I wouldn’t say that they has a sale on blue cheese in the store today but when comparing the price to the smaller packages it still was pretty cheap (well that’s a lie nothing is ever cheap, especially not blue cheese π π ) so I’m now pretty sure Malkolm will love to eat breakfast again π π Β Alma eats any crap but she’ll have some blue cheese as well of course.
We had a chilly morning but since the hunters were out we couldn’t have our usual morning walk. By the time I came home again the hunters already were gone and it must have been less than an hour I was away. Anyway during that short time most of the grass had dried up so it has been a rather warm day even outside the little hollow I live in. Β I met another hunter sitting in a hunting tower and it turns out that he had fallen asleep in the warm weather π π I know him well so we had a little chat before the dogs and I continued our walk. Both he and I had had a rather bad night and we think it’s because we both have that small cold when the nose is stuffed but not much else than the normal tiredness happening.
I want to have a new project. I actually have one that has been waiting for years but I don’t have all the materials I need and I must be careful with my economy since I don’t have a job. One never knows what might happen so it’s always good to have a an emergency fund just in case and not touch that until it is absolutely needed. I’m far from needing that but buying a lot of things not absolutely needed is just stupid even if I would have fun doing it π π π
As usual there’s nothing worth watching on tv so I’ll make myself a pot of tea and most likely snooze in the recliner for the rest of the night π π π
Have a great day!
This is not the monster but most likely her sibling π If he/ she ever comes here I guess I’ll just let it stay π
Looks like the cold weather scared som cranes to move south, usually they don’t do that until mid or late September.
Another cold night so I’m glad I covered the more sensitive plants. Yesterday we had several thunderstorms passing by and we had hail falling in at least three of them, there was even some hail left when we went out in to the garden when we had woken up.
The rest of the day has been really nice though. It was so cold on our morning walk that not a fly or anything but migrating cranes were moving in the air. Well a couple of Jays flew around screaming, most likely warning about us walking down the gravel road. The sun shone almost the entire walk and has continued to do so with the exception of a few clouds passing by. The clouds weren’t big but manage to pass the sun in a place so the sunshine couldn’t reach us. It has actually been enough warm to have the kitchen door open almost all day.
When there are like two or several individual mist clouds we’re saying that the Elves are dancing. Normally we see this in fields and usually in a ring formation. One doesn’t want to interfere in it because it usually means the end of life is here. These two however let us pass without being punished π π
It should have been open all the time if it hadn’t been because of Alma, she is now in heat. Malkolm is still chemically castrated so no such problems but he still behaves like a bewitched teenager π π π Almost all female dogs that have been living with me has done that every six months, not Alma though she does it every fifth month π which is at the time rather good because I was unsure for how much longer the chemicals would work on Malkolm.
Most spiderwebs had been destroyed by the heavy showers of rain and hail.Some had however managed to build new ones.
I’ve planted most of the sown coneflowers (Echinacea) today. I really like them but for some reason I have never had one, bought or sown, surviving the winter here and that’s not because they aren’t hardy enough and the sand in the ground here should be perfect for them. The only one that I actually had for several years was the pinnate prairie coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) but those were slowly pushed away by some wild roses I used to have π π
This is a rather nice tasting mushroom and it grows in my garden.
My bigger citrus trees, smaller this year due to frost and my four Pawpaw seedlings. Two from last year badly damaged by mice and two from this year.
The coming three days will be much like today they’re guessing but after that we’ll get clouds and rain but at least not as cold as it washes last days. The tea is waiting and perhaps I’ll have a sandwich or two π
Malkolm looking slightly ashamed all the time now π π
Another really nice and sunny spring day here. Started a bit cloudy but warm so I didn’t feel I had the right to complain π No cranes in the field though but I could hear some trumpeting in fields further away.
