I Love To Go A Gardening
Growing Our Life in Northern Michigan
Mommy Radar
We’ve had several days of warm weather–warm for November, that is, with temperatures often reaching into the mid-40s (F). Today is gray with rain and fog. Our snow has mostly melted, although we are supposed to get high winds and rain/snow tonight. The wind is already getting stronger. The snow probably won’t stay since the temperatures will still be in the low 40s.
EJ went back to work yesterday after being off work most of last week because he was sick. He still is not feeling tip-top, but I think there is some improvement. The radiologist called the day after EJ had x-rays at the clinic to tell him that he didn’t have pneumonia. Just bronchitis, which is bad enough. EJ had taken two vacation days this week for deer season. Instead of going hunting, he stayed home and took meds. His friend offered to shoot a deer or two for us at his 100-acre woods so even if EJ couldn’t go hunting, we may still get venison. EJ doesn’t usually hunt the deer on our property because they are too “known” to us.
The does and their little ones come frequently up to eat from the birdfeeders. One little deer who comes up with his (or her) Mama is so small that he can just eat from the birdbath. Last year we called a little deer “Einstein.” This year we call the littlest one “Edison.”
I think it was Edison’s Mama who broke the birdbath feeder. She was on her hind legs eating from the lantern birdfeeder. When she came down, she caught the edge of the “bowl” and broke it. This morning I got a wooden box from our raised garden and set it on the deck with corn in it. We put a little corn out in hopes the deer will ignore our hanging birdfeeders, which they kind of sometimes do. A deer came up to the box but the unfamiliarity spooked her. A chipmunk has been enjoying the corn most of the day, stuffing his cheeks full.
EJ insists that I wear an orange hat during deer season. Generally, most hunters are very responsible people who follow gun safety rules, but there are always a few irresponsible people who go hunting and every year there are reports of someone getting killed. Just last year, EJ says, a guy on his own property–not far from us–got killed by an idiot who shot without making sure it was a deer he was aiming at. So I wear my orange hat outside.
I also stuck an orange hat in Hannah Joy’s harness whenever I took her outside because she could easily be mistaken for a deer. When I told my friend that, she was worried about Hannah’s safety and insisted on buying her a hunter’s orange coat. It arrived on Tuesday. Hannah now wears a bright orange coat when she goes outside. Someone would have to be blind to mistake her for a deer now. She almost glows in the dark!
As a thank you–and a just because–gift, I made my friend’s dog a scarf, which I mailed today. I would show it to you, but although my friend knows I was making her dog a scarf, she doesn’t know what it looks like. I want to surprise her. Plus, I totally forgot to take photos. Bummer. Fortunately, she has already told me she would take photos. Her dog is so dapper that he could be a top dog model on a magazine cover.
Hannah has sort of been bad. The other day she stole an apple and ate it, which isn’t all that bad, but yesterday she started to eat one of my nice mittens. I always know when Hannah is eating something she shouldn’t because she sneaks off to our bedroom and eats the contraband on our bed, with her back toward the door to hide it. She reminds me a bit of JJ. When he was little–maybe preschool-aged–he would hide under the table whenever he did something he knew he shouldn’t. I’d see him under the table and say, “Ok, so what did you do?” He was always amazed that I somehow knew he had gotten into something. I told him that I knew because all mothers have a special Mommy Radar which alerts us when our children are doing something wrong. He didn’t figure out my secret until years later. LOL.
So, anyway, Hannah usually hangs out with us so whenever she suddenly disappears, I know I will find her on the bed eating something she shouldn’t. Yup. It’s that old Mommy Radar at work. I rescued my mitten before Hannah totally ate it, but it’s pretty much ruined. But I forgave Hannah because she is so dog-gone lovable.
Opening Day
EJ hasn’t felt well all week. He finally went to an urgent care clinic yesterday afternoon. I went with him. When I saw only a couple of cars in the parking lot, I thought that we’d be in and out quickly. Usually, I go into the exam room with EJ, but because we thought it would be quick, I stayed out in the waiting room. I waited and waited and waited and waited for him to return. I would have texted EJ to ask him how it was going, but he had left his phone in his coat pocket, which was with me. I got stiff from sitting so I periodically stood and stretched. I was beginning to think he had been forgotten or disappeared, but he finally came out. He had had a chest x-ray because the doctor believes he likely has pneumonia. We stopped at Meijers on the way home to fill the prescriptions EJ was given. He has three different medications to take.
Today is the opening day of deer season. EJ would have been on his way across the state to hunt at his friend’s 100-acre farm. Instead, he’s snoozing in his chair. He looks forward to deer season all year, and I know he hates to miss opening day, but I’m glad he is being reasonable and taking care of himself.
Early to Bed
EJ has been sick this week with some sort of crud. He went to work on Monday but after a few hours, his boss sent him home. Tuesday morning EJ kept an appointment to get new tires on the Suburban. He said that he slid through a couple intersections on the way there, but with the new tires he was able to make it up our driveway in 2-wheel drive! The tires were expensive (ouch) but we need to be able to make it through bad winter weather.
EJ felt so bad waiting for the tires to get put on that he decided to stay home again. He still wasn’t feeling tip-top today but he didn’t think he could miss another day of work so he went in. Poor guy.
Areas just a few miles to the west of us got snow dumped on them earlier this week. Some places received 30+ inches of snow. We didn’t get much of anything. I’m thankful for the reprieve. Winter is just beginning and soon enough we will get dumped on.
Today was cold. It was only 20(f) degrees, which really isn’t horribly cold, but it felt very cold–probably because it was also windy. The chickens and cats stayed in their coop today. They aren’t stupid. As soon as EJ left for work, I went out to feed and water them 0(as I usually do) and, since they were all staying inside, I shut their little door rather than wait for evening. Although I put them early to bed, I still went out later to make sure they were ok and to refill the cats’ food dish. The chickens eat the cats’ food so I refill their bowl every now and then throughout the day.
Brrr! It was cold! When I came back inside the house after caring for the animals, I washed the dishes–it felt good to put my hands in warm water–and then made myself a cup of hot tea as I settled in my chair with a small blanket and Hannah Joy on my lap.
