Tibby Tilling and Garden Moving - again

So, the garden is on the move again.

I'm moving my flowers out of the raised beds and putting them into 2 beds on either side of the garden.

The raised beds just didn't work with flowers. It was too hard to see the flowers and the path upkeep was daunting. It's hard enough to keep up the veggie garden paths. Now that I have a fab electric lawn mower I'm not afraid to mow. In fact, I've really enjoyed mowing my front lawn this year.

Ok

So maybe, maybe, lawn is not the total evil of gardening.

Hey, I obviously can change my mind.

I keep thinking my neighbors are saying, "Huh, it must be Fall, she's ripping up her yard again. Huh, it must be Spring, she's ripping up her yard again." Well, I don't care. People move around their living room furniture. The garden is my BIG living room.

Tibby helped with the tilling.

I can't blame her. I was digging holes, why shouldn't she dig a few.

The dirt was so soft and fluffy too.

Dig, dig,dig.

Ha!

"Ok too tired. I'll just take a little nap right here in this handy hole."

Some of the beds are removed.

I had to do everything in stages. Move a bed. Plant some perennials. Move another bed. Ect.

Fluffy black dirt.

These are parts of my yard I've never really taken pics of, because I was so embarrassed of them. Hopefully they will look better next year.

Back to work.

"What's a dirt mustache?"

I'm Baaaaack

Hey everybody!

I'm back!

New computer and tons of pics and stories to show you.

Just as a side note - I did not buy a Dell, because they tried to bait and switch. They offered me one computer for a great price, then canceled my order and said I could order a different (not as nice) computer for twice the price.

Ha!

I bought an HP instead and got some really nice free upgrades.

The moral of this story for Dell is: Don't mess with a Blogger. Remember the Cupcake Nazi?

Waiting for Dell

Well, my laptop finally gave up and refused to turn on, so I had to break down and buy a new one. Dell says it will be done "building" my new laptop on Oct. 20th.

That is a really long time!

I have sooooo many posts to write and tons and tons of pictures.

Hopefully, with the new computer it won't take 3 hours to write one post.

Seriously. It was S-L-O-W.

Welcome to the Family - Tibby!

Last Monday I added a puppy to my animal family.

This is Tibbet the Tibetan Terrier. I call her Tibby.

She is the sweetest dog I have ever met.

She loves to play, but is also calm and laid back.

Nothing phases her - we've jumped off docks, swung in a swing, slid down slides, walked near whistling trains, had cars honk at us, ect.

In a week she has learned how to - sit (100% on this command), lie down and fetch.

However, we are still working on potty training.

I'm keeping a log of when she's gone and when she should be ready to go again, so I don't have to guess when/if she's about to pee on the carpet.

She is doing much, much better.

After all, it's only been a week.

And she is a baby.

She will be 4 months old on the 28th. She weighs 12 pounds right now. Last Monday she weighed 11 pounds.

If she keeps gaining a pound every week..........she will be a big dog!

~

I have to say, in a week we have come a long way. This is the post I wrote last Wed. Notice the hint of desperation.

I have never had a puppy before. I've always adopted older dogs.

Puppies are exhausting.

I'm really tired.

I have spent hours and hours outside with her, only to come inside and have her poop on the floor!

She hates going in her crate for bedtime. It's the only time she barks, but she barks and barks and barks when she is in her crate.If I go into a different room where she can't see me (I have pet gates between the kitchen and living room and the kitchen and hallway/bedrooms) she whines and yips.The good things: She is very, very sweet. She wraps her paws around my arm when I pick her up. She learned how to sit, walk on a leash and climb stairs in 2 days. She doesn't pull on the leash. She isn't scared of anything. I took her swimming yesterday and she jumped off of the dock into the water all by herself.I'm happy that she loves me - I just wish she didn't love me quite so much!Unfortunately, I can't take her everywhere with me!I just keep telling myself - she's missing all her siblings and this is only day 3 of a 20 year relationship.

Well, things are much better now. If things keep getting better and better every week........life will be perfect!

Where Did August Go?!?!

Wow!

I can't believe August is almost over and I haven't posted a single thing!

There are so many posts that I want to write - Pie Day, Stingers baseball, county fair, Amaze'n Farmyard, new puppy.

Did you miss that last one?

NEW PUPPY!!!

As soon as I can I'll post pics of the new family member.

Promise.

Birds, Bees and Blooms

Yesterday, I stalked a hummingbird in the garden.

I tried and tried to get a good picture of him (or her?), but he was so fast.

He also didn't like it when I got too close to him, so I had to sneakily zoom in from a distance.

I'm not sure if it is the same pair, or their children, but a pair of hummingbirds nest in the lilac bush on the edge of my yard. They have been raising their tiny little babies in the same spot for at least 5 years.

