Not a bad day. I made omlettes for everyone this morning and caught a nap. I tried to make some headway on my current coursework only to learn that Crown's library has no weekend hours over the summer. Then, when I learned that online service that they offer for access to academic journals was not working, I found out that no one was there to get that working either. So much for getting my Monday homework done.
I am annoyed with Crown College. They are telling me that the only way to complete my degree program is through online-only coursework. I tried online classes and they are not the thing for me (which surprised me, given how much I do online). So, now I only have about four courses left to go, and they are telling me I have to do them online. I feel like I've been tricked. I was told that online classes were an option (an option that I tried), but now they are saying that everything must be completed online. It's trebly frustrating since I'm already in for thousands of dollars of tuition (and student load debt).
I was able to put that out of mind, eventually. Nathaniel and Ezekiel found a big garter snake, so I spent some time with them and the other kids, prepping a terrarium for it. I watered our corn plot and Marie and I got to look over our garden. While we were out there, we decided it would be a good night for a fire, so I had Nathaniel get some wood and things together, and pretty soon we were all enjoying ourselves by the fire. All, that is, except for Elijah.
Elijah got a pretty good cut on his foot earlier in the day (a stainless steel warming pan got knocked off the counter and it landed on his foot). It was about an inch and a half long, and it went through all three layers of skin. He had already put pressure on it and wrapped it in a towel when he came for help. I took over applying pressure, and then set about cleaning the wound. Marie and I debated about taking him in to the emergency room. We've already met our deductible for the year, so money wasn't going to be an issue. If we took him in, I'm pretty sure he would have ended up with at least six stitches. Based on the way he responded to my cleaning around the wound, and remembering that he would need to get a local anesthetic and everything else, I figured that he'd do just as well if I wrapped him up at home. With as many boys as we have, we long ago learned to keep butterfly bandages in our first aid kit. Today, though, I wished we had some steri-strips, though the butteryfly bandages ended up doing a fine job.
So, I put the butterfly closures in place after washing the area with iodine and drying it with a gauze pad. There was no bleeding by this point, and the cut was smooth and straight, so the butterfly closures did a fine job. I threw a non-stick pad over the top, and then wrapped his foot with an Ace bandage, to keep the dressing in place. [I had Marie run to the store to grab some medical tape, since we were out, and the wrap did a fine job in the absence of tape.] I had him lay down for a while, but being the boy that he is, he got up and moving once the commotion about the snake started. Well, after being up and about for a bit, he had a little more bleeding from that foot. So, when it was time for the fire, we have one upset young man on our hands, since I would not let him out into the yard with his foot.
After I got things going, I came in and removed the wrap to make sure things didn't get messed up with him up and about. It had bled through his pad and the wrap, but the wound itself was still closed. I re-dressