May 5, 2020

Just as I thought, my cantaloupe did not make it.  It started strong but never took well to the replanting.  I planted it the same way I did my other vegetables.  I prepared the soil by loosening the dirt.  I put in the same amount of plant food.  I planted it the appropriate depth.  I spread new potting soil over the top of the area around the plant.  Still, it did not make it.  I guess I should be surprised more of my plantings did not fail rather than begrudging the loss of one, but each was planted with great expectation.

I have been on several Zoom calls and a few of the callers have had cool backdrops rather than a view of their office or kitchen wall.  I learned one of the features offered provided a variety of backdrops for your location.  The only requirement is to use a greenscreen behind your visage.  The cameras on newer computers even allow these backdrops without a greenscreen.  I tried this application and my camera did not make the grade.  One of the callers who used this feature for work mentioned they had used a green tablecloth attached to the wall behind them.

Melissa went to the store for groceries on her way home several days ago and bought a plastic tablecloth for me to create a greenscreen.  I took my mask yesterday and went to the local hardware store for pvc.  I have used pvc pipe for a variety of projects and knew this could be the foundation for my screen.  I purchased three 10’ lengths, four elbow joints, and a pipe cutter.  Taping the tablecloth to the cut lengths of pipe proved harder than I expected, but the project is finished, and my screen works.  While I was at the store, I purchased another bag of potting soil and some musk melon (cantaloupe) plants.  Once again, they only came in a six-pack tray.  I guess I had better get them in the ground before they die as well.

THOUGHTS:  While making the greenscreen for my Zoom calls was the excuse I used to get outside, the real reason was to find another plant to replace my lost cantaloupe.  The labeling as musk melon threw Melissa for a bit, but then she realized what it was.  I knew the original plant would not make it by the second day.   It went from hardy and robust to limp and wilted.  Some of the things we try in life are a success, but others do not work out.  Like my cantaloupe, they are all begun with great expectation.  I have learned from all my trials, but it seems better to live my success than to analyze my failures.  The ultimate lesson I learned is to keep trying.  Failure only wins when it makes you stop.  If it is possible, Stay home. Stay safe.

May 4, 2020

Melissa’s mom always liked the birds who hung out at the house.  Her favorites were the hummingbirds and the cardinals.  I find it interesting since these two species could not be more different.  Cardinals are large birds with big beaks for breaking open seeds.  Hummingbirds are tiny with long beaks for drinking nectar from the fluted flowers.  While cardinals spend time perched on the fence the hummingbirds are always hovering.  I have seen a hummingbird perched in a bush, but I only remember this once in all my years.  Even being so different I can understand why they were her favorites.  They are mine as well.

While cleaning the back porch I not only found a bird feeder I also found three hummingbird feeders.  I previously mentioned putting seed in the bird feeder for the cardinals and the nesting wrens.  Today my project was to fill the hummingbird feeders and hang them in the back yard.  Melissa got me some red syrup and I filled them up.  There were hangers along the fence, so I placed them around the yard.  I am hoping my favorite birds will find these feeding stations and frequent the yard often.

Over the weekend we had a constant bird fight in our back yard.  We have a bird house along the fence and a pair of wrens have kept a constant vigil to protect it for the last two years.  They have been busy going in and out and I am sure they are sitting on a nest.  The trouble started with the magpie.  Last year the magpie built a nest in the snowball bush in the front yard and would dive bomb Bella every time she went outside, presumably protecting a nest.  It was not until the leaves dropped that we even knew a nest was there.  Saturday, the bird decided a squirrel was to close and pestered it unmercifully.  Next the magpie decided to attack the wrens.  The opening to the house is too small for the magpie to enter but she perched on the fence just outside and flew at the wrens whenever they peeked their heads out.  While these wars were going on, several other birds got involved in a chase as well.  The bird world was in turmoil.  Maybe they are tired of being asked to stay home.

THOUGHTS:  I have found having favorites changes my attitude.   I put out food for the birds I like.  I hope the wrens and cardinals enjoy the seed and the hummingbirds find the nectar.  I know other birds will find the stash as well, but it is not there for them.  I do not like the magpie because of how it treated Bella and even found myself feeling sorry for the squirrel who also liked to tease Bella by staying just out of reach.  These birds are acting as instinct tells them, but some I like and others I do not.   It is easy to forgive the wrens and cardinals because I like them.  It is easy to get angry with the magpie because I have decided not to like it.  I need to be thoughtful when I deal with people, lest I find myself treating them the same way.  If it is possible, Stay home. Stay safe.

