Devonviolet Acres

[SageHill]

Species of Orb Weaver, I believe.

I'm pretty sure that's it. I think my phone is afraid of spidies as it won't give me an identification (though it readily identifies my lambs as bull terrier dogs ). Scary looking but a good one thank God.

 

[Mini Horses]

My phone ID' d my Boer goats correctly, and the Saanens. They're pretty hard to mess up IF you know any goats at all pretty good with most of the flora, also. Thankfully, I know most answers.

 

[Devonviolet]

We are still working hard to get the garden planted. My okra seeds, from last year never came up. So, I looked in my stash and found some Royal Burgundy seeds that I bought and never planted a couple years ago, and soaked them in water over night. I’m hoping these will germinate.

A week and a half ago I ordered 25 all male Purple Passion Asparagus plants on Amazon. They were a bit spendy ($39), but I LOVE asparagus. I have a small bed of mixed Purple and Martha Washington asparagus that I started from seed about four three years ago. It just doesn’t satisfy my need for asparagus in the. Spring.

I have never planted asparagus crowns before and while I knew I had to dig a trench, I wasn’t aware that I would have to dig TWO 25 foot trenches, for the crowns I ordered. I dug the first one yesterday morning - adding bone meal, 10-10-10 fertilizer, sand and gypsum and mixed it in before I mounded the center of the trench. I can’t get down on my knees, so DH planted the crowns. I finished it off by raking the rest of the dirt into the trench and watering the row. And finally, DH covered the row with hay, to keep the ground from drying out in this brutal Texas heat.

We put the plants 14” apart, and by the end of the row, there were still crowns left. I took a water break and I got busy digging another row. My bad right foot started hurting pretty bad, but the crowns HAD to get planted today.

After another water break, and while DH planted the second row of asparagus, I got busy loosening dirt for the okra seeds (12“ inches apart - 31 plants). By then my foot was causing sharp pains in the toes, so I asked DH to water the new seeds as well as the cucumber and bean seeds - which I planted last week, and which are still poking their heads up. Being the sweetheart that he is, he got the hose and started watering, while I used the thatching rake to pull the remaining dirt over the 2nd row of crowns. Then DH watered that row in and placed the hay mulch. By then, it was 12:30 and we were DONE!!!

The good news, for the day, is that we had a “cold front” go through yesterday, and the temp this morning, when we went out at 7:00 was only 64°F. When we came in at 12:30 it was only 87°F. That was the only reason we were able to stay I would as long as we did.

I promised DH we could take a day off, from the garden, tomorrow.

 

[Devonviolet]

Oops! I forgot to post pictures of the asparagus rows, as they progressed:

This was taken on Monday, after I tilled (and expanded the asparagus bed). That was a huge job!!!


This is the first trench and then after I mixed in all the amendments and mounded the dirt for planting..


These are the asparagus roots/crowns



This is the second row after loosening the dirt and starting to dig the trench




And, here are the two rows with hay, mulch, to keep them from drying out in this heat! If you look closely, you can see a rough circle of hay next to the white bucket. After DH planted the second row, we still had six crowns left. We were too exhausted to start a new row, so I just dug a spot where DH could heal in the roots. When we get back to working in the garden on Friday, I will add onto the middle row, which has about six more feet, where we can plant those six crowns.

 

[murphysranch]

Lookin' good! I planted some crowns last summer, let them be this year, and will sparingly harvest some spears next year.

 

[Baymule]

The purple asparagus is so pretty! Wish it stayed purple when it’s cooked. That’s a LOT of work, but you will sure get your asparagus yummies in a few short years!

 

[Devonviolet]

I’m sorry I haven’t been around lately. My dear sweet husband has been having quite a bit of trouble with his heart. On September 3rd, he passed out in church, during pastor’s sermon. Someone called 911, while Pastor prayed for him. Eventually, an ambulance came and took him to the local ER, where he was admitted. He spent the night, and they sent him home the next day without any idea of what was going on with him. Passing out is called syncope. Prior to his passing out, he had what is called pre-syncope, where everything seems to gray out but he doesn’t totally pass out.

He has been seeing a cardiologist who ordered a batch of tests. Which showed that he needs a pacemaker. That seems all well and good. However, over the past month and a half he has had a rash, with intense itching, over his whole body. About seven years ago he was diagnosed with candida, and it seemed to get better. So I strongly suspect this rash is the candida rearing its ugly head again. The big problem here, is that candida is fairly resistant to all available pharmaceutical drugs. We have been working to illuminate all carbohydrates from his diet, as well as using herbs and supplements to build up his immune system, so it can fight the candida. The itching is not as intense as it was, but even that seems to be limited on effectiveness.

After doing some online research, I found out that having candida with a pacemaker could be very dangerous. So I told the cardiologist about the candida, Last week a blood test was done and we are waiting for the results. The pacemaker cannot be put in until the doctor has ruled out candida.

So, our lives have been fairly well full with all these medical issues. Some days I spend several hours on the phone with doctors, nurses, insurance company, etc. In addition to that I’m still working on my fall garden, mowing, and I’m having to also feed the animals, because DH Is a lot weaker/tired these days.

Anyway, I said all that to say your prayers would be greatly appreciated, as this is very serious!

 

[Mini Horses]

So sad to hear this. You're both definitely in my prayers!

What options are there beyond a pacemaker?

I can see why he'd be tired -- when the heart isn't pumping correctly, everything is compromised. Maybe "some" of the itch and tired could be a sign the candida is dying off? That would be good! And, if testing shows that's present, maybe some new drugs out now . Please keep us updated, we care.,

 

[farmerjan]

So very sorry that he is having these issues... prayers sent for a solution to the complicated issues...

 

[Baymule]

Waiting on results seems to take forever! Prayers for your sweet husband and for you too!