Hi Everyone!

[gja1000]

Oh and here's a picture of a nice bass that Gary caught a couple weeks ago at the lake.

[judy]

Very nice Gayle. I saw a piece about planting box gardens on the news. It was so interesting; how to adjust your soil and so on.

If I wasn't too lazy this year, I could do it on my deck. Maybe next summer.

I hope you get a great crop!!!

[Janet]

What a nice bass Gayle. I miss fishing so much...there just isn't that much fishing around here anymore. I like fishing from creeks, but they are just too dirty and polluted. All the lakes are farther away.

[gja1000]

Originally Posted by Janet

What a nice bass Gayle. I miss fishing so much...there just isn't that much fishing around here anymore. I like fishing from creeks, but they are just too dirty and polluted. All the lakes are farther away.

Gary fishes from the Colorado river too. He and a friend set out trot lines for catfish and then bank fish for them too.

[gja1000]

Oh and I forgot to say that a critter got in my garden last night/this morning. I have a little fence around it because without the fence (put up last year) both Yorkie boys want to get in the garden and "water" (ahem) the plants.

This morning I went out to find tracks and a few small holes around in the soft dirt. None of the plants were disturbed, but the newly turned dirt sure was (between plants). I called Gary out to look at it because we occasionally have an opossum that comes up from the creek and I thought he might have gotten into the garden.

However, as Gary and I were looking in over, he said it looked like maybe a big cat had tromped around. About that moment, I realized that I had left the plant flat that I used to carry all the new plants from the car to the garden, laying up next to the bed and it made a perfect step for a little Yorkie boy to step on it and jump right into the bed.

So, I think my opossum/cat was actually a Yorkie!

[paula1961]

The plants look so good Gayle. We are putting us out a little garden this year too.
Nice bass. Did you all eat it? I love fresh fish.
The story about the critter was too funny. So do ya think one of the boys watered the plants? lol

[gja1000]

Originally Posted by paula1961

The plants look so good Gayle. We are putting us out a little garden this year too.
Nice bass. Did you all eat it? I love fresh fish.
The story about the critter was too funny. So do ya think one of the boys watered the plants? lol

Gardening is so relaxing for me - I just have the little 4X12 raised bed so it is very easy. Every morning and evening I say to the boys, "Let's go check the garden" and they hit the doggie door before I can take one step! We go out and I look over every plant - it's make me feel good!

Yes, we eat the fish. They caught crappie, catfish and bass. Crappie is my favorite. We love fresh fish too!

Do I think one of the boys watered the plants? You betcha!

[lynne b]

we plan on having a small garden tis year also, will have to fence it off from the dogs to. I use to have yellow cherry tomatoes and had 1 dog that would pick them off the vine and eat them, hope i can find some volunters in the yard this year, the birds would eat them and the dogs and they would deposit the seeds all over the yard, yuk!!!
I am suppose to have a guy (an old school teacher) come today and look at my KOI fish, it's been raining all day and kind of chilly. we are filling in our pond if we can sell all of the fish, some are well over 12" long, i have sold some over the past couple of summers to another old teacher. we are just tired of takeing care of it and worrying all the time about the pump clogging up and the dogs take up so much of my time, we have had it for over 10 yrs. it's suppose to be nice later in the week maybe i can see if he will come later to fish them out, last time i ended up on my butt in the pond, i will not be getting in it today though!!!

Gayle, i love crappie, my g-father lived in Okeechobee FL and he loved to fish and if we went there or they came home he always had fish for us, i miss my g--pa, he was my mom's dad and they are so much alike!!!

[lynne b]

whew!!! well he's come and gone, he wants a few fish but we are waiting till warmer/dryer weather. Thank you!!!!

[Janet]

Well...it's decided. As soon as yard gets dried out the neighbor is going to come over and disk our garden area. It's been a few years since I had a garden so it will take the disk to get it worked up. He also has a tiller on the back so that will help with the initial work up. We have our own smaller tiller so we'll be able to work it the rest of the way. I'm so excited the decision has been made. I loved working the garden so this is something to look forward to. I've already started writing out what I want to plant. I always canned and froze the veggies so now I will have to buy some more jars. I sold them at a garage sale....LOL.

Right now I'm going by what we use to plant and that will be radishes, green onion, lettuce, carrots, green beans, peas, brussel sprouts, tomatoes and who knows what else. I have video of Ricky with a pacifier in his mouth and wearing a diaper planting the garden....so darn cute. Also of him sitting on the kitchen floor breaking the beans and shelling the peas. Oh the memories. We don't plant corn because the neighbors always plant rows of sweet corn in their fields and tell us to take what we want. So nice.


Way to go Lynne on selling some of your fish. Now you won't have to worry about the dogs getting in it anymore. I didn't know you landed on your butt in the pond.....where the heck is the picture of that?????

[gja1000]

YAY! Now I'll have another gardner to share stories with!

I don't know the size of your garden area, Janet, or even if this is feasible - but, if you till areas that are only 4 foot wide but as long as you want, you can reach into the four foot wide garden area from either side and never have to step into the garden soil. You could till a 4X20 area, leave a 2X20 space untilled, and then till another 4X20 space. The trick is to not make them more than 4 foot wide so that you can walk between the four foot wide rows and not have to step into the planting area. I didn't come up with this brilliant idea - it's recommended in some of my gardening books. Of course, this might not be at all feasible in your space.

[judy]

Janet, that is good news! You are going to have a really fun summer, and a good time canning too!

[DianaB]

Gayle, I love your little garden!!! I would love to have one that size or a tad larger. My husband thinks that if you're going to garden you do enough to feed everyone!!! It's a lot of work and waste! I think that the kids are talking about getting together and planting another one this year.....we'll see. Our garden is at the end of our long driveway and not very handy. I much prefer one that I can run outside for a few minutes to pick or hoe weeds. We have some yard work to do then I think that I'll get a raised garden put in but, who knows......that could take years!!

Janet, it will be interesting to hear how your garden's doing and what you're canning. I used to can a lot when the kids were little. I really can't say that I miss it!!

[Janet]

I know Diana....I'm beginning to rethink this whole garden thing. I've been thinking and remembering just how much work it was. In the morning with the dew (before it gets too hot) it's too wet and of an evening, I'm usually done in, plus it stays so warm late into the evening. I just better think on it for awhile before we get the garden tilled again.

[DianaB]

Even if you just have a small garden with tomatoes, potatoes, and a couple of other things you'll enjoy it. Just don't make it too big and maybe just plan on eating what's fresh and not worry about canning.

Oh and Gayle.....tell Gary that he has a nice "bass"!!! LOL Did I just type that????!!!!!