Hope

[George Shirley]

Just walked out into the backyard and the fig tree has small leaves
already formed and more are forming. The blueberries are blooming but I
see no bees. Might have to resort to fertilizing the flowers with a
cotton swab, time consuming but works most of the time. May just be to
cold for bees yet or, worse, there may be no bees nearby as all the old
growth trees have been harvested.

Going to our new doctor at 0900 today to get a script and some papers
signed for a Texas handicap hang tag. Doesn't matter where we live I
still can't walk very far and certainly can't dodge cars in parking
lots. Getting old isn't fun but it is surely better than the alternative.

Later today I am going to convert a really nice old TV cabinet (remember
those?) into a cupboard for my canning equipment. Have to put a back on
it, have some nice quarter inch plywood for that, then put two new
shelves in. both in the top three-fourths of the cabinet. Found some
nice oak plywood that should be sturdy enough to hold up canning kettles
and a pressure canner.

This new house does not have enough storage space for home food
preservers. With the help of one of our grown grandsons we will be
insulating the garage, most garages in this area aren't insulated at
all. Mine always are because I store things that freezing will hurt out
there. I still have to cut a piece of drywall out of each wall to ensure
that the walls, at least, are insulated. The attic will be easy to do as
an access stairway is just inside the hallway from the garage. Run a big
hose in there, pump in enough shredded fiberglass to fill the
twelve-inch deep spaces in the attic and you're done. A few hundred
bucks, some fairly easy labor, and you have a nice place to store
things. I'm grateful that we have a 29-year old grandson just two blocks
down the street.

We have high hopes to get our raised bed garden in no later than next
week, just waiting for the dealer who sells the stuff we will put in the
garden to open for the spring, should be no later than Saturday.

George, hoping to garden and can soon

[gloria p]

On 2/2ontents.7/2013 6:44 AM, George Shirley wrote:
> Just walked out into the backyard and the fig tree has small leaves

> formed and more are forming. The blueberries are blooming but I
> see no bees. Might have to resort to fertilizing the flowers with a
> cotton swab, time consuming but works most of the time. May just be to
> cold for bees yet or, worse, there may be no bees nearby as all the old
> growth trees have been harvested.

Look to see if there's a local beekeepers' club, attend a meeting
and see if anyone wants to relocate a hive or two in your yard. (Their
hive and bees and maybe they'll share the resulting honey.

> Later today I am going to convert a nice old TV cabinet for canning equipment

Think about putting it on higher legs or a raised platform so you don't
have to crawl around to get at the contents.

>
> I'm grateful that we have a 29-year old grandson just two blocks
> down the street.

I hope he's excited about helping you with your projects.

It sounds as though you are settling in well. I hoe you have a terrific
gardening year.

gloria p

[songbird]

George Shirley wrote:

> Just walked out into the backyard and the fig tree has small leaves
> already formed and more are forming. The blueberries are blooming but I
> see no bees. Might have to resort to fertilizing the flowers with a
> cotton swab, time consuming but works most of the time. May just be to
> cold for bees yet or, worse, there may be no bees nearby as all the old
> growth trees have been harvested.

you would be surprised by what is actually flying
around in the early spring. we have plenty of
early spring blooming crocus, iris, etc. and often
i will see flying bees of the small types around
even if they aren't the obvious honey bee type.
if the weather is above freezing and the flowers
are open something might be able to find them.

of course there are the other things to do to
encourage various bee habitat. boards with holes
drilled in set up in good locations (some sun from
the morning, but not the hot sun from midday on)
which will encourage bees.

also shallow bowls of nectar/sugar water.

good luck with all the projects George. i'm
still puttering indoors for a while yet.


songbird

[Bass...@nowhere.com]

The only thing flying around here is Snow. We just got 9 inches on Tuesday.
Waiting for Spring in Wisconsin. John

[George Shirley]

Just got an email from a friend in Nova Scotia, they got 9 inches yesterday.

We nearly froze to death this morning, it hit 36F here in Tomball, TX.
Good thing we have gas heat and a well insulated house.

The sun is shining and we've been out in the yard with long sleeve
shirts on. It's not tee shirt and shorts weather just yet. The new fig
tree is leafing out nicely and the blueberries are abloom.

We start building the new raised bed garden this afternoon and will pick
up the soil mix we're using next Wednesday. One third each of
vermiculite, peat moss, and mixed compost. Our new composter barrel is
working on a nearly full load as of now, put more kitchen scraps and
grass clippings in this morning. Don't have any leaves (no trees) so
used paper clippings from the office shredder. Seems to be working and
gives me a way to get rid of old tax papers and records plus all the
accumulated written junk here. Wouldn't do it if I didn't know that
modern print ink is made from soy oil and pine resin. Used to have a
client that made the stuff.

George, waiting for Tilly Dawg to come home from the dentist

[Drew Lawson]

In article <SKednUyF7di...@giganews.com>

Bass...@nowhere.com writes:
>The only thing flying around here is Snow. We just got 9 inches on Tuesday.
> Waiting for Spring in Wisconsin. John

Western Ohio got into the 60s(F) in early February, and I thought
we were juat about done with winter. Then February returned.

The seedlings in the basement lend me some hope, but I'd just as
soon be digging beds.

Soon. Soon.

--
Drew Lawson For it's not the fall, but landing,
That will alter your social standing