May 2, 2020

I am done, at least with the initial planting.  I fixed the last two containers and planted one side with beans and the other with peas.  Both containers had trellis’ in them so I thought they would be perfect for these climbing vines.  I used the proper spacing advised on the seed packages.  The directions suggest it will take 6-7 days for them to sprout.  I had asked Melissa to buy small packets of seed as I knew the containers were small.  Even so, I probably have enough seed left over for the next several years., that is if they stay viable that long.  I wonder because the front of the packs claim they are both packaged for 2020.   I think at least I will be able to plant for a second harvest in the fall.

Even as I put the seed into the ground I marveled at the growth of my other plants.  All eight of my potato plants have sprouted and about half of my onion sets are up.  My tomatoes and peppers are doing well, and the cilantro has exploded.  This rapid growth has made it fun to water as I can see a difference daily.  The only plant I worry about is my cantaloupe.  It is looking sort of peaked and I worry it may not make it.  If it is going to fail, I hope it does so quickly to allow me time to get back to the coop for another one.

Part of the joy I find in gardening is watching the development of the plants.  I realize I am in it for the long haul.  The peas and beans are the quickest to produce and they are 55-60 days out.  Most of the others are around 85-90 days.  That means even though I got the others in the ground a week earlier, the beans and peas will still be my first harvest.  I am not good at waiting, even though I know I have too.  I am determined to let ALL my plants mature and not rush them.  Maybe I should harvest some of the cilantro for guacamole this evening.

THOUGHTS:  Planting my garden has let me reflect on life.  Just like my different plants, each of us are unique.  We have different rates of growth and even when mature, we produce different fruit.  Some are like my cantaloupe and struggle to get a start in life while others seem to move effortlessly through life’s stages.  Our uniqueness is a good thing, how boring it would be if we were all the same!  However, our differences mean I need to deal with others based on their uniqueness.  I consider myself eclectic when it comes to philosophy, and with people.  This does not mean I cannot make up my mind, it means I hold each perspective as having value.  This also means I need to invest in others in order to see their potential to produce fruit.  If it is possible, Stay home. Stay safe.

May 1, 2020

We have had a lot of rain lately and when I went out to water this morning the soil was still very wet.  I decided not to water but did some weeding in the front Hosta bed.  Even though I did not water, I still had to play with the watering system.  Melissa constructed a watering system that covers the entire yard.  It was built to water the flower beds in both the front and back yards, as well as a drip system for the hanging baskets that used to flourish on the screened porch.  It had not been used for the last years by her mom or dad.  When we moved in two years ago, I turned it on to see if it still worked.  There are parts that need refurbishing, but most sections work.  This was not a priority, so I let it go.

The first year at the house we concentrated on the interior and did not do anything to the outside except mow.  Last year we stepped it up a notch and weeded, mulched the beds and added a few flowers, but little else.  This seems to be the “big push” year.  We added the garden and planted more flowers.  The additional vegetation means additional time spent on upkeep.  The hose I use to water the container garden is not well sealed and when I water it sprays through the screens and waters the porch.  Again, not a priority, so I let it go.

It happens we have a brand new four-hose connector to attach to the faucet.   We have had it for a while but since we did not use the watering system, I had not gotten around to replacing the old one. Since the porch is now Melissa’s succulent potting area, she asked me to make the change.  This was not a big deal.  It only took five minutes to switch it out.  Now that the new one is installed; I no longer worry about spraying Melissa’s cuttings.  Maybe I should fix the rest of the watering system as well.

THOUGHTS:  There are areas of my life that could use a little work.  We have begun to eat better but I am still spotty on the exercise.  I could spend time reading but find myself on the computer working or taking care of “essential” business.  When Melissa comes home from work, we eat dinner and then usually collapse on the couch (yes, even working from home can be exhausting).   It is not that I do not have time to change these habits, it is that I choose not to change.  It is not even like these are long held habits.  Most of what I do now was not being done six weeks ago.  The problem is they are not a priority.  Maybe in our new normal this is a good time to change.  If it is possible, Stay home. Stay safe.

