Garden Gab and Pickles

I have a two-headed chicken planter that I absolutely love. I'm the ONLY one that loves it...everyone else thinks it's pretty awful. This year I planted impatiens in it, and stuck it in the Weeping Cherry garden out front. The impatiens were wonderful and grew into a mound of bright color. A few trailing plants would have been a good compliment to the impatiens, but I just didn't think about it at the time. Anyway, when I came home today I noticed that the chicken was naked. Either a deer or a rabbit ate all of my impatiens, almost to the soil line! I don't cuss very often, but I did have a few choice words for the wildlife today.

The okra plants have withered into pathetic little leafless stems but the tomatoes are still hanging in there. I pulled a few more green tomatoes from the plants today. They sure taste good when fried.

Chickweed has once again invaded my gardens. It appears in the early spring, dies off during the heat of summer, and is reinstated again in the cool fall weather. I absolutely hate it. One day soon, before it flowers and sends out seed, I'll have to get out there and start pulling the hated weed. I can't remember what the chemical cure is...either 2-4D or Dicamba (spelling?) perhaps. It's been too long since I've used a chemical on it. I've been trying to control it by good old fashioned hand pulling. The problem with that is that chickweed has a very tough, fibrous root system and I have to get it ALL out. The chemical way sounds kind of appealing right now.

Speaking of appealing, I have had horrible cravings for Vlasic Sweet Baby Kosher Dill pickles. I can't get enough of them. Today I bought three jars, and while in the Wal-Mart parking lot, I did the unthinkable...I opened a jar and pulled out pickles WITH MY BARE HANDS! You know how I hate germs, and the thought of contaminating pickle juice makes me shudder, but I just couldn't wait until I got home to get a fork. I HAD to have a pickle. I ended up eating about a third of a jar. Just to prove to myself that I have SOME self-control, I refused to give in to temptation and eat another one for almost three miles. Luckily, you get one and a quarter pickles for only FIVE calories. Sadly, the sodium content is enough to send my blood pressure soaring. I just can't stop eating them. It's like my summer cravings for cucumbers and onions in vinegar....mmmmm. If I hadn't have had a hysterectomy almost 20 years ago, I would wonder if I were pregnant! (There's probably all sorts of grammatical errors in that sentence!)

Sleep well, everyone. Just talking about the pickles has made my mouth water.
shel

Rain, Rain, Go Away AGAIN

Seems like we've had an awful lot of rain this year. I'm quite tired of it, and am ready for some sunshine and mild autumn weather.

The green tomatoes that I've brought into the house are slowly ripening, but they just don't have any flavor. Okra plants are dead, as are the zucchini, so there will be no more harvest from them.

I plan on piling lots of shredded leaves onto the garden this year (if it dries up) and adding bags of cow manure, if I can still get it. Down by the end of the driveway I have a pile of chipped wood that the power company gave me a few years back. Deep in the pile the wood has decomposed, creating a nice rich compost. On the next good day, if I don't have little Gabriel, I will wheel the compost to the garden and spread it evenly around. It should break down more over the winter and add lots of richness to my otherwise crappy garden soil. I sure wish I had a wagon to pull behind my lawnmower, as it would make the job much easier.

Max mowed the lawn last week but it sure needs it again. I look forward to a dry day because I really enjoy mowing. (I also think that I do a better job than he does because he races around like Speedy Gonzales...he's a crazy mower!)

Last year I just couldn't get in the mood to bake. I was pretty depressed for most of fall and all of winter. Now I'm ready to start baking, but I don't have the extra freezer downstairs to put the goodies into. I miss having the refrigerator/freezer set. We still have the deep freeze that came from Max's grandmother, but it is nearly full. Unfortunately it is also an energy hog. The thing must be nearly as old as I am.

I went into the koi pond the other day to try to catch the two remaining koi and I nearly froze to death. The water was so cold that my legs burned. I have to ask myself...is it worth getting pneumonia (or worse) just to save two koi that aren't even show quality? The practical side of me says to leave them out there and let nature take it's course, but the koi lover in me says 'GET IN THERE AND SAVE THEM!!!!!' I still need to get to Menard's or Lowe's and buy boards so that I can insulate and enclose the horse trough that the other two (yellow) koi are in. I am determined to keep them over the winter. I will transfer my big air stone from the pond (which has about 6" of water in it) to the tank to keep a hole open in the ice so that my koi will survive. I may even build a temporary greenhouse over the top of the tank.

I hope you all stay dry and happy. If anyone is in the mood, come on over and go fishing for koi! I'll even give you a cup of hot chocolate to warm you up after you climb out.

shel