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My hubby got a great deal from a young couple with a landscaping business, who just happened by while he was out front, buffing on his truck! The offered to thatch our front and back yards and haul away the old grass for only 100 bucks! My husband jumped on it, as he had planned to rent the equipment to do it himself, but then he would have suffered with his bad back for days. In only 2 hour, it was all done, and he was very pleased with their services! The kids do all sorts of home maintenance, and this is the first time my husband has ever paid for these sorts of things, he has always loved working outside, but his darn back really pays for it anymore. Next up, these kidscare going to power wash all of our concrete drive, sidewalks, and large patios out back, and the siding, and then trim our hedges, bushes! This is going to really relive my husband from these more taxing jobs, and leave the more minor chores that he can manage, without killing his back, so I'm super happy, that he is so happy! Bring on the annuals! There is still quite a bit of weeding to do yet, then the planting, and bark, so now we are ahead of the game! I Love it when the lawn and gardens look so pretty! Wahoo!
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Love the avatar, gobble, gobble!!!
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Maybe he did escape and it took all this time to travel to Kentucky. Lol!! He ate good on his journey.
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Maybe Windy can loan out the tractor.
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Did the turkey escape from last thanksgiving? He was big, kinda purple, or blue, then green and yellow? I think I have seen that turkey! Wasn't it actually a turkey ghost? Splatt?? ! ! !
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Cheesecake!!
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Cap, LOL!!! I learned many years ago that it was not necessary to blanch my tomatoes before freezing. The skins just peel right off when they thaw out.

A walk in the garden in the morning is good for the soul. Good morning to all the plants and they will reward you with blooms and a bounty for fruit and veggies.
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i pissed out the back door at 6 ; 00 this am and it was pleasant outside . i wore beatnick garb to work . by noon the wind was blowing up my asscrack like i had nothing on . 18 mph steady wind . brrr
im busting some tomato seeds in my window box . i dont really have the energy for gardening this year but the official tally says ive got 4 quarts of canned tomatoes left . ill feel better when i have 100 quarts .
i dont even skin em anymore . the skins and seeds are great in tomato based dishes .
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No big snow storms here - just a lovely light covering that gradually melted away yesterday. However, the air had that early December of January touch of cold that makes a Michigander want to wrap up in quilts and comforters with a good book....or another gardening magazine. And wasn't it fortunate that I found a new one yesterday and this today got another Wayside catalogue!

Hot chocolate is definitely on the agenda today.

I've thought of bringing a radio outside; at least it would block the barking of the poor neglected dog whose owners just plop him/her outside. Poor thing is shy and won't even come up to me to be greeted.

And it would also block out the baseball games from the neighbor who plays them so loud I can hear them from 200' away. What I think I might do is garden on Saturday afternoon and play the Sat. Afternoon at the Metropolitan Opera on full blast. Hopefully I can time the gardening with a day with the opera is Wagnerian and rousing.

I haven't played music for my plants but that's a great idea. I also like the idea of a Plant Whisperer. I'm going to start saying good morning to mine every time I go out to the garden.
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Oh, my niece captured a picture of a huge turkey in her yard this morning. I wonder how old he is....
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Big Wow to all you who have been hit with the recent winter snow again. I hope you all are doing well and have not dealt with power outages, at least for very long.

I do like to bring a radio out with me when I garden. I think my plants like the attention from my cat just sleeping in their shade.

GA, too funny!!!
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Send, if I had a tractor....boy, I'd be out in the garden plowing up all the bloody miserable black locust roots! They're like squids once they get in the soil - long, winding, far reaching tentacles creeping out all over, and sharp spiky thorns on the trunks. They're arboreal weapons of destruction.

Now, Windy's tractor.....we could suggest he add stereo. I was thinking how appropriate Ride of the Valkyries would be as a theme song..... I can just imagine it now....revving up the engine, listening to the opening strains, and then away he goes, accompanied by the rousing and triumphal music of the Valkyries on their voyage. By that time any critters lounging around in snow piles would be far away, hiding in burrows or piles of snow far away from the musical tractor. They might even plow out some of the driveway as they flee in panic.
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Lol Sharyn-that works for me! Whoever said we had to talk nice to the plants? Just giving them our attention must be what works.

Windy, its those expectations that get us everytime! Then, nature goes and surprises us! But so glad there are multiple uses for that tractor, snow or spring grass. What else does the tractor do? Are there tractor races or competitions in your area?

