FishinBC's Blog
FishinBC's Blog
Last Post 66 days Ago
Jun 25, 2008 | 8:26 AM PST
Tags: Pond , Scarlet Tanager , Camping , Fly Fishing , Dutch Ovens
Well after some deep contemplation we decided to call in a pond expert. Leak is not a leak; top pond has settled at an angle and is running over the top between the rocks and the pond itself. Drastic measures, all must be torn down and leveled correctly and rebuilt. The pond was here when we bought the house and with some of the other crazy things the seller did to it, who knows what this will turn out to be when we get it apart. DH wants to fill in upper pond the soil and make a flower bed. I am almost tempted!
Had a new (for me) bird sighting yesterday! A Scarlet Tanager was hanging out in the trees in the front yard. He was gorgeous! Watched him hunting for bugs in the oaks for almost an hour. I was so captivated that when he flew off it finally dawned on me that I should have grabbed the camera. Oh well, the hunting was so good hopefully he will return.
Had one ripe mater yesterday and the plants are loading up with more fast. The three new ones I put in this weekend are already bushing out. Daylilies are popping all over and everything else is doing well. My black magic elephant ear has decided to make an appearance. The standard green ones are doing wonderful. It’s that time of year when it is mostly watering and maintenance.
Pulled the tent trailer out last night to take stock and ensure that everything was in there. Looking forward to fly fishing this weekend. Even with the high water they have been pulling some nice 17 to 20 inch browns out of the White. Robdog was pretty peeved when we pushed it back in the garage. Promised him we would go on Friday, but I don’t think he will believe it until he is in the truck with his trailer hitched up. This dog loves to fish! And my portable a/c unit came yesterday!! Which means we won’t swelter trying to sleep at night while camping! Gonna tie up a load of San Juan worms tonight since they seem to be the fly of choice right now.
Reseasoned all my dutch ovens yesterday. They were such a mess. Got left out on the last camping trip during a bad storm. I just have not had the time to work on them. All are in good shape now and ready for this weekend. I love cooking in my black pots!Jun 23, 2008 | 6:47 AM PST
Went by Lowe’s on the way home Friday and got a mess of gerbera daisies and blanket flowers for .75 cents a piece. Just needed some water. Also found a lemon boy tomato and a Cherokee purple at the nursery during my lunch hour on Friday.
Saturday I got up early and got the tomatoes in the ground and watered all the pots and the flower beds really good. Had planned to get the flowers in but a chance to spend the day on the lake was just too good to pass up! Our friends have a big cruiser and invited us to spend the day. It was wonderful and sooo relaxing! Of course the pond didn’t get fixed though.
Sunday was all that domestic stuff that has to be done before the start of another work week. I did get the flowers in the ground and deadheaded things before it got too hot to be outside. The black and white brigade got a bath, and the front of the house and deck got power washed. Then it was inside to clean up the dusty bunnies and do the wash.
My daylilies are blooming like crazy now and I will try to post some pictures up later this evening. The older tomato plants are doing great and I gave them all a feed this weekend. Bush beans are up and cukes are peeking through. Having a good rain shower this morning, but they are saying the heat is on the rise this week.
Going to play next weekend too. Packing up the little vintage trailer and going to the Mtn. Home to fly fish for the weekend before daughter #2 comes on Tuesday. Taking all next week off from work and looking forward to enjoying the yard.
Jun 19, 2008 | 10:47 AM PST
Tags: Watering , House , Stuff
Went home last night and watered everything. Our expected showers today and tomorrow have decided to go somewhere else and the gardens needed a drink.
Not a lot of color in the gardens right now. But all the daylilies are about to really pop and the bees balm is going crazy. Have buds on all the cone flowers and the foxglove, salvia and delphiniums are full of new stalks again. Another week and there will be color everywhere.
Tied up some of the tomato vines that were beginning to fall over. Last year I staked, this year I tried cages. I think I am going back to staking. Not real happy with the way things are going with the cages. Going out at lunch today to see if the nursery has any more tomato plants left. Would like to find a late season something.
