Thinking of Spring

Yesterday, an old friend from high school posted on her facebook page that she was interested in putting together a container garden this spring. She's posted about it before, but I think now that all the stores are starting to stock seeds & seed starting materials, the bug is setting in. Happens to me every year, but generally speaking, me & seeds don't jive. Don't get me wrong. I am perfectly cabable of seeing them through germination, and even past that gangly first few leaves thing. My problem is simple though: I start my seeds too soon.
I'm sure it's a problem many folks have here in the great white north. I start them too soon, and they get tooo tall trying to soak up a little sun from our overcast Michigan winter sky. Grow lamps don't help. They just try to wrap themselves around it, even if I keep them un naturally close to the lamp. I just don't know what the hell I'm doing wrong. IF I try again this spring, I'm going to put my little peat pots over a heating pad - you know, the ones designed for aching arthritic joints? I think that would work. It works great for raising bread! I don't know.
Probably the best thing I can do is forget the seed starting all together and just buy my sorry ass some already started plants. It's much more encouraging to my sorry instant gratification self.
One day, it's just dirt filled pots then - BOOM! WOW! Look at these lovely 8 tall plants that have materialized! It's like ... MAGIC!! ooooooooo. Then of course, all it takes is just occasional weeding, fertilizing & little adjustments for placement (not too hot, not too cold).
I am by no means a pro at container gardening. I am a hack, at best, at ANY gardening that requires too much supervision. I am very much the 'water & go' kind of girl. Maybe that will change as my boys grow up, but if I know myself, that's not bloody likely. I have too much to do, too many things to see. And it can't even have a prayer of getting done if I'm tinkerin' around with weeds & pumpkin rot & powdery mildew, tomato bugs, aphids, and the like. Ugh.
Having said that, I may write more about how I've done - what's worked, and how NOT to do it. But, the day is early, I have chores to do, and even get to meet up with a couple of old friends later. :)

Evil Pesties

I know. Yesterday was all about the love - so why did I start the day thinking about evil nasties. Well, I can assure you, it wasn't my fault. I was sippin' on a little coffee, thinking of all I had to do this morning when from over my shoulder, outside my window, I heard an awful screeching squawking noise. Oh, dear Lord, no. BLECH. I HATE THESE DAMN THINGS!!! Unmistakeable to my ears since I have been waging war on them for several years now, the screech of one of the two rotten rat bastard birds I loathe. And, here they are. Grackles....

And Starlings.....

These birds suck. They are nasty disease ridden pests that take up residence in ALL of our outbuildings and shit freakin all over everything. I swear, during the worst part of the season Dad's big barn has a river of bird shit in it.

If you think I'm being cruel in saying these things suck the big one, look them up. See all the harm that they do. I am not exaggerating. They are evil. They kill bluebird babies too, and quite frankly, I prefer songbirds. They kill the songbird eggs, or chuck the babies out of the nest. That isn't kosher with me, and when you add to that the fact that they are NOT native birds - well, I will never be one to cry if they were to suddenly dissappear from the U.S.

So, the attack plan is simple.

1)Try AGAIN to block all passageways into the barns & out buildings.

2)Build Traps to catch the little rat bastards (they are smart. I've seen them get caught, and consequently escape.

3) Pick up one of those fake owls and see if it helps - that IS what they're there for.

and finally...

Hope like hell that the kestrel box my husband placed will actually attract kestrels. This would be great. The kestrels, or .... sparrow hawks... love to eat these vermin. They clean em up. We had one nesting IN the big barn a few years back, but when we closed up the barn, well - the kestrels couldn't get it. I think we had far fewer nasty birds around that year too. I can only hope all of this will work to nail these buggers.

If all else fails, I'm not against picking up a kick ass pellet gun and picking the little buggers off one by one.

I Love ....

Yes, I stole the idea of this post from a very talented, classy blogger-lady, but that's ok, because it's a good one. And well, I love that too!

Because it's Valentine's weekend, and because I am desperately trying to get myself into a more positive mood, I thought I would share some of the things that I love. There are many more, I know, but these are the ones I choose to reflect on today. Who knows, I may even get into the 'R' mode and get creative today, and crank out a few paintings, crafts, or drawings. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

I Love ...

Russel Stover Chocolate covered marshmallow caramel hearts.

my little boys' laughter & sniggers

the smell of Ralph Lauren's 'Romance'

my horses

Lilacs in springtime

the birthmark under my hubby's eye

Photography

thunderstorms

ice covered trees

watching cubby bears play in the woods

the smell of leather

my Daddy & Ma

the color of autumn oak trees

the way the U.P. feels like home

babies - of all kinds

no foam lattes - caramel or butter rum

busting through snow drifts on my horse

Lake Michigan

my home made wine

sawdust

puppy breath

fresh berries

NCIS

Roses

the squeak of a saddle

watercolors

Lemons

My Gramma Flash - incredible, classy lady.