April 30, 2020

Over the last few days I have begun a new routine.   I have mentioned how I get up and read the paper, but I have added a new wrinkle to my old routine.  Two things have forced me to change.  The first is because I no longer sleep in like I used to.  Melissa began a new job on Monday and she leaves the house around six in the morning to get to work.   She tries not to wake me but I do wake up.  When she leaves she gives me a kiss goodbye and I fall back to sleep, but only for a little while.  I get up around 7:30 and start my day.   The other change comes from the garden I planted.  I worked in a nursery in college and know plants should only be watered in the morning or late afternoon.  Otherwise the heat of the daily sun tends to suck the water out of the plant rather than let it absorb into the soil.  My new routine is to get up, water, and then read my paper.

Another thing I have found is before I water I need to check the beds for weeds.  Weeds are a constant nemesis for a garden, whether vegetables or flowers.  I am not good at weeding, but I am determined to give my garden every chance it can have.  This morning I discovered I can weed and water at the same time (I know, it’s not rocket science).  That reduces the boredom of both tasks.  I always believe in win/win situations and this is definitely one.  I have also found it is a lot easier to keep the garden weeded than to weed to be able to plant the garden.  That is why I try to weed and water daily.

As I reallocate my time it reminds me of a conversation I had in college with a friend.  We were sitting on her front porch and watched as an old man (probably my age!) mowed and tended his lawn.  I commented, “I hope I never get to the point where that is the highlight of my day!”  Forty-five years later I find that priorities change.  Tending my garden and mowing my lawn may not be the highlight of my day, but I do find them enjoyable.  They give me a sense of purpose and allow me to reflect on my priorities for the rest of the day.  I think I will go read my paper.

THOUGHTS:  Just as our situation in life changes so do our priorities.  Some of those situations, like Melissa’s job, are beyond our control and we are forced to adapt.  Others, like my garden, are brought on by changes we make on our own.  Either way, these changes cause us to adapt to the new normal.  Adaptation might mean doing something in a whole new way, or like my routine it might just add to what we are already doing.  I find myself becoming more adaptable as I navigate these new times.  I like this new me and hope I will be able to continue adapting after the crisis is over.  If it is possible, Stay home. Stay safe.

April 29, 2020

Just my luck.  I have spent the last few days getting my peppers and tomatoes in containers, my melons in the ground, and my potatoes and onions have sprouted.  I admit I was feeling good about all the potential food I am going to have in about 90 days.  I did not water my plants yesterday because we were expecting rain.  I thought I would just let nature take its course.  Well, it certainly did.  The storms that rolled through last night brought tornadoes to nearby towns.  We were not hit but when the front came it brought 75 mile an hour shear winds and a brief hail shower.  It was too dark to see much outside, so I just hoped for the best.

When I got up this morning, I went out to inspect the damage.  While several items had been blown around the yard all my containers were intact.  It is probably a good thing I put a brick in the bottom of each of them.  I would not have thought of it but when I was cleaning the pots to transfer my vegetables, I noticed Melissa’s mom had done this before.  Since she was a master gardener, I decided to follow suit and it seems to work.

Now that my plants survival was assured, I thought about the other creatures who inhabit our yard.  We have a bird feeder on the porch, so I put it on a hangar at the back fence and filled it with the seed mix I had purchased earlier.  The mix contained black sunflower seeds that I know are a favorite of the cardinals who frequent our yard.  It has smaller grains so the other birds can feed as well.  I got a comment on my post about the strawberries asking if these were not mock strawberries.  I got an identification app online and clicked on the plants.  They were mock strawberries, not real ones.  When I told Melissa she responded, “Maybe the bunnies and turtles will enjoy them.”  When the ground dries out, I think will just mow.

THOUGHTS:  One of my great joys has been watching the power and energy displayed as the thunderstorms roll across the Kansas sky.  The storm took on a different meaning last night as I feared for the survival of my new garden.  I can only imagine the terror the early settlers must have felt when the storms and tornadoes ripped across the prairies.  Their sod houses offered little shelter.  Luckily for some, the root cellars dug into the ground to preserve the stored vegetables allowed both to survive.  After the crisis was over, they emerged to a new day.  I hope the same will be true as we survive our present crisis.  If it is possible, Stay home. Stay safe.

