Daily Musings - page 16

Andy, sorry! I know what that's like.

Yankee, I had netting over my pond to sop leaves from falling in during autumn. Thought it was a great improvement untill I came out and found a bunch of stuck, dead frogs. Through the panic, etc. did you get to enjoy the pretty and rare bird? My wife rehabbed a set of babies once. A lot of people came to see them.

There are two nests of them in my neighbor's yard. I constantly am after Wallingford when he is outside to stay away from the nests - I hear the birds scold and I go and grab him. I've trimmed up the underbrush in John's yard so that I can see Wallingford when he is too near the bird bushes. The birds love berries and as the blackberries are starting to get ripe - they should have a field day. I put in 4 elderberry plants over the weekend with wintergreen underplanted - so there will be even more berries for them in the future. I'm just going to draw the line when it comes to my oriental persimmons and pears!

For larger fruits - peaches, pears, etc., you can cover them individually with stockings or even small paper bags with holes punched out for air circulation. Or anything similar.

The trees are babies - the birds will probably have to fight the squirrels for the fruit. LOL I bet squirrels can go through paper bags - if they want to.

Big news - well for me anyway! The volunteer tomatoes in my mountain of dirt in the front yard are setting and they are the paste tomatoes that I use for sauce! In addition - there is a volunteer in the back that has the tiny tomatoes that I like. Ah - life is good.

Andy:

I feel so bad for you!! Something similar happened to us about two weeks before the NASCAR race here in NH - our hot water heater burst. It was on the agenda for the family to take me to the race as a birthday present, but when the water heater went - there went my race tickets!!

Candyce, I was here last December when the hot water tank burst. All of a sudden, glug, glug, glug...... I caught that one within a minute but the replacement cost was painful. Too bad about missing the races.
The washer hose I already had ~ from when the well pump died, lol.
Andy P

Andy:

We have WAAAAYYY too much in common. It was two years ago when our well pump went as well - to the tune of about $1400!!!

I think that I will give you a head's up the next time something major happens here, as it seems that you are following right behind me in the home repairs department!!!

PS - (don't tell the family, but it's better to watch the races on TV!)

Another thing we have in common ~ I'm from New Hampshire, born & raised in Manchester.

Oh boy, can I join the water in the basement club. Last Aug. our hot water heater let go. It flooded the family room that was less then a year old. We lost all of the brand new rug. What a mess. The only good thing was we got "Service Pro" over within the hour and saved alot of grief from mildew. Still wasn't a pleasant experence.
Chuck

When we have never replaced a water heater in 30 years . . . guess we are just lucky. But when we do, I am getting those instant water heater gizmos. No more wasting energy heating water on the off chance you might need some.

Andy: I knew there was a reason I liked you!!

Seandor: You are very lucky on the water heater thing. If I were you, I'd be playing 'plan ahead' and scout around for a good price on those units. Depending on your repairman, the cost can be very pricey. (I used to work for a plumbing and electrical supply company and dealt with contracors all the time.)

Good Morning all you New Englnders.

After having a family reunion at our house here in Ohio this weekend, we have decided to visit relatives in ME the third week of August. I knew if anyone could tell me THE places to go for sightseeing (and plant seeing) it would be my DG friends.

Any suggestions?

Andy, I had to deal with water in my basement at the condo 3 times... been there... so you have my sympaties.... by the way, Bishop's Children is blooming... oh they are gorgeous... and I am totally in love with that dahlia!!!! thanks Andy!!!!

Go with the tankless, on-demand heater if your water heater goes - you won't regret it!

That was what I wanted and my plumber just ignored me and put in an "indirect system" for water heating. When did "tradespeople" take over the earth I wonder, and why didn't I go to trade school instead of college?

you guys, how difficult is to put extenders to make the sprinkler heads higher??? my neighbor planted some nice burning bushes on the edge of his property and buried some on my sprinklers... the one that was so careful that I would not come to close to the property line... he literally bury 2, broke 2... and replaced only one... but I don't care... I am not going to create a problem since his plants are actually making my garden look so much better and providing the privacy I want... but I need to raise the sprinklers ... have no clue how to do that.... suggestions are welcome!!!!! thanks

I don't have an auto irrigation system, but I have seen those extenders. Can't imagine it's too difficult to replace.

