for slips of the tongue.

I HATE unreliable machinery and while I do have the ability and nouse to fix issues I bitter resent having to.
I pay large amount of dollars on the front end in an effort to side step issues and then.......:cry:

YAHHHH!! I got it going.
I leave it run for a while to get it warmed up and to get the fluids flowing.
I'm so happy I worked out how to by-pass the under-seat cut off so now I can just let it run without having to sit on it.
The cut off was a pain in the bum because I'm 5'2 and my legs aren't long enough to have the break pedal pushed all the way down to the
floor and sit on the seat with enough force to disengage the under seat cut off.
I have the seat pushed as far forward as I can and I did look to see if there was room to bring the seat forward on it's frame by drilling new bolt holes
but there just isn't enough meat on the lugs to make any difference.

When the SHTF the world will be held together with 10 gauge plain fencing wire and duct tape.
 
I hope you didn't break it.
Am enjoying watching the baby ducks that came in this morning. They are a riot!
Our kitchen dining area would need some explaining if we have an unexpected guess. A brooder with 13 baby chickens, a brooder with 4 silkies, a brooder with 16 ducklings, and an African Grey Parrot who is talking non stop to all of them.
 
YAHHHH!! I got it going.
I leave it run for a while to get it warmed up and to get the fluids flowing.
I'm so happy I worked out how to by-pass the under-seat cut off so now I can just let it run without having to sit on it.
The cut off was a pain in the bum because I'm 5'2 and my legs aren't long enough to have the break pedal pushed all the way down to the
floor and sit on the seat with enough force to disengage the under seat cut off.
I have the seat pushed as far forward as I can and I did look to see if there was room to bring the seat forward on it's frame by drilling new bolt holes
but there just isn't enough meat on the lugs to make any difference.

When the SHTF the world will be held together with 10 gauge plain fencing wire and duct tape.

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More clean up ...
Worked with the horses, then ponies.
Smashed the crap out of hand . :facepalm:
Is it gonna be ok? How'd you manage that?
2-man-hits-thumb.jpg
 
:woo hoo:@Tank-Girl I knew you could get the tractor working, well done :D .

@Andi glad your hand will be alright, if you have any Arnica cream there whack that all over it of course gently :) and it should draw out the bruising and take down the swelling a bit.


Thank you!
I'm trying to get these big jobs done before my surgery.
I've still got over 20 cubic meters of wood chip to shift yet to get beds ready for the new planting season.
 
:eek: @Tank-Girl that is going to take some time to shift, you doing it by wheelbarrow or tractor ?. We get manure in 3 cubic metre lots and just that is tiring. You are probably like us though with all the activity your weight, blood pressure nor your stamina would be problem :) . How long have you got to get that accomplished ?.
 
:eek: @Tank-Girl that is going to take some time to shift, you doing it by wheelbarrow or tractor ?. We get manure in 3 cubic metre lots and just that is tiring. You are probably like us though with all the activity your weight, blood pressure nor your stamina would be problem :) . How long have you got to get that accomplished ?.

I'm not exactly sure but my next surgeon's visit is pencilled in for 3 months so not before then.
I really hope I can get the chips shifted before then but...health and stamina prevailing.

I have a very heavy tarp that I drag behind the lawn tractor.
I heap wood chips on the tarp and then move them that way.
I can move over 6 wheel barrows worth the material without hurting myself esp. if I take it steady loading it up.
To unload I just drop one of the two front ropes and drive in diagonally opposite direction to the still attached corner.
The attached tarp corner is pulled over the load and and the chips spill out the sides which makes spreading even easier than loading them up.
 
Today we picked 32 cucumbers (about 16kg) from the gardens and used 8 for juices and also picked few strawberries which we ate. We fertilised the vegetable, herb and berry gardens with a tonic of seasol and put urea around the corn, strawberries and silverbeet for a nitrogen boost. I texted a friend and she took around 12 for her to make pickles and another friend lives 2 doors up from them so they took 4 and we have texted another friend at church and she wants 2. The excess we will take to church tomorrow to give away.

While we were at it we weeded 2 x 9 x 2mt garden beds and also picked all of the lovely French Lavender in the gardens and hung them upside down to dry and separated the dried buds off the other lavender we had hanging and put them in a jar.

DH vacuumed the whole house and I deep cleaned the toilet and bathroom for the week. Tonight's dinner will be the other half of our homemade pizza and some ice cream and maybe fruit for dessert.
 
Today we picked 32 cucumbers (about 16kg) from the gardens and used 8 for juices and also picked few strawberries which we ate. We fertilised the vegetable, herb and berry gardens with a tonic of seasol and put urea around the corn, strawberries and silverbeet for a nitrogen boost. I texted a friend and she took around 12 for her to make pickles and another friend lives 2 doors up from them so they took 4 and we have texted another friend at church and she wants 2. The excess we will take to church tomorrow to give away.

