After The Ice Came

Here are some pics of what our place looked like after last Wednesday's ice storm. As you see, it was just under 30 degrees. For us, this is cold.

Just under 30!

Here is part of what we got on Tuesday night.It was icy rain, sleet and some snowflakes. It was more icy rain than anything else. It was enough to shut down three major bridges, cancel schools and work and a lot of other things came to a standstill. There are no winter treads here. Everyone thinks they can drive on the ice. Well, I hate to say, I stayed home from work because I'm VERY familiar with trying to drive on ice.

Porch on Tuesday Night

Here is what we woke up to.  Here is a picture of what we had. Everything has about 1/4 inch of ice on it. Everything is crunchy.

Doesn't Look Bad.

 Here are the chickens.

Clueless Chickens

The chickens don't really care too much about what is going on as long as they get their feed. I made them a special treat of plain oatmeal while it was warm. They weren't too sure at first, but they finished it all off. Their waterers are frozen solid, so I had another waterer in the coop under the heat lamp. These are all of the chickens I have left at this time. Loren is coming out of the door. (Sophia just died a few days before) She's a Buttercup. Tigger is the roo. He's the color of Tigger on Winnie the Pooh. I don't know his breed, but he's a good rooster. Ethel is the big brown leghorn. (Lucy died last year) Ooma is the white Lakenvelder. Don't ask how I got that name. It just came to me.

Trixie in the Back 40

I had to go and check out the Back 40. Of course, it's not 40 acres, but it is a haul to go back and forth from the barn or house to here. Especially to the garden which is by that big plastic container way in the back of the picture. I'm afraid my worm farm probably solidified this night. Maybe not. It was protected from the elements pretty well. We'll see when I change out their container for a new one.

Lovely, wasn't it? It was a nice mid-week day off for me. I did laundry, cooked, read and watched a marathon of one of my favorite shows...Haunted Collector.

Right now, at 6:56 pm, I hear a hooting owl outside of my window. I don't usually hear them this early. But it's out there. I just got the measurements for a Screech Owl box. We have at least four of them screeching at 2 am every night during the summer. Good for another post, ain't it?

Take care.

Rain? Not yet.

We've been having tropical fronts coming through the area. There has been rain in some areas. However, we haven't had any rain on our property for quite a while, now. It's rained a mile or less away several times. It sometimes seems like where we live, we live in a bubble. We get dark skies and thunder rumbles. Then we get sunshine within minutes. If the whole day is overcast and there is thunder, we still didn't get any rain.

I was outside after work today and was wondering what I could do for a short time before dinner. So I started pulling weeds. The weeds came out so easily because the ground is turning to powder. As I pulled, the weeds nearly begged to get out of the ground. They were the most pitiful weeds I've seen in a long time. Mind you, we have very stubborn weeds here in SC. Nothing much phases them. They will die if you spray them with herbicide, but they come back. These weeds didn't look like they wanted to come back. I got one of my nursery beds pulled. This is the one with my herbs in it. I gave the remaining plants a good watering tonight. Tomorrow I'll do the same. Probably the next day, too.

We got our Lehman's shipment today. It was 4 Dietz lanterns that were on sale. Some replacement parts for lanterns and some wicks. If you haven't gone to Lehmans.com, you ought to do so. Especially if you love old-timey stuff for the house. You know...stuff that brings back memories from childhood. That is, if you're over 50. Also, if you need supplies for hurricane season which don't need electricity, this is the site for you, too.

I'm in the middle of baking red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing for work birthdays tomorrow. I wish you a good day!

Take care.

Reprieve from Rain!

Yay! Saturday was a little sprinkly here and there. Nothing that would keep us from being outside.  We went to Tractor Supply for straw for the chicken coop. We also went to Lowe's and got some cement to finish off our pavilion wall. Hubby laid block and I stained a fence.

Sunday was superb! It was under 80 degrees F with a breeze. It got a little over 80 degrees and still had a breeze. There was an overcast sky, which made it really nice.

