Whatcha doing today?

[JamieB]

Sure seems like you get an awful lot of rain there in Oklahoma. I thought it was more of a dry state in the
Summer. Is it usually this wet? @JamieB

It’s usually dry, we typically get a little bit of flooding rains in the spring, and some summer storms that randomly drive humidity through the roof a few days, but we got a years worth of rain in early summer, plus extra coming in with all these storms. If it continues, I might get a white winter!

 

[Lisak1]

Did anyone else spend an hour in the pond yesterday rearranging the pads on your waterlilies so they are just right? Or was that just me? After pulling out all the old pads and spent blooms, I get started with straightening them out and untangling them and next thing I know I've been at it for way longer than any normal person - haha! Got them all fertilized and cleaned up - maybe the last time this summer? Maybe not... we'll see how fall develops.

As I was mowing the grass yesterday my neighbor stopped over and we agreed - the rain has kept everything so nice and green this year, but we sure aren't getting a break from mowing! Normally by this point in the summer the grass has gone brown and stopped growing. It's really been a great year for gardening - hardly needed to water at all.

 

[JamieB]

I’ve got rain here now. When the county “ fixed” the road, they topped it with about 4-6 inches of dirt and clay, which means slick! I moved my car to a spot further down the road while it was somewhat dry last night, and will try to get to work from there. I traded shifts with my coworker for this morning when we got stuck the other day, but I’ll still need a ride across the worst bit. And if dad gets stuck, I’ll hike.

 

[addy1]

Did anyone else spend an hour in the pond yesterday rearranging the pads on your waterlilies so they are just right?

Ummm no................... Mine are still blooming like crazy, The only fertilizer they got was last fall, 1/4 cup, plus minus since I don't measure just dump in, osmocote.

 

[Lisak1]

@addy1 so do you pull them out of the pot to fertilize? Or do you only fertile when you re-pot? Mine are so tight in the pots that I usually have to cut the pot off to get them out! I had to cram those tabs in so hard yesterday I nearly broke my fingers!

 

[addy1]

so do you pull them out of the pot to fertilize? Or do you only fertile when you re-pot?

Mine are in oil pans, I just lift up the plant and the kitty litter as one big clump, toss the stuff on the bottom of the pan and put the lily and clump of litter back down.
I did it in the fall, as I was cutting off the stems leaves etc to settle them for the winter. I think it was in october/november. If there were excess tubers I either cut them off, if dead looking, or took the good looking ones and planted them. Currently I have not been doing all new litter like I used to. Now I just stick the tuber into the old litter, if it is not too full of roots.

I have lily tabs, but like you said a real pita to stick into the pot. So have not been using them, same box I have had for quite a while.

 

[Karin]

I am celebrating. I caught two raccoons and took them across the wide Missouri River into the woods. They and another which I hope to trap tonight, have been eating my fish! And, after looking for liner leaks, I determined that the raccoons had rearranged the liner which had caused the water to drop. So, no leaks, just playful (or destructive?) raccoons. I am relieved that I can now proceed to working on filling the bog with gravel (again) and replanting it.

 

[j.w]

@Karin just keep the trap out there and get them all gone! Meanwhile, people on the other side of the river are trapping them and bring them to your side,lol!

 

[Karin]

LOL! Hopefully no one thinks midtown KC is a good place to release a wild animal. We live in the city - close to downtown, but raccoons are very adaptable to city life. I released them close to the Missouri River in a wild and wooly place - no houses, lots of trees, and the river. Hopefully, they will be much happier there. My husband says how could they be when they were living in my hugel and eating all the compost I put out there every night. I'm not putting any compost out anymore unless I liquify it in the blender first. And, I do have two traps out there. I saw a HUGE raccoon three nights ago and I'm not sure he can fit in the largest Have-a-Heart trap that I have. We will have to see. Meanwhile, my pond now has another 6" of water in it and hopefully the fish won't be reachable - the deepest part is 3 ft deep. I also am going to buy a large lace rock and put it in the bottom so that they can hide under it.

 

[JamieB]

@addy1 so do you pull them out of the pot to fertilize? Or do you only fertile when you re-pot? Mine are so tight in the pots that I usually have to cut the pot off to get them out! I had to cram those tabs in so hard yesterday I nearly broke my fingers!

Sounds like either you don’t cut them back enough, or may go too long between cutting them back, or maybe they’re getting too much of shat ever nutrients feed root growth!

 

[JamieB]

Sounds like either you don’t cut them back enough, or may go too long between cutting them back, or maybe they’re getting too much of shat ever nutrients feed root growth!

What, not shat! I was interrupted, and didn’t spell check!

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I had an interesting walk today. The particular pathway I was at doesn't have a parking lot. They were going to install one but never found the money for it, I guess. There's a few areas you can park to access it, but no dedicated parking lot.

Long story short, right as I was finishing my walk, I was hearing the sound of a train braking. Just as I was getting back to the car, the train stopped and blocked my path. The car is literally just on the other side of the train in the photo below.

So, I was about 40 feet from it, but ended up having to walk another mile and half to get back to it. It was also about the time people were getting out of work, and I had to walk along a busy highway and another busy road with only a narrow strip of gravel to walk on. Plus, it was relatively hot out today and I had already been in the sun for quite a while, so I was pretty warm.

Honestly, it wasn't terrible, but I really didn't feel like doing that today. Not really a fan of walking along busy roadways when there are so many people who text and drive.

 

[SherrysPond]

Sorry that happened to you.......some days are like that. This morning i went through the Starbucks to get coffee and a bacon breakfast sandwich, i got to work and there was only cheese and bread............NO BACON!

 

[j.w]

Remember the Bald Faced Hornet's nest I found the other day while riding my bike?
Here it is when I first saw it:

Well the other day a county road mower came through and mowed under it and tore almost all the nest apart. Poor hornets, I thought. So I noticed the next day they were trying to rebuild it as they still had the center core left where the queen probably still existed. But now they were out in plain site even more so. So I thought I'll help them by getting a long stemmed large fern leaf and bend it at the stem and stick it above their hive crammed into the bush so the fern part would hide the nest. Worked great...............except after I did that some immediately thought I was a bad intruder and attacked me. Jumped on my bike and zoomed outta there w/them flying after me and I got stung/bit 3 times and those suckers have a very painful sting! I went back today to see how it was going and they have that nest almost as big as it was in the photo I first took. Also you have to look very hard now to see it from the road. Fortunately they did not attack me again as I rode by as I did read online that if you return shortly after getting stung they will remember your scent or whatever and go after you again. I figured after 24 hours they prolly forgot about me by then and they did not sting me so all is well and I have recouped from their venom.

 

[addy1]

JW guess you are tooooo kind hearted I would not have done that, even though they like to eat yellow jackets..................