Happy Birthday, Mom.

My mom's 75th birthday is today and she'll be celebrating it in Kansas with her brothers and sister. Hope you have a super great time, Mom. You deserve it.

End corruption of our government

A movement is afoot to return control to the American people.

Tough summer day in spring

2nd planting of corn put in today. Boy was it hot! Being a miser with an inflatable swimming pool (thanks Todd & Robin!) full of water for my little lettuce and cabbage plants. I sure hope I don't use it all up before the polywogs get their legs. The big greenhouse has some great looking bean, tomato, cuke, squash, cantaloupe and watermelon plants in the ground. I'll be taking that down in a few weeks when the danger of late frost is officially past and those little plants should boom up into big plants. If we're lucky we'll have production maybe as early as the 1st week of July.

A delightful spring Sunday

what a delightful morning. Rotten night's sleep but a delightful morning. Sparky's asleep in my lap, warm cup of tea at my elbow. I can hear mom snoring and a few roosters still crowing. There's some lovely sunshine out there but even though I've got so much to do I'm not gonna ruin such a peaceful Sunday morning with tiller noises. Oh! now I can hear birds singing in the front yard. Sweet music to you all today.

Surprise! a rainy spring day in Oregon

Just filled the bird feeders and we have quite a flock in the yard.

The greenhouse is filling up quickly with lots of little plants. Hundreds of tomatoes already putting on dark green growth and a big flush of new herbs and interesting flowers. Still waiting on a bundle of new plants to come in; they won't ship until the danger of frost has passed.

Sunday I plugged the next set of mushroom logs with pearl oyster spawn. One more round for the lion's mane mushroom and I'll have my 1st experimental runs going. Also have some cardboard spawn and some delightful sawdust spawn running in my sterile chamber from both oyster and a wild lion's mane I found in fall. The spawn from that wild mushroom is wonderfully aggressive, growing quick & bright white.

Next week I'll start planting the early melons. I'm also hoping the weather will moderate for a few days so I can get the 1st greens field rototilled and the big greenhouse inflated. Once that is up I'll be planting the early garden of summer squash, cukes and tomatoes in there.

Wishing you all vigorous growth and rich soil :)

A great winter day.

Rototilled our 1st two late winter/early spring garden plots this afternoon. Hoozah! Really nice to get the tractor out under the open sky and a bright yellow sun. Mom and I also managed a supply run to Medford this morning. Lunch at Tintin buffet. Just all around a great day. All is lined up to start planting lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, and other garden greens by Monday or so. Hope these late winter days are giving you each and all the same fine treatment.

Late winter frosty

25°F out there this morning. 42 in the greenhouse with 2 heaters running. Have reached about 1000 plants in there, another 400+ seeded in and kept warm in the sprouting room downstairs. I'm planning on trying to inflate the big greenhouse in the next 10 days, start getting it ready for more transplants plus early tomatoes, peppers, squash and cukes. If this sub-freezing junk will go away I'll start prepping soil to put out the greens, lettuces and cabbages.

Sorry it's been so long since my last post, just really busy here. Keep finding your happy place.

Winter struggles

Well, my cold decided to hang around some more & I didn't get the floating row cover down, darn it. Did manage a few baby steps on my job scheduling app though, that was nice. Hope you had a good Tuesday.

Greenhouse complete.

A view through the newly finished door. Mixing a little more soil next as you can tell from all the bags.

Winter wrestle.

I've been having a challenging morning but making a little progress despite the struggle. Alas not on the greenhouse, that'll wait until this afternoon. But cleanup is going well now that equipment is cooperating. A tiny bit of sun is showing through the winter haze.

Greenhouse beginnings

Happy New Year!

Sending us all a fine & fortuitous 2012.

Christmas misfortune

My friend Terrie's sister lost their home & possessions in a house fire Christmas evening. We're all pulling together trying to help them out, if you'd like to participate in the helping, here's a place for coordinating contributions & donations.

And a special thanks from me in advance for even a prayer of help.

Life moves on

Got the 1st leg and rafter of the small greenhouse put up on the back of our house yesterday. 9 more to go plus 2 pieces of polyethylene to top it and 2 ends to cover plus a smattering of slats, stakes and gussets. Tomatoes are growing great in the basement along with some super happy looking cukes and zukes so the greenhouse is becoming a pressing issue.

Xmas behind us, New Year ahead. Lots of work to do real soon & already falling behind on the pruning and spraying of fruit trees. But I wouldn't know how to operate if I wasn't behind schedule :)

Hope life is turning over little treasures for you all.

We've got the unpleasantness of the funeral and the pleasantness of seeing so many wonderful family members behind us now. The hard, cold, icy snap of the last 2 weeks is abating before a stormy night tonight. I'm starting to get my mind back on the work plan. Tomorrow I plant tomatoes, squash, and peppers. Wishing you all a fine late autumn night.

God Speed Johnny

At 3:45pm today our father Johnny Giesbrecht at last set down the burdens of this world and went on to that great adventure which awaits us all. He was surrounded by his loving wife and children and was in no pain. We're all grieving here but you needed to know Johnny to understand why that grief comes with a silver lining. Though dad was often a sombre man he was never one to dwell in grief. His humor and stick-to-it-ness support us even now. Dad often said "Take care of your job & the rest of your life will take care of itself." and with that we should all get back to the business of living.

Late autumn relaxations

another foggy Oregon morning. Aunt Anna & I are enjoying a nice pizza breakfast with hot tea.

Uncle Leo, aunt Margret & uncle Ben left a little early yesterday, uncle Ben wasn't feeling good so they made sure he had plenty of time to rest at the hotel before their flight left this morning.

Dad is resting ok, but he's got the hiccups pretty bad.

It's Sunday, so no work for me today :) Hope y'all enjoy this fine day and find many inspirations.

2011 season end

Hi folks! Just wanted to let everyone know we were throwing in the towel on 2011. It was a great season, we had lots of fun growing great food for you all but business has slowed down too much and we've just got too many chores that need doin' so next year will be even better. Thanks again & God bless you all.

autumn check-in

Busy! Good weather means good work. Mom & I are gonna break routines and run errands in town this evening. Hope fall is treating you well.

Prizes from my niece

My niece is having a giveaway! on her blog "Cooke's Frontier", 3 boxes of cereal & a 25$ Walmart gift card. Check it out & sign up at Cooke's Frontier. Expires in 3 days, on Oct 12th so get on it!