I had a lot of outdoor chores to do. I trimmed the large cactus growing into our driveway. I also got rid of all of the berry bushes and pine trees growing in that cactus. Well...my arms look like they were in a fight and the bushes won. I also got a bug bite which turned into a biggie. I trimmed the willow tree growing over the driveway. It was rubbing the tops of the trucks as we came in to park. I also trimmed up the trees growing up the side of the ditch. They needed it. Now our driveway looks pretty good and our ditch looks better. I couldn't stop there so I trimmed my Weeping Holly a bit. Then I pulled weeds from around it. I have a LOT of weeds to go to finish out my flower gardens. Did you know that termites will live in your mulch? I found that out. They are living in my composting pinestraw mulch. A little bug killer and that is that. I know I just got the ones on the surface, but I'll go back over it with some more later.

Now I'll mention that Hubby cut and weed-whacked the grass, laid block, started preparing our garden for fall planting, plus a few other things. He got a Dietz lantern out and we sat out under the pavilion Sunday night. This was the FIRST time this summer that we were able to do that. The rest of the summer, it was either too wet or the mosquitos ate us up so bad that we couldn't sit out.

We're expecting company in November and I have lot of things to get done beforehand.  Mostly getting the yard in order so kids can play outside.

So, three days without rain and we're back to working in the yard.

Take care.

Under the Weather

We're having some kind of weather here. It's extremely hot one day and raining the next. Sunny one minute and cloudy and raining the next. I guess this is taking a toll on some of us down here.

Last week, my boss was sick and stayed home a couple of days from work. Before he left, our safety director got ill. Then one of the engineers came down with something. See where this is going? Yeah. I got a head cold from all of this. Lovely! So a small bunch of us are running around with runny noses.

They say summer colds are the hardest to get rid of. I really hope not. I've been taking echinacea tincture at night and waking up good in the morning. A few hours after waking, the sneezing comes and I'm no good for the rest of the day.

Right now my nose is stuffed after a bout of sneezing. Just in time for swollen nasal passages just before bedtime. Try to fall asleep with that going on.

I hope you all are well and keep well.

Take care.

Tomatoes

Hubby and I took a walk back to gather strawberries when we stopped to check out our tomato garden, which is on the way. Last week I tied up the tomato plants and this week they need tied up again. They have grown so much with last week's rain! We also have some tomatoes on the vines. We counted about a dozen in various sizes. Some of them are bigger than golf balls right now. Whee! We're gonna have tomatoes soon! I can hardly wait to taste a bit of sunshine. Everything tastes so much better when we grow it ourselves. I hope some of the Black Krim tomatoes give fruit. They are a dark blackish tomato with a green halo around the stem part of the tomato. They are pretty but it's a little weird to think of eating a blackish tomato. Well, they're more like a purplish black.

Back to the strawberries...we got about a pint tonight. The second production has the nicest berries. They are hanging above the plant and aren't eaten so much by slugs. Now, the squirrels pick them and leave them laying around. It's annoying because they get the ripest ones and munch on them. At least they munch more than the birds do. Birds take a bite or two and go onto the next one. We lose less to the squirrels. The birds waste more.

We are supposed to get a bit more rain tonight and tomorrow. Just what we need...NOT. We need a bit of a break from rain. I'm sure we'll be begging for rain this summer during a drought.

By the way, the thermometer registered 99 degrees F when I got home tonight. It is hot and a bit humid. Sometimes a little breeze wafts through.

Take care.

Riding Out a Storm

We had about 2 days of nice weather. The ground was just soaking up the last of the last rain. Now, we're having a pretty nasty thunderstorm with tornado warnings around us. However, we have to be aware of what's outside because the weather can change in the blink of an eye here. Our weather isn't very predictable, but the weather people try really hard. Since about 6 pm, we've had rumbling thunder and rain here and there. It's gotten so bad that the satellite TV blurred a few times.

The rest of the week is supposed to be off-and-on rain. Well, I'll be going for now.

Take care.

Rain...Still

Today was a  pretty drizzly day. The skies were gray. The drizzles came down all day. Sometimes it rained pretty hard. A little thunder here and there made it interesting.

