This and That and Thingmajigs

Posted on June 10, 2018 by TJ

EJ and I had a quiet weekend together. We got a few tasks done, but we didn’t overwork.

Saturday morning after I took care of all the animals, I turned on the sprinklers to water the garden and the evergreens and fruit trees we had planted. I always turn on the sprinklers in the garden first after I fill the ducks pool and drinking water. Then I headed to the front yard to water the trees. I had just turned on the front yard sprinklers when it began to rain. The rain surprised me because I had checked the weather report Friday night and we were not supposed to get any rain for several days. I turned off all the sprinklers and then headed back into the house. It didn’t rain hard or for very long, but it was enough to water everything.

This morning I again turned on the sprinklers. This time they stayed on because the day was rainless. In the back yard I have to water the garden and then move the hose over to water the potatoes at the bottom of the hill. In the front yard I have to move the hose a couple times to get all the apple trees watered. Since the hose/sprinkler doesn’t reach all the evergreens or the cherry trees on the other side of the driveway, I fill emptied milk jugs with water and lug them over to give each tree a drink. After all the trees have been watered, I really need to drag the hose to water the flower garden next to the house, but I haven’t done it the last few times because it requires dragging the hose back between two of the large rocks and then, after the flower garden is water, dragging them back to the trees for the next morning’s watering. It’s a hassle.

It takes me a while to get everything watered. If we got more rain, I wouldn’t have to water at all. It’s been a very dry Spring for us this year.

After I finally got all my morning chores done, and EJ and I had eaten breakfast, and I had taken my shower, we drove to TSC. I had told EJ that I would like to buy a thingmajig to attached to the front outside faucet so that we could hook two hoses up to them so I didn’t have to drag the hose back and forth between the flower garden and the trees. He said, “You mean a ‘manifold’?” Oh, yes, I didn’t know that’s what it was called. There are little levers on the manifold so I can shut off the water to one hose or another if I don’t want them both on.

We bought a manifold at TSC as well as two more 50 foot hoses, both of which we connected to the manifold. We attached one of the new hoses to the 100 foot hose so it reaches all the trees so I don’t have to lug gallon jugs. We will keep the other 50 foot hose near the house to water the flower garden.

We took Hannah with us to TSC. Hannah loves to be as close as she can to us, which is possibly dangerous if Hannah distracts the driver, but we can hook a seatbelt up to her harness to keep her in the back seat. Even so, she stretches herself as far forward as the seatbelt allows her. Many of you may remember that we had adopted Hannah from the local animal shelter two days before Christmas 2017. She and two other dogs had been rescued from an abusive home where they had been kept outside and starved. When we brought Hannah home, she was extremely thin–we could count her bones. She has blossomed in our home and loves being close to us.

When Hannah wasn’t trying to get close to us, she looked out the window. She also tried to get in the very back of the Xterra. She’s not an easy dog to take on a drive, but I’m confident she will learn to settle down eventually.

Hannah looking out the window

Hannah trying to get to the very back of the Xterra

After lunch, EJ and I went out to work in the garden. We had bought a few packets of seeds. It’s probably a bit late to plant them, but we couldn’t resist and, hey, they weren’t that much and it’s worth a try. EJ planted his seeds–parsnips, turnips, radishes, and a few others–while I planted mine. I bought borage, which has pretty purple flowers that are edible. I think they taste like cucumbers. They are pretty in salads. I had grown borage in my garden downstate, but I hadn’t found any here in Northern Michigan until now. I also planted some cat mint outside the garden fence. I figure the cats might enjoy it and I think that deer hate it because of its strong scent. I had taken Hannah out with us and looped the handle over a t-post so she could roam outside the garden but not get inside where the ducks are. After I planted the cat mint Hannah began digging in one of the places I had planted it. Dirt went flying until I stopped her. I have no idea now where the cat mint will begin to grow, if it grows at all.

EJ had more seeds to plant than I did so after I finished planting my borage and catmint, I weeded some of the raised garden beds.

We found another wooden box and EJ says that he has another one at work that he can bring home. We are running out of space inside the fence–maybe next year we will expand the garden–but meanwhile EJ suggested putting garden boxes on top of the wooden dog house in the garden. The ducks like to lay their eggs in there sometimes. I asked him where we were going to get dirt. “Do you want me to buy some more dirt?” I asked, trying not to laugh. “You are such a city girl,” he sigh. But he agreed that I could buy some dirt. I will probably do it tomorrow.

After our gardening, we came into the house to take a break. EJ fell asleep in his chair. I wasn’t planning to nap, but seeing EJ sleeping in his chair and Hannah sleeping in my lap made me feel sleepy too, so I went into our bedroom to nap on the bed. Hannah joined me, curling up close to me with her head next to mine.

In the late afternoon, I took Hannah for a walk down the driveway. I noticed a few more wildflowers blooming so after I took Hannah back into the house, EJ and I walked down to look at them. I took my camera with me and our cat Josette walked with us. Josette usually follows us around when we are outside. The flowers sure are beautiful.

When we got back up to the house, we sat on our deck for a while. It was cool and breezy–just right. Later, I went out and shut the chickens and ducks in their coop. I have to wait until twilight when the chickens have voluntarily entered the coop and settled themselves on their roosts. It’s impossible to herd them inside against their will. However, I can easily herd the ducks inside. I just tell them “Go to bed” and they march inside.