Mother of Pearl nailpolish

barn stars

potato soup

Cowboy boots

mud

gun powder

wicker chairs

ironwood trees

My Grampa Clyde - I miss him so.

family history

Mancino's ham & cheese grinders

yoga

swimming

the sound of the horses galloping up to me

Little House on The Prarie books

old family photos

making jam

training horses

date bars (it's a cookie)

baby powder

dry humor

marbles

when Velvet nuzzles me :)

7B pencils

fresh whipped cream

bluejeans & flannel shirts

campfires

ice cold beer & pretzels

a certain mirrored Ibanez guitar

drum corps

the feel of a galloping horse under you

My Gramma Lil & Grampa Harry

smoky eyeliner & mascara

fresh cut grass

4 wheel drive

jelly beans

WD-40

sleepy Sunday morning kisses from my boys

cartoons

Chuck Taylor All Stars

Hammocks

my .45-70

Jet skis

Bungee jumps

picnics

snarky comments

baby elephants

Shiva Oil Paints

Gardening

neck kisses

Singing

Kat Von D

Blues & Browns

Twilight

Sea Turtles

Fjords

Sweden

Norway

Finland

my engagement ring

orange juice

blue glass

Vintage Model T's

crisp white linen

blueberry cake donuts

tack stores

owls

Shipshewana

deviantart

foals

Jacques Torres

Northern Lights

teddy bears

lockets

sunset

romance

welcome nickers

little boy snuggles

my hubby's arms

blizzards

Mark Harmon as anyone

Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones

Nick from CSI

sunday airplane rides with Dad (been years, but I loved them)

Day trips

Road Trips

The bridge

Uncle Don's voice

Uncle Doug's laugh

Grampa Harry's songs & poems

Incense

pancakes

kittens

corduroys

bib jeans on little kids

being barefoot

sun dried laundry

sunflowers

sweet corn

Van Gogh

whimsy

Impressionism

new paintbrushes

carving wood

feathers

fudge

sheepdogs

aooga horns

grilling

''oooh - wee!''

sorghum

wolverine

sand dunes

new hardcover books

There is more. Lots more. much more that I love than what I don't, and I am trying to stay positive here! But, there are my thoughts for now. I will stop. :) Please, comment if I missed something that you find CRITICAL. I'm sure I did.

Been Vewy Vewy Busy

I will start posting again soon, but I have been very wrapped up in some non computerized projects as of late. Things like Christmas, and birthdays, and horses.... all things that do not work if I am on the computer all the time. Tomorrow is my son's first birthday. It will be fun, I'm sure. He's just so easy to deal with. He loves everything, and is happy most of the time, even when you consider that he has a stuffy nose, he is just Mr.Sunshine. So, although I can't tell you exactly what I'm doing for his party, it does have something to do with this little guy.
Trying to keep the house somewhat inhabitable, Math with Mr.Grumpy Larry, and organizing the kitchen have been eating up lots of house time. Not to mention the handling of the animals, feeding of said animals, and riding when I have the time - it's all english this time of year. I don't like to get my leather wet, and the Weaver just happens to be english, so..... there ya go.
Speaking of horsey things, I have been hard at work creating Lady's memorial-tribute-rememberance item. I'm still not totally sure what I want to do. I have some great ideas, and may end up having to do more than one thing. But, as a result, I am learning some new tricks - like braiding and hitching horsehair. It's a little harder than it looks to be. Mostly because the hair is so.... darn.... uncooperative.

Much like it's previous residence (Lady's mane and/or tail) But, when this sucker is done, it will be nice, for me at least. This is one area that I have to say to hell with what everyone else thinks of it. This is about me & her, and the love we had so there. (you can read about the beginnings of the whole sordid affair here :
http://qtswede.blogspot.com/2009/08/lady-part-one.html

But, I am rambling again. BAH. To the kitchen with me.

Checklist for a Looney

OK. Let's see, what can I do in honor of New Years? Hmmmm....

Horses fed? - check.
Drag the english saddle in through the blowing wind & lake effect snow while my fingers froze shut because I forgot to put on gloves before I went out? - check.
Cleaned the saddles, touched up the headstalls, bits & blankets.
Now, we wait.
The snow is falling faster now, and the wind is making some impressive drifts in the back yard. That can only mean one thing.

Are you ready?


Ya sure?

Ok then. I warned ya.

It is time to bust some snow drifts. Waiting for the lake effect to finish up. Should be done by sunday night, but I'll know for sure by Sunday morning. YAY!!
Of course, that will bring up a whole different set of issues. Like, baby sitter for one. But, I'm sure I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Also have a doctors appointment in Kalamazoo to head to (yes, there really is a place called Kalamazoo)first thing Monday morning, then maybe to help Deanna at the shop with a sign, then finally, I will go ride. Though, if the wind is not too bad, then I will go on sunday. I can't wait to bust through those drifts on horseback. It is one of the highlights of wintertime here. :D

Happy New year, everybody!