While I sat and drank my tea, I watched the deer come up to eat from the feeders. The feeders are right next to the deck–only about 8 feet or so away–so I get to enjoy the deer, birds, and other wildlife close up. They make winter a special delight.
Sometimes the deer see us moving in the house and they look straight at us. If we don’t spook them too much they go back to eating. Sometimes one deer will chase off another, and sometimes they will even fight a bit. Today, after eating corn from the birdbath, a deer ate from one of the birdfeeders hanging from the post. Fortunately, this is the only one they can reach–otherwise, they would drain them all and leave nothing for the birds. I took a video of the deer. Hannah Joy was sleeping on my lap and didn’t even see them.
Poor EJ is coming home from work early because he’s not feeling well. I sure will be glad when he’s feeling better.
Stag-ered
Areas downstate are getting quite a bit of snow today–up to 7 inches, the last I heard. Along the Lake Michigan coast to the west of us, there is a Winter Storm Warning. They are getting heavy lake-effect snow–up to 10 inches of additional snow is forecasted. We are under a Winter Storm Advisory starting this evening with 4-8 inches of snow expected but today we’ve had blue-ish skies smiling at us. I confess I sometimes chuckle because when we told people we were moving north, most of them said, “Oh! It’s so beautiful up there…but I sure would hate to live there in the winter!” Honestly, I think areas downstate get bad weather through the year more frequently than we do. So far, that is. We did hear that the year before we moved here, winter temperatures dipped to -40 degrees (F).
This morning a doe came up to the house to eat from the feeders. When Hannah Joy saw her, she barked and muttered threats under her breath. The doe ran a few feet away and then stood indecisively for a couple moments before trotting off over the hill to the east. A few minutes later, a magnificent buck (the word “stag” comes to mind) galloped right across the yard, obviously in pursuit of the doe. His head was down as if it was scenting her and he was following in her trail, only a few yards from the house. It was a thrilling sight.
When I told EJ about it later, he asked me how many points the buck had. I told him that I was so startled and so thrilled to see the buck that I didn’t count. Maybe he was six-pointed. Maybe eight. I don’t know. But his antlers looked like tree branches stuck on his head.
We are “friends” with many local and regional groups and pages at Facebook. They keep us updated on local news and events as well as weather and traffic conditions. In our little town’s FB group today someone shared that her “grandson had a large cat-like animal cross in front of his truck” just on the other side of town last night–about 2-3 miles from us–and other local residents shared their cougar sightings. That is totally cool. I would love to see a cougar, or bobcat, or bear as long as don’t threaten us or our pets. When I walked down to the road to the mailbox today, I tried to observe the various tracks in the snow. I saw several kinds, but no large paw prints.
There are times I wish I could get a security or trail camera. I’d love to see what critters are crossing our property, hidden from our view.
The Gales of November
Our weekend has been a very quiet one because EJ isn’t feeling well. He’s coming down with something. Poor guy. Hopefully, he will feel well enough to go deer hunting next weekend. He looks forward to it every year.
I’m feeling ok, but I took it pretty easy this weekend too. I did make a double batch of honey granola and a double batch of maple syrup granola. I’m getting low on dried fruit and I’m out of nuts and seeds. I’m looking forward to visiting the co-op we just joined and buying a variety of bulk foods.
We’ve been enjoying the birds that are visiting our feeders. I enjoy them all, but I was especially glad to see a cardinal at the feeders. Cardinals were very common downstate but we’ve only seen a few at our Enchanted Forest. I really missed them.
In addition to birds, we’ve had other critters feasting at the feeders. Chipmunks are frequent visitors. They stuff their cheeks with seeds until they are bulging. It’s rather comical to see.
The deer have also visited several times. Of course, Hannah Joy gets excited when she sees them and barks at them with her tail wagging. The deer run off when she barks, but they don’t run far, and they cautiously sneak back when they think she’s not watching. Sometimes Hannah is snoozing on my lap and doesn’t see them and I’m able to get photos of them.
The weather this weekend was quite warm–for winter, that is–and a lot of the snow we got during the last snowstorm melted. However, more storms are headed our way beginning tomorrow. EJ keeps updating me with different snow amounts, but it looks as if we could get about a foot of snow, more or less.
On this day in 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald, an ore-carrier, was lost to Lake Superior. Like many in Michigan, I spend this day remembering the 29 crew members who lost their lives in that tragedy. Shelbydiamondstar Photography shared the following on Facebook:
“The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they called Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy…”
..Does any one know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searchers all say they’d have made Whitefish Bay
If they’d put fifteen more miles behind ‘er
They might have split up or they might have capsized
They may have broke deep and took water
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters…
– Gordon Lightfoot.
When she was launched on June 7, 1958 – The Fitz was the largest ship on North America’s Great Lakes. It remains to be the largest ship to have sank on the Great Lakes.
The disaster was forever immortalized by the song in which I quoted above and sparked pretty intense debate over what actually happened to the doomed freighter.
The most popular theories include that the storm, which is still regarded as one of the worst on record to hit the region, as solely responsible. However, transmissions from the Fitzgerald’s captain, Ernest Michael McSorley, to another freighter – the Arthur M. Anderson hinted that the ship was wounded, as the caption mentioned having a list. Theories surrounding overloading, not properly latching down the cargo hold, structural damage, bottoming out on an area in Lake Superior known as the Shoal, or a combination of these, are all viable theories. However, none have been proven and may never be.
Another fascinating aspect, which I hinted on earlier is the severity of the storm. Weather records show that between the dates of Nov. 7-10, there were three major record-setting storms on Lake Superior. The more deadliest and strongest to this day remains the “White Hurricane” – Also called the “Big Blow” or the “Freshwater Fury,” this Nov. 7th 1913 storm remains the deadliest natural disaster in Great Lakes history. More than 250 people died because of the storm, 19 ships were wrecked and 19 others were stranded. The third one during this same time period was known as the Armistice Day Storm – Nov. 11, 1940. These low-pressure systems are also known as extra-tropical cyclones, as they really are like hurricanes and can pack a serious punch.