We walked down to the creek but in the opposite direction to what we normally do. It would have been nice to walk to the older forest but the ground is so wet around there that rubber boots are a necessity at the moment. The sun started to shine while we were out warming up the air quite a lot so after a short while it felt too much to wear an anorak π
I continued to weed in the garden, today only nice weeds but yesterday I started to rip up stinging nettle roots. I could see the first shoots for the spring and decided I would at least slow them down this year. The shoots are edible after heating them up and can be used as a sort of spinach. People who do that always lies about those new shoots and say that they doesn’t burn, lies lies lies π π π So yesterday my hands burned and today they itch something bad π π
Besides that very little has happened here. Can’t say I remember what I’ve been doing but at the moment it does feel like I could have taken a long nap and still hadn’t rushed to do what I have done today π Tomorrow we’ll have a much cooler day and they’re saying we’ll have some rain as well, we barely got anything last time they said that. It’s not like we really need it but nature will love it anyway π
It is time for that last cup of tea for the day and after that I have no idea π
The cranes had arrived outside the cottage when we were back home again, they didn’t like to see me so they flew away π π
The new neighbours cat. The photos can come from today but also several days back, sunny photos are always nicer π
It was warmish and cloudy this morning when we went out in the garden. Four cranes were walking in the field outside my garden, two left when they heard us but two stayed. The problem was that I only could photograph them through the branches on my catalpa tree π I did get a few reasonable good ones though.
I had forgotten a few things last time I was at the supermarket so I went there again this morning before our morning walk, I like to go there as early as possible so that very few other customers are there. They tend to annoy me when they start complaining when there’s only one cashier even though they already are second in line π π π Anyway I stopped by the lake to take a few photos of the cranes there and once again I was too lazy to get out of the car π π
The clouds blew away in the petty strong wind we’ve had since yesterday, a steady wind with few gusts Β so it was quite nice to walk in the forest. I took a look at the small trees I’ve placed in the patio and so far they look really good, even if we would have temperatures below 0C (32F) at night the cottage itself will make sure those temperatures won’t reach the plants.
Besides this very little has happened here, the dogs and I had pancakes for dinner (well they had their own food first, I don’t think pancakes would be especially good to have as the only thing to eat π ). I think I can see flower buds on the apricot trees in the garden. Apricots are really hardy but they don’t change their habits just because they live in a harsher climate, they will flower at the same time as they do everywhere else they grow naturally π So if they start to flower soon I’ll need to cover the trees with some cloth so no frost takes away eventual fruit. Easy at the moment but one day they’ll be big trees π π
I’m not sure if I’ve missed all the Germans (and Dutch) because there’s only “normal” sized motorhomes by the lake. Could be that I’m a bit early because it looks like most cranes will come in April, yesterday there were 9300 cranes by the lake.
It is time for that last cup of tea and then watch some tv π
Still rather cold nights but after follows sunny and spring warm days. It was supposed to be windy all day but it seems the wind lost its breath after noon, so both me and my neighbours have been outside in the garden today and when my neighbours are outside none of the dogs can hear my voice or understand what I’m saying π π π Not even the monsterkitten was interesting enough for Malkolm to keep an eye on π π Then again she mostly lays on the kitchen stairs sleeping in the sunshine π
It was just above 0C (32F) when we went out for our morning walk and there was still frost on the trees and snow on the ground where the sun can’t reach it. Cranes flew above us and the small birds in the forest sang their spring songs. We saw a deer out on the bog but it was too far away for Alma to start screaming π π π I didn’t mind π she screamed enough when we passed the new neighbours π π
I’ve been busy in the garden for three days now and I must admit that I have some training sourness all over my body π π I’ve done the first more serious weeding both in the vegetablegarden and the bigger one that used to be for vegetables as well but I last year decided should be a sort of flower meadow. Well I failed badly last year but can see signs that it might be better this year. If I had wanted it to be filled with only our wild flowers it would take lots of year to be successful, so instead I’ll have any kind of annuals bees like and also a few perennials. Plus I have lots of garlic growing in there as well π Perhaps mice, voles and deer will stay away from it if I have π π
So I’ve now filled my composts till maximum and I still have more to remove, well that’s a problem for later. I have lots of vegetable seeds but perhaps I need a few more flower seeds, annuals.Β Still lots of time for that since nights will continue to stay below 0C (32F) for quite some time more and one never knows what April will be like, could be anything from summer warm to snow storms. So my body is aching but in a sort of good way π I slept unusually well these two last nights though π
Last years model, new one is approaching soon.
