Wednesday, April 20, 2011

First things First

Did you ever wake up in the morning with a jolt and have the feeling you forgot something important but you can't remember what it was?   That was me this morning.  I woke up and racked my feeble brain for what it could be that was bugging me and then I remembered....the greenhouse!  I ran to the back door to look out and---
Teddy Dog and the green house in the snow this morning.
Thank Goodness, there it was, still standing and not collapsed and with the heat table running perfectly.....Phew.  We made it through another storm.  Hopefully this will be the last one.  ( I said hopefully, but I'm not gonna hold my breath.  We could get snow into late May yet.) 

I grabbed the camera and went outside (forgot my boots...drat) to take some pictures of the Morning After the Storm.
The Point Rocks in Quarry Pond
It was still snowing a little when I took these pictures this morning.  I was standing next to a large tree when suddenly PLOP! a big snow plop fell out of the tree and landed right next to me.  I was almost whompered by it.  There were some seriously big snow plops in the trees this morning:
Wouldn't be fun to stand under them when these plops fall.
No place to sit on the park benches, either.
I decided to see if the Girls would want to come outside and play this morning:
Ashley came out and looked  at the New White Stuff and then ever so cautiously stepped into the snow.
On second thought, she decided to go back in.
Ashley changed her mind when Goldie decided it was time to make a Flight Plan.
Goldie would rather Fly the Friendly Skies.

Ashley just kept walking.  No, she's not a one-legged chicken, she just kept falling through the snow.
The two of them finally found a patch of mud the snow hadn't covered. (And some grasses Pyromaniac Karen hadn't lit on fire yet.  Dang grass is just too close to the gazebo for a blaze.)  I did burn off the ornamental grasses out by our mailbox yesterday morning before it snowed and was amazed at the intensity of the fire, I think I may have melted our plastic paper box a little.  Oooops. 
The driveway needed snowblowing, but I didn't bother.  The lightshade/flowerpots on the side of the driveway look like Ice Cream Sundaes.  (Can you tell I'm trying to watch what I eat?  Everything looks like food.)

I spent the morning in the greenhouse and finished planting about 120 castor bean seeds I'd harvested from the blue castor beans from last summer.  What am I going to do with 120 Castor bean plants if they all germinate?  I have no idea.   I also planted the last of the Avalanche petunias that came in the mail on Tuesday.  Now I'm all done planting.  It was really warm in the greenhouse today.  I'm glad Carl and Joel put the shade cloth back up for tomorrow, without the shade cloth and the ventilation the greenhouse would really bake.

Pardon the mess, Plants Under Construction.

In the far right corner sits the lamp back on the stand for soldering.  Carl got a good start putting in the reinforcing wires in the inside and
started adding a heavy copper wire to the bottom edge for strength.  One of us still has to finish soldering the inside.  The greenhouse is a great place to work as its warm and the natural light is easy on the eyes. 

One of these days we'll get back to the projects that need work:


There's a Project now!  The Stone Thing needs work. 

But first the snow has to melt.

14 comments:

Alison said...

I'm so relieved your greenhouse made it through the storm. And I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is the last one! Glad you didn't get plopped on.

Thanks for the pictures of your chickens. They look like such characters.

The pond is looking really amazing. Crazy deep.

Karen said...

Hi Alison! Please do keep your fingers crossed, this last storm was more intense than I expected. Yes, the chickens are very precocious and have such personalities. I think we need to pump the pond down a little, but I just know we'll need that extra water come July or August. We should build a really big cistern to hold it all. Loved the pictures on your blog; they were amazing!

Diana LaMarre said...

Hi Karen,
It looks about the same at my place. We lost power yesterday. When I got home from work I could do nothing, but sit and read by the window...for 4 hours! I was ready to go stay at the hotel, when the power finally came back on. It was snowing when I went to bed, so I don't yet know what it looks like outside (still dark).
Let's hope this is the last one for both of us!

Darla said...

Your greenhouse looks nice and cozy..on the inside! Dang, dang at the snow...your girls are funny.

Randy Emmitt said...

Karen,

These snow photos remind me of February here in NC, seems so long ago. The greenhouse and caster beans what do you do with all those caster beans?

Unknown said...

All is well with the world if the greenhouse is still standing. Words to live by at my house.

Rosemary said...

Loved this blog post especially seeing the chickens and their reaction to snow. Much like mine at this point in our non existent spring....

Lona said...

Glad to hear your greenhouse made it through yet again another snow storm. I say that is about enough of that old white stuff. I f I was the girls I would have just turned around and went back in. LOL!

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Karen,

I can't believe you are going through this! I know this is not something we can control but it just is unacceptable that we are still having snow at this time of year. What can we do about it?

We have been very rainy and cold, little snow at the beginning of the week, gas leak on my front parkway, no desire to plant anything, but I did put in the bareroot roses that arrived.

Have a great Easter weekend with your family.

Eileen

Anonymous said...

It is funny to see the chickens brave the snow.

xoxoxo said...

I am jealous of your green house!

Lisa Sall - Sall's Country Life said...

Karen I can't believe all of your snowy pictures yet. We are getting a little snow but, mostly cold rain now. Glad your greenhouse is surviving, it would probably fly away if it were in my yard (fly the friendly skies Ha) Your chickens are alittle braver than ours! Good luck with your spring plantings! Let's hope the sun comes out and stays out for the next few months!!

Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina said...

Hi Karen, Wow, I remember the Midwest winters when I grew up in Iowa and the late snow storms that came through in April. Your pond is so beautiful and I loved looking at your sweet chickens! Happy Easter (now following you too, and I hope you can follow back).

Pam's English Garden said...

Dear Karen, Amazing pictures of your garden after the storm --- the last one is my favorite. I echo your hopes that it was your last snow storm. P x