When us northerners mention the “Gales of November”, this serves as a reminder of how the changing of the season can really create some furious weather – even way up north. There are other notable November storms, but I just concentrated on the ones that happened in that specific time frame.
May all those who have lost their lives on the Great Lakes Rest in Peace.
There are many videos telling the tale of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I particularly like this one, which shares actual newscasts, radio messages, videos of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and photos of the crew as Gordon Lightfoot’s ballad plays:
Snow Storm
Winter is heeere!
It’s been snowing since yesterday. It’s not technically our first snow of the season. Other areas had received more snow last week. In fact, EJ said that a small town about 15 minutes from us had received about 6 inches of snow. We only had a light dusting of snow like powdered sugar on a yummy dessert.
Until yesterday.
The snow sometimes fell as it usually falls–silently and lightly. But yesterday it periodically fell straight down, like rain, tap-tapping on the roof and bouncing when it hit the ground. It was “graupel.” Graupel is snowflakes that picks up an extra layer of moisture on their way down as supercooled droplets adhere to the crystals. This makes snowflakes resemble little balls of Styrofoam, which are often mistaken for hail. You’ll sometimes hear it referred to as “small hail” or “soft hail.” But unlike hail, which is typically hard, graupel will disintegrate easily if you handle it because there is snow, not ice, inside. Supposedly, it’s quite a rare weather phenomenon, but we seem to get it a few times a year. EJ and I walked through a downpour of graupel when we went to the mailbox yesterday.
This is our first real Winter Storm. We were among the counties that were right in the bull’s eye, forecasted to get heavier amounts of snow. Judging by the snow measuring stick I made, I think we got about 8-10 inches. EJ just informed me that more lake effect snow–possibly mixed with rain–are headed our way this weekend and into next week. Lake effect snow is not caused by a storm system. Instead, it’s caused by snow falling on the lee side of a lake, generated by cold dry air passing over warmer water, especially in the Great Lakes region. We get a lot of lake effect snow in our area.
I wouldn’t have been surprised if the graupel might have been partially to blame for the terrible travel conditions in this Winter Storm. Roads were slick and visibility was poor. There were multiple accidents and even semis were having trouble driving up hills. Some of the roads were closed. Although EJ is skilled at driving in snow, I still worried about him so I got up at 3 am to pray for his safety as he drove home from work. I was so thankful when I saw his headlights coming up the driveway. When he came into the house he said that on the way to work he fish-tailed on a dangerous stretch of road–up a hill with a steep ravine on the side. In the same stretch of road on his way home, he encountered a tree that had fallen across it. He didn’t have any time to react, but fortunately he had the clearance to be able to just get under it and continue on his way. He said the snow was so heavy at times that he could barely see and the roads were very slick. In a few places, he saw tire tracks where other cars had slid off the road.
I’m glad we don’t have to go anywhere for three days and can just hunker down. I don’t mind stormy weather if EJ and I are safe at home together.
Earlier in the week, I set up all the bird feeders on the post. We also moved the birdbath closer to the feeders. In the summer it’s a birdbath; in the winter it becomes a birdfeeder–or, rather, a deer feeder. I don’t deliberately try to feed the deer, but I can’t keep them from the feeders so I give in to the inevitable. We’ve been enjoying the feasting birds. I miss Miss Madeline Meadows, our serial killer cat, but I’m relieved I won’t find a bunch of bodies this year. Annie, Theo, and Millie aren’t even close to being the hunters she was. Madeline was epic.
Yesterday evening I spied a deer at our feeder. Hannah saw it also and lunged at the window barking and wagging her tail. The deer ran off but returned a little later for another try. For most of the evening, this scenario was repeated until the deer finally gave up. Hannah looked at me with pleading eyes and whined, but I told her that I was NOT going to take her outside to play with (i.e., scare) the deer. This morning there were paths of deer tracks in the snow and the birdbath and small lantern feeder were empty so I know the deer returned during the night. However, the other feeders were still full so I know the deer weren’t able to access them. I’m of two minds: I love to see the deer, but they can quickly empty all the feeders so the birds have nothing. I don’t mind if the deer get some of the seed, but I don’t want them to get it all. It’s good to know that they can’t reach all the feeders, and it doesn’t hurt that Hannah scares some of them away during the day.
I have another problem. The three outside cats live in the coop with the chickens. The chickens and cats each have their own food in the coop. However, some of the chickens like to eat the cats’ food–but the cats can’t eat the chickens’ food. So I have the problem of how to keep the chickens from the cats’ food. I finally put a small dish of cat food in the dog-gloo that is just outside the coop. The chickens hate going out in the snow so they will–I hope–leave that dish alone. We will see.
I’ve discovered that one of the younger chickens is a rooster. He is developing a bigger comb and his voice is different. It’s funny when young roosters begin to crow (which ours isn’t yet) because they don’t do it correctly. They remind me of teen boys with squeaky voices. So we now have three roosters and 17 hens. It might be ok. I’ve heard that the “proper ratio” is six hens to each rooster, and we almost have that.
Earlier yesterday evening, I heard the coyotes howling. We can only hear them from inside the house when they are very close. It’s a very spooky sound. I never like to go outside until long after they’ve moved off because I imagine them circling me in the darkness with red-crazed eyes. By the time I had to take Hannah Joy out, the coyotes were long gone, but I shone my flashlight around anyway, looking for menacing eyes. There were none.
Friday Date
Yesterday EJ and I went on a date.
Actually, we go on a date every Friday.
Ok, so when we were younger, dates meant going to movies, or festivals, or out to dinner. As we grew older, our weekly dates morphed into running errands. But we totally enjoy spending time with each other, chatting as we drive through beautiful countryside, and shopping together. We have an awesome time!