Pond repair work is on slate for this weekend. We have sprung a leak in the upper pond! DH has located the leak, we will drain, repair and reseal around the top of the pond between the rocks. One of the pond lilies should open by the time we get home this evening. It’s a pink one! I love the pink. Lotus is doing better this year. The freeze late in the spring last year knocked it down. Pleased to see it doing better this year. Hyacinths are blooming and multiplying. All the pond fishies are happy and love all the plant cover they now have.
Pulled up some non stop weeds around the back by the a/c units. I will pick up some mulch to lay down back there to keep the weeds down. I really need to fill in with some topsoil and plant some shrubs around there. What would work around blowing a/c units and west facing sun all day? We have concentrated soo much on the front of the house it past time to get busy around back.
We did get the concrete poured for hubby’s woodworking shop in March. He plans to enclose the shop this fall. One wall and a roll up garage door, he will be good to go and will have his man cave for the winter. LOL! I do fly tying and he builds things, keeps us busy in the winter. He did make me a great tying bench, how cool is that!
Still messing with designs for under the deck, some kind of sitting area or screened in patio. There is a door out of the house under there so that might work. Yes, we really need to work around back of the house! Going on third year in our new home and keep ingnoring it back there.
Jun 18, 2008 | 6:05 AM PST
Tags: Frogs , Bugs , Fungus , Critters
Frogs are doing the nasty in my pond again. That has got to be a sign of summer, right? I bought a large fish bowl and netted a bunch of tadpoles for the two little kids up the street. Complete with pond plants and shiny stones. They love watching them grow legs and then let them go. I noticed this morning that my pond clover is full of froggy eggs again. Time to fish them out or I will have pinky fingernail size frogs all over the place in no time. The gold fish will mack out on the rest and help keep numbers down. I’m brutal, huh!
Chickadees have taken up residence in two of the old bird houses in the front. I have added to the bird housing market. I have four small vintage trailer bird houses hanging from posts on the old stump. Birdie Trailer Trash Park right in the front yard!! So far no takers, they have chosen the more upscale houses in the neighborhood.
The squirrels are behaving, or maybe it is more a matter of who has who trained. They stay out of my bird feeders and stay to their trough and I keep it filled. No signs of Mr. D this year (Pig of a Squirrel). Wonder if he became one of those little speed bumps in life? My seed costs have plummeted since his disappearance. I caught one of the coonies raiding the feeders last night though. After tangling with Robdog last week, I am very leery of them now and think I have created a monster issue by feeding them.
In the veggie patch there are some nice sized tomatoes now and actually had one ripe one. Yummy good. I got the beans and the cukes in. I have some large empty pots let over and think I will do some more containers of veggies. Maybe a few peppers and some plum tomatoes. I could not find the Lemon Boy tomato at the nursery this year. Should have saved seed, that one did so well for me last year.
The wild Black Berries are green and growing large. So much rain this year the vines are heavy with fruit! We will have some good cobblers this year. Before DH’s surgery, he leveled out a path on the black berry hillside behind the dog yard. Now I don’t have to fight the thorns, ticks and snakes to get at all them berries! My black raspberries are finishing up and I will miss the fresh warm fruit on my cereal in the mornings.
Deadheaded a few of the beds last night, excited about all the daylilies getting ready to bloom. Hoping for more rain so I don’t have to water. All containers got a drink though, as some are under cover and don’t get the rain. Oh and very pleased with the zoysia sod we put in last year. It has come back really green and nice and thick. Love to walk out there bare foot and crunching my toes in it.
Daughter #2 is coming for 4th of July week. No big plans yet, just hang out and relax. She said she would like to do the canoe float. 11 miles on Big Sugar creek. It’s a great easy paddle with lots of bluffs, wildflowers and critters. We pack a big lunch and take the day stopping where we want. Be kind of nice to go during the week, less people, more critters to watch. Must remember the fishing rod, left it in the truck two weeks ago!
Oh, and my Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender' is covered in little white fuzz balls, WHAT IS THAT!?! Fungus or bug? I babied this thing in the house all winter and it did great. Put it back out where it spent last summer and now something has attacked it. Please if anyone knows what this is let me know!
Jun 17, 2008 | 8:48 AM PST
Tags: Birds , rain , Showers , Seeds
It is a word. It is the study of the times of recurring natural phenomena. I learned that some of my writings are phenology. See you are never too old to learn something new.
