TRASH TO TREASURE THAT WE IGNORED

  Regular readers know that I have a favorite place to look for bargains...our downstairs trash area!  Our building has trash chutes on every floor and they feed into a separate room, but for boxes and other things that people can't put in the chute, there is an area (indoor) near the loading dock where people can put the things they don't want.  I've found quite a few cool items over the last few years.

THIS however, is NOT one of the latest:

I went downstairs recently and saw this thing sitting there. Side note, this is how things are often left when I pick them up. This is one that I saw the sign and went "oh wow, cool!" (big and free!). But then I stepped back, looked at it again and went, "WHAT IS IT?"

We still have no idea.  I even had 2nd Man come down and look at it and we couldn't figure out a use for it, whatever it was.  It was obviously handmade, or maybe custom made (welded together) and was very heavy made up of various large pieces of metal.  The top curved piece rotated, almost like a globe would do.  We were kind of thinking maybe something laid in there, like a piece of art or an artifact like a sword or something similar?  It was probably expensive originally.  

We DO pass on things, ha, I just never take pictures of them.  This one tough, we thought you'd enjoy.

So what do you think it was?  It was gone later that evening so SOMEONE found a use for it.

ORCHARD UPDATE BABY FRUIT

After the garden and veggie update, here is another part of what I did plus some baby fruits.  Alas, no baby ducks in these pictures, ha.

I got the cherry bushes planted.  For those who may have missed the post about them, you can read about it HERE.  They are Nanking cherries and while not a cherry tree, they are in the cherry family and produce a bush type of cherry that grows in drought, heat AND hard freezes.  Perfect for our crazy climate!

Nanking cherry

We had two planting rings ready to go with the right soil and I planted them.  This one has grown into a "V shape" we're fine with that.  Just planted it and mulched it.  One down one to go.

Nanking cherry bush

This is the second one, it's more of just a straight single stem, we'll see how it develops over time.  It was a bit windy and we were a bit worried but we're willing to let them grow and be strong.

Blueberries

We have four blueberry plants and they all have at least a few berries on them.  We'll have to get some bird netting over them soon.

Mystery fruit

They mystery fruits continue to grow.  There are four on there.  I hope to let them at least grow enough for me to sacrifice one for educational purposes (ha!) to see what it looks/smells/tastes like on the inside.  Then maybe the identity will be revealed.

Anna apple

And look at this!

One of about half a dozen apples on the Anna apple tree.  We're excited about that.  I did harshly prune it recently (more on that in an upcoming post) so it could be that.  Or that PLUS the record breaking cold freeze we had.  Either way, we're happy to have them.  Last year the three we got were eaten during the "Great Goat Attack", ha.  So we didn't get any.  Hoping this is the start of many years of ever increasing harvests!

BABY VEGGIES AND BABY DUCKS

 It was a good day Saturday.  I got the garden set up for automated watering.  And look, we have veggies coming in.  The plants all look healthy too.

Pickling Cucumbers

The pickling cucumbers are growing like crazy, the vines climbing the trellis.  There are blooms and a couple of tiny cucumbers (click to enlarge).  Exciting to see.

Eggplants

Eggplants bloomed and the blooms went away and now there are tiny little fruits on there.

Tomatoes

And of course the tomatoes are doing their thing for sure.  They aren't so tiny either and are looking good.  So far no issues.  Hoping they keep growing.  This is just one of the plants, the other tomato plant has about four on it, all in varying sizes.

The basil plants are still struggling but hoping with regular watering they'll perk up.

Next was time on the Zen Machine...

After two weeks it wasn't too bad and you know I love my time on the Zen Machine anyway.  This was about normal (actually a bit quicker).  I mowed it pretty short, our grass grows quickly and this will allow me to skip a week which will help with planning other yard projects.

And then as you may remember, 2nd Family had ten new babies...

Ducklings

...and here they are!  Getting bigger.

They are in an enclosure for their safety.  I asked "J" if she had picked them up and she said no, Mama is way too protective.  I got in there and tried but this was as close as I could get.  Yes, mama is VERY protective.  She always put herself between me and the babies.  

But still, we could have sat there and watched them for hours.  They are adorable.

It was a good weekend.

UPDATE FROM YESTERDAY AND HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

Yesterday, we posted about my goals for spending the day at the farm.  Well, I'm back in town today (for in town errands) but here is the update:

Mow (DONE)

Edge  (KIND OF 1/2 DONE)

Plant the cherry bushes (DONE)

Plant a fruit tree

Transplant the pineapples into larger pots

Restring the deer fencing (DONE)

Set up the garden watering system (DONE)

Not too bad.  More on some of those in upcoming posts.  The mowing was good as always, there was no mud and I cut it pretty short.  It always comes back and we'd rather it be short enough so that if I miss a week for whatever reason it's not a long day of mowing and clogging up the mower, ha.  Yesterday was good!

When I got back, 2nd Man made one of my favorite weekend meals...pork loin with herbs de Provence (with the lavender), mashed roasted sweet potatoes with garlic and buttered green peas.  Put it on the plate, pour some pan drippings over it, a glass (or two) of wine (not wind, ha, thanks for catching that Marcia!) and it becomes a good end to a day of hard work...

