Ducks 4 in '24

[ducks4you]

Got 1/2 ready to plant tomatoes. Area in front of fencing needs to be dug up and hand tilled, then I will use my fencepost auger to dig the holes.
Hot today, had the wet down my mare and change her bandages. Tomorrow DD promises to help me chop off the ragged front hoof ends. She has/had 2 wounds on her shins from knocking into them, poor thing. When you keep horses for a long time, you accumulate a lot of things, like bandage supplies. I had 2 packages of diapers and about 15 rolls of purple vetwrap, leftover from the box that I bought when my dog, "Pyg" needed to have bandages changed after surgery. I have been slathering Corona Ointment, it's antiseptic and doesn't weap like Nitrofuricin, so I like it better, onto the middle of the inside of the diaper, then placing and wrapping and then, vetwrapping. She had this wound on her front left shin that would NOT heal. Then, a smaller one on the right front shin. They Both look much better staying covered, and the right front leg injury is visibly smaller.
Vet comes out Thursday.
I found my Oster clippers yesterday!!! I bought them for my gelding, "Trogdor" who had Cushings before I knew what it was. We couldn't clip through his very thick winter coat, but my mare's coat isn't that bad.
Vet knows about management possibilities and said, "expensive." She is worth it, even if it runs $150/month.

 

[ducks4you]

This morning I got about 1/2 of one tomato row prepped. I used my spade and dug about 10 inches from the 2023 southmost 6 ft tall fencing and used my gloves to break up the soil, before the t storm chased me indoors. I should be able to get out again about 4PM today. MOST of the tomatoes I bought look great. I up potted 7, the 2 cherry tomatoes look great, the others got dried out, then waterlogged and are in sick bay recovering. Tomorrow I will probably buy 4 more at WM. I know that the cherry tomatoes can go in bc they will be planted in the east and north bed of the garage, closest to the brick border so that they will get sun.
I am WAAAYYYY ahead of last year as a planter. My garden seat makes SUCH a difference!
It is now pouring and my laptop is NOT plugged in. My previous laptop got fried from a t storm, so not This time.
I ended up with about 8 sugar snap pea plants that survived.
I am conVINCED that cool weather crops are best planted in the Fall.
In a week I will be starting brussels sprouts from seed inside. Pretty crazy that this is the schedule.
It is now pouring...

 

[ducks4you]

I threw out the smaller buff colored 2023 pumpkin for the ponies to eat. They didn't really eat it, but it disappeared. One grew and I will need to retrain it along the fenceline.

 

[flowerbug]

I threw out the smaller buff colored 2023 pumpkin for the ponies to eat. They didn't really eat it, but it disappeared. One grew and I will need to retrain it along the fenceline.

you could walk around and see if you smell pumpkin pie on the breeze...

 

[ducks4you]

Still around. Mare has Cushings, now on bute 2x/day, given in a syringe with some molasses. Took her completely off of sweet feed. She was given four 20cc of antibiotics to quell leg infection. DD's and I switched to cotton polo wraps to bandage her legs. She was in pain and digging wounds in her flesh. Ugly...
Either the Cushings or the bute, or the heat is gonna take her soon.
FORTUNELY, my Vet has volunteered to shoot her when she goes down and cannot get up again. They can take days to die. Vet is a former Chicago cop and a marksman AND knows what she is doing.
Got 20 tomatoes in the ground, including 2 cherries that I accidentally bought, 2 in a cell and separated. I dug up and weeded, from sawgrass mainly, the approx 4 ft square bed east and north of the garage. Plenty of afternoon sun. I caged the cherries There and added other seeds. Expecting rain from Beryl tomorrow and Wednesday.
Only 3/30 cucumbers came up. Gotta weed that bed later this week, and start some cucumber seeds inddoors, then transplant.
Just checking in, so you know I am still alive.!!!

 

[ducks4you]

Family was out for the 4th. Middle DD found four bistro chairs at ALDI for us. My glass outdoor table has NEVER really been used bc the chairs that came with it were Really pool deck chairs. THESE are folding chairs. Family spent 1/2 the time sitting around the porch table and eating and chatting.
Since the 2nd paint job is chipping I bought a Bunch of throw rugs, so most of the porch is now covered with them, all shades of blue or blue pattern. The chairs are pale teal and gorgeous! Hold up to 255 pounds, so DH, who has lost 25 pounds this summer, can have a sandwich on the porch again!

 

[ducks4you]

Pictures...
The glass table and chairs were on clearance at the small town Ace Hardware some 10 years ago or so.
They had the chairs in 4 colors so I bought them, as is, blue, green, red and brown. Since they have lived on the porch the table and the chairs are in great condition. The middle of the table has a plastic ring where an umbrella goes, and somehow that has cracked, but otherwise, all like new. I put down the blue pattern placemats so that my stonewear won't crack the glass. Family found paper plates and bowls to use on it, instead.
I plan to pull THESE original chairs out to the north pasture for my fall Salsa Party this year. They are very comfy, but it's impossible to sit upright at the table with them.

 

[flowerbug]

I plan to pull THESE original chairs out to the north pasture for my fall Salsa Party this year. They are very comfy, but it's impossible to sit upright at the table with them.

those look a lot like the chairs we've had here for nearly 30 years. the plastic ends have aged and fallen out in some of them, but the webbing has held up through all these years of exposure to the sun and other weather.

the downside to having the ends off is that rains may intrude and fill them up, so some super long lasting water resistant caulk could be applied early in their lifetime to help seal up those ends plus to perhaps keep the ends from falling off so easily later on.

 

[ducks4you]

My front porch is enclosed, not heated/AC, but mostly rain-less, so these chairs AND my wooden Adirondack chairs Don't get weathered, like the ones that parents moved from West Chester, PA in the 1960's, then left outside of the back door for the sun, rain, ice and snow to do a number on them.
Webbed Chairs are in Great condition and could handle left out in the rain after a party.

 

[ducks4you]

Walking a little bit better. Vet had a knee problem and showed me a mini plie, that I have started doing and I am walking better. Yesterday I weeded the asparagus bed, west facing, full sun, but full of violets and some other weeds, easily pulled after Beryl dropped buckets of rain this week.
I plan to move my last tomato fencing over there in front.
NOBODY tells you how asparagus fronds flop over and get out of control!
Still, tasted good this Spring!
Btw, if you didn't know, PREEN makes a product that is pre emergent for SIX months.