We often take Hannah Joy with us because she hates being left home and we enjoy having her with us. We had several errands to run, and we arranged our stops to best prevent Hannah from getting into things. It’s kind of like that old brain-teaser in which a man has to take a wolf, a goat, and some cabbage across a river. His rowboat has enough room for the man plus either the wolf or the goat or the cabbage. If he takes the cabbage with him, the wolf will eat the goat. If he takes the wolf, the goat will eat the cabbage. Only when the man is present are the goat and the cabbage safe from their enemies. The trick is to figure out how the man can get the wolf, goat, and cabbage across the river. Similarly, we can’t leave Hannah alone with groceries or pet food because she will eat it if she can figure out a way to reach it so we have to organize our errands so she’s never left alone for things she can eat. She has a seat belt fastened to her harness, but with enough time and persistence she has gotten herself free a couple times. Once she ate a loaf of bread.
Our first stop was at Meijers so EJ could buy his hunting licenses. Deer season begins in a couple of weeks. We also bought a couple grocery items, but nothing that Hannah could get into.
We have several farm stores that we usually shop at because each one offers something that the others don’t have. Yesterday we stopped at McG’s for wild birdseed. Their birdseed prices are more reasonable than at other stores and they package their own mixes that don’t have a lot of filler seed that the birds toss aside with contempt.
Next, EJ and I stopped at Oryana, a co-op that we’ve wanted to explore for quite some time. It had a lot of expensive specialty foods that are not in our budget but their bulk food section was totally awesome. Some of the organic, non-GMO foods were less expensive than less healthy items at the grocery store. We walked over to the customer service counter and bought a membership. Normally it is $20 per year, but they were offering a special at $15 a year. Right away we saved $5! With a membership we become part-owners of the business and are eligible for many discounts and sales, which makes the foods even more affordable. We didn’t buy anything this trip but we are so excited to begin shopping here.
Our next stop was the Habitat for Humanity resale shop. They had just relocated into a bigger, better store and EJ wanted to check it out. We enjoy browsing through resale and thrift shops. It’s sort of like treasure hunting–sometimes we don’t find anything but other times we SCORE!
Finally, we stopped at a new farm store on the far side of Traverse City. I had ordered cat and dog food on-line so we just had to pull up at the drive-thru and the bags were loaded in.
Then we drove home to unload. Then we headed off to the farm to buy more straw for the coop. Not only does the straw provide bedding for the chickens and cats, they like to roost on top of it, the bales provide insulation, and the straw can later be used in the garden. We had to leave Hannah home so we had space for the straw. After we ate, EJ carried the bales to me while I arranged them in the coop.
Finally, we were done with our errands. We had a tremendous date day.
A (Not) Very Scary Story
Monday evening I went to shut all the animals safely in the coop, as I do every night.
The chickens go into the coop themselves as soon as it gets twilight-ish so all I have to do is count that they are all inside and shut the coop doors. The only time it’s difficult to get them into the coop is when I want them to go in early–for example, when I know we won’t get home until after dark. Fortunately, I don’t often try to shoo them in early because chickens refuse to be forced or herded to go anywhere they don’t want to go. They are very stubborn, independent creatures.
If the cats aren’t already in the coop, I just yell, “Here, Kitty, Kitty!” and they come running. During the summer Annie preferred to sleep out in one of the dog houses we have in the garden for shelter. However, when the weather turned colder, I put her in the coop despite her protests because it’s warmer and safer in the coop. After a few days, she quit complaining and now she spends a lot of her time in the coop, sleeping on a bed of straw.
So….Monday evening at twilight I went outside to make sure all the animals were safe in the coop. Suddenly, I heard a loud rustling in the forest, somewhere back beyond the garden fence. I thought at first that a tree had fallen. Sometimes trees fall in the forest with a rustling crash. But then I heard it again. It didn’t sound like a deer running away. For one thing, the sound was not moving off into the distance. I felt a little spooked, trying to guess what it was.
As I continued my evening chores, I heard the sound again, and yet again–a large rustling noise in the same direction as before. I began to wonder if it was a bear. I’ve never seen a bear, but we’ve had reports of them in our area–one last summer was reported to be only a mile away. I began to make an escape plan, just in case an ornery, hungry one emerged from the forest. After making sure all the animals were safely in the coop, I shut the doors. Then I did what people always do in monster movies when they hear a strange noise–something I’ve always ranted was stupidly idiotic and which I’d never do if I found myself in a similar situation: Rather than sprint for the safety of the house, I paused, took a step closer to where I heard the noise, and peered into the depths of the forest, trying to see what was there. I saw no bear, no bobcat, no legendary Michigan Dogman, which is rumored to roam in the very region in which I live. I saw nothing. Then, suddenly, I heard the rustling noise again and I saw a large dark shape rising up through the trees like a creepy wraith in a haunted forest. Yikes!
Then I identified it. I laughed in relief. Ha, ha. The rustling noises had been turkeys flying up one-by-one to roost in the trees for the night. I had seen them a short time before wandering past our windows on their way to the back yard.
However, this morning I saw something even scarier than the scary noise in the forest: Snow. It has begun. The wintry season has arrived. It’s time to dig out my boots and mittens.
Actually, I like winter, even with its challenges. But the first snow is always a bit of a shock–kind of like jumping into a cold lake for the first time. Once I get in it, I enjoy the beauty of the season.
The Mouse Hound
EJ and I had a very good and very productive weekend.
Friday, as always, was our errand day. We stopped at TSC (Tractor Supply Co) for some maple syrup and then on to the grocery store to pick up a few items. The autumn colors were gorgeous, making the drive even more beautiful than it usually is.
Sunday’s weather started out very cloudy but about mid-day the clouds disappeared. The sky became a brilliant blue and the sun lit up the beautiful yellow/orange trees. Today the trees are barer than they were yesterday. Snow is in the forecast for this week.
Sunday was especially busy. During the morning, I made four batches of granola–two with honey and two with maple syrup. I’m hoping it will be at least a week before I need to make more! EJ takes granola to work with him, and I enjoy putting yogourt over granola for an evening meal.
In between making the granola, I did laundry and cleaned the house. EJ spent the afternoon/evening cutting up a basket of pears so he can make apple butter. We had picked a few baskets of pears and apples at his friend’s place a couple weeks ago. EJ’s task is to take care of the pears while I’ve been working every day on freezing and drying the apples.
