Snip Snip Here, Snip Snip There

SM and I spent some quality time out in the backyard this weekend. 

The ground was pretty boggy but with temps hovering in the upper 60's it was just too nice to NOT be outside.

Casey Pig, soaking up some sun.

I got busy pruning the fruit trees while SM pulled out his saw zaw and made quick work on the monster shrubs that I'd attacked last month.  He took them pretty low to the ground, by my request. 

We also talked about taking out the three 15 foot holly "shrubs" (more like trees) that have provided us with a nice privacy fence from our neighbors.  SM climbed up on a ladder to see if this was something he could manage. 

They are truly beasts. 

I told SM that while I'm sure he could get them down, I didn't relish the task of disposing of them.  We let most of our yard waste dry out and then burn it.  We had a small fire going yesterday as a matter of fact, but hollies leaves are sharp.  Not something I want drying out around bare feet this summer. 

So SM is going to "Call The Guy" to come out and remove them.  While the tree guy is here, we're going to consider taking out the front yard River Birch and Bradford Pear.  There is some kind of bug killing the birches around here so it's only matter of time for the birch and Bradford pears just ought to be outlawed.  They are such pains!

Speaking of trimming trees, I've got peach branches stuck in vases everywhere in the house.

There was plenty to choose from.

I kept some of the larger branches and stuck them in the nook. 

I even pulled out some mason jars for some of the smaller branches.  If they bloom, I thought I'd take them into work with me.  Time will tell.
  

Global Warming

So I'm sitting there working up a middle aged male patient the other day when I hear "Oh God..." from his wife who is sitting somewhat behind me.

I turn to see her flapping her hand frantically at her face.  She's got that wide eyed, desperate "I'm going to spontaneously combust" look on her face that I know so well myself.

Without a word, I hand her my clipboard so she can increase the wind gusts around her.

"How'd you know?"  She asks.

I point to my size 11 neon pink tennis shoes and say "Sometimes I don't know which is brighter.  My face or my shoes.  Give me a minute and I just might come up with a sympathy hotflash for you."

I then turn to the husband and say "Wouldn't you just love that?  Stuck in a room with two menopausal women having a hotflash at the same time?"  He just shook his head at me and smiled. 

"In fact..."  I say turning back to the wife..."I have this theory.  You can blame global warming on the fact that all these Baby Boomer women are going through menopause at the same time."

"It ain't carbon emissions Baby, it's hotflashes!!"

A Peachy Idea

This weekend SM and I are going to tackle pruning our fruit trees. 

I always pull up a video on YouTube to remind me how to do this.

Last year was the first year we pruned our then 4yo apple trees.  I remember being told by a fellow blogger to be "ruthless" when pruning and she was right. 

We got our first apple harvest back in August and we were thrilled.

We do have a 2 yo peach tree that I bought at the end of the season at Walmart.  I didn't figure out until later why it was so cheap. 

The above video discusses that properly pruned peach trees have scaffold branches that grow at a 45 degree angle so the tree can handle the fruit load.

The center of the tree should always be open for air circulation. 

Our peach tree pretty much looks like a regular old tree with a main vertical branch right up the inside. 

We knew about this last year and pondered if we should remove it then but I wimped out and told SM to leave it alone. 

Not this year. 

SM will be breaking out the saw today to remove that center branch.  Hopefully the tree will survive.

I also wanted to share with you a great idea for all those pruned fruit tree branches. 





Instead of tossing them onto the burn pile, force them to bloom in the house instead.  I pulled up this "How To" article on Dave's Garden as a tutorial.

I'm going to give this a shot with both my peach and apple trimmings.  You can also do this with any spring flowering shrub like forsythias.

Inspiration

I was on FB group page Grow Share Charlotte and came across the Real Food Media Contest.



There are ten entries that are 3-4 minute long video's of folks who take their food and our food personally. 

I've been watching a video here and there. 
Nice reminder that Spring is coming too...

Check it out and cast your vote...  Real Food Media Contest

Support System

 

The wind blew hard all day long yesterday keeping an otherwise mild, sunshiny day somewhat cold.

SM was restless and I encouraged him to take a walk outside with me around 4pm.  He hesitated at first.  SM doesn't like it cold and the wind was gusting but he sucked it up and suggested we take the dogs along since they were on their tippytoes in hopeful anticipation. 

Seems like everybody was restless.

Conversations were limited with the dogs dragging us this way and that so when we got back to the house we ditched the dogs and went back out again, just us.

Halfway around I started shucking off my outerwear.

"Hotflash?"  SM asked.  "I can see it from here.  Your face is bright red."

"I don't know what I'm going to do this Summer."  I replied woefully.  "Any time the sun hits my skin I ignite.  It's funny...I've been complaining for the past two years thinking those flashes were hard.  HA.  This is just insane.  I'll be gardening in the dark this year.  Out at 3am digging around.  Won't the neighbors love that?"