When I went outside with my hot chocolate-do you want the good news or the bad news first? Well, there was a huge nest of possible flying termites hatching out of a pile of sand where the cement meets the block wall. Three lizards were in attendance, feasting. We wanted the lizards to eat, and did not spray the termites. Later, they were all gone, so many had flown away.
The real good news-The bouganvillas are blooming! A deep burgundy, on only one plant, but blooming.
And, go figure, when Sharyn explained how to cut back the rosebush to choose between tall or big flowers, I must have got creative so now there is one very tall bloom, and one short bloom with a big fat flower! Pink.
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Send, yes, blowing with my tractor was fun the first 100 times or so but by April I'd like to take the blower off and be mowing grass. I grew up in WV and I've never gotten used to the late MI spring and I've been up here for 30 years!
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I gave my Irises a good talking to instead of bringing in a plant whisperer, it seems to have worked.
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I am going for the hot chocolate now, and sitting in the garden.
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Thinking of packing up my garden and sending it out to a therapist! But it would just complain that I neglect it. Actually, neglecting the garden is probably why it is so beautiful and why I can still walk because I don't over exert still.
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Windy and Garden, With a tractor? Isn't that more fun than strenuous?
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NorCal at 78 today, by Wednesday, predicted in the 80's. A little too humid for my liking at 40%.

Irises are coming along nicely. Stocks are thickening up so am expecting possible blooms by end of month.
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12" of snow? Yikes! Be sure to have something nice and warm after today's snow clearing adventure. Hot chocolate? Tea? Well, maybe something a bit stronger to compensate for having to spend an April day clearing a foot of snow!
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Garden, up here in northern MI we got about 6 inches yesterday and are supposed to get another 6 today! Just came in from blowing with the tractor.....
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There was a report on Denver stations that they are in for another blizzard as they had the first part of last week. If people did not watch the entire report they missed the April Fool banner at the end! LOL!
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Forecasters are putting out dire warnings of squalls and heavy system snowfall this afternoon and evening, we shall see what happens. I have an appointment in the city tomorrow morning and of course I have taken off my winter tires already. (sigh)
Aside from the snow it is supposed to get really cold over night... I hope the flowers can take it cause I don't think I want to run around covering them again :(
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Sorry you keep getting winter blasted in Michigan, GardenArtist. The poor little flowers too. Some California poppies won't have their season in Lancaster due to the fluky frost interrupting spring. That is nature happening.
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Ice has now coated the cars, some of the roads, and probably the flowers. I wonder if they'll survive this unexpected winter blast. Any other Michiganders getting winter storm weather as well?
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Awoke to sunshine, thinking I should probably get gas and tune up the lawnmower to get the lawn mowed today or tomorrow as it's already growing rapidly. Weather prediction yesterday was for a chilly but pleasant day.

Then Dad called and said it's snowing! Checked the weather report - weather advisories issued, 1 - 3" this afternoon, winds 30 to 40 mph and gusting. A large band of snow is moving due East across Lake Michigan.

The sun is still shining; it's hard to believe there will be snow on the ground by tonight.

The lawn mower gets a reprieve, at least temporarily.

I just hope all my lovely little flowers survive this little weather event.
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Goodnight Sharyn! I have been to Big Sur, but not recently.
Want to see the poppies out by Palmdale/Lancaster area, soon.
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Send, Big Sur is beautiful. We came across California Poppies yesterday in the Sierra foothills. Very pretty.

We are on a water meter as well. Don't know the cost per CCF as it was on not Lister on our bill.

Happy gardening, good night.
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Hope that was not TMI, but sharing water info helps, I hope.

Tacy, we saw little cut up bits of orange or brown "mulch" when it came out. It looked like it would be dangerous if a dog or cat ate it; have not seen it this year-thinking it did not survive the hot sun, nor would it have survived management's purview-would not be surprised if it was banned, first by management, then by the powers that be in government planning re: landscaping. (especially BPA issues.)
It looked okay at first, then there was none!

Oh, and all our water is fresh run through the water meter. If we want to use grey water, we have to make it grey-hence, capturing the shower water to lug outside.

Glad's purple flowers were identified way back, GA.

end.
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GardenArtist, Does becoming greatly disturbed and in despair over an undone plumbing issue count as patience? It was so awful, I just left Dh alone about it, thinking it was too much for him. His physical therapy has helped him.

We have a visiting owl that if there are any rats, they're gone, no evidence in area of rats. We do have possum, we have seen them, often on the back wall.

This Old House on PBS (or youtube) showed how to install the instant water heaters.

The water levels on our bill in CA are reported 3 CCF. Consumption is 257-260 which is billed @ 3 CCF. $5.22 plus $20/ mo. service charge = $25.52 for water. This used to be about $5-$7/mo.total, but when everyone cut back on water use, they added the fees.
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