April 27, 2020

Our family moved for dad’s job after my final year in Jr. High.  That first summer was particularly rough.  I was not old enough to drive and I did not know where to find friends.  The town did have a city pool, so I got the habit of walking the half mile to the park and then hanging around the pool area all afternoon.  One afternoon I was approached by a man in an old pickup truck who asked if I wanted to make some money picking watermelons.  I told him I would have to ask, so he drove me to my parents’ house and then out to the melon fields.

When we arrived, the field was huge!  He apparently supplied melons to all the local markets.  He introduced me to the crew and took off.  The crew consisted of the foreman and his wife, and two other young males like me.  I recall the wife drove the truck, the foreman stacked the melons in the bed and the three of us walked behind cutting the ripe melons off the vine.  Since I had never worked in the melon fields I was told how to tell if they were ripe, how to cut them and how to carefully move them to the truck.  I also learned another important piece of information.  The owner left strict instructions that we were not to eat the melons.  The exception was if one fell off the truck and broke open.  During the three days I worked the field it amazed me how a melon would fall off the truck right about break time.

I tried growing melons in my back yard in Kansas but had no success.  I am sure one of the problems was the ground I chose was a patch of yard along the fence that I dug up.  I did mix peat in the soil, but the melons never grew.  The plants grew very well, they just never produced fruit.  I finally stopped weeding (does this story sound familiar?) and the grass again took over my small patch.  Imagine my surprise when I looked at the patch later in the summer.  I had four or five small melons on the vine.  They never grew big enough to eat but their presence was encouraging.  I planted a watermelon and cantaloupe today.  I hope they grow.

THOUGHTS:  For the man who found me at the pool, getting the crops in was more important than where I came from.  The movie “McFarland” is based around the farm workers living in a small California town and depicts the harsh working conditions faced daily in the fields.  While the workers were not migrants, others harvesting crops in the San Joaquin Valley are.  While many of the migrant workers are American citizens or have “green cards” allowing them to work, others are not documented.   This is true for much of the lower level agricultural jobs.  During this pandemic we have found these harvesters and meat processors to be essential workers.  I hope we still feel that way once we move through the crisis.  If it is possible, Stay home. Stay safe.

April 27, 2020

In Charles Schultz’ comic strip Peanuts, the character Snoopy has an on and off attempt to write the great American novel entitled “The Little Bunnies.”  Bunnies are always depicted as cute cuddly fur balls.  A bunny trainer was hired by my son for his daughter Lauren’s second birthday.  He brought ten bunnies ranging in size from exceedingly small to one that had to weigh at least fifteen pounds.  Most of the children invited latched onto the cute little bunnies, but not Lauren.  She immediately took to the large bunny.  She would pick it up and hold it in her lap.  When the bunny squirmed away, she trailed off after it trying to give it more love.

There is a more sinister side to bunnies, however.  That is when they become rabbits.  Rabbits are voracious rodents that will eat anything they can get those long sharp front incisors into.  I had an experience with rabbits when we grew our urban container display garden in Wichita.  I had built an arched trellis between two of the containers and planted beans.  I hoped to train the vines so they would grow up and over the trellis, creating a wonderful cascading bean array.  As the season began my beans were looking great.  Then one night it happened.  Apparently, there was a clutch of rabbits living in the empty lot across the street.  When I came to water the rabbits scattered.  All my beans had been eaten.  I put chicken wire around the containers but never got much of a restart.

What got me thinking about the rabbits is the discovery I made mowing my back yard.  It has been raining lately and it makes the back yard impassible.  When I went to check if I could mow, I noticed a few Blue Coral Bells had sprung up.  I also noticed dozens of red dots on some of the thriving ground cover.   When I examined them closer I realized they were strawberries.  I have lived at the house for two summers and never noticed them as I had been able to mow.  When I asked Melissa about them, she confirmed my find.  Apparently, her mom had tried to grow strawberries for several years.  Every time they got to the pink stage the rabbits came and ate the entire crop.  I am going to put up some chicken wire and hope for the best.

THOUGHTS:  Most things in nature have two sides.  The cute bunnies are also the voracious rabbits.  The difference is the context and our expectations.  One trait of humans is our willingness and ability to change the surrounding environment.  The rabbits at my house were living in a dilapidated building in an overgrown field.  The building has been torn down and the field kept mown by the new owners.   One thing the pandemic has shown is how resilient animals can be.  Without the constant press of people, the animals have been allowed to thrive even in urban areas.  Perhaps the lesson should be to find ways amid this new normal to allow both to coexist.  If it is possible, Stay home. Stay safe.