Since something bit off big parts of my Pawpaw seedlings last autumn I bought five more seeds this winter and they arrived three days ago. These seeds are really tricky and even though I managed to get five small trees last year means nothing, I’ve read that not even in nature are the success rate higher than 25%. So all I can do is to hold my thumbs and cross my fingers because they might just as well rot instead. If any start to grow I have no idea how to make them survive next winter since what ever it was that bit them off did it in my cellar. To be honest it could just as well has been a certain monsterkitten that did that job π π π She will not be permitted to be in the cellar next winter π π π
I know I’ll have to weed it soon again but the big job is at least done. I’ll have potatoes, some kind of cabbage, beans and most likely some peas in there as well.The coming meadow, I hope I’ll get a better result this year. Why the fence You might ask? Dogs I’ll answer πThe garlic seems to like it, these are just a few of them.This is a perennial Hollyhock and I do hope more will show as spring is going forward.
It is time for that last cup of tea and perhaps I’ll have one of the newly baked french rolls just waiting in the kitchen π
There’s nothing like a bath in icy cold water π
I wasn’t going to post anything today since very little was supposed to happen but then I needed to go to the supermarket to do some shopping.Β We did have our morning walk before I left though and it was a really nice walk. Just above 0C (32F), no wind and sunshine so it warmed up pretty quickly. The Jays were arguing and we had lots of Ravens above us, something must have died nearby so they didn’t have to fly to the roads to see if they could find something there.
Looks much like life, doesn’t it? everything goes straight and just like it should and then it takes a turn one didn’t expect but hopefuuly it will turn back to what it was before π π π
This is actually how one can see if the mound is made by a vole or a mole, a mole makes these lumps while digging but a vole just push out the sand as it is.
I brought the camera with me this time and stopped by the lake. I checked the statistics and yesterday there were 3900 cranes by the lake. Lots of them in the fields as well but still far away to how many they can be π I’ll stop there again before the season is over. After that the ones without a partner will walk around in the fields around here so I’ll show photos of them all summer.
Soon there will be loads of these parked here and You always know when the Germans arrive because their mobile homes cost just as much as a house π π π
The rest of the day we’ve been spending in the garden. The monsterkitten was a bit more brave and walked around to the other side of the cottage, not close to the gate though because Malkolm wouldn’t allow that π She’s still only walking around the cottage but that won’t last for long π and than I need to keep Malkolm close to me so he doesn’t follow her π
It is time to make that last cup of tea for the day and to check the dinner for tomorrow, it’s cooking in the slow cooker right now and the cottage is filled with the smell π
It was cold this morning when the dogs, monster kitten and I woke up. -14C (6,8F) but there was no wind at all so when I walked out in to the shine from the rising sun it actually felt rather nice even though I only wore a sweatshirt and sweatpants. It didn’t take long before I could hear drops dripping from the roof.
Still I can’t say that the snow did a lot of melting during the day even though it did become rather warm. Today the birds started to sing again and I could hear cranes from fields not too far away. I could also hear Alma the entire walk because today she decided that whining in a high pitched tone would make us all happy π π π She did behave very well otherwise. Instead I had to scold Malkolm because he decided that if Alma was supposed to walk without pulling the leash someone else had to π π π
I haven’t done much today though, applied for some jobs and been outside in the garden every now and again. The snow is slowly melting around the early spring bulbs but that’s it. This is the time of year when newly plants die, the ones planted last autumn that is. Their roots haven’t spread down properly Β in to the ground so if the ground still is frozen they’ll dry out pretty quickly when the warmer weather comes, that little soil that they brought with them from the pot will dry out really quickly and since the ground is frozen it can’t get any moisture from it. So just before the cold weather would arrive I was outside watering everything I planted last autumn and those plants that live on the border to what they can manage. All I can do now is to wish that I watered enough.