What I really feel bad for is the osprey hawks which had a baby recently. Well, the baby is fully feathered but I haven't seen it fly yet. I didn't see mom and dad hawk at the nest during the rain. They may be getting him/her used to the weather by not being there. Then, again, it may be that they were out hunting to feed the baby. It's really cool to watch them. I am on the 3rd floor of the building and I can just see the top of the nest so I can peek at them from time to time. Some of the other hawk babies are learning to fly. What a ruckus they make! They chirp and have a hard time getting used to their wings. It is funny to watch, but it is really interesting at the same time. After they get the hang of flying, they are SO majestic to watch. Sometimes they swoop pretty low over me when I pass by. Sometimes they carry food. Sometimes they carry sticks for the nest. It is so amazing to me to be able to watch them at a close range. I am so fortunate!

I hope all of you have a great day.

Take care.

Another Rainy Day

Today started out a little overcast but nice. There was a little sun peeking out from behind the gray clouds. Then, after I got to work, it started raining. Wow! Rain, thunder and a little lightning. The gardens are taken care of today. No maintenance needed today.  I like it when Mother Nature takes care of us. Not to mention, I love rainy days and nights. We're supposed to have a few more days of rain. : )

Take care.

Rainy Day Work

We've had a run on rainy days here, in the South. Mostly everyone thinks these kind of days are miserable. Not me! I love rainy days! I guess I should since I'm a Cancerian.

Anyhow...yesterday we went to Sam's Club to stock up on some items for the house. We live a LONG way from the nearest store and it's a really big chore to drive there and back. Sam's is a love / hate relationship with me. I love to go to Sam's Club. But I hate spending all that money in one place. But I love getting things I can't normally get elsewhere. But I still hate dropping a ton of dough there. Oh well! We decided to splurge on an item for ourselves. Hubby has been wanting a larger TV for in the bedroom. We had a 19" job we used in our travel trailer. I agree it was hard to see without straining. So we picked up a 32" Vizio. It was nice, but we couldn't easily get Netflix on it. So, we packed this little beauty up and returned it to Sam's Club for a Smart Vizio. Now we can get Netflix. It was nice to retire early and watch a flick from the comfort of the memory foam mattress. Hubby didn't make it too far. I watched 2 movies. Well...sort of. I watched 2/3 of the second movie. I have to go back to finish it. It was pretty good.

Today was clean the pantry / laundry room / kitchen day. I tore apart the pantry closet and rearranged cans and jars and threw away extra junk. It took a few hours to do it, but now it's done. Yay! The laundry room got a bit of a cleaning even though I've been washing clothes all day. We defrosted the fridge in there and I scrubbed it out before I plugged it back in. That was quite a chore! Then I put some petroleum jelly on the seal of the freezer and fridge. I learned this from somewhere...it is supposed to make the seal tighter until you can replace the worn seals. Here's to hoping that works!

I also made some Italian sausage and meatballs with sauce for dinner. I served it over gnocchi I had previously made and put into the freezer. Yummy! Now a pound cake is in the oven for strawberry shortcake for snack tonight.

Busy day!

Take care.

Yet, Another Rainy Day

Today we had a little bit of rain. It was a heavy mist-type rain which the plants and grass love. I love it too because everything gets a drink and grows beautifully. Sadly to say, even the weeds like the rain.

Yesterday, Hubby brought in our first little handful of strawberries from our large patch out back. Sorry no pics. They don't last long.

Today, Hubby stayed inside because of the rain. His sinuses are acting up and causing him grief. If anyone can give me advice on natural treatments to help alleviate his sinus infection, I'd be grateful. He's been taking stuff the pharmacist suggested for him. This was OTC. I have to be very careful what I give him because he has a couple of other disorders. So, tried and true remedies that will not spike blood sugar or cause issues with heart medications will be helpful.

Thanks.

Take care.

