3.20.2010

230 - The garden is in the house

I'm back, but I'm still tired and getting back into the groove of things. I had written this blog just before I got the call, so that makes this easy...

------------------------------

 
I woke up around 7:30 this morning and I was ready to go... go figure that I'd finally adjust to mornings as we are about to spring forward with daylight savings time. I'll say it again -- we should never spring forward... we should always fall back... fall back an hour in the fall... fall back 23 hours in the spring... same difference, much easier to stomach. Kristy for president.

Back to the garden... I got all my stuff together, stashed Gracie in my bedroom so I wouldn't have to run out the back door with one foot out (to keep her back), and headed out to play in the dirt.

The challenge



The contender


No, I'm not wearing a white t-shirt, that's the sun reflecting off of my pale skin. Ignore the glitter. You never saw that. It's the skin of a killer, Bella! (Where is my top lip? I never have a frickin' top lip... I'm going to get a complex...)

Round 1


I have a helper! Hello Mr. Earthworm! Glad I didn't kill you with my garden trowel... I am a killer after all. With amazing eyes and glittery alabaster skin. Who gets things for free. See that skyscraper above you Mr. Earthworm? I got that for free. With my amazing eyes. (still gloating)

The loser... Thyme.


The thyme I transplated yesterday doesn't look so good. See how small they little planties are?... They never stood a chance. So I sprinkled some seeds in the pot tonight after I watered, or sprinkled, or whatever you want to call it. Fingers crossed... thyme is good to have.

After!


Yeah... you may need to zoom in on that...

I even bagged the weeds and finally got rid of the old landscaping lights that didn't work anymore. So proud of me! All that's left is to figure out how to stand a trellis behind one of the pots, plant some beans, a few turnip seeds, and some spinach seeds. Then I think I'm done.

Poor fence... it looks bad, but it didn't fall down when Ike hit, so it'll have to hold on just a little while longer... I don't like the lady behind me anyway, and I know it probably eats her up inside. Not enough for her to approach me about splitting the cost... cranky old bitch...

And this is so pretty... I enhanced the color a little... but not much.


It even froze... totally encased in ice the day it snowed... what a trooper! Should my sycamore be leafing out now? I'm worried that I don't see buds yet... Does my sycamore know something I don't? (update: I do see buds... lots of buds... I love my sycamore...)

In the middle of all this I had to come inside and yell at Gracie because she was pawing at the windows, which wasn't a problem, but then I heard the screen rip... I get very angry when holes get put in my screens... so I stormed into the bedroom and shut the windows while I cursed at her. Ha! Try it now beyotch...

Sometimes I should pay better attention... I assumed she wanted to come outside... I came back in after I was done gardening, opened the door, and she raced out. Poor thing pooped in the bathroom... she tried to tell me... I felt so bad... and she even tried to cover it with the bathroom rug... gross but impressive, but I can wash that. So I let her know we were cool, and I apologized.

So... once, when Gracie was still a kitten, I accidentally shut her in my bedroom when I left for work (she ran under the bed and I didn't know it). I used to close the door so I could have one cat-free room in the house... futile... I don't like closed doors, they block the light and make me feel claustrophobic, and it's a pain in the ass to try to outrun a cat -- they have four legs, I only have two. Anyway... I came home, opened my bedroom door and realized she had been trapped in there all day...  and... she pooped in the sink. She had to do it somewhere... The genius part is that I had a washcloth on the countertop, and she drug that over and covered her poop with it. Even though she wasn't in the litter box she still tried to cover her poop. I threw the washcloth away... but I was kinda proud of her ingenuity... she's a cool kitty...

Finished up by about 9:30 am, so I vacuumed, then I went to the grocery store, and also stopped by CVS because I'd seen some batteries in that clearance section last night -- I got three 4-packs of AA Energizer batteries for $5.00 (didn't buy 'em last night cuz I had a coupon). So far, so good... beautiful day, I got my garden in, the windows are open, and all my chores are done.

