What did you do today?

I gathered Lotus seed pods today with my husband, was pretty cold but worth it and such fun. We have now a canoeload full of lotus "pods" and a day to remember.

Wow! That's pretty impressive, OhioBreezy! Those are huge pods! It sure sounds like fun collecting them! My day was much more mundane. I raked and hauled soggy leaves, made chicken rice soup for lunch, then sorted pots and stored them in one of our old cabins. I'd have preferred to collect lotus pods in your canoe!

I vote for a canoe day especially if it is duck season.

So why so many pods do you sell seed or some kind of decoration?

My day started out with co co and coffee. It soon turned into a cold busy one diging and cutting Dahias for storage.

This Year I won't have to work so hard harvesting my bulbs because about half are dead due to the freeze. Ernie

I dug, and dug, and dug Dahlia tubers. I have two and a half large buckets (I'm talking 40 pound buckets) of Dahlia tubers. I never imagined they would multiply that much! I had a 'Dahlia Circle', that was 10' in diameter. Waaaaaay too big, plus the staking. Next year will be neater. :)
What do I do with these tubers??????????????

Another 'Newbie' lesson for me!

SueWa Easy grashopper you don't have all that many viable bulbs in forty pounds. Is this your first experience with Dahlias? If so go to the bulb forum and check out the post written about digging and storing.

Knowing your growing area you probably could have just multched well and left them in the ground. No changing that now. It is ok to not dig every other year under the right conditions.

What you do now depends how you are equiped to store these bulbs. Anyway read the forum stuff if you are unclear Email me with specific questions. I have a couple of hundred every year to dig and cut, I did about 30 clumps today in two hours and probablysaved 10 percent or less of the tubers as all do not have eyes. tomorrow i will do a lot more.

Good luck and feel free to ask if you need help. Regards Ernie

picking lotus seed pods in a canoe sounds really fun.

What do you do with all of them?

and what kind of canoe is that?

I'm usually so busy but stayed in bed most of the day with a bad cold.

OB, what do you do with all those wonderful pods?

My day was not a typical fall saturday. The nursing home 125 miles away where my mother is a resident hosted a family brunch.

For entertainment, they had an old-time Bluegrass (mostly gospel kinda songs) group to sing and play. I was quite impressed as the "Dad" of the group is actually also a resident of the nursing home and he played guitar and sang with his 2 sons (banjo and guitar), 2 daughters (guitar and string bass) and a 10 year-old grandson who played an 8-string mandolin.

"Dad" has a palsy so bad he could barely hold the guitar or his pick, but once he started strumming, he seemed to lose the palsy and many years off his age! The grandson was also terrific and played lead on several songs.

So many of the residents are not ambulatory any longer, with a few even sadly seeming like vegetables. It was wonderful to see their eyes light up with the entertainment.

I packed up some seeds and got them mailed,then raked some leaves. It got down in the teens here last night and today is very cold so I'm glad to have finished the leaves. Did anyone see the luner eclipse last night? I was wondering what all those pods were for too.

This message was edited Nov 9, 2003 11:15 AM

I ate curried eggs for the first time; they were good. I played poker on-line (don't ask). Ordered a couple of magazines (National Geographic and Southern Living) played poker on-line again (still don't ask).
I also watched too much T.V. but taped the best show on the networks, Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood (the old Charles Kuralt show) so I could watch it with my spousal unit when he got up. He's on the roof now, rebuilding an area where a free-standing fireplace flue used to be. He's also checking the rest of the roof and putting on the last of the gutter guards.
I don't cook during the week so I'm working on a big pork roast with brown rice and gravy and green beans. I'm on Atkins' Diet so I will forgo the rice and gravy, but still, it was nice to fix something special for my hard-working guy. The last thing I did was get an outfit ready for each of the this coming working week. I am soooooo tired of working; only 1-1/2 years to go...
Oh, I checked to make sure the squirrels hadn't dug up the tulips I planted and then added more pepper on top of the fallen leaves in those areas, in case they could still smell the bulbs, lol......

This message was edited Nov 9, 2003 6:19 PM

Collected seed. The cold weather has finally arrived. Time to cut down the herbaceous perennials to the ground. My neighbor and I raked and blew leaves for a couple of hours. Now to clean the gutters. Lucky the house is 1 story.

I do trade the seed of the lotus, and offer as sase as well, I do some selling here too. The pods are used in floral arrangements and I just think they are the coolest looking things. our canoe is just a plain old 15 year old 2 seater, but such fun.

golddog, you can get those gutter screens very cheaply at Wal-mart and they just snap onto any standard gutter and that will eliminate cleaning the gutters a couple of times a year. Ours used to get stopped-up in the spring also, with the sticky little dead blooms off the maples. The work my spousal unit has done on the roof should hold us for several years without going back up there.

This message was edited Nov 14, 2003 8:08 AM

woodspirit1, thanks for the info! I have lots of maples. How about Norway spruce needles? I thought only the expensive type worked. Gutter Helmut (sp) or such brand? In the spring I am going to give it a try. Thanks again!

OhioBreezy, sorry to continue the hijack of your thread.

golddog and woodspirit: I installed gutters this summer, and promptly removed them about 2 weeks later. I used the inexpensive and easy to install 3' sections of plastic guards from Lowe's, at a cost of about $55 for the front and back of the house. They are a stiff plastic with holes about 1/2 inch in diameter, and plenty of them all along each section, with a screen all along the bottom. They snap to the gutters, and slip under the shingles aboue the gutters. I do have a special situation which may not apply to others, though, causing me to remove them.

My situation is that there are 2 flower beds along the front of the house, and whoever made them put in a concrete bottom and no drain holes. Duh! When there was a very hard rain, the gutter guards could not handle all the water, and they overflowed to the concrete flower beds which then drained into my basement, flooding it. If the ground sloped away from my house on all sides, it would be a different story.

The gutter guards also overflowed along the back of the house, washing away some of the newly placed gravel in the driveway.

My solution was to remove the guards and install the ready-made wire guards at the ends of the gutters into the downspouts to keep the downspouts from clogging. It means I still have to clean the gutters but the downspouts don't clog.

There was a large pine near the house when I moved here, and the pine needles will clog the gutters with the drainage holes so I didn't try gutters until I took that pine down.

golddog, my experience says the important factor is whether a heavy rain overflowing the gutters will do any harm to what's around the house (like drainage), and second whether the perforated gutter guards would clog with pine needles. Here, many of the needles tend to stick upright in the screened holes... don't ask me how thay can aim that well, LOL!

This message was edited Nov 10, 2003 8:51 AM

On Friday, the roofers finished putting a brand-new roof on the house (the new roof was courtesy of a bad hail storm last May), and Saturday was spent sealing the aggregate sidewalk and front porch (apparently never been done by the previous owners in 20-some years of living here, sigh.)

Then we raked and mulched leaves and raked some more (and I swear more than 50% of the leaves are still on the tree - and still GREEN. I foresee a LOT more raking in my future.)

We planted six new azaleas where others bit the dust after being transplanted mid-summer. Then I got a load of ancient manure compost and spread it on the daylily bed and around most of the other shrubs and sub-shrubs around the house. Another load or two will be used on the remaining beds.

The previous weekend was spent sealing the deck - 3+ gallons of sealer on a deck that also had not been sealed for a loooong time, if ever. Made it look pretty good for an old deck :o)

The weekend before THAT was spent power-washing the same deck and prepping it to be sealed.

This week will be spent power-washing the gutters and cleaning the storm and inside windows while we still have decent outside temps. Oh, and cleaning out the pond and digging up the tender stuff and moving it to the GH.

Once we get a real freeze, then the cutting back and cleaning out of the perennial beds and veggie garden will begin in earnest.

I chopped firewood, whew! it's hard work!

I work nights and sleep days, so don't see much sunshine or daylight anymore, LOL! MY relief guy quit the 3rd. of Oct. and I've only had one night off since then.

I did get outside today though, and the super-cold nights have frozen the ground down to a good 5-6" already. The squirrels are outta luck in this neck of the woods!

Oh, for a few days off, so I have time to cook again... I'm gettin' tired of this "throw it in the microwave and zap it" meals! I'll close my eyes and dream of woodspirit's pork roast while the "Lean Cuisine" is being nuked.

I swear, the more I clean up outside, the more disorganized it gets inside! I keep bringing in things from the yard to store in the basement, and meanwhile no housework is getting done... how about you?

Thanks darius, I was thinking that might be the case with the gutter guards. I have several maples and and a spruce. I will do as you do, and cover the top of the down spouts with wire. I saw a 'tool' in a magazine recently that was a pole with a shaped-piece on it that fit the gutters. Might do nicely for one story houses. I could probably make the tool myself.

No question, an important part of home care. Keep the water AWAY from the house.

Today I am working on revising the "Design Reference Handbook". I also have a couple drawings (blueprints) to review. Kinda ho-hum, but it's been paying the bills. I need to do laundry when I get home. Not much garden stuff gets done on weekdays except for checking what needs to be watered. It would be nice if it would rain.

Weezingreens,
Getting stuff done in the house? Ha, ha, ha! I would almost kill for some bad weather that would force me to stay indoors on the weekend. I like to spend time outside on the weekend since I work all week in a windowless building and plus, the yardwork never ends. However, the inside looks like I have never cleaned up from the Northridge Earthquake (1994).

I use the pods in arrangements and think they are the interesting aspect of the arrangement. Sounds like everyone has been busy today.
I cleaned the garage so Steve could bring wood up to stay dry.

Is there a Gardener who really has time for a spotless house, LOL?

golddog... my wire inserts were under $2 each @ Lowe's.

