N is for NOT natural.

I just read about people putting lights under their skin.  I must say, that sounds odd.

Then I considered.  I think people are just jealous of the skills, tools, and adornments that animals have.

Tattoos?  Tigers, chameleons, in fact, most animals are rather more decorated than we are.

I have heard some geeks put magnets in, to be able to 'sense' magnetic fields.  Birds do this, I gather, to migrate.

Mechanical sniffers?  Dogs got ya covered.

Mouse traps?  Cats would sneer in contempt. (Again.)

Swim fins, the fish would count as baby steps, so to speak.

We have the ability to mimic a lot of different creatures, for our own use.

So, lights?  Hmm...  I think fireflies and angler fish would consider us posers...

N is for New.

I think new is a relative term.  I am learning to use fountain pens for writing, and eventually I want to learn how to make a quill pen, and use that, too.  Might even make my own paper to go with it.  Just to see how to do it.

Victorian Trading Company... WANT!

Now, this isn't "new" by much of any standard.  But it's something I haven't tried, so it is new to me.

I recently helped a woman learn to knit... And she is about 70+.  It was not a new process, but it was new to her.  (And I guess she is knitting up anything she can get her hands on...  Bwa ha ha, the cycle continues!)

I learned recently how to do Blackfoot spindle spinning, which is very much not a new process.  But it's new to me.

So, I am wondering when a 5 year old today will be ready for AARP, I wonder what things we do now might be "new" to them?

*****

Oh, man, oh, man, is the pollen going crazy here!  My poor husband is just miserable.  His eyes are itchy, (actually, mine too), and I sound like a bloodhound on the scent about half the time... We get a vehicle out, and it actually looks slightly golden because of all the pollen on it.  I realize it's spring, but it has been a doozy this year!  The animals haven't seemed to be affected, (can chickens get hay fever?), but it seems like most of the people I know have been a bit affected, even those normally having no problems.  I guess I should be thankful tho, we have no predictions of snow in the forecast.  Someone really needs to kick Punxsutawney Phil's butt... 

The Neighborhood Watch group I work with is getting some changes going on, I and another gal will be working in one area, and the gent that heads it up will be working in another.  We decided that he had some places that he was working on, and wanted to spear head, so we took some other, closer areas.  I hope it works out.  The biggest part for me will be to start leading meetings.  I have done so a couple times, but there would be more for the other gal and I to do... And since she's new, she will have to practice, too!  

Have some garden plants coming up.  Cucumber and Zukes, mostly.  I really think Zucchini is an alien life form.  Let's face it, you put one seed in the ground, and up comes this huge thing that has multiple babies, that grow overnight from reasonable, to monstrous and overwhelming brickbat size.  But, I like zucchini bread, and putting it in soups, so I will be very happy if they are productive.  

Oh, and I will have some tomatoes, too, but they aren't doing quite as well.  But, it's early yet, and if worse comes to worse, I can always 'cheat' and get some plants.  But I have to be careful this year... I mean, there is a limit to how many planter pots I have, so buying a whole bunch of tomato plants could lead to disaster.  (And deer LOVE tomato plants... Ask me how I know...)  >:(

I can't remember if I mentioned this, but my chickens have started a health regimen.  I am opening the door in the morning, they flood out, turn to the left, and start running, they go around the hen pen... Then do it again.  I waited, and they have gone 'round the hen pen as many as 4 times, before stopping, staring, and Chattanooga giving me a pant leg tug, to let me know I haven't fed them yet.  I am going to try and get this on video, they are really consistent.  

I had to laugh, Husband watched them, and I saw the gears turning in his head.  "We should put a gate up in the back, to see what happens."  I have this image of a poultry style NASCAR crash, with everyone coming to a rather abrupt stop.

So, we shall see if I can get pics, soon!

N, New seeds for this year...

Well, I have gardening fever.  Raging Gardening fever, and so, since the only things I could plant right now might be rice, or water lilies, I decided to check my seeds I've saved, and bought, and see what things I have, and need.  (I have a new seed saver can.  Husband gave me an old Military Ammo Box.  I hope to clean and paint editorial leaves and such on it in the future, but for now, it works!)

