Hey All

One good day, wrong place at the right time LOL

Hows the voting going. Winners in AM

Oh, that's right, I forgot. Do we go to the same place to find out the winners?

Yep.
Our first tour, of are gardens is Holly, She came up with the Idea, which I think is great we can talk about are gardens in are own treads. And this tread will be are base where we can talk about what ever. Just a thought LOL
Hollys Garden.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/924488/#new

Had a joy today, my day off and the weather was so nice. spent the day enjoying the sun and taking pic. Took 141 pic. down loading now.
Getting ready for my tour.
To be continued... In a new tread will post soon.

O' mom what are you doing LOL
Corky, my elder kitty

Gotta love a good garage sale find!
Now for Steve's 'Man vac'...... I'm reaching back into time in my memory because I think I have a solution to a big problem the rest of us have: no "man vac" for the garden. Here's the story:
The first house we owned, we remodeled extensively (even more extensively than this one). We added a second story to the house. During this process we, being the cheap and resourceful people we are, saved over 1000$ by removing the attic insulation ourselves and reusing it in the new addition. After several methods went sour, we hit on the idea of using something that already sucks up large quanitites of stuff, but amending it slightly. This is where my memory goes sour. I can't remember if it was a shopvac or if it was a motorized leaf vac (the kind you hold with a strap over your shoulder). I'll have to ask dh. Anyway, we attached a long piece of flexible drier vent to the exhaust port. Then we made huge plastic bags using big pieces of heavy plastic tarps and duct tape. DH was up in the attic space sucking up the insulation with this contraption, I (7 months pregnant at the time) was down below holding onto the end of the dryer vent like a firehose and shooting the stuff into the huge bags. It worked like a charm. Seems like something on that order could be used in the garden if one were so inclined. Much cheaper than a 'man vac', too. I like the idea. I don't have enough deciduous trees to warrant doing it, though. Mine would have to be strong enough to suck up fir needles.

Okay - just pictured Pine needles being propelled out of a woman-vac - I'm wary, there is no way I am going to stand anywhere near the exhaust end. But I think the idea is brillant. Well done pix and husband.

Like my mom (she's 94) always says, "me and percy got it done" Percy meaning perseverance.

Way to go Pix.

Where there is a "Willy" there is a way. I am man-vaccing today. Lots of leaves.

Wish I could show you all the video of me 'out to there' pregnant with Andrew, covered and masked, blowing insulation into what we called our 'giant larval bags'. REally. They were about 12 feet long. It was a hoot. DH remembers that it was the leaf blower we used. It had a vacuum attachment you could put on the other end.


Now wasn't this the thread where someone was asking about my neighbor's greenhouse possibly being for sale? I must report in that it's a 'no go'. They are actually using it, albeit not completely as a greenhouse. There is a ton of stuff in there, only some of which is plant material. But anyway, they want to keep it. Too bad because I'm sure there are better homes for it.

No Pix, it was this one.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/918715/#new

Funny, to think of, Pregnant and holding the bag. LOL
I just put that on my wish list, oops not pregnant but leaf vac. I did not say that......

Laurie, I do not want to be on the receiving end of that, pine needles hurt without being propelled. Did you get the chip to work?

Steve I like that. never thought of calling it a "willy" thats what I tell my crew ' If there is a will there is a way' ' if they is no will there is no production then, I don't need you'
I thought you might like this, was sent to me from a friend.

Yes that is a good picture. LOL I always like to see kittens happy and warm.
I got to hug a big mammal also while I was in Sitka.

Ah.... Steve,
Something is not right here, Is this a dry mammal or did someone drain the pool?

Nobody would take my picture on the real humpbacks. They didn't want to get wet so I had to make these with my still camera. I'll have to touch up the photo to get the effect of water all around.
Someone took this one of me on the whale right when it sounded and missed me riding on the back of a humpback behind the ferry.

soferdig leave those baby whales alone and get back to your lighthouse! geesh someone always needs to keep tabs on you sigh

ps wow I think I'm creating some really new grammar ^_^

I am home now so I am curled all day up on my warm couch and fire in the fireplace. I did go out in my pajamas and vacuum the lawn and clean up the fallen leaves since I left. Compost pile is full so I can quit for a while. Looking forward to the snow comilng in 2 days though so I can go sledding.