I love our spring showers and storms. You can always feel them coming in the air, by the sounds from our part of the forest and the reactions of the local fauna. The birds are usually the first to alert and all come to the feeders to stock up before the rain hits. Just as the temperature and humidity start to rise they wing in to get their fill of seed.
As the sky begins to darken they wing off to find a roost to wait out the storm. The chickadees are always the last to brave the sudden winds and large drops and sometimes take this opportunity to stake out the feeders throughout the storm, protected under the cover of the deck.
Yesterday’s storm went about this normal routine with one exception; the chickadees had a wren as a guest. As I watched from the kitchen window, all were swinging from perches at the feeders as the wind picked up and the thunder rolled through our hills. We had the typical heavy downpour for about 20 minutes, and the gang of little birds chirped and fed on seed through the deluge.
As the sun began to break through the clouds and the rain lessened to a sprinkle, I watched as the wren sprang from his perch to the rain heavy branches of the cedar tree. This little character proceeded to fly up to the limb above him, knocking the water from the limb to land below, flapping his wings and thoroughly enjoying his self made shower.
Jun 15, 2008 | 1:23 PM PST
I slept in this morning! Didn’t get up till 7:30A. Hey that is late for me. Grabbed a cup of tea, threw on the garden clothes, the clogs and went out to deadhead and check on things before the heat kicked in for the day.
My bee’s balm is about to bloom and many of the daylilies that I put in last fall all have scapes about to bloom. Here is one that didn’t show a flower last year. I love the red eye with the butterscotch. Hardy hibiscus huge this year and can’t wait to the see them big ole flowers.
Ripped out the last of the peas and planted cukes. Bush beans went in where the cabbage came out. Chopped up all that I pulled up and threw it all in the compost pile. I love my compost pile. Early this spring I had mounds of black gold filled with earthworms happily doing their job. The plants love it too!
Fed the BTB (bushy tailed beasties) gang and the birds. Filled the hummer feeders and headed for the house and the air conditioning to down load these few photos. There are more in my profile photos.
Jun 14, 2008 | 1:17 PM PST
Okay time to catch up. Enjoyed reading everyone’s blogs! Time to get back into the swing. I have been working in the flower beds and the veggie patch. Had lots of peas and cabbages this spring. Now it’s tomato time! Good thing with all that is going on in the news about maters. But then prefer my own anyway. Who doesn’t?!? The flower beds are maturing and I spent this spring excited with each return peeking up through the mulch. My bleeding heart did me proud this spring and was full and loaded with blooms.
The dappled willow that replaced the frozen Japanese maple is doing wonderful. I think I love it now. It’s a favorite hangout for the hummers too. The hostas bed at the front of the house is my favorite bed right now. I have added peony, hydrangea, Japanese ferns and some annuals for more color. Lots of trailing stuff that falls over the rock wall of the bed. All the daylilies in the bed by the pond have scapes and this being their second year they are all doing great.
Back to battling the bushy tailed beast on the deck. As long as I keep their trough filled with seeds they stay out of my herb pots. We have six pots of basil (a must), sage, chives, thyme and cat nip. The birds are still my passion and enjoyed regular visits this spring by five male rose breasted gross beaks and had my first oriole. Waited forever for the hummers to show up this spring but they made it and are back in force.
Robdog tangled with one of the now grown coonies last week. Not good and though we no longer feed the coons they still come to the deck almost nightly. Hubby was not quite fast enough with the block (leg thrust to stop dog in tracks). A scratched nose, a visit to the vet and a couple of vaccines that were not due till Aug and Rob is back on guard. Silly dog. Miss old Buddy, my shadow dog. His old heart gave out on Jan 21st. The old man had 2 and half wonderful years of sleeping on the bed and being loved and cared for. I know he went to the bridge a happy old dog. Brair Rose is also beginning to show her age but is always up for a game of ball. She gets an aspirin for those achy old joints and is ready to go again. Thinking of adding a young dog to the pack, I am sure there is another border collie in need. Have plans of putting in two more flower beds at the side of the house and a pondless stream running between them.