While EJ kept busy with the pears, I went out to work in the coop. I decided to remove the partition dividing the coop in half. We had originally put it there because Cuddles our duck wouldn’t leave the hens alone. Now that we don’t have ducks, and there are so many animals living in the coop (20 chickens and 3 cats), it doesn’t make sense to have the partition in there. So I took it out. It was actually a lot of work to take it out. I had to move a few things around, saw a too-long board, do a little hammering, and then I was finally finished. At least for now.
I got to wondering what we could do with the fence piece that I had taken out of the coop. It was originally part of a dog kennel. It has a door in it. Then I suddenly had an idea. I told EJ it was only an idea–not as definite as a plan. He asked, “Is it an idea or a notion?” I asked, “Which is stronger?” We decided that a “what if” is weakest, then there is a notion, an idea, and finally a plan. I told him that I had merely a “what if.” What if we removed the fencing between the house and the garden? We could instead extend the fence at the end to the corner of the house so that our garden would still be fenced in but it would mean that we would step out of the garage directly in the garden. It would make it easier to water the garden in the summer: No snaking the hose through the fence. And I wouldn’t have to try to open the garden gate while carrying the egg basket and bucket of water for the animals. The chickens would have even more room to wander in the early spring and autumn. (They are shut out of the garden during the growing season.)
EJ thought it was definitely a good idea and he upgraded my “what if” to a plan. After the chickens and cats were shut up in the coop for the night, we put the plan into action. We extended the fence from the far edge to the corner of the house. Since the existing fence was further back than the house, we have a small jog, which is where we put the door-fence that I had taken out of the coop. It was getting dark, so we wired the fence in temporarily. At least the chickens wouldn’t be able to get out of the garden the next morning.
This morning I went out and removed the section of fencing we were eliminating and took out the posts. We can use them elsewhere. After lunch, EJ hammered large staples to hold the fencing to the posts. We still need to get hardware to hold the kennel pieces to the posts, but it’s good for now.
The first thing I do when I get out of bed in the morning is feed Hannah Joy. This morning I picked up her bowl to fill it. Rather than follow me to the pantry where her food is, Hannah started to “follow a scent,” back and forth near around the kitchen table. I thought at first that she was pursuing an insect or spider, but then I saw the mouse. Hannah actually caught it in her mouth and carried it into the living room. I was hoping that I could take Hannah outside to release it, but she spit it out on the floor. After a moment of confusion, the mouse ran off.
Later, EJ told me Hannah was pawing at the blankets on the bed. I realized that she was acting as she had when she was pursuing the mouse. I don’t know if the mouse had gotten into the bed (eeew!) or if Hannah had carried it there–like she carries everything she knows she isn’t supposed to eat. Eventually, Hannah uncovered the mouse. EJ was going to scoop it up and take it outside, but instead Hannah quickly ate it. Yuck! We were grossed out! Although I suppose it would have been worse to get into bed and find a mouse!
And where were our two inside cats? They were nowhere to be seen. It appears that in addition to her other talents, our Hannah Joy is a Mouse Hound.
A mouse isn’t the only thing Hannah Joy carried to our bed today. I found this when I came inside after doing a task outside. Tsk, tsk. She is a handful today! But we sure do love our Hannah Joy. She keeps our life interesting.
October Storm
During the weekend, we had beautiful weather with blue skies and temperatures in the low 60s. It was so warm that I didn’t need a jacket when I went outside.
EJ and I got quite a lot accomplished over the weekend. He worked on the suburban and also built a new roosting platform for the chickens. With the addition of 10 chickens in the coop this summer, for a total of 20, we need a lot of roosting places.
During the summer I had used some pieces of pallets to construct a two-level roosting area, but we needed more so a couple weeks ago, EJ fastened an old broom handle between the fancy coop and the doghouse, both of which are inside the shed that is The Coop, for the chickens to use as a perch. I never saw the chickens using it, so we took it down and instead stretched a foot-wide piece of chipboard between the fancy coop and the doghouse instead of the broom handle. The chickens immediately began using it. Success!
On Sunday I made more yummy granola. Each time I make it, I add more to it: So far I have added sunflower seeds, dates, raisins, dried cherries, and our own dried apples. It is so yummy that it doesn’t last long and I have to make a batch several times a week. I also spent an hour or two cutting up more apples to put in our dehydrator.
It began to rain today and the forecast is for rain for the remainder of the week with temperatures getting colder and colder each day. We had a very strong wind which filled the sky with leaves that it ripped off the trees. I took a video of it. It was quite remarkable. It looked as if someone had dumped out a huge basket of leaves.
Gale warnings were issued for three of the Great Lakes–Michigan, Superior, and Huron–with waves of 26 feet expected. If it were the weekend and we didn’t have necessary tasks to complete, I would love to drive to the coast and watch the huge waves–from a safe distance, of course.
Our power went out just as EJ was leaving for work. I called the electric company and learned that more than 9,000 homes had lost power. Our county was among those hardest hit.
I went out about a half-hour earlier than usual to shut the chickens and cats in the coop. I figured that the wind and the rain would have driven them all into the coop and I preferred to get them shut in before the storm worsened. They were all in–all except for Sassy, our alpha rooster, who is usually the first out in the morning and the last in towards evening. He’s a good rooster who takes care of his flock. I tried for more than 20 minutes to herd him into the coop, but chickens are impossible to herd, and he kept getting around me. Sometimes I saw him peeking around the corner of the coop, watching me before he turned and ran the other way. Sometimes he’d go in through the little door, but he would run back out before I could shut him in. He finally–on his own, when he wanted to and not before–went into the coop and I shut the door. I counted everyone, hitting my head on the roosting platform as I searched for everyone, but I couldn’t find our cat, Annie. I don’t know if she was hidden in a nook in the coop or had ducked out while I chasing Sassy. I called for her, even walking around the house, but finally gave up. She’s probably in the coop and, if not, there are safe places for her to hunker down outside. We have various doghouses set up outside to provide shelter and she could even crawl under the coop itself.
Back in the house again, I crocheted until it grew too dark to see, and then I turned on a battery-powered lantern and read by its light.