Everything down in the cool cellar are now getting tiny leafs, rather annoying since I can’t bring anything of it outside and since one of the plant lights I had broke so it is a bit too dark down there now. Can’t do much about it though, not until the nights a get warmer. As soon as they’ve gotten used to be outside they usually can take a night or two in a row without getting damaged. Doesn’t look like that will happen in the closest seven day π π π I think I have one peach tree, five apricots, two red mulberries and lots of quince seedlings and even though mice? (could also be a monster kitten π ) have chewed on all the giant sequoias it still looks like four of them have survived, cross Your fingers and hold Your thumbs for good luck π
It is time for that last cup of tea for the day and I hope that it will warm up quickly tomorrow morning (after a pretty cold night again) so I don’t have to scrape ice from the car before I’ll go to the supermarket π
We started our morning walk before the sun slowly started to rise up in the sky, around 15C (59F) and it felt like an early summer morning, even some birds sang. I wasn’t sure if there were hunters out in the forest because some of them were here yesterday evening. I wasn’t sure if it was to prepare for today or staying the night to hunt wild hogs and to be honest I was too lazy to check if the sign was up that they put up every time they’re out there, so we had a walk in the village instead. That also guarantees that we wont have to be creeped out by moose flies that has started flying around. I truly hate those flies!
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I had hoped for some morning mist and even though I actually saw some it was in a sort of sad way, barely visible and only just above the ground in two places π π π OK one hovered over the old iron age graves and one was hovering over the old stone age tomb but that one was even harder to see. Nova, as always held her own pace, either far behind or far ahead π It is like she’s a bit ashamed to walk with us and rather not be seen with the rest of us π π
This is a sorry excuse for a morning mist π πThis one is even harder to see πCranes moving south.
Since then the temperature has risen a lot, still nice outside because of a breeze but it is getting warmer and warmer now. So both the doors downstairs are closed and all drapes are covering the windows and doors to keep the heat outside but both windows upstairs are open because the breeze blows through the entire upstairs. It’s like a cool wind with a warm touch flows around us all.
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I made a pie and used the apples from my seed sown apple tree and they really work good for pies. I had some vanilla ice cream to it so I must say that they day became a bit better while eating it π π Not that the day has been bad in any way but pie always make even a good day better π Otherwise I’ve done very little besides watering those plants that need watering and I might do that again later today when the sun can’t reach the garden.
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It is time to have something to eat and I still have some chicken and potato salad left from yesterday so I’ll share that with the dogs. After that I think I’ll have a short nap before it is time to give the dogs their dinner. Nova also wants to thank for the birthday wishes π
Cikory.Foxglove.Morning glory.This dahlia doesn’t look like any of the varieties I bought this spring but that’s what I like π
Have a great day!
We aren’t allowed to have perennial Lupines in our gardens any more but these annuals aren’t bad to be honest.
The Hardy Kiwi has decided to start to flower, only it should have done that in spring.I haven’t seen any butterflies close to the Butterfly bush yet π I do hope they’ll come before the frost takes them.
I’ve been a bit distant lately and that’s because after working for 17 years at my work place I’ll have to quit my job. Not because I’ve done something wrong in any way but because my employer decided that I should start working four days a week (Monday till Thursday) from 4:25 pm to 03:00 am the next day. I told them I can’t do that for several reasons, I normally sleep from 9 pm to around 4:am and can’t just change my sleeping habits like that. They did this to me last autumn and I still have problems from that. I also can’t have my dogs in the dog yard because they bark like crazy as soon as any animal passes by.
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The badger walks along my garden every night now days, deer pass by, our fox comes for visits and not forgetting all the cats that live here. If they bark they’ll wake up my neighbors and both the adults and the kids need their sleep and it’s illegal to have the dogs locked up in the cottage for so many hours without contact with humans plus I would have to clean up the entire cottage every morning when i come home every morning because they do need to do their business and I can’t let them out to do it. Unfortunately employers here can treat their employees just as bad as they want to without the union doing anything when it comes to at least my union.
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If I come to work in the morning instead to work I won’t be paid and if I don’t come in the afternoon when they say I must work I will be charged (is that the right word?) with unauthorized absence and when that has happened too many times I’ll be charged with refusal to work and then they’ll fire me and I will never be able to find a new job with that hanging over me. So my last day will be on September 16, the day after I’ve had my sixtieth birthday. Anyway this is all I really can write about it now because I will still work there for a few more weeks. I must admit though that I’m feeling just fine, no worries at all and since I’m willing to take any job as long as I don’t have to work at night I’m pretty sure I’ll find a new job fairly quick, I at least hope so π π π
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The rain has poured down here today so for the first time in a long time I didn’t have to water anything when I came home after work π The Ice cream lorry passed by but since I now need to keep an eye on my finances I never went out to buy any ice cream, it felt a bit sad but better start now than when it is too late. On the other side I now I have two more Red mulberry trees π π π To my defence I bought those before I knew about this π π π These two will stay in my cool cellar during winter and then I’ll find a place for them in the garden next spring π The one I already have will be planted this weekend I think, I wonder where π π
The Rowan trees gives loads of berries this year. One can make the most delicious jelly from them even though the berries themselves are pretty tart.
