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Click for Lowville, New York Forecast
 

 
 
 

  version January 15, 2001







 


April 10  Number Four Almanac


There was that brief Spring three weeks ago. I worked outside. I raked leaves. I worked in my garage cleaning and making work benches. I started all sorts of little projects. I  built garden fences. I was so excited about the imminent garden. Then, about two weeks ago it started to snow. It snowed, in all, 11 days and nights. Every morning and evening there was one to six inches of new fresh powder. Sure I have been skiing but it has been too cold to work on little projects out in the shop. I have lost all hope about planting seeds.  One day in the middle of this little winter, I was talking to a neighbor, about not being able to work in my shop. "All you need" he says "is one of those little propane or kerosene heaters." "I know, All I have is a little electric heater. It is just not big enough," I agreed. Then walking home, I was weighing the convenience and cost of propane, and kerosene. "I have kerosene (in a big tank for the furnace), all I would have to do is buy a heater." I thought. Then, "well I have propane too, it is attached to my barbecue grill." Then I had one of those wicked back woods thoughts, "how IS a barbecue grill different from a space heater, really?"
Two disclaimers, do not EVER operate a gas grill indoors, especially not in a wholly wooden structure, and Just so you know I didn't buy a gas grill in the first place. It came with the house or I wouldn't own it at all.


Mikey, oh Miquih How does your garden grow? Right now, in pots and trays. My indoor garden has started to overflow on all flat surfaces. Every year I get a little better at starting seeds ahead.


  

The most exciting thing this year is peat pods. I'm told that  the use of peat had started to endanger the peat bogs of the world, and there is some alternative, like walnut shells or something, but I couldn't find that. And these are so cool. Just add water to the little discs on the left and wait. Soon you have little 1-1/2 tall pod pots in which for to plant your seeds, on the right.

So far, I have started watermelon, two kinds of tomatoes, garlic chives, sweet and lemon basil, red peppers, eggplant, cosmos and nasturtiums. I also am experimenting with starting roses from seed. I found a couple of rose hips in a neighboring camp's garden and decided to try. As many rose hybrids as there are, my chances are nearly nil, that the seeds are viable, and less that I will be able to get them to grow.


It is all about making my own houseplants from the materials at hand. Here is my three week old grass. I am waiting for my ginger root to put up sprouts. I was getting impatient so I dug them up. The dirt smells strongly of ginger, and the roots are putting off fresh pods. Very exciting.  


I haven't been writing much about the puppies. They are well. I'm thinking a lot about their upcoming first birthday, May 1. I don't know what they would like. Here we are on a sleepy afternoon. This is 6 PM. I am still in my pajamas after a full day of listing items on ebay. How Exhausting!


The puppies aren't thinking about their first birthday. They play in the yard a lot. They play with sticks, firewood, toys they have found or stolen. One of their favorites is a child's doll that they have now ripped limb from limb. Above is a toy. Sadly this mole could not stand the puppies brand of fun for long. It is sad that this cute little mole is dead, but I like that the puppies meet the world on their own terms. Hope and Star had hours of fun digging this little guy out of the snow, then letting him burrow back in. They were actually afraid of it. 


These icicles are the product of eleven days of snow. Three weeks ago I dug the rain barrel out of the snow bank. The water off the roof, filled the barrel and melted the ice in it. Now it is all frozen again.

Well, that is what I have been up to, partly. I am going back out to the shop which is strangely smoky and smells a lot like grease and hamburgers. I can't say why.

Love,
MiXiM