After several hours, the power came back on. It stayed on long enough for me to reset all the clocks–on the alarm clock in the bedroom, on the stove, on the microwave, and on the coffee machine–and then it went out again. I was in the dark again. It went off rather spectacularly: Flickering on and off repeatedly. Down the driveway, near the road, I saw huge green and orange explosive flashes that lit up the sky, looking like a forest fire…or an alien attack. I texted a description of the flashes to EJ at work. He texted back that it sounded like an arc flash, which is an electrical explosion. I really hope none of the electrical workers were injured by it.
The power stayed out for several more hours. Then it flickered on and off several times, and again I saw flashes down near the road–orange/red this time. The power went off and stayed off for another hour or so and finally came back on for good at around 10 pm. I’m thankful for the electrical workers who worked so hard at restoring the power. Whatever the problem was, it wasn’t an easy fix.
I got a video of the second set of flashes. It doesn’t look like much, but it was way down by the road and the flashes lit up a great deal of the landscape. Hannah was very upset by it all.
It was an interesting evening.
Freezing and Drying
Like every year at this time, we were determined to hold off turning on the furnace as long as possible. I lost the game on Saturday night. I went to bed but thought, “Brrrr. I’m a bit cold.” So I stuck my head out of the bedroom door and said to EJ, who stays up later than I do, “It’s ok if you want to turn on the furnace.” He just laughed. I went to bed, but I was still cold. I got out of bed and stuck my head out of the door again and suggested, “We could always set the thermostat to 50 or something so the indoor temperature doesn’t go below that during the night.” He laughed and said he would turn on the heat. Last year we kept the thermostat at 65 degrees (F) to save on heating costs. We were fine with our warm sweatshirts, sweaters, and blankets/afghans–and a dog and cat or two. So this year we decided we’d try setting the thermostat at 64 degrees. 🙂
We’ve had some indecisive weather over the last couple of days. Sunday it rained all day, and also hailed or sleeted (I’m not sure how to tell the difference), and EJ said he thought he saw it snowing. Even when it wasn’t raining, hailing/sleeting, or snowing, the damp cold went right through us. Brrrrr. Today we had periods of sunshine, rain, and snow. The snow was like rainy-snow or snowy-rain, we weren’t sure which–sort of neither one nor the other. When cold weather first arrives, it’s always a bit of a shock. Once we get used to it, we enjoy the winter weather.
When it wasn’t raining/snowing, we made more preparations for winter. Yesterday EJ harvested the rest of the garden produce–the potatoes and pumpkins. Today we put away the patio furniture.
Yesterday I cut up some of the apples we picked on Saturday and put them in the “Magic Mill” dehydrator. I’ve never dried apples before–usually, I just dry herbs–so I only did a few trays to experiment. EJ said they turned out splendidly so I cut up more apples this afternoon and they are drying now.
I also made homemade granola yesterday. I hadn’t made it since before JJ was diagnosed with cancer in 2013. I didn’t know where my old recipe went to, but I like this newer one better: Granola Recipe. It turned out well. We ate it all so I made another batch today. We like to eat it with yogurt. I will be making it often.
I’ve also been crocheting a lot. I have a lot of very cute new items in my e-store, and I have a lot more that I want to make. You can check them out here: Terics Treasures. You can help me out by also sharing my store link with others.
Saturday night we heard the coyotes howling like banshees. We heard them again Sunday night when we took Hannah Joy out for the final time before bed. They sounded extremely close the second night–the closest I’ve ever heard them. Their howls are very spine-chilling, and we were all a bit spooked. Hannah Joy finished her “business” and we all hurried back to the safety of the house.
I was glad that the chickens and outdoor cats were all safely shut up in the coop. All of the young ones are now roosting with the older ones in various places. I took a few photos of them tonight. The young ones don’t yet have full combs on their heads. It’s very cozy in the coop. (FYI: The yellow kitty litter buckets are filled with chicken feed.)
Autumn Harvest
The chicks no longer stay inside their smaller coop, although they haven’t yet gotten brave enough to venture outside. They are gradually integrating with the older flock. I saw all but one of them roosting with the older ones tonight when I went out to shut them all in the coop. With twenty chickens and three cats living in the coop, it is getting happily crowded. EJ says it makes him smile when he sees all the animals. Me too.
Thursday I walked to the edge of our property to see how the work was progressing at our neighbor’s. I really do not usually spy on the neighbors, but the rumble and vibration of the heavy machinery had made me curious to see what on earth they were doing over there. The machines have finished their work and quiet has returned to our Enchanted forest. I saw a flat area with boundaries marked with stakes. They are definitely going to build some sort of structure. Maybe a house? Or a storage building?
We’ve had a series of warm autumn days–in the high mid- to high-60s but today the temperature was only in the high 40s and itis forecasted to dip down into the 30s for the next few nights. Brrr. We are playing our annual game of waiting as long as we can before we turn on the furnace. So far we have done nicely without turning it on, but with temperatures getting lower I think it won’t be very long before we give in.
Today we drove to the eastern side of the state to visit EJ’s friend–or, rather, it’s the 100-acre woods where EJ’s friend’s elderly father lives and where EJ goes hunting every November. EJ has known the family for so many years that he is actually an honorary member of the family.
The autumn colors are nearing their peak, so the drive was very beautiful.
The friends have an over-abundance of apples and pears on their old trees so we picked several baskets of various sizes and a birdseed bag of them to take home. The guys stood on the little utility vehicle to reach the higher fruit while I picked the lower ones–and when I couldn’t reach anymore, I held the baskets for them to drop the fruit into. I also took photos. 🙂 It was very fun, and we feel richly blessed.
Tomorrow we will begin processing the fruit. I will dry some of the apples, EJ wants to make pear butter, and we will probably can some of each.
Autumn Work
It’s been more than a week since I’ve posted anything. Oops. Sometimes time speeds by very fast.
Last week I spent a day “chatting” to tech support for the Terics Treasures website because the shipping fees weren’t coming out right–either too little or too much–and I didn’t know what was wrong. The person I talked to, whom I called “Hero Support” very patiently answered my many questions and helped me figure out what was wrong. It’s working now. Yay!