This was the best pic I took of him.

Here is his pretty green back.

He really likes every painted lady (flower).

He is so tiny!

Some water lilies in my pond.

Summer sunflower.

Doesn't that just look like pure Summer?

Garden Update: July 2010

At this time of year, there are so many things ready in the garden at the same time.

The peas are almost done. I will pick the final harvest today and pull out the vines.

The onions are almost ready to be pulled and cured for winter storage.

The cucumbers and tomatoes are literally hanging on the vines.

I pick a big bowlful every other day.

The peppers are just starting to ripen and turn colors - red, purple, orange and yellow.

The summer squash is also producing a bunch of nice fat squashes every day.

I didn't take a pic of them, but the eggplant is really, really producing well this year.

Yum! Lots of eggplant = lots of tasty winter meals with roasted eggplant.

The carrots, kale, lettuce and broccoli are also producing huge daily handfuls.

Kiwi and Tansy are happy about lots of fresh bunny munchies!

They are especially loving the big bunches of fresh basil I pick for them every morning.

They also like to eat flowers: pansy, rose petals, phlox and hollyhocks leaves (I like the flowers too much to share with them!).

Looking at the garden from my deck, facing south-east.




Looking at the garden, facing south-west.

In the foreground of this picture, you can see my attempt at a second crop of peas.

They produced about 1/2 a cup, but only grew 1 foot high.

The spring planting grew 3 1/2 feet high and produced about 6 cups.

6 cups is not enough peas! I always want more peas!

Unfortunately, they take up vertical space in the garden and I have trouble finding more room for them to grow where they won't be shaded by other vertical growers.

Facing west.

I let some volunteer radishes grow and go to seed in the path.

They are supposed to keep squash vine borers and other pests away.

It worked last year, but it does make the path very messy looking.

Tomatoes on the left and green beans on the right.

Everyone else seems to be picking their green beans, but mine are not ready yet.

Boo! I love green beans!

Tomatoes.

There was a wilt of some kind that attacked my tomatoes, but I sprayed them and mulched them with grass clippings and they seem to be doing better.

Cucumbers on the trellis.

I love picking a cucumber hanging eight feet up in the air.

So funny!

In this pic we have from left to right - tomatillo, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, painted lady beans, green beans, basil and more tomatoes. There is also some kale, but you can't see it from this angle.

Can I just say I'm glad that I made all my paths 3 feet wide?

All that fussy work this Spring, setting out the beds, was worth it.

Chinese 5 color peppers.

They are starting to change color!

Looking east.

Can you see Catty? She is underneath the arch on the left side.

In this pic - peas, onions, strawberries, kale, eggplant, broccoli, tomatoes, summer squash, sunflowers, green beans and radishes gone to seed.

That's all folks!

I hope you enjoyed the update.

If you have an update on your garden, please leave a link in the comment section, so I can check it out. :)

Bunny Boys Bonded

This is how I found the boys snuggling in the morning.

They are bonded!

For a while I was wondering why I had ever thought about getting Tansy a buddy, but now when I see Tansy and Kiwi together I know it was a good idea.
They are double trouble, but their sweet little faces are worth it!

Bonding Tansy and Kiwi - First Steps

Ok I couldn't wait any longer.

So far this is what has happened:
I set up a space for them in one of my spare bed rooms. Tansy had never been allowed into this room, so it is neutral. 2 of everything - litter box, water, pile of fresh veggies, hay, phone book, stuffed toy, diggy towels, cardboard boxes.

Then I put both buns in a cardboard box with a cover. I shook them up, went outside, went inside, went into the garage, jogged in place, ect.
Then I dumped (gently) them both into the new room.
They sniffed each other. Hopped around a bit. Then they fought. Lost some fur. I didn't stop them. Then they hopped around. Then they fought. Tansy hid in a box. Kiwi hid on the other side of the room. Then they fought. Lost some more fur. Then they went to different sides of the room and lay down. They took a 2 hour break where they didn't do anything.
Kiwi got up and ate some hay and used the litter box.
Tansy hid in a box.
Kiwi ate.
Tansy ate.
Kiwi came over to sniff Tansy. Tansy thumped at Kiwi. Kiwi went away.
Kiwi came back - Tansy thumped. Repeat 50 times.
Kiwi chased Tansy - Tansy hid in a box and thumped.
Kiwi ate. Tansy ate.
Kiwi chased Tansy. Tansy thumped and hid in a box.
Then they chased/thumped/ate and are still doing that combination.

I checked them over once for injuries, but other than that I haven't touched them. So far it seems to be going pretty well.

This is a photo time line of their interactions.