Weeez....I had a friend mention that the more she tries to take care of, inside and out......the more she finds herself, wandering around and around in a state of!@#$%^&*!And this year, it sounds like me! In that, I have been diligently, or so, I think.......editing, paring down stuff in the house, and with a goal in mind, to minimalize(yu will notice all the verbs I am using here????) I have a theory that if I can possibly pack up three boxes every week, for the charity org. I will see the light at the end of the tunnel! I got so into it last Sunday, I totally forgot to give my Sugarpop(grand-daughter), her breakfast!!! .....mommy was out running and daddy, at his soccer game! Some Baba I am???? Oodles and oodles of magazines laying about my home......give them ALL away and start fresh! Good thinking on my part, as I find myself sitting down, and perusing through them again....maybe I should keep this one and that one is interesting!.....you know the story! so anything you want done today.....forget it, I haven't finished last week yet! My decision is maybe and that's final! I'm goin' to bed!

This message was edited Nov 12, 2003 2:48 AM

Roselaine, I admire your determination to simplify! I, too, have things that need to be given away, thrown away, or at least organized. I promise myself that I will do these things over the winter months, but somehow, the time goes by and they don't get done. Two years ago, I hired help to clean my house before our Christmas party, and it was amazing to have the house 'actually' clean!

Weez, davena says this site has been like magic for her. http://davesgarden.com/t/405320

I am waiting for the flyguy.net to come out.

oh boy......that is good!

Flyguy.net? Sounds "fishy" to me, as in guys talking about what sort of lure to use and how to tie them. Probably be a whole lot more fun than housework, LOL!

Yes, you just disscovered our secret. We get out of the house to go fishing, hoping the house will clean itself.:)

Today I did something special absolutely nothing after getting up at 2:30 A.M. I kinda browsed some seed catalogs and napped it's starting to get dark now I should go cut some Dalhias but why they will be there tomorrow.

Been thinking of putting some outside clothes on for a few hours but then that would take me outside and the wind is cold I know because the theromemter tells me so.

I think I will just call this a recharge day and take Linda out to dinner. If she will drive. Yes I will buy. Ernie

Today I went with a Girl friend over the border into Mexico(about an hour's drive)...We had a good time...bought some Gin for my son in law that sells for $28.00 in the States...$12.00 there. We have this little shop that has all kinds of neat stuff. A man 75 years old owns it and he gives us very good prices. He sells this special soap that we like. Jo

I just spent 10 hours worm harvesting,there has got to be a better way to seperate the worms from the compost!

My back hurts more from that then from shoveling manure!

Crestedchik When I was young I built a worm digger out of a pc of steel rod with a plastic screwdriver handle fixed to the top. then I hooked one electric wire to the rod. Anyway plugged in it makes the worms boil to the surface.

I think they sell a safe version of this today .

Yes they had electricity when I was young . I bet Golddog could tell you how to make one the safe way. Ernie

Slept late. Went to Agway w/DW and bought dog food and bird seed. Pulled pump and filter from pond. Filled bird feeders.(Gloves on, windy and cold) BIL bought us dinner at the Hideaway. Fed dogs. Visit from Ms.Tasheiko (Local artist)(Check out her watercolors on E-Bay) Turned on 'puter. Watched news. Read e-mail, sent some. went to DG. Thrillin' huh?

I got up way too early, woke up at 3:30am and couldn't get back to sleep, so at 4:30 got up. I am going to visit my daughter in Fairfax, VA for a week or so over Thanksgiving, so since i was up I started hanging up clothes that i want to take with me. It is sort of a problem as I don't know how cold it is going to be there. Has been really nice she said, but can get cold and blustry.

A friend came by and picked me up and we drove 1/2 hour to a small bazaar. I did find 6 suitable gifts for my board members at Senior Center. We picked up my sister before we went to the B. and while there I treated them to slices of a great pie, Mountain Berry & Rhubarb. The lady who makes all the great baked things is really talented. Then a quick stop at Pennys, where i found two nice Christmas decorations at 60% off, like I need any more decorations!!

Then home for a sandwich, then four of us played bridge , 4 changes of 9 hands, total of 36hands. Then came in here to DG. Will probably go to bed fairly early to get caught up on my sleep. Actually we had light rain most of the day and we are very thankful for that. Donna

Awoke at 4am to work for 8 hours (here at home so it's not too stressful). Then took a nice nap with Lionel (cat) and awoke to wondrous rain! Lionel and I went out on the deck. I gathered seeds before they got wet and Lionel lapped water off the leaves of the plants and kept shaking his paws off. Rain's unusual enough that I think he'd forgotten all about it. We haven't had serious rain here since March. Kelli, saw your post and surely you've had rain and/or hail in the past few days? Now we're having a very enjoyable evening listening to the Rhythm & Blues Review with Lionel Rault (yes, part of the reason I named my cat Lionel) on CKUA and drinking (me, not Lionel) a nice 2001 Black Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon called Fat Cat (Lionel finds this vaguely insulting). They just played "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and I cried. Except for the 4-noon part, it's been a lovely day. Thank you for asking.