Bruce's Journal

[thistlebloom]

We have woodchucks around here, but I am very happy to not ever had one on the property. We do have gophers. We went for about 10 years without seeing any, but they are starting to get a foothold in the lawn, in spite of my Macabee traps. I'm hopeful that our two young cats will be on top of that situation. Finian catches mice daily,and a gopher is basically an underground mouse right?

Hope you are able to trap that chuck quickly!

 

[Baymule]

Bruce, I know you swoon at my leg of lamb hack into chicken fried steak. I have another lamb hack for you.

Our supper tonight, I cut the meat off lamb chops, cubed and marinated it. I picked my first broccoli from the garden, along with green onions, radishes and beet greens. I made a stir fry with the lamb, broccoli and store bought onion. I sautéed the beet greens in butter to see if we liked them, and we did. It was a very good meal, except for the half onion, all home raised. I will cook beet greens again.

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For our own use, I don't want lamb chops anymore. The bones are aggravating. From now on, I just want the backstrap lifted out, cut in 4-5" chunks and vacuum sealed. I'll cut them up the way I want them.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Ain't it amazing how they can do all that digging and tunneling and we as humans ztruggle to dig a hole because of the rock?.....

@thistlebloom ....2 words.....Fox Terrier

@Baymule I'd sure try em, but certainly would "sample" before serving my plate.....Joyce picked green beans and bell peppers today....we will be better prepared for this fall....quick question...did your loquats hold the fruit for ya to get some?

 

[Baymule]

The loquats froze and didn't make fruit. Pretty tree. Pretty useless.

 

[farmerjan]

The loquats froze and didn't make fruit. Pretty tree. Pretty useless.

Maybe next year? Is your climate that much colder than @CntryBoy777 ?

 

[Baymule]

Maybe next year? Is your climate that much colder than @CntryBoy777 ?

Oh yeah it is. In Livingston, 160 miles south, where we moved from, a loquat tree would make fruit. Here, nope. It gets just cold enough, just long enough to even freeze a fall/winter garden. In Livingston I had vegetables growing all winter, here, nope. Where @CntryBoy777 is, is much hotter all year than it is here. Our summers are scorching, but our fall, winter and spring seasons are cooler.

 

[farmerjan]

If you have southern exposure and some protection from the wind, the tree might just work there. My parents retired to NH from Ct years ago. My mom, before retiring up there about 10 years previous, had planted a magnolia tree that everyone said would never bloom because it is colder up there, more snow, harder winters. She planted it on the southern side of the house, and it is in a "nook" of sorts where the house has an L and is protected from the worst of the winter winds. It blooms, year after year, and no one can believe it. They also have some other bush, maybe an azalea that she transplanted up there and it is in that same general "nook" and it also blooms. They do cover it in the late fall to prevent winter wind damage, and it has survived for years.

 

[Baymule]

If you have southern exposure and some protection from the wind, the tree might just work there. My parents retired to NH from Ct years ago. My mom, before retiring up there about 10 years previous, had planted a magnolia tree that everyone said would never bloom because it is colder up there, more snow, harder winters. She planted it on the southern side of the house, and it is in a "nook" of sorts where the house has an L and is protected from the worst of the winter winds. It blooms, year after year, and no one can believe it. They also have some other bush, maybe an azalea that she transplanted up there and it is in that same general "nook" and it also blooms. They do cover it in the late fall to prevent winter wind damage, and it has survived for years.

It blooms in the fall and fruits in the winter. We get some low temps and they last long enough to freeze it. I don't really have a protected spot for it. On the south side of the house is the carport and there isn't room for a tree there.

 

[CntryBoy777]

We had a few trees that weren't covered by the oaks and we had about 3-4hrs of freezing temps and the leaves got burnt by frost....we didn't get many of ours.....squirrels and birds pick em clean, they began ripening when the truck brokedown so the gs was unable to get his lotwats..... this year....gotta love 3yr olds.....we had quite the crop tho....

 

[thistlebloom]

@thistlebloom ....2 words.....Fox Terrier

I used to have a Jack Russel terrier... is that close enough?
Loved that little rascal, but he was high maintenance for sure. Couldn't take him hiking unless he was leashed or he'd follow his nose and lose us.
He unfortunately and very sadly decided he could whup a coyote pack.

But a Fox Terrier... they're good ratters?