Ducks 4 in '24

[ducks4you]

I have a burn on my left forearm. I wasn't too careful burning sticks, etc. last week.

It isn't too long or large. We, horsepeople, steal from our livestock vetwrap supplies to help US heal. DD treated this yesterday with Neosporin, gauze, and covered it up with some vetwrap I had in my medicine drawer in the kitchen. Why,, the kitchen? The bathroom is a bad place to keep bandages bc it's so humid. Anyway, it now looks Far worse than it really is. Good thing I ran out of Pink vetwrap.

 

[ducks4you]

My little peach tree surVived it's first (mild) winter and is doing great! I caged it, LAST fall with the intention of breaking the cage to remove it later this year, Just wanted some protection and to keep it growing straight. There Was a peach flower, for a hot minute, but strong winds blew it off.

 

[ducks4you]

Family aloe, that shrunk down to almost nothing and the cat tried to kill it! is doing well. It is on a ledge next to the south facing kitchen window. Poor soil, the toothpick is in there to help drainage, the "pot" is a small candle holder from Christmas. Surprisingly, it is right next to he kitchen sink and it still dries out fairly quickly..

 

[ducks4you]

Repotted the Amaryllis. The roots grew a LOT while in it's temporary pot.
I started a 72 cell starter tray with Better Boy tomatoes. Wasn't sure about the seeds that I saved, so I bought 2 packages of Burpee hybrid seeds since DH thinks all good tomatoes are red.
I started a 26 cell starting tray with Amish Paste (seeds from High Mowing, 2022.
Most of the sweet peppers are up, the red bells are taking their good old time...I may replant seeds.
I FINALLY finished cleaning our the 15 gallon (plant) fish tank and sealed the bottom sides and up the sides with FlexSeal. I let it cure for a day, then put 2 inches of water in it. NO leaking!
The Holland Red shallots looked dried out early this week. One clove was questionable, but I put them in a plastic yogurt container and soaked them in water for a day, then put them in a grocery store clear cookie clam shell with soil and very wet. They All have great roots on them. Tomorrow I plan to transplant them each to a 3 inch square (top) vegetable pot, the ones that purchased plants come in, and put them in the fish tank with some water, on top of a heat mat and under a gro light to let them get substantial roots before transplanting. The bed isn't ready for them yet.
Photos later...

 

[ducks4you]

Here are the new roots on the Amayllis, that is still "waterless." It is Satisfying to save a plant that really wants to live.
It isn't a pretty pot, but it Is new, and clay and it now lives next to the l s of the sink, so that I will remember it.

 

[Dahlia]

Calico cats and tortoiseshell cats are my favorite felines. I love all the colors.

We had this orange tabby type cat that adopted us and it would go for walks with us like a dog! It was so funny because when we passed a tree, the cat would run up and down the tree super fast and then rejoin us on our walk! Lol!

 

[ducks4you]