Passed through here on sun and mon. I built a snow cat. It collapsed today so now its a picasso cat.

Steve, what to do with you, such a ham LOL
Glad you are home and warm and toasty.

Yes I need to get snow at the tops of the mountains to bring down the bucks so I can fill my other freezer with venison. My big one is full of fish. Life is good going to Alaska and hunting in Montana to keep your family fed. I always grunt and hand the meat to Karen when I get home. Urrrrrghhhhh Me Bring Meat!
This was a morning view from my light house.

Like to hear Karen's view LOL
Send a couple of those steaks this way, been years to have some game meat. Last I had was some caribou that my DHs brother sent to us. He is was on Nak Nak island ran the fish processing plant, it close down. Now he is in Anchorage.

Now there's a pretty picture, Steve.

Yeah I liked the way it picked up the light in the cloud. This is one less zoomed. The smell of air crossing that morning was filled with spruce and oxygen rich ocean.

Ooooh. Spruce AND the ocean. Truly "The Last Frontier."

Steve those photos are amazing. How nice it is for you to be able to spend time there. Does Karen ever go with you? Maybe she likes staying back and waiting for the hunter to bring meat!

Steve those pictures are beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Linda

My Karen never traveled when she was a child and it is hard for her to leave home. I on the other hand love to travel. So our marriage suffers only in our expectations of each other. We both want more time together but since my wife has gotten RA we don't do much of anything at home except garden. I think she is in too much pain to be involved in life right now. I can only pray for her and quietly offer ideas that she can do. It is a fine line of caring and enabling right now. Meanwhile I continue to work and travel to keep living as I enjoy to do. Life is tougher on some of us than what we experience.
A sunny day in Sitka from north of the harbor.

Sofer your pictures are wonderful, places I've never seen and must add to my list of destinations. Thank you for sharing.

Another great photo!
I am so sorry that your Karen is suffering. I have a close friend with RA and it is indeed a bad situation. It seems like you are an understanding partner and a good support person.
Take care.

That is a truly beautiful picture Sofer....so sorry your wife has RA, my Aunt suffered from that for many years. My uncle was such a dear, either did or helped with everything. I love the descriptions you give with the pictures, I can almost smell the ocean!

That is fabulous scenery. There are a surprising number of people that live on Whidbey who are from Sitka. I wonder why they left. It's pretty here but that is truly stunning, esp that first pic.

Sorry to hear about your wife. It must be very hard on both of you. Great that you are so understanding and also great that she is okay with you traveling when she does not want to. My husband is not a traveler (not even locally LOL) but I am and he is really great about me being gone so much.

And now I have to go to Sitka....

Steve - virtual hugs to Karen. I hope you guys find a good solution to get and keep her RA in remission so she feels more like getting out.

It's hard to get excited about stuff when you are constantly combatting pain. It just chips away at your inspiration . . .

Yes she hangs in there well but it is hard for me to see her giving up on the fun things we did. Remission boy that would be nice, nothing has worked. On to the next drug.

Steve, my heart aches for both Karen and you. Life really does give us some surprises that are not easy to handle.

And your photos are stunning.

Sofer your pictures are true beauty. Sorry to hear of your DWs problems. My DH had another small stroke the other day and he sounded like he was talking in Swedish. We will be going in soon for more tests.

Beautiful photos, as usual, Steve. I'll keep Karen (and you!) in my prayers. It's so important not to lose hope, isn't it? But she doesn't have to travel herself, because you bring to the world to her!

OOH, sorry to hear it, Willow! So sorry to hear that.

Tills, I meant to say that I love that photo of the kitten!

Thanks Pix. Today was my 70th birthday and I'm still feeling sixteen. Looking forward to 80. ^_^

Happy Birthday Willow. That is so good of you to have the spirit of a 16 yo. Way to go.
Praying that your DH will be ok.

Willow, happy birthday! Glad to hear you are feeling healthy and youthful (though not sure I would ever want to go back to life at 16). Not so good about your DH. That must be very concerning. I hope further medical tests go as well as possible.

Steve, I didn't know much about RA, so I looked it up to educate myself. It looks like it can be a very serious illness as well as pain producing. I'm sorry it has hit Karen so hard, and sincerely wish that treatment and therapy begin to help her.

Patricia - I'm so sorry to hear that about your DH. Prayers that it doesn't impact him much. And happy birthday to you.