Deck garden this summer

Hay in the house

For halloween we did a hay ride trick-or-treat thing in Combine like we do every year. I bring the hay bales home to use in the garden and keep the rabbits warm when the weather turns cold.

The temperature dropped Thanksgiving and I told the boys to put some hay in the rabbits' hutch. Well they put the hay in the hutch, but they also the unopened bale right by the gate of the backyard. Now it had blown into the living room and kitchen. Somehow they even got a layer of it in their bedroom. Hay should not be in the house.

This is why cows should not be pets

Mom came home from the grocery store. She had the food in the trunk of the car. She opened the trunk and took a arm load of groceries into the house. When she came back three of my Dad's four cows had their heads in the trunk of the car. She yelled at them. They looked up and cow #1 had a bunch of bananas in her mouth. She yelled and ran at them. The cows ran off with the bananas and had a fight in the front yard over them. Mom and J got the rest of the groceries in closing the trunk in between each trip. The cows came back waiting for more produce. Mom threw a rock and hit cow #1 in between her eyes, cow did not even blink. These are big, vegetarian dogs.

Winter is here

When we got up this morning it was comfortable. Two hours later is was cold. Now at 8:30 at night it is really really cold and windy.

The boys helped me move the rest of the outside plants to the greenhouse. Nancy was out there just as busy as could be. She seems happy to have it there. Now that it is cold, it will stay pretty cool in the greenhouse and I can start cool weather plants in there to transplant into the garden. I am going to put some worms in a container and take them into the greenhouse.

There were a few holes in the plastic so I had Kurt climb up on a bench and tape them up. He couldn't reach the highest of the hole, so he held on to the center roof pipe with one hand and taped with the other. He looked just like a monkey. I will take a picture the next time he is with me and post it.

Compost heating up rooting agave

The compost pile has heated up to 120. According the the thermometer that is active, not hot. Hot is over 140. At least it is doing something. Michael feels better.

Debbie gave me a huge cutting of a century plant. The bottom is already calloused so we will see if it will root out in a container. I am not a fan of cactus, but this is a cool plant.

We may get a freeze in the next few day, so tomorrow we move all the plants into the greenhouse, pick all the green tomatos, and bring in the basil to dry.

cold compost

When we got up this morning the compost pile was at 100 degrees. It was 95 three hours later. I guess there was not enough nitrogen. Michael wanted to add more water, but that will just make it harder to turn when it goes completely cold. When it gets cold we will turn it and start over.