April 25, 2020

I In the midst of Melissa’s succulent craze she has inspired me to plant a few more vegetables in my own container garden.  Melissa told me she has never had much luck with containers on her back area because of the full sun they receive most of the day.  Her mom used these containers and had excellent results, but her mom could grow anything.  I am determined to try so we went to the Coop to get some plants.  The plants were outside, so we put on our masks and kept our distance and after selecting what I wanted to buy I sat in the car while Melissa went inside to pay.  We unloaded the plants and extra potting soil and I went to work.

I remember my first experience planting tomatoes when I was a boy.  I was working for my Webelo badge in Cub Scouts and one of the projects was to grow a vegetable garden.  My dad had turned a large plot of ground in our yard into garden space so I asked if I could grow the tomatoes.  He agreed and asked how many I wanted to plant.  Without hesitation I said, “Twelve!” Dad did not bat an eye and told me he would buy the plants, but I had to agree to water and care for them all summer.  I promised and shortly the plants were in the ground.   I was good at caring for the plants and they quickly began to produce.  As my dad knew, 12 plants produce a lot of tomatoes.  I not only picked the tomatoes, I also had to figure out what to do with them.  As the summer went on, I quit caring for the plants hoping they would stop producing.  They never did.

When we went to the Coop, I intended to only buy two tomato plants.  I wanted a Beef Steak and a Roma.  Melissa likes the big tomatoes and I wanted to try my hand at salsa.  Salsa meant we also got a couple of types of jalapenos and cilantro.  I have already planted the onions, so I was set.  Then Melissa saw a Yellow Boy and wanted to try it.  The other difficulty was the Roma’s were not sold as a single plant, so I had to buy a flat of six.  All told I ended up with eight containers of tomatoes.  That should make quite a lot of Salsa.  By the way, I hope you like tomatoes.

THOUGHTS:  I am amazed by the number of people who are planting gardens this year.  On the few occasions I get out the nursery’s and plant stores have full parking lots and just like today, only a limited number of plants.  Part of the supply problem is because it is getting later in the planting season, but we had frost warnings last week.  A comedian we watch on Friday’s mentioned that part of the problem with the pandemic comes from poor health and the types of food we eat.  Perhaps with all the gardens being planted we will focus more on fruits and vegetables.  That is my intent.  I hope it is yours as well.  If it is possible, Stay home. Stay safe.

April 24, 2020

I purchased a cordless drill several years ago to help in the small construction projects I do around the house.  It came with a backup battery, so I have been careful to plug this in to charge while I use the other attached to the drill.  This has worked well and been a time saver on bigger projects as I have had to switch batteries.  Lately I have been using my drill for small jobs, things like drilling one or two screws in or out.  Since I am using the drill for such a short time, I have not been plugging the extra battery into the charger.

Melissa has been gathering pots to plant the new succulent garden.  One aspect of succulents is they need to be potted in well-drained soil.   The best way to assure draining is to drill holes in the bottom of our pots.  Melissa had been asking me to do this for several days and I finally got around to it.  I used my masonry bit and it was easy to punch holes in the plastic pots.  It also worked well on the small terra cotta pots, although I ran into a problem with the larger terra cottas.  I needed to apply pressure to drill through the pots and as the bit broke through the drill dropped onto the pot and broke the bottom out of one.

My negligence finally caught up with me.  I was trying to drill though a high-fired ceramic pot and was not having much luck.  I assumed my bit was dull, but I kept trying.  Then my drill ran out of juice.  No problem, I got my backup and plugged it into the drill.  Nothing.  Over the course of the last months this battery had gone dead as well.  I set up the charger and plugged in the battery.  When I checked several hours later the charge was complete.  I tried a couple of terra cottas and it worked well.  Then I tried the high fired pot again.  I could not drill through.  I guess this pot will not make the garden.

THOUGHTS:  My experience with drilling the pots reminded me of two good life lessons.  The first is that we need to take care of ourselves so we do not run out of juice.   This may be something you do regularly but in times of stress we need to remember to recharge.  The second is that no matter how hard we try; we cannot be all things for all people.   I have not mastered the technology or even social skills to stay ahead of the curve in the middle of the pandemic.  What I can do is my best and then not beat myself up because one of the pots will not make the garden.  If it is possible, Stay home. Stay safe.