We have the rock selected and have been waiting for hubby to recover enough to be able to lift more than 20 lbs. Couple more weeks and we will start that project. Should be good and hot out by then!! HAHAHA!!!
Trust me this was not all in one day, as mentioned below! Just progress since the spring and ideas to come!
Jun 14, 2008 | 4:12 AM PST
Tag: Long time no see
Wow Sept 2007 was my last Blog. Life gets in the way sometimes. Long story short. Lost our old dog Buddy in Jan (my heart still breaks when I see his picture), FIL passed in April (89, a wonderful man and miss him so much) and Hubby had some health issues and he takes priority. Anyway, all is well and the last test came back this week and he is CANCER FREE! How great is that!!!???!!! I have missed you all soooo much and have a ton of catching up to do. Got to start reading! Hi to old friends and welcome to new ones!
So good to be back!!
Cheri
Sep 3, 2007 | 4:39 AM PST
We have had a great visit with our younger daughter. She will leave later this morning and I will miss her terribly!
We are prepping to leave Thursday for our fly fishing trip. I can't wait. It has been almost a year since I have waded in with my fly rod.
All my fall veggies are up and doing great. I will take out the last of the tomatoes today and prep that end of the bed, not sure what I will put in this late. Maybe onions and garlic for next year.
Got up yesterday to find the lower pond almost empty. Started pulling out lettuce and hyacinths as fast as I could to check on the fish. They were okay and I filled it back up. We unplugged the pump and will take it apart today and see what's up with that! Poor fish.
Miss Megan at the lake on Saturday.
Aug 31, 2007 | 6:11 AM PST
Daughter number 2 (Meg) arrived early this morning after her plane was divert due to weather. Everyone is still snoozing this morning. Daughter number 1 (Shan) called from Calif to let us know that she fell off her dirt bike and broke her collar bone! Told you she was a tom boy. No bloody fear either. She's in pain but it was a clean break and should heal up well. She still won't get rid of the bike. Grrrr.....
Meg's luggage was lost so we will run out and get her a few things this morning. Then just hang out for the most part today.
Going to take out the sad tomatoes today. Oh and SAMs club has huge mums (I mean really big) for next to nothing.
Have a great weekend everyone!!
Aug 30, 2007 | 3:16 AM PST
Tags: FRIDAY , Fall Garden , Veggies , Camping , Fly Fishing
Today is my Friday and our Daughter arrives this evening! We are taking tomorrow off and will just spend time enjoying her visit. Some friends invited us out on their boat Saturday and Sunday we have a BBQ to go to. Should be fun and Meggie is looking forward to it.
My seeds are up already! Spinach is a little behind the lettuce and radish and others but all are up and doing well. The tomatoes plants look pitiful. I think I will pull the last green tomatoes and take them out and prep that area for some more fall greens.
Was just checking weather.com and it looks like we are going to have lots of rain the weekend of the 7th when we are going camping and fishing. And something we haven't seen in a long time...high temps in the 70's!!! Fall is coming!!
The popup camper is cleaned and ready to go. Rob Dog is chomping at the bit to go fishing with me. He hasn't talked to me in three days since I put the trailer back in the garage. He is mad because we didn't hook his camper to the van and leave. Trying to convice him we are going soon but like any kid he wants to know, "Are we there yet!?!"
Aug 26, 2007 | 4:26 AM PST
Tags: Fall Veggies , Tomatoes , Cukes , Mums , Horse apples , Compost
Friday night brought us 4 good thunderstorms and lot's of steady rain in between! Yesterday was glorious. I did a lot of cleaning up in the flower beds, then headed out to the veggie patch to plant spinach, lettuce, beans & radish seed. Put in the broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts starts too. Also discovered that something had eaten all the tops off my new little beet sprouts. :( I was not pleased. I reseeded them and will hope for the best.
The major heat we had looks to have shut down the tomotes. Still have alot of fruit but no new flowers. The cukes got a second wind and I have about a dozen more pickle size cukes growing. The third planting of beans are about 3 feet high now and starting to flower.
Wally World got in a shipment of mums and I loaded up a cart. Potted some up for the deck and will put the rest in the front bed this morning.