This is a Jerusalem artichoke called Bianca. Normally it starts to flower at the end of September so it’s around a month early. I guess it’s because we had that long heatwave in May.
Time for a last cup of tea and then snooze in front of the tv π
My neighbor is working with what I think is a trimmer in their garden, could be a chain saw but the sound is to persistent for that. I guess the grass have grown very un-evenly so it’s easier to use a trimmer instead. Personally I would still have used a lawn mower, trimmers aren’t good for the back.
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I have no idea if there have been any hunters out in the forest today, We have walked in the village instead. It was cloudy but the sun broke through just as we went out on our morning walk. Both Alma and Malkolm behaved much better today. I’m not expecting my dogs to walk right beside me all the time but I really don’t want them to run around like crazy or pull the leash like insane π π I just want them to smell everything they can on the walk and not stress around. I do understand that all smells and scents are exciting but they are more or less the same we have all over this area, just other animals leaving them π
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Can You see those rocks just where the tree line is? Those are old tombs and I think they are from the Iron age.
The sun stayed for a couple of hours and then the clouds came back and for a while it looked like we would have rain falling but that never happened. I still went out to water all the new trees and bushes, no risk of over watering in sandy soil π My neighbors texted me to ask if I wanted some plums, so now I have a big bucket with plums in my kitchen π I really have no wish of get all those kernels out of the plums but since I can’t eat that many I’ll have to and then I’ll make some jam from them. Plum pie is that a thing? Because I’m not sure I have enough with sugar to make that much jam π
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I’ve done the laundry but I still have to do dinner for work next week. I’m not sure what to do but I have some sausages in the fridge, bacon in the freezer, eggs in the cool cellar and then perhaps go outside to see how many potatoes I can find or just have rise nudels, that works well too. Time for a cup of tea and then start with the food.
Two cranes passed over us on their way to the bigger lake.
Today has been really nice, sunshine all day, 20C (68F) and a rather strong wind that dried up most of the grass, tomorrow I’ll mow the lawn because it will be exactly the same weather, at least that is what they are guessing π So no blog will be written.
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WE walked out to the bog early this morning. I could hear both cranes and geese flying by. This time of year they fly between the two lakes, the one in the bog and the one I pass every time I go to work, every morning and every evening. I have no idea why they do that though. I know there are more fish and vegetation in the the I drive by but perhaps it’s safer for them to overnight in the bog lake?
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We metΒ Roe deer doe and her kit on our way out and they are now so used to us and Alma slightly insane behavior that they don’t care about us π They stood in front of us just looking at us, the youngling scratched its leg and then they slowly walked in to the forest. I had hoped that we would see more animals today when we reached the end of the peninsula but I couldn’t see anything. The dogs didn’t mind us walking away from there so I guess there might have been a moose, wild hogs or perhaps even a wolf even though I doubt that last one would be there, the roe deer were just to relaxed. It was most likely a moose, the dogs really don’t like them.
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I’ve done all my chores, it’s fun I’ve had all week to do them but still wait until the last minute π I have even harvested some potatoes, You know the ones I planted in two different pots. I found everything from thumb nail small to one really big and these will last for the rest of the week. Next week I’ll check some of those that survived the winter. I forgot to bring in some peas, chard and squash though, I don’t think I’ve ever had this many peas before, still no beans though.