Today's Stuff

This morning at about 6:20 am we had a really loud crack of thunder followed by lightning. It shook the whole house and woke Hubby. Hubby doesn't usually wake up for thunderclaps or anything. He sleeps through mostly anything noisy. He got up and put the dog in bed with us because she was nervous and pestering him.

This meant we had rain. BOY did we have rain! The whole yard was flooded to mid-shin. The garden out back was partially under water. That's not a good thing. The strawberry plants were the ones mainly covered. That is the bad thing about living at sea level. This happens a lot.

Then we helped a friend of mine move some large appliances. Luckily the rain stopped long enough to do that. Then it started sprinkling again, just as we finished. She gave Hubby and I a tour of her new house. It was very nice. If you like Japanese food, you've got to check out her blog here!

Today, our dinner consisted of enchilada pie and salad. I'll take a photo of that and show you how easy it is to make. It is so yummy, too!

Now it's time for nite-nite. I am waiting for the dogs to come in from outside as I write this.

I hope you had a nice day today.

Take care.

Pollen. Yuk.

Right now, everything that blooms is in bloom. We have pine trees, yellow jessamine, spring flowers-mainly azaleas, oak trees, spring bulbs and anything that has pollen is blooming. EVERYTHING is yellowish inside the house and outside. There is a slight breeze and my black dog's fur is yellowish. Hubby washed my truck for me yesterday and it was pollen-ized within an hour. I walk 4 blocks into work from the parking lot and my black coat was coated with pollen. Allergies are horrible!

We had a little bit of blessed rain early this morning. This wets down the pollen and keeps it from flying everywhere. The counties around us are expecting a storm. We are not. Hopefully, the wind will change and bring us some rain.

How is your area when spring comes? Got pollen?

Take care.

P.S.  We did get that rain that was supposed to pass us by. Yay!

Strawberry Plant Dilemma

In a previous post, I mentioned about taking strawberry plants to work. The main guy who asked for them came looking for me today. He didn't get but 2 plants! Whoa! So I went out and raided my garden and packed some so he could get a patch started. Even though these are more of the itty-bittys, he said he'd take them. Next time, I'll personally place them in the hands of the person who asked for them.

The land dried out a bit today. It wasn't sunny, but it was pretty nice. Our strawberry patch really looks sad. The water floated chunks of grass and leaves all over it. I hope they are OK.

I hope we don't get any more rain for a while. All of our plants need to perk back up. I better watch what I ask for. My version of 'a while' means one thing. But, to Mother Nature, it may mean drought. I hate to think that way, but it's possible down here. You never know!

Take care.

Some More Rain!

OK. I wish the rain would give up already! The ground is totally saturated and the ditches are full. Here in SC, the ditches are at least 4' deep because we are in the Low Country. That means pretty much at sea level. I didn't get to go back to the strawberry patch today, but hubby says it is under water. Most of it is high ground back there.

I guess I can't really rag on the rain. I love rain and dreary days. I don't know why. I am a water sign, though. I can just picture myself sitting on the couch with a hot cup of tea while reading some favorite magazines. I'd have my new afghan on my lap to stay nice and toasty. My dogs would be gathered around me. My hubby would be on his favorite recliner. Ahhh! Nice dream. I'd really love to play hooky one day to do that if my conscience wouldn't get the best of me.

On a good note...I got 3 eggs from my hens today. Yay! That's a record for these ones. They haven't been laying well. I only have 7 hens left so that's pretty good.

Keep high and dry!

Take care.

More Rain

Yesterday was such a lovely day. Today we had more rain! Everything is saturated again. It is cold again!

I finally finished transplanting my tomato seedlings into bigger flats. They are doing better than I expected. Usually they wilt a bit, but I tried really hard not to disturb the roots. It worked! Hopefully they'll be OK. All I have to do is wait a few more days to see.

Hubby promised some of my seedlings to the neighbor lady. She said he promised. He said if we had any left. Oh, well! Easy come. Easy go. It's nice to be nice to the neighbors. ; )

Sorry...but I don't know what is with the photo uplink. I'm still working on it.

I can now upload photos, but I don't have pics for this one. Go Bob!

Take care.
Michelle