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there!  We don't have ours but we wish a happy day for all and nothing but good memories to all! 

AT THE FARM TODAY

As this publishes, I will have been up at 7am and headed out for the day...

After last weekend's washout, we're back to clear skies and warm weather and I have a long list of things to do.  In a perfect world, this is what I'd get done:

Mow

Edge

Plant the cherry bushes

Plant a fruit tree

Transplant the pineapples into larger pots

Restring the deer fencing

Set up the garden watering system

But it's not always a perfect world.  I need to stop and get gas.  I need to stop at the garden center.  I need to get some supplies for the garden and trees.  I will mow for sure.  I'd like to edge but that can wait (who's gonna see it? ha).  I will definitely plant the cherry bushes.  I need to add some fishing line to the deer fencing around the fruit.  And I have to get the garden on the automated watering system now that our water is back on and the days are heating up.

If I can mow and we don't get any rain this coming week, I might not have to mow at all next weekend and I can make this a two part list. 

Check back tomorrow and of course next week and we'll see what all gets done.  2nd Man has to be in all weekend on a project for work but I'm sure we'll get some good food in at some point.  And Hobart will be napping, as usual.  Hope you all have a great weekend!

WOODEN BOTTLE SHIPPING BOX TRASH TO TREASURE

 Regular readers know that I have a favorite place to look for bargains...our downstairs trash area!  Our building has trash chutes on every floor and they feed into a separate room, but for boxes and other things that people can't put in the chute, there is an area (indoor) near the loading dock where people can put the things they don't want.  I've found quite a few cool items over the last few years.

Here is one of the latest!

This box probably had bottles in it, wine bottles most likely, or olive oils.  It's very well made and very sturdy.  It was probably something shipped that had to be strong to hold up during the process.  The wood is solid and hard so it should last a while.

We've taken it to the farm where I put it in the barn so I can find a great use for it.  I did discover that it fits nicely into a drawer in the workbench so maybe I can use it to sort items like screwdrivers or something similar.  2nd Man already has items like this (organizers, dividers) for his kitchen drawer supplies so it's my turn to use it for tools or something else, ha. 

BANANA PUPS

Banana pup coming up

Remember when I had the bananas in the back of the Jeep because of the historic freeze? Not sure what was going on in the back of the car, LOL, but I discovered this!  They had given birth to "pups" ha!  They are of course also called suckers or offshoots from the main tree.  In the ground, they can be dug up and planted and will become a new banana tree.

Banana pup

So I dug them up though one didn't make it out of the process, it broke off at the root end.  Oh well.  I saved this one with a nice root ball on the end, grabbed a container with some fresh soil and planted it a couple of weekends ago.

We still have to figure out where we are going to put them.  Because of their growth habit, we want to make sure they are planted in the right spot.  They can grow fast and tall.  They also aren't always the most attractive plant in the world, well, more tropical looking than farm looking, like they should be around the sides of a pool or something like that.

We're thinking we can maybe put them in an area of the yard and just leave them to grow and multiply...when we do that, it looks like we might eventually have a banana grove in our future, ha!

HONEYSUCKLE IN BLOOM

When we pull up to the farm this time of year and get out of the car, we can smell the familiar scent on the breeze.  Indeed while I'm mowing I get to inhale that intoxicatingly wonderful scent of childhood...

Honeysuckle patch

Honeysuckle is in bloom everywhere!  This patch is behind the house...

Honeysuckle growing wild

When I was mowing last weekend, I found it everywhere else too.  Here along one side by the fence.

Honeysuckle in bloom

And here is more on the other side of the property.  Who among us hasn't plucked some flowers and pulled out that oh so sweet nectar?  We're grateful to have these just growing wild everywhere on the property.  

Because of this, we've been researching recipes to use with honeysuckle and found some jelly recipes that are supposed to be "Summer in a jar delicious".

I think I'm going to try that here in the next couple of weeks before the flowers go away.  It takes a lot for a batch but I'm willing to do it to try something new and maybe recreate that taste of childhood Summers.

Image via pinterest.com

Anyone ever tasted and/or made a batch of honeysuckle jelly?

SOUTHERN BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS AND HOBART

I awoke to this...

2nd Man made a pan full of biscuits.  Side note, we now just call his Lodge sheet pan the "biscuit pan" ha.

And what better way to top that off some homemade biscuits than with some sausage gravy.

It's the "Southern breakfast of champions"!

Hobart would approve of good food, but he's currently on a "post catnip high" and sleeping...

WEEKEND WASHOUT

Well...

...there won't be a trip to the farm this weekend.

We are in the middle of storms that just keep rolling in over and over.  No major flooding yet, there is a break between them, but it's supposed to last all weekend.

That storms are widespread and staying along the coast which draws up moisture and keeps the rains coming.

This was at 2am when we were awakened by loud thunder...I picked up my phone and checked the radar so we can see what it's doing at the farm.  That little "push pin" symbol is the farm.  Just rain and storms for a hundred miles around.

So today and tomorrow will be good days for reading and napping and just generally being a cat, ha!

Hope your weekend is off to a better start!

7:00pm update: 3.25 inches of rain at the farm