While we were at it we weeded 2 x 9 x 2mt garden beds and also picked all of the lovely French Lavender in the gardens and hung them upside down to dry and separated the dried buds off the other lavender we had hanging and put them in a jar.

DH vacuumed the whole house and I deep cleaned the toilet and bathroom for the week. Tonight's dinner will be the other half of our homemade pizza and some ice cream and maybe fruit for dessert.
I'm jealous. I don't have anything yet. Being able to give to the friends and neighbors is so awesome. Just something very cool about saying hey I grew this myself and I want you to be able to enjoy it as well. Such a cool community type thing and passing it on is the ultimate of what growing is all about. Good on ya @Sewingcreations15 . Shows your kind heart and good character.....
 
Grandson's Boy Scout Troop decided to leave this morning, instead of last night, so off he goes in a half hour. Granddaughter wrote an essay to apply for a weeklong math and science camp for girls this summer and the Tech College in N.M., and her verbal interview is today. We'll be bringing her to that, and we'll see how she does. Two of my daughter's are picking me up after we get back and off we go for a girls day. I suspect some desserts, some thrift store shopping, a lot of goofing around this afternoon. We used to all go in May each year (with youngest daughter, too) to a three day Women's retreat up at the NRA center. They don't offer that retreat anymore, but all four of us would have a blast. So we do these little get togethers whenever it's near one of our birthdays. Then granddaughter will be spending the night at a friend's tonight, so husband and I will be kidless tonight. Possibly a dinner out. We'll see. Am enjoying baby duck antics. When I put something in the brooder, like refill the water, they all pad over real fast to see. Cracks me up. Their duck feet are adorable.
 
We have a teenager coming over to put our garden cart together either this afternoon or tomorrow afternoon. This morning, we are going to TSC for goat minerals, O'Reilley's for my window shield wipers and Kroger for boneless chicken breasts--cheap. It is almost time to make dog food again and we need some for us too. EBay photos so I can get the 3 items listed, I wrote drafts for yesterday.

How do you make your dog food, we want to make ours but a couple of our dogs have allergies. And they are 10 y.o. The large dog is 17 going on 18 y.o. Vet can't believe it and he is the one who gave her to us. Old dog can eat ANYTHING.
 
I woke up to no heat...
I looked it over (first gas furnace I ever saw) and found the diagnostic list. The LED was flashing three times and the note said the pressure switch was closed. I located the pressure switch and disconnected the two hoses. I blew and sucked into each of the two hoses and reconnected them. Turned the breaker back on and the furnace came on. I called a repair place and told them to bring one out to me on Monday. They said they would call first. I have heat for now...
 
Working with my husbands horse ...
and just a little bruised.
It happens sometimes. (but I won in the end, that's what matters.)

Be careful there cowgirl.

Today I vaccumed and mopped all the floors, cooked a little meal, dusted and cleaned out chest freezer which is alway fun since I have to stand on my head to do so.

All while coming here to save the world and make politicians behave. :waiting::sarcasm:
 
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Thanks @Dutchs who'd have thought planting about 12 cucumber plants would produce that many cucumbers :eyeballs:and they are still producing. Seriously good to have some nice cool cucumbers to eat during up to 30 oc days though and good to bless others with our abundance. We choose those who we know struggle financially and are mostly on pensions to give our excess produce to and those who spend a lot of time helping others, and other than that take the rest to church. So far our cucumbers have been stretched across 8 families including ours with ample for all concerned.
 
Thanks @Dutchs who'd have thought planting about 12 cucumber plants would produce that many cucumbers :eyeballs:and they are still producing. Seriously good to have some nice cool cucumbers to eat during up to 30 oc days though and good to bless others with our abundance. We choose those who we know struggle financially and are mostly on pensions to give our excess produce to and those who spend a lot of time helping others, and other than that take the rest to church. So far our cucumbers have been stretched across 8 families including ours with ample for all concerned.
That's awesome...It would be great if everyone could do that.....Some just can't and some just won't. But then there is people like us......Life is good.
 
Went to town for Tacos. Spent time with Ms Chen. She grows things in Window boxes and pots, that she uses in Chinese Dishes. She gave me a Vine in a Gl pot. She said it didn't grow well like that. She wants me to put it in my Garden. She googled it, to show me what it is. Never seen it before. It looks like it should be a Squash or a Light green glob of Playdough, but it has flesh like a Cucumber. Must be from China. Ill transplant it Tomorrow. Stopped by to see Ms Do for a Pedicure.
 
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