"I'll set up some stadium lighting for you and you've already got those headlamp flashlights.  For the daytime, I'll put shadecloth over the whole garden so you can still get out."  SM offers.

"I don't know how you put up with me, I really don't."

"I think you're doing remarkably well.  I mean, I hear all kinds horror stories from other men and their wives are going off on them."

"Trust me.  I feel like I've gotten SO moody over the last few months."

"If you are, you're hiding it well."

"Really?!?  I feel like I treat you so bad anymore."

"You don't." 

"It's a good thing you're not a mind reader then.  I sure say some nasty things in my head."  I fall silent for moment.  "I really don't like this person I've been lately.  I miss the old me."

"You're doing great...really."  He punches me in the arm gently.  "Don't be so hard on yourself.  You'll get through this."





Moments like these are when I realize I was right 30 years ago. 

I married SM because I knew he was my friend first. 

And sometimes you just need a friend.

T Minus One Month

The end of February is supposed to be onion planting time around here. 

At least according to the Dixondale Zipcode Guide. 

My time to order my onion sets is coming up soon.  Real soon.  Have I ordered them yet?  Nope. 

If I place an order I have to be prepared to get them in the ground within a week of delivery and there's no way we're ready for that.  

I looked back in my Blog Archive (don'tcha love that thing?) just to be extra double checky sure and discovered that last year I also delayed planting until the first part of March.  And it was a cold March last year.

This is also the time of year I start to break out the hoop house supplies and get that set up.  Curious, I looked in the archive to see that I'd planted the lettuce, peas and carrots by mid-March.

OK.  If past history is anything I can trust, we've got one month to go.

So why do I get the feeling that this year I should delay even further?

The weather has been yo-yo-ing so much that I just don't feel that can't trust it yet. The 8 inches of snow that plopped down on us is slowly melting.  We're forecast for warmer temps (70's?) later in the week but also more rain.  That's good I guess.

So why do I still feel hesitant? 

It might seem strange to you but I usually watch what happens with the weather in Ohio and Pennsylvania to give me clues as to when the Springtime Shift has begun.  Once that moderation begins in their region I feel a little bit better about starting things around here.

Springtime starts with a BANG here.  One day it's winter, the next it's Spring.  I don't expect that will change anytime soon.

SM and I better start stretching our muscles.  Pruning the fruit trees and adding more composting soil to the garden beds can be done over the next few weeks.

If it dries out enough. 

So what's your vibe?  Are you getting the feeling it'll be a late Spring?

Hey SM...

Happy VD to all...

I Took A Walk

There's something romantic about walking hand in hand with the great big fluffies falling down.

Not.

Our neighborhood roads.

The county road has been scraped at least.

And I did manage get a few new "Don't take my picture" pictures of SqueetieMan.

Crusty vs Cushy

Just a quick note to say that we're fine and our power is still on.  Yeah!





The sleet that came down overnight formed a thick inch of crust that the dogs just LOVED. 

As in they stepped down into it and froze, looking back at me like "WTF?" 

Then they high stepped it after I yelled "Go Potty" and blocked their return to the steps forcing them to do their business. 

Life is not fair and on days like today, I'm glad I'm not a dog.  At least when it comes to that.  Being a dog in my house is actually a pretty cushy gig.  As I type this all three are sacked out snoozing the morning away.

Can't say the same for SM.  I can survive enforced periods of house-bound solitude.  SM is already starting to prowl, pacing back and forth looking out various windows as if the view might change.  Note to self - Buy Decaffeinated Coffee for times like these. 

I'd post a picture but really...snow is snow...Belch.

SM is itching to get out and start the clean-up but we're forecast for one last blast of heavy snow before this system moves outta here later this afternoon.

Then we'll de-crustify the cars, sidewalk and driveway.  Maybe take a walk and see what's happening on the county roads. 

The sun will be our best friend over the next few days as it melts all this snow and ice away. 

Can't happen soon enough for me.

It's A Fine Line...

"I just want you to know that I'm filling up the bathtub."  I said to SM as I walked through the house.  "You know...For when the power goes out."  I added.

"I know how your mind works."  SM replied, eyes rolling.

SM and I look at the world differently.  SM always thinks the best, you know, he's a Rainbow and Unicorns kinda guy, while I on the other hand tend to watch the road we're walking for potholes and steer clear of trouble if I can.

"You know there's a fine line between paranoia and preparation."  I announce.

SM laughed.  "And if the power goes out for a few days I'll be glad to have that water when I'm wondering how I'm gonna flush the toilet."

The ruler says close to 5 inches of the white stuff on the ground but I'm starting to hear that tap-tap-tapping of sleet on the windows.  

It's a fine line between snow, sleet and freezing rain. 
It's also a fine line between comfort, inconvenience and stupidity. 

We might not be comfortable when the power goes out, but we won't do anything stupid either. 

Wish us luck!