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I also checked the English walnut. I suspected that it had died and was sort of right π The variety that once was grafted on the roots of what I guess is a seed sown walnut had died but instead I now have two stems growing up from the root! Just as it is with the Persimmon I bought last year but from those roots I have lots of new stems, they grow slow though. I think I’ll cover those with either grass or leafs when winter is approaching. Now when the warm weather finally came after our vacations things really started to grow, with a bit of luck I might actually have the chance to see the seed sown dahlias flower π π and I’m sure I’ll see that self sown sunflower open up soon π
This is to be honest an impossible photo because it’s impossible to actually see what it is π It shows the two new stems on my English walnut. Well You can at least see the leafs, it is the dead trunk that still is standing there. I think I’ll use that as a support during winter and then remove it.The Wisteria started to grow really well but then it stopped. The canopy above was so dense that almost no rain water reached the ground, it was the same where the Pawpaws grow. So I’ve started to remove branches so that both water and sunshine can reach the ground.The Hardy Fuchsia likes to get more light. I’ll cover it over winter with lots of leafs and grass.The Troll grapes has been opened by the birds so now the seeds can be seen.My seed sown Pawpaws. They are a bit slow because they did start to grow very late in the autumn, then started their winter rest just when spring started here. I hope they have adjust to how it really is already next year.
Today they actually show some tv programs I want to see, on the knowledge channel of course so after this I’ll make myself a cup of tea and most likely doze off in front of the tv π
We’ve had so much nicer weather than they guessed yesterday that we would get, as best we could hope for smaller gaps in the clouds where the sun might get a chance to shine through. Instead we’ve had plenty of sunshine since just after we had come home from our morning walk. We’ve also had a wind blowing, not strong but enough, so I’ll probably be able to mow the lawn tomorrow without the mower getting full of green gunk π I checked the new compost and I must say when the sun shines it works really fast. It was packed full just a week ago and now almost all of its contents has sunken down to just some left at the bottom of it! I’ll continue to fill it and see how it works but at the moment I’m impressed.
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Autumn is on its way now, no it won’t happen for some time but the signs are there. Almost no birds sing here any more and every evening I can hear the Cranes gather in bigger flocks. Now I’ve seen the older ones mix with the newcomers out in the fields and it’s the same with the geese. Some of them will move south as early as they can but lots will stay until they are forced to move by the weather. The trend is that they stay longer and longer now because of the late start of winter.Β
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I still have small trees/ bushes to plant in my garden and I had, of course, to buy another little tree this week. A Red Mulberry tree π π I already have problems finding out where I can plant those things I already have here but it looks like my English walnut died some time during this summer, have no idea why because it started really well after surviving the cold winter we had. I’ll try to reach it and take a closer look at it but if it is gone I will have space for the Red Mulberry π π The perennials will be easier though because of the old vegetable patch that now is where I wanted wildflowers to grow but failed miserable π πΒ
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I’m also thinking of getting rid of my wild grape vine, I don’t think I’ll get a single grape this year and it has been cheap with giving any at all. The easiest way to kill a grape vine is to cut it off just above the ground in spring, it’ll bleed to death quite quickly because they really don’t heal well at all. I’ll also most likely strip off the bark at the base of my plum tree, Google and other translators says it’s called to ring bark and it is the same name we use. The tree has to stand for two years before one can remove it but by doing like that it will not give any root shoots. I can always plant a climber beside it so it doesn’t look too awful during that time. It only gives a few plums every year and I only got it so that my neighbor would get plums on his tree. My “new” neighbors are thinking of getting rid of theirs so then there’s little meaning to keep mine. The space will soon be used for something else though π
I think this is buckwheat.
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At the same time it really hurts to get rid of a tree but not even the birds or rodents have any use of it since it doesn’t give fruit for them to eat. Well I still have to start with the mowing π I can find more and more tomatoes now but the bell peppers still only have buds, I guess it has to do with all the raining and relatively cool weather. They say this is the warmer weather since they started recording the climate but I’m pretty sure that next time they show that map of the world where it shows the average temperatures in anything from blue (colder than normal) to deep red (hotter than normal) the Nordic countries and perhaps Britain will be colored light blue π To be honest I do prefer that than deep red and now there’s no risk of forest fires anywhere in that area.Β
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It is time for a last cup of tea for today. I might turn off the tv and start listening to the radio because I don’t have the channel that shows the Olympics but I can listen to it on radio and also do something else at the same time π
Four of my Giant Sequoia seedlings.Now all they have to do is to start getting red π
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Have a great day!
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Some of the Aaron’s rod becomes pretty high, I think this one just about touches three meters (much the same in yards) πI had forgotten that I put down potatoes here and there in the garden and now I can find them all over the place π πΒ Β