Last Thursday I finally let the little chicks, who are not so little anymore, join the older flock. When they were a week old, I put the chicks in a “fancy” little coop which, along with an old wooden dog house, is inside the shed that we use as THE COOP. That way the young and old flocks could get used to each other while being safely separated. I opened the fancy coop door with trepidation because I know that chickens establish a pecking order by putting those in lesser status in their place. I’ve read that sometimes it can get quite brutal, and I didn’t want the younger ones to get hurt. The chicks are timid and at first, they stayed mostly in their fancy coop, but every day they are getting bolder and venturing out a little more. Thankfully, I haven’t seen any real bullying. In fact, the first night, I saw one of the chicks roosting just behind the older chickens on top of their fancy coop, and one chick was cuddling with a hen inside the old doghouse. That is probably the same hen who seems to have “adopted” the chicks; I have seen her hanging out with them. So the integration seems to be going quite well. Whew!
A freeze was predicted for northern Michigan for Friday night so we spent the day making a few more preparations for winter. We drove to a nearby farm to buy some straw bales for the coop. When we returned home, I cleaned out the fancy coop where the chicks had been contained and put fresh straw in it, as well as other places in THE COOP. The hummingbirds have left for their migratory journey so I put their feeders away. I also brought in the houseplants. In the summer I put the houseplants out on the deck, but when the weather turns colder, I bring them back inside the house for the winter. I took the screens out and washed the windows.
EJ worked on the Suburban. Then we worked together to make sure the last of our garden was harvested–except for the pumpkins and potatoes, which aren’t yet quite ready. We covered them with fencing so the chickens can’t eat them and then we opened the gate to let the chickens in to roam. They are having a wonderful time in there gleaning in our garden. Their scratching the dirt actually helps prepare the garden for next year’s planting.
Our property was originally 10 acres but, at some point, a previous owner divided it into two 5-acre properties. We have one 5-acre property and a neighbor has the other. We actually share a portion of our driveway with those neighbors. We live on the top of the hill and they live below us. We don’t see them much because their place is actually their vacation home so they are there only a few times in the summer and not at all in the winter. However, we suspect that they might be retiring and planning to live up here full-time. They have a small cabin on their land, but we are wondering if they are planning to build a bigger home there. If so, we hope they are friendly–and quiet–permanent neighbors.
Whatever our neighbor’s plans are, there is certainly some major work being done there. We walked to the edge of our property and looked down the hill to see what they were doing. Trees are being knocked down and construction equipment has been moving large amounts of dirt–er, actually sand–around and packing it down. I think it’s rather sad that people move to a beautiful forested area and then knock down the trees. The forest between us is thinning and can glimpse a bit more of their property. 😦 We love the privacy the trees give us, and we are hoping they won’t take down too many of their trees. We might start planting more trees on our land if they do.
For the last four or five days, we’ve heard a constant rumble from the heavy machines. The machines are actually vibrating our house. We feel the vibration and sometimes even hear dishes rattle. When we lived in our small village downstate, we were used to the “city” noise of nearby neighbors. However, it’s been so quiet up here in our Enchanted Forest that the rumble and vibration are jarring. It is giving me a headache and setting me on edge. EJ says it doesn’t bother him; in fact, the vibration of his chair actually feels good on his back.
The work goes on from morning until well after dark. I hope it won’t go on for too much longer. It’s damaging my calm.
Celebrations
Friday, as usual, was our errand day. We were planning to buy some straw bales for the chicken coop. I called a farm store and a hardware store where we have bought bales in previous years, but EJ said they were much too expensive. We will try to buy some straw directly from a local farmer. We crossed that errand off our days’ errand list and instead, we just went to Meijers for a few groceries.
Saturday we drove to Pigeon River Country State Park to look for elk. There is a large wild herd of elk in that area. We figured that we had a better chance of seeing the elk–and hearing them–if they were still in rut. We drove along very narrow roads, called “trails,” that wound through the almost 10,000 acre State Park. The roads were seasonal–meaning they don’t get plowed in the winter–and they were so narrow that when we met another car coming in the opposite direction, we both had to pull a little off the road to pass each other. One forest-lined road looked much like another and I would have been hopelessly lost without EJ.
We found an open area that we felt would be attractive to elk. When we pulled up, a man got out of his truck and walked over to our vehicle. Turns out he was a hunting guide, helping a customer hunt an elk. Michigan has regulated elk hunting to manage the number and location of elk in northern Michigan. This helps balance the negative impacts of too many elk, such as habitat degradation, disease, and property damage. Approximately 36,000 Michigan hunters apply annually at a chance to hunt an elk but typically, only about 100-200 elk licenses are available annually.
I have no problem with hunting but I really didn’t want to see an elk get shot–our goal was to enjoy living elk–so we moved on. The hunting guide described an area where we were likely to see elk, so we drove there and parked along the road. We saw a Mama deer and her two babies in a field, but after a bit we decided to drive back into the forested area. We drove until it got too dark to see. We saw several more deer, but no elk, but we had tons of fun driving together through beautiful forests so we didn’t mind. We still haven’t given up on the elk. We will try again next year, driving through the area earlier in September while the elk are still in rut.
Searching for elk was part of my birthday. For my birthday gifts, I like going on beautiful autumn drives making memories. My birthday is actually in October (next weekend) while EJ’s birthday is in March. I told him that I would celebrate his birthday by going on adventures, but we agree that March is usually too cold and snowy, and seasonal roads are impassable, so we take turns celebrating our birthdays in the autumn. One week is my birthday and the next is his. Next week we plan to drive along M-119, called the Tunnel of Trees, and the following week we hope to drive along beautiful M-22.