Lots of catching up!

We have a lot of lightning bugs again this year. They hatch out of damp ground, so wetter is better.

Andy, sorry to hear you weren't feeling well.

Seandor, love the daylily! It looks like the fulva but the 3rd layer is a bonus. Good thing he let it live!!

Sorry everyone else, there's too much to comment on.

Friday, we ran to Menards and bought a hand pump. We drove 22' of pipe and point down 20', with 7' of water in the pipe. Saturday we ran to Menards and DH got lumber and black paint. (The pump was red.) He built the box to cover the pipe sticking out of the ground. Sunday, he laid the bricks because we had a muddy mess in the grass. Here's me pumping water for every flower, vegetable and shrub I have instead of those I am desperate to save when it doesn't rain. Yesterday afternoon, into today, we got 2 3/10'' of rain.....

Kassia, glad the Dahlia is blooming. What color did you get?
Billy, now your doin' it. The bricks are a good idea.
Here is my latest Slide Show. Critters ~ Part 1. Flying, crawling and running things.
http://dailypics.ning.com/photo/photo/slideshow?albumId=650124:Album:12639
Andy P

Oops, no bricks. That was Saturday.

Sunday with the finished product!

Ah, very nice, Billy.
Did you hear the one about this doe coming into a clearing, looking all frazzled. It mumbled something to the affect "That's the last time I do that for a buck".
A hunter friend told me this yesterday, I can't stop snickering....
Andy P

Funny Andy!!

Sally, I love your pump.

ROTFL!!! I think I'll be remembering that one for a while too.

Thank you! Now I don't have to feel guilty about watering everything!!

Andy the one I have blooming is red.... really great.... I divided some of the tubers and made 8 plants... they are the perfet size... really beautiful!

a closer view!

Kassia:

I must have missed it. I see the red (beautiful) flowers. What are they?

Kassia, those are the Redskin Dahlias. I agree, they are the perfect size, at about 2 feet late in the season. Be sure to deadhead them weekly to force more flowers. The Bishops Children are much taller, up to 5 feet. Glad you like them.
Anyone wanting some of these should contact me next Spring. I always have 60 to 100 of them and can only use a third of that many. I really like the dark leaves.
Andy P

Andy:

Add me to your list for those dahlias.

Contact me next Spring, lol.

Hey, we forgot about Joyce from Ohio. She wated tips for things to do in ME.

Joyce, it's a big state. I know southern Maine best. Natural beauty abounds throughout. Beaufiful rocky coastline. I think the Rachel Carson wildlife refuge is beautiful. If you're further north Acadia can't be beat. Where will you be and what do you like doing?

Kim and Celeste should know best.

I D-mailed Joyce and let her know about Acadia, it's one of those "must see" places. I have been trying to compose a list now that I know what area she'll be in. As luck would have it, she's coming in the fall now and will be in Bar Harbor......can't get any closer to Acadia than that!! LOL

Looks nice Mrs. Billy - congratualtions.


I finished one of my summer projects(not plants)

I replaced the big green monster fence - 7' tall and faded green

With a short white pickett one that now has a door - my daughter is thrilled with the door for some reason.

The door leads her into the magic garden of Daddy's flowers??

Is everyone else seeing this change when clicking on a photo?? The screen darkens and the photo comes up with a border - like a print. You than have to click 'x' to close it and go back to the page.

Yes Victor I just noticed that too, thought I broke something already.

Like your new fence and the flowers in the magic garden aren't bad either Al.

Yes if you click directly on the picture...but I usually right click and open a new tab.

Kassia, Andy, I am in love with those dahlias. Gorgeous!!

Thank you BigCityAl! I love the new fence and the lilac-pink wall that matches the coneflowers. Aawww, who doesn't like gates. Magic garden of flowers. That is so neat!

The mosquitos got me, but we washed our veggies outside. I didn't have room for the green beans. DH is building me a long narrow table next. Whoo hoo! Dad brought the carrots, but it was my seed :))

Al, love the fence AND the gate. Ya needed a gate.....
Billy, I see some Kohlrabi in there, lol. And a big ripe tomato. I'll have my first small one any day now.
I noticed the little box open when clicking on a thumbnail, too. Looking at Billy's also showed me to move the curser off the image and click to remove the pic. cool.
Andy P