Weather not fit for man nor beast. Let's stay by the fire!

Right would be the right word if we were in HI, we're not. I'm not trying to raise Pineapples, I'm trying to raise Blueberries and Peaches. I like this warmer weather but it comes at a price.

Well, you are right Ken, it is just that I hate cold weather, but I know that changes at the wrong time are not good for the plants, or for us even.

I would just like to see a nice normal average winter for this area, that's all. My one peach tree will be fine...those peaches will end up being picked off by wild animals as usual before they're even ripe, so chill hours don't really matter for it. And the jujube trees don't need such a cold winter. I already noticed the Friday freeze is forecast, not too bad compared to that arctic front. And I already bid the 70's farewell for a while. I'm grateful for the moisture this winter...just wish it was mainly rain instead of drizzle or fog. Picky, picky, picky...guess I sound like a farmer...my ancestors would be proud of me.

I feel so sorry for those that live in that subdivision in NW San Antonio that had the retaining wall give way and the yards are sliding downhill, endangering some of the homes. The people that have the houses most directly affected were only given 15 minutes to gather belongings the other day. Shoot, I couldn't get much of anything in 15 minutes...and they haven't been given any time frame on when they'll be allowed back...or even IF their houses will be salvageable. One woman said she refuses to ever live in her house again! It's scary....but at least there was no earthquake like in Haiti. Rain and cold coming...so far they forcast two freeze nights, not too bad at 29° and 30° for Friday and Saturday night.

Yes, I'm thinking about organizing a lynching party if we see really bad weather... maybe starting with the meteorologists. 8 )) They are talking serious ice in Oklahoma. I hope the heat from the Red River will melt it before it crosses into TX. I truly hope all the DGrs that will be affected are preparing now. We already have elm and some oaks setting buds. Amazing!

I spent the weekend uprooting about 40' of ivy and improving drainage by our foundation. I intend to line it with weedcloth and place some larger concrete chunks on the outer edge. Somewhere I had a recipe to make moss grow and will try to cover the concrete with moss. Hope to also plant a few native grasses along the edge. Hoping to simulate a dry creek bed but allow water to drain better. I also whacked down a 30' row of Photinias along the back fence. I am refencing our yard and when done with that, I'm thinking maybe planting some blueberry bushes there ~ for me and the birds of course.

You go, girl! You've been very busy! It was a good day to be out, not too hot, not too cold.

I did pull out several annual salvias today, too. I need that space for Cosmos, sunflowers, and maybe more coneflowers.

We're expanding our veggie garden in the backyard to take up approximately half the yard. That project will begin next week. DH will doing most of it during the day while I'm at work, but we had all the utility companies out yesterday and today marking lines and such. NONE are in the backyard!

How fun... less to mow and great rewards for you both. I bet he will enjoy his job and aren't we envious. I think I would get so much done if I could stay at home for a month of two when the weather is nice for working outdoors.

Stephanie, before you get too involved in converting to garden space in the back; you might check your Homeowners Assn. rules. Mitch (before he moved to OK)was in an area that restricted the amount of his yard that he could involve in beds. He had to take out some plantings to satisy a certain percentage of required grass. Just a thought.

We don't have a home owners association!! Woohoo! That was a qualification before we purchased. No HOA!

I'm with you, Steph. I would never live where I was told what I could and could not do with my own property. Besides, I am a ham radio operator and they wouldn't like my antennas either.

Yes and three big dogs running around barking all night would never fly. And when my peacock start screaming in the Spring they would be coming after me.

No home owners ass.(I know) but most places in the city or the burbs have rules about how the property is maintained and what you build on it. That's what the privacy fence is for.
C
Some day I would like to have a few acres to play with.

You know, we often see folks move to the country from controlled environments in large towns that are immensely unhappy with their neighbors. You might have neighbors that have every car they ever owned in their front yard, don't believe in mowing, recycle their aluminum beer cans in the drive where they can flatten them by driving over them, let their dogs visit the neighbors, the pastures overgrazed and poor fences so the livestock can graze at the neighbors or on the ditches. Ditches torn up because the neighbor kids like to play in the mud on their four wheelers. Need I go on? Not all are this way but I have heard it all and seen most. We have good neighbors because we have good fences. I prefer that to a homeowners association.