Rosh Hoshanah, or Biblical Feast of Trumpets, began this evening. The Biblical Feasts actually all highlight an aspect of the Yeshua’s (Jesus’) ministry so we enjoy celebrating them even though we are not Jewish. They are beautiful feasts, filled with deep meaning. If you are interested, you can learn more about Rosh Hashanah at this link: Rosh Hashanah
As soon as I had completed my chores this morning, I began making beautiful braided Challah Bread for our feast. Usually, they are rectangular, but for Rosh Hashanah, they are round to symbolize the cycle of another year. It also looks like a crown, for crowning God as king on Rosh Hashana. I filled my Challah bread with diced apples. It was beautiful and yummy.
I also made a meal of the traditional foods, all of which have symbolic meanings: Leek soup, carrots, beets, apples and honey. We had to forego the pomegranates and fish because we couldn’t find them at the store. I blew our shofar. Hannah Joy likes to participate as much as possible in our celebrations.
Here are photos of our meal.
Elk-ish Plans
Years ago, I bought a couple little cacti at a store–probably Walmart. They were just tiny little plants in tiny little pots when I bought them, but over the years they have grown taller and taller, and I’ve had to transplant them into bigger and bigger pots. It was time to transplanted the biggest cactus but I didn’t want to buy an expensive pot so last week I researched cheaper alternatives. I searched various stores on-line, looked at Facebook marketplace, considered repurposing something we already had, or buying something less expensive that I could turn into a pot. Then EJ happened to notice that one of the pots in our raised garden was bigger than the current cactus pot and would do nicely. It had held a fruit tree we had bought one year. Yay! We didn’t spend any money at all!
It was not easy to transplant the cactus. I had to loosen the dirt around it and lift it out without breaking the cactus. I did end up breaking off a small piece, but it wasn’t one of the long…uh, whatever you call it: “branch”? I’m surprised I was able to safely move the cacti from our old house to our new house, but we managed it. I used to take the cacti outside in the summer, but they have grown so large and heavy that I don’t try to move it anymore. I don’t know what I will do if they grow as tall as the ceiling. I guess I will worry about that when it happens.
I usually shut the chickens and cats safely in the coop at twilight. The chickens always go into the coop on their own. I just count them to make sure they are all in. Usually, Millie and Theo are either near the coop or they come running when I go out. Annie prefers to stay outside. We have a couple old doghouses in the garden for shelter. I’ll encourage her to go into the coop at night when it gets cooler. One evening Theo was late to the coop, and he didn’t come running when I called, so I shut the chickens and Millie inside. I went out a bit later to see if Theo had returned. He had, so I put him in the coop. EJ was working in his garage, and I saw the lights shining on the sunflowers. I thought it would make an interesting photo, so I took a couple. I used the flash to highlight the sunflowers.
My birthday is in early October. I think the best gifts are memories, which I enjoy sharing with EJ. For my special birthday gift, I always choose a drive through the beautiful autumn countryside with spontaneous stops at interesting places. One year we happened to see a sign for free chair-lifts at a ski resort and was able to enjoy autumn colors from above. For a couple of years, we drove along Lake Michigan on M-22 and also on M-119 through the Tunnel of Trees, both very beautiful scenic drives, especially in the autumn. We’ve also driven up to the Mackinac Bridge, which connects Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas. We love visiting the beautiful bridge. Last year we drove on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive through the beautiful Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes.
It’s always fun to try to figure out where I want to go for my birthday. I considered going this year to Hartwick Pines State Park, an almost 10,000-acre state park that has 49 acres of old growth pine trees. I’ve always wanted to visit there; it’s on my “bucket list.” The drive there and back would be beautiful, although evergreen trees don’t dress themselves in beautiful colors. I asked EJ for other suggestions–did we want to go to Hartwick Pines, revisit our favorite drives, or try something new? EJ suggested we go look for elk at Pigeon River. Pigeon River Country State Forest and Elk Range is the home of the largest free-roaming wild elk herd east of the Mississippi River. The best time to view elk is during the fall breeding season. In September and October, they are feeding in open grassy areas and the bulls, or male elk, are especially vocal. This is the perfect time of year to go looking for elk!
I’m so excited. I’ve seen elk at zoos. I even fought with an elk at a drive-through wildlife park in Ohio years ago. We had bought a bucket of food to feed the wildlife, but shortly after we entered the park, a big elk stuck his head through the window of the car and grabbed the bucket EJ was holding. I was so disappointed that we had no food to give to the rest of the animals. Since the entrance fee was so minimal, we decided to drive through the park again. I said that this time I was going to hold the bucket. I was not going to let an elk steal it. But shortly after we entered the park the second time, the same elk put his head through the car window and grabbed the bucket. I was determined that I would not relinquish the bucket! The elk and I had a brief tug-of-war until EJ pointed to a sign that warned people not to fight with the animals. I suddenly realized that I was fighting with a wild animal that was bigger and stronger than I was so I let go. The elk won–twice! It’s a funny memory that we laugh about. Not everyone can say they fought with an elk. I think I sometimes have rare experiences. For example, I am one of two people who have broken the USS Enterprise–Captain James T. Kirk is the other one–but that’s another story for another day.
Ok, back to my topic: I have never seen an elk in the wild. I think seeing one in the wild is a very different experiencing than seeing one in a zoo or wildlife park. I’m really excited. We tend to go on several adventures in the autumn so Hartwick Pines is not off our list. We might still go to it or we might wait for another season.
EJ has been working especially hard over the last month or so organizing his garage. He is now working on creative projects. I’m so glad to see his creativity coming back. Downstate he worked long hours, often 12-16 hours (or more), seven days a week, for weeks or months at a time. When he did finally get a day off, we often had to work on the house. The long days tired him. He didn’t have the energy to “be creative.” But now here in Northern Michigan, his creativity is returning. I love to see it!
I’ve been busy crocheting. I recently completed an order for apple placemats and coasters and now I’m working on an order for six tiny mice. I’m making all the pieces for all the mice and then I will sew them together. I have a bowl filled with little mice pieces, which sounds rather macabre. But they will be cute when I get them all put together.
Hannah Joy often sleeps on my lap as I crochet. I couldn’t resist taking a couple of photos of her lovably goofy face when she was asleep on my lap. LOL.
Speaking of sleep….Hannah has already gone to bed and it’s time that I head to bed too. Goodnight!
I Love To Go A Gardening 