14 comments:

  1. Well I don't know much about keeping cats out of the screen, but I do know how to help with the thyme... (I'm in the ag business remember)... big thing to remember is don't over fertilize. Thyme likes acid...so something with a little nitrogen and a little more phosphoric will do great..maybe a 5-10-3 or 5-10-5....If you are all into the organic thing then composte heaps are great for that stuff too but put a big heap of steer manure or chicken (bat is really good) guano. Give it the sunlight it loves and it'll be great :) My little one liked the earthworm but only because he figured we could catch a pretty good sized fish with that whopper...

    Glad to see you back..Hope you are feeling better real soon.....

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm so jealous of people who like to work in the yard, plant gardens and sweat! So glad you are back, I've missed you! (And if you think you are white... you should see me. If it weren't for dark spots, I'd have no color at all)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bendigo - I actually unearthed a couple of worms (luckily I don't think I killed any) that were pretty good sized. Tried to get them back into the soil as soon as possible (I am the girl who will pick up the hapless earthworm that got caught on the sidewalk as the sun began to rise, and toss it back onto the grass so it won't fry).

    Ms. A - I like it sometimes... when I don't burn. And when the mosquitos come out I like it considerably less. And wasps send me running back indoors... I'm the whitest person I know... if you out-white me then you're practically an albino! Poor you!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Normally, I'm not pasty white. I used to be fairly olive and tan really quick and easy. Lately, I'm stark white. My Cherokee isn't showing at all.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hey, welcome back. I love the layout of your yard. You going to post some pictures when it's all grown out?

    ReplyDelete
  6. If you keep this up, I'm going to feel so guilty I'll start working in MY yard. And we can't have that, can we? ;)

    Welcome back, Kristy.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Kristy for President! FALL BACK EVERY SEASON! Let me know if you need a campaign manager. As you can see, I already started.
    Welcome back, and take it easy.
    xoRobyn

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow, that garden looks really good. Alot better then my ass can do. Can I hire you to weed my back yard and plant a couple of things to make it look nice? =)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ms. A - Yeah, mine doesn't show either. I don't remember what kind of Indian I have in me, but it's so dilute that it doesn't show in my skin at all.

    TS - Thanks! Dad and I put those raised beds in a couple of years ago. And yes, when I start getting veggies I'm sure you'll have to endure several blogs and lots of pictures, lol

    Terry - Well... maybe you can live vicariously through my yard? After the beds went in, it wasn't that much work. Soil stays moist somehow and it isn't hard to dig or pull weeds.

    RRGBW - You're hired! Let's do this thing!

    Jerry - Dad and I built the planters but I hired someone to pour the patio. I used to have the standard 10 x 10 concrete pad. Originally I wanted a screened in porch... couldn't afford that... There's so much I'd like to do, but don't have the money, the space or the time...

    ReplyDelete
  10. I thought about you on Friday...I remembered my CVS receipts to get money off my purchase which I used to load up on Diet Dr. Pepper, which was on special) at a cheap price. CVS pwned!

    And that pic is funny. Totally would have thought it was a shirt if you did not say anything.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm so glad you're back Kristy! It's been a week! I don't think I've gone without you for so long in the past..! Hope your plants are all going to grow okay--you can't have more plant-misfortune than me ;)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm glad your back Kristy! Your garden looks great Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Your garden looks A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I wish I could come and sit in it and enjoy a glass of wine with you! I know that it is hard work, but I am excited to get mine done this year too! Well, if I can. I might not be living in this place anymore!

    Also, your cat sounds extraterrestrial smart. My cats barely cover their poo in a litter box, never mind if they have an accident!

    xoxox

    ReplyDelete
  14. You have a nice big backyard, and a nice garden. Now is the time, before it gets hot!
    When my cat is stuck in the house, she pees in the shower, which is very nice of her. All you gotta do is turn it on and wash it down the drain!

    ReplyDelete