Just went to see the author, Felder Rushing, last night speak in Southlake. He is very funny and asked how long he would last if he moved to this area.(1 month?)He says some people think his garden is tacky/ gaudy. But Podster, what you describe is way beyond that!

I'd love Felder Rushing or Steve Bender for neighbors.

A ride thru the back roads in the country should open some eyes. All is not idyllic and most of it the law enforcement can do nothing about. OTOH, we are now seeing closed developments around the lakes that are similar to HOAs with controlled regulations for retirement folks. If you choose to relocate, meet your neighbors and survey the neighborhood before buying. I know folks that buy properties surrounding their home just to have a say in who lives there.

Y'all stay dry and warm today...

There are rules to living in the country also. A friend of mine had some Java Green peafowl like I have in the picture above. These birds are on the endangered species list not cheep. Her new neighbors came by one day and asked if she had seen a couple of Cocker Spaniels. Yes she replied, they are laying in that ditch over there, I shot both of them this morning. They got into her Java pen and killed her cock bird. They were furious and called the Sheriff, but he told them there was nothing he could do and that she was well within her rights. Their layer called her and talked about the details and she heard nothing more about it. They were really lucky that they did not have to pay for her losses. Javas are not very domesticated and are quite wild. Cock sometimes attack hens or will only breed certain ones. She bought all her birds as young young sexed birds and had one cock and five hens and the flock was very happy and she go fertile eggs from all five hens. Sometimes she would hatch 40 or 50 chicks a year. At a price of $300. each, she lost big bucks that year and never found another cock that liked all the hens and produced that much production. People move to the country and think they can let their dog run FEE. My dogs run free and I know if we ever have problems with our neighbors, this may change. What helps is we have predator dogs and we are surrounded by cattle and most of our neighbors have no problem with our dog running down Coyotes. Good fences make good neighbors, so do good dogs.

That was a hard lesson to learn! I wonder if the dog owner moved away and/or got new dogs.

Wonder how her new neighbors would feel if.......instead,......someone else's free roaming pitbulls (for example).... got into THEIR yard and killed their two cockers.......they'd be furious,...is my guess....but on the other side of the fence.
Sad for the cockers....but most country folk would know that once they (dogs) had experienced the thrill of chasing/killing the fowl (happens with common chickens...most often)....they would jump at the chance to do it some more....so the possiblilty of it happening again.....would be great....that is IF they were allowed to roam free again......and most of the country folk I know would do the same thing....just for some common chickens,...let alone an expensive, rare species of fowl....which produced some nice income to boot.

Who opened the deep freeze? Gosh it's cold again!

Must be those guards up at the Red River.

I am getting ready for this winter to end and stop the confusion for all the poor plants! I will be glad to see what has survived and what we have lost. Hopefully we will each have saved something that another person lost and they have saved something we have lost.

That will make for some happy people when RU's lists are posted for this spring.

Ken, those three large brug cuttings you sent with me have to be re-potted already as the roots are coming through the holes in their pots. I am wondering if I should start fertilizing them now? It would really be something special to start getting flowers from them. They really look great! The smaller ones look good also.

My greenhouse is full, now to get the pests under control in there. Gotta spray the hibs and the syngoniums as they have bugs attached to them big time.

I want spring!! I am starting to get cabin fever!

Of course it seems shameful to complain over such minor things when the world has so many major things happening at this time.

If I could go to Haiti, I'd go in a heartbeat just to hold and re-assure as many of the orphans as I could get my hands on. I'd try to feed all the hungry people I could reach with food. It breaks my heart to hear of all the suffering.

So, all things considered, my cabin fever seems so silly!