Starving

A few months ago SM and I were standing in The Biltmore greenhouse when I suddenly started snapping pictures of all the tropical plants and flowers.

"What are you doing?"  SM asked as I stood really close to some orchids.

"Trust me...There's going to come a day in the middle of Winter when I'm going to need these pictures to remind me that color still exists in the world."

I knew that day would come and indeed it has. 

I'm just starving for color.  Some intensity.

So feast your eyes...and enjoy!

The Season of Same

This is the blah season for both SM and I. 
The season of same.

Day in, Day out...nothing exciting.
Same food.  Blah.
Same weather...cold and dark.
Same routine. 

Work, work work...we're both putting in extra hours.
Sleep if we can...Hot, cold, hot...SM asked me if he could be getting hotflashes?

Most mornings he's in bed when I leave.
Most nights I'm asleep when he gets home.

Moodiness is setting in, tempers get short.
We go to our corners like boxers in a ring, but we don't come out fighting.
We know it's just the season.

This too shall pass.

It must be True Love.

Simply Super Seafood Chowder

I was out walking this morning with the dogs and ran into Joe and Betsy. 

We hadn't seen each other for a while so we caught up on gossip for a few minutes.  When the conversation stalled I asked... 

"Are you guys staying put for the Super Bowl or are you getting together?" 
(*I, personally could give a rats a$$ about the Super Bowl but everyone else seems to care about it so it's an easy conversation to have.)

"Well, we were invited to our friends house and it was supposed to be just us but now they're turning it into a party and they want Joe to cook his chili and bring it over for everyone."  Betsy said.

"I don't mind cooking."  Joe tossed out.

"Must be some good chili if it's a special request."  I offered.

"Oh, Joe's chili is The Best."  Betsy replied. 

"What are you guys doing tonight?"  Joe asked.

"Oh, staying home for now." 

"Are you making anything special?"  Betsy asked.

Now SM usually likes various munchies for football games.  You know, pizza, veg tray, chips and dips, chili.  But when we were at the store on Friday, I had mentioned that I hadn't made my infamous seafood chowder in a while.  Probably more than a year. 

SM lit up like a firecracker.  Game on!

I'd planned on making the soup Saturday, but then got sick.  So I figured today was the day.

"Seafood Chowder!"  I told Betsy.  "I haven't made it in a while so it's kind of a special dish."

"How do you make it?"  Joe asked.  I told him.  And since there's nothing else to post about today, here's my version of my Simply Super Seafood Chowder.

Start with some Basic Homefries-

In a stockpot or Dutch Oven on medium heat, take -

1 small diced onion (Yeah Copra storage onions!)
4 tablespoons of butter and a splash of olive oil to prevent burning.  Once then onions are nicely browned, take 3-4 medium red skinned potatoes, diced (approximately 4 cups) and fry those up.

When they've got that nice crust and crunch on them, I toss in the rest of the butter and start to add my seafood.

I like a meaty chowder so adjust the ingredients to your own taste.  First, I added -

2 lbs of raw skinless cod filets cubed.
1 pound of shrimp, tails removed.

Let this cook down a bit. 
Once the fish is boiling again add...
2 cans of Baby Clams with juice.
2 cans of Crab Meat with the juice (remove the little piece of paper)
I like to add 2 cups of frozen corn for color, crunch and sweetness. 

Bring it back up to a boil.

Then lastly, I add the milk (2 cups) and turn down the heat to low so I don't burn the chowder.  (I suppose you could use Half and Half if you want but good old milk (along with the butter) works just fine for us. 

Simmer on low for awhile.  I think soup is better when it's "slow cooked."   The flavors meld as the soup reduces.  This chowder simmered for another hour before I turned it off and let it cool.  Be sure to stir frequently and taste test for additional salt and pepper.  I like a peppery chowder.

SM likes oysters.  I do not.  So when SM makes himself a bowl of Chowda he'll put some oysters in his bowl first.

Serve with some toasted crusty garlic bread or soup crackers if you wish.

Yum...

Does this mean I'm rooting for the Seahawks?

Sick Day

For whatever reason most of my migraines start at night. 

By 1am, I stopped fighting it and got up and watched some TV. 

By 5am, I was piled underneath several blankets shivering. 


 


By 10am, I'd gotten reacquainted with the intricate details of not only my bathroom floor but the porcelain god that rests upon it.

By 10:01, I declared that all food smells in the house were off limits.

By 2pm, I must've looked truly alarming as SM insisted I take my temperature anyway even though I told him I didn't have a fever.  98.2  Ha.  Take that.

By 4pm, I decided I wanted to take a shower and get cleaned up.  I tend to have a "power-through" attitude and know from experience that just making an effort to look better actually helps you feel better.

By 6pm, I could tell that whatever bug had grabbed ahold of the scuff of my neck and shook me like a puppy was on it's way out. 
 
Sometimes it takes a sick day to make you realize just how good you've got it.