Daughter #2 arrives Thursday evening for the long weekend. Looking forward to being able to show her around. She was here two years ago at Christmas but there was not alot we could do at that time, that and she thought it was too cold! Should have perfect weather while she is here. Suppose to be in the low to mid 80's.
One of my co workers has two horses and I think she thought I was off my rocker when I asked her if I could have some of their horse apples. When I told her I wanted it for my compost pile the light went on. I also kept her in tomatoes, peppers and cukes all season, so I think the idea of more fresh veggies won her over. I told her I would come out to her place and even shovel, but she said she would have her hubby load me up some large garbage bags.
My compost pile is finally large enough and has begun to cook and I am so thrilled. Doesn't take much to make me happy!
The light through the trees at sunrise this morning
Aug 19, 2007 | 12:54 PM PST
Sat on the front porch this afternoon for well over an hour just watching the hummer wars, butterflies and the birds. It is very over cast (still no rain to speak of). But at least it has cooled off a bit, enough to sit outside anyway.
The hummers are hording the feeders. Mostly young males splaying their tails and chasing off any that come near THEIR feeder. As I sat in the rocker the blue birds lit in the oak near the pond. ALL five of them. Mom, Dad and three kids. The crickets are abundant right now and there are scads of them in the mulch around the pond. Dad went down first and gobbled up a big fat one. One of the young came down to beg from him but I think this was a teaching day. The rest of the family came down to the pond and the fledglings began to peck around in the mulch. didn't take them long to learn that lesson. They were all finding crickets.
The wrens came to the oak and were climbing up the tree looking under the leafs. It didn't dawn on me what they were looking for until one popped over to the trunk from a branch with a big long walking stick bug in its beak. I said WOW that thing is twice as long as you are!! He didn't have a problem with it at all. Down it went like a piece of spaghetti!
Lifted out some of the pond floaters to check on the fish I haven't been able to see in a couple of months. All are doing great and growing like crazy!! They have been busy multiplying too! I have a new calico that is about 2 inches long. Only had two calicos this spring, so I guess they were happy in their new digs. Not sure how many more newbies are in there. I put the floating plants back in and we will see this fall how many we have.
Aug 19, 2007 | 4:20 AM PST
Tags: No Rain , Tomatoes , Cukes , Fall Garden , Internet , Dogs
Well we are suppose to have an 80 percent chance for rain today. Keeping my fingers crossed becaused I have really not watered much the last two days. Will get out this morning and wet some of the containers down real good.
My little old neighbor gave me a beautiful plant. She said it is swedish ivy, but this thing is no ivy. I will take some pix when the sun comes up and see if you all can help me figure out what this thing is.
The internet police at the office has blocked ALL but necessary websites. So I am unable to check GG in the mornings or at lunch. I am going to start carting my personal laptop to the office. I only peek in on MY time so there!!! Not like I don't do my work and 5 other peoples everyday!! Okay enough bellyaching. I know I sound bitter.
My fall beans are up and my beets are up. Too hot still for anything else and the clock is ticking. Might be all we get out of the fall garden. My cukes have a few more small ones left, but I am not seeing any new flowers and I think they are about finished up. Maters ripening all over the place and I have been living on toasted mater sandwiches for days. No problem there I love eating them that way. Though the boys will be glad when they are done. Because at least three times a week I tell them it is "fend for yourself night"! They don't eat maters like I do.
Well the dogs are up and giving me the evil eye. They want their trip to the lake and then we will come home and water, pray for rain and does anyone have a spare snake? Want to try out Angels grandfather's method for getting rain.
P.S. I posted some pix of the mystery plant in the General Discussion Forum.
Aug 11, 2007 | 11:18 AM PST
Watched the weather this morning and it really bummed me out. 102 degrees all the way through next week. BooHoo!! Just hiding out today trying to keep from becoming one giant hive. Dogs and I went out to water about 6AM this morning. That done, I haven't been out of the AC since. It's a lazy napping sort of day and I think I will grab a book and join Rob and Buddy on the couch for a while.
Hubby's cousin is coming for dinner, but we are doing the easy thing and making tacos. Not much else going on. Just watching the stuff in the garden wilt in the heat and praying for fall every other minute.
I posted some pix of the pond this morning. The hyacinths are going crazy, seven blooms this morning!