I finished my 6 weeks of physical therapy. The therapist started off with 3 weeks where I worked mostly with an intern, who I didn't think understood my particular issues. Last 3 sessions I had ONLY the physical therapist and his diagnosis is spot on. After overflexing the muscle behind my right knee, first leg injury, I have overcompensated and now when I straighten my left leg on a flat surface, like the mat on the floor of the gym, it sticks up a couple of inches. I will need to continue to stretch and I can overcome this.
The right knee, of course, is missing 1/2 of the cartilidge, lh side. This will not get better, but the therapist said that if I continue to strengthen my leg muscles I could live with this for a few years.
I think I will check back with the dr's nurse about this. When it is recommended, I am all for a knee replacement, but it might not be This year.
Last day was Wednesday and I met DD at the gym at 5:30, PT appt at 7:30AM--eldest DD has a bad cold--and I took pictures of the machines there. My therapist told me which ones would help and which I should avoid.
We talked about arthritis, but the only arthritis I have is in my knees. None in my spine, elbows, wrists, neck, back hips or ankles. He also commented that I have continued to stay flexible, so that's good.
Eldest DD is still sick, so I met youngest DD at the gym this morning bc I knew that she wanted company.
I used their eliptical for about 20 minutes, then my r knee started hurting, so I switched to stretching and crunches, exercises I can do on the floor.
It's nice that this very small gym, very close to our respective houses and in a safe town, has a women's changing/shower room and men don't wander in.
WHO.EVER.THOUGHT. that this would be a consideration?!?!?
DD's go M W F every week. My only problem now is sore muscles, but I'm walking better. Therapist also agreed that I should wear my (Walgreen's) knee brace on my right knee when I use a push mower, and stop whatever I am doing outside if either knee begins to hurt.
I plan to exercise every day, with certain ones at home, and others with gym equipment. DD's just got through a 75 day exercise and reducing diet program. They have both lost weight this year. A couple of years ago they both dropped over 50 pounds. It yo-yo'd back, so here we go, again.
Anyway, getting into a routine. DH and DD's are both going out west for 10 days beginning of June, so I will need to hit the gym solo, which I hope to do.
What does THIS have to do with gardening?!?
If you cannot walk, you cannot do Anything outside, even those weeding jobs I do sitting on my garden seat.

 

[ducks4you]

Good Bumblebee News! While mowing down some weeds in the Inner Sanctum, where the ponies have been eating, I saw bumblebees hovering next to a now abandoned 12' x 12' bird enclosure. I got stung a few years back bc I push mowed on top of their nest. I had Planned to let the ponies finish before I kicked them off--I have tiny apples coming in, in this area--but yesterday I saw that they had trimmed up the area.
NO.BEES!!!!!!!!
So, I don't need to poison the grass there to kill off their nest.
We have Plenty of bumblebees, so no worries.
Praise God I won't be stung again!!!

 

[ducks4you]

Good news! The smallest blueberry had lost most of it's leaves, but now has grown 3 more and is looking healthy. I have all 3 in the same pot to get some root growth. I was able to find 3 packages of row cover length insect netting. I plan to put a wooden stake in the middle of the pot and cover them all before the cicadas hit later this month!

 

[ducks4you]

Sadly, I am sure that my 26yo mare has Cushings. She wouldn't shed out. I had bought an older horse years ago, and the spring came, we bought clippers to get the coat shedded and just couldn't get his winter coat off.
Every year all of my herd have simply rolled enough to shed in the Spring. Not this year...
FORTUNATELY, with my mare, DD's successfully attacked her coat with a shedding blade, an equigroomer,

EquiGroomer 8 inch Deshedding Tool

The EquiGroomer effectively removes loose hair, dirt and dander on all parts of a horse’s body, including their legs and bellies. The EquiGroomer’s blade is especially useful for sensitive-skinned horses such as Thoroughbreds, many of which won’t tolerate

www.bigdweb.com

Mane N Tail shampoo---friends have Given us theirs, in the past,--
Mane N Tail conditioner (smells like apple,)
a pair of blunt end scissors (Harbor Freight freebee,)
and a HD grooming rake that nobody seems to make anymore.
They spent 5 hours on her coat, and most of the time she stood perfectly still. When 80% of the coat was off we hosed her down and she stopped..."panting".
Cold water Can cool anybody off.
She was thoroughly bathed, while she grazed, then she came over to me to blow in my face, which is how a horse says, "Thank You!"
They lathered her in apple scented conditioner which really helped to get off additional matting, treated 2 small leg wounds, picked out a hoof which had some small stones in it, then thoroughly sprayed fly spray all over.
There are Still some places that need deshedding, maybe 5% left, BUT, and a BIG but, the coat came off.
We turned her, she was walking better, and when her herd mates complained about the flies, she said, "What flies?!?!?"
I finally ordered my 2024 Fly Predators.

How it Works

www.spalding-labs.com