Charlene

Podster. Better throw another log on that fire. We had snow last night...and it's not even Easter yet. :)

Snow?!?? Did it stay on the ground? I went out at 5:30 to check the GH fire and it was snowing here but the ground is too warm to stay. January is sure going out like a lion. What lies ahead?

Yesterday we watched fleets of power company trucks heading north to repair the damage in Oklahoma I am sure. Hope everyone there is safe and snug. Glad to say we dodged that one.

Adding two or three logs! Please keep the fire going today, I am off to work.

have you read the latest travesty from the new owner of DG. No place for Dave other than an ordinary member. Time to start bailing.

No I haven't see that, is it on Dave's forum?

It's on this thread, third message down posted by Dave http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1072712/

Too sad, I've seen it all before. GardenWeb was brought down this way. It still exists, but....it's not the same, never will be.

I noticed that my Columbines were very wilty this morning. I hope they spring back, but I think they may be goners. Not good!

I just spent two hours reading the new posts on the DG link AJ posted and another. There is a lot of fear going around for the pictures, data base info, diaries, dmails and etc. Fear that the forums will be open to everyone, etc. Threats of mass exdous by members. Fear is a horrible feeling....don't let it bring you down or DG down.
The name may change, views may change...but our friendships and love of gardening and related topics will prevail. Dave gave birth to a wonderful website and will now step back...but like the Stock Show say's "this thing is legendary" the site will go on. The sun will return and the flowers will bloom, Dave will always be a part of the family and our friend.
I for one will be sticking around to see what spring brings.

Excellent post, Sheila! I'm much more of an "it'll all pan out" thinker and prefer to just sit back and watch to see what happens before panicking. I've been amazed at the intensity of many of the posts.

Well said, Sheila.

I am not going anywhere, I love this place and I love my friends, and I think we can continue doing all the things we have been doing up to now with no problem that i can see.
Josephine.

I agree! I am amazed at the wealth of knowledge amassed here. The resources that have been put at our fingertips is astounding and when we don't find what we are looking for, we only need to ask.

I forsee the site becoming more commercial, after all they are in business to make money. Perhaps not as much of a personal touch from admin but that is o.k. too. I will say (being old and slow) I do appreciate how easy it is to navigate this site. I do hope that doesn't change as I will give credit for that to Dave. Daves Garden is Dave and every single one of us. I have no intention of leaving and am not apprehensive about the change.

Hang in there... on Daves Garden the sun always does shine and the flowers are always blooming! Thanks Sheila_FW

Thanks all.

We all do need to think about sharing our email addys with those in our immediate area in the future. Like maybe at the RU this spring; we can pass around a address book or something, then make a computer list we can email back. It would be a tool that we could use to network within if the forums became public. Other than that....I am looking forward and to new growth in my garden this spring.

I think that is a good idea Sheila, let us try and do that.

OOOhhh, just thinking of a spring RU makes my heart skip a beat. A chance to see all of my wonderful friends and meet new ones. For me that is what DG is all about.

Dave gave us this wonderful site that has morphed into a family of gardeners that is beyond my wildest dreams. The people won't change, the RU's won't change and those are the most important things for me.

I look forward to the RU's like a family reunion. I hate when I have to miss one.

I love seeing the excitement of people hugging and sharing and just getting to know one another. I love seeing the faces of the people I have chatted with. We don't shake hands we hug necks! I love that! It will not change.

I for one will be forever grateful to Dave for putting this together. I don't think he could have ever imagined that it could become so important to so many people. It is a very special place. The people here will always keep it that way I believe. I for one am not worried.

Anything this good will keep on going, one way or another. If it gets to be too commercial, all of us who are so often on here will find a way to get together online and still have our spring and fall RU's. We will still help one another. We will not be separated. Our bond is just too strong.

Charlene

You are absolutely right Charlene.

Rain's back in the forecast. I'm ready for some sunshine!

Stephanie,

A little sunshine, I don't have, but I have a nice sized cape honeysuckle growing in a pot for you. I didn't forget. I believe you missed the last RU. I had cuttings then, but now a nice rooted plant is ready!!

Charlene