Right now, I should be able to plant lots of watermelon and tomatoes...  The tomatoes make sense, I plant lots of those for both us, and to share (and usually do, big time.)  The watermelon?  I just have saved packets, and have put back enough to have a few varieties, I guess.  (Ironically, I do not like tomatoes, unless they are in something, and don't care for watermelon... I just like growing stuff.)

So, I will write here what I have, if you want to peruse, follow along, if you don't, skip over the list to where I start blabbing again, your choice...  The date is the year the package says it was packaged for.

2011- Moon and Stars Watermelon
2011- Chicken Scratch (variety of greens, sort of a salad mix.  Supposed to be good for chickens.)
2011- Sunflower supreme mix
2007- Yellow Pear Tomato
2007- Scotia Tomato
2008- Early Cherry
2008- Grand Bell (Pepper) Mix
2009- Campbell's Tomato seeds (from the Soup company)
2011- Big Max Pumpkin
2011- Carnival Blend Carrot
2011- Orange Tendersweet Watermelon
2008- Yellow JB Watermelon
2007- Ruby Queen Beet
2007- Swiss Chard
2008- Mesclun Mix
2010- Yellow Crookneck
2005- Blue Lake Pole Beans
2008- Beefsteak Tomato
2007- Mortgage Lifter Tomato
2???- Pumpkin seeds from Halloween pumpkin...
2007- Kohlrabi, Purple
2010- Kohlrabi, White
2010- Sweet 100 Tomato
2010- Red Cherry Tomato
2010- Black Beauty Eggplant
2008- Straight Eight Cucumber
2010- Zucchini
2008- Chantenay Red Cored Carrot
2010- Scarlet Nantes Carrot

Now, some, like the beans, (circa 2005) will be added to, and mixed together when planted, with some new, so I have a chance of getting beans for my Husband, who goes into withdrawal if I don't make him fresh green beans sometime over the summer.  (Some day, my goal is to can.  That goal hasn't gone far, up to this point...)

I will plant carrots. Again.  I keep trying to plant carrots, and usually end up with an empty row. (Blue clay doesn't lend itself to root veggies much.)  The one year I worked the livin' crap out of the ground, and added carroty grow stuff, deer got every last top and killed all of them.  I know I should be able to grow carrots.  I am tempted to plant them in a pot, and put razor wire over it.  Husband suggests pot planting yes, but perhaps putting inside the deer cage...  ; )

Why so many tomatoes?  I like to try different varieties for cooking, Mom loves them for just eating, and they are good trading stock for other veggies that I don't grow (i.e., corn). 

I hope to grow corn, some time, but this year I am going to have to test the soil. I grow everything else pretty well, but my corn is always incredibly pathetic, usually doesn't even grow much more than a stalk.  If it does grow an ear, it generally doesn't mature.  Bugs don't even bother it, that's how pathetic it is! 

I want to plant egg plant, and ask Mom to make Eggplant Parmesan.  I wanted to do that last year, but only had like ONE eggplant, so I just gave it to Mom to use.  (Last year was the great Bucket Planter year.  Hoping I don't have part two this year.  It worked, but I sure didn't like doing it that way.  The only advantage was that watering was much easier...  I suppose weeding was better, too.  But I still would prefer an in the ground garden.  Especially space wise!)

Some of them, like Swiss Chard, and Chicken Scratch, are obstensively for the animals.  But I sample the stuff, they might or might not get it.  In fact, one year, I realized that Rudee (who has learned how to be in the garden without walking all over the plants), and I had nearly eaten all the starts of the Chicken Scratch!  Ooopsy!  They came back, though.

So, I will probably buy a Jiffy Pot greenhouse Monday, and set up some seeds, get stuff started (I have a seed starting heater, so I can start the stuff in the house.)  The weather guessers say we should start coming out of the rain this coming week. 

About time, is all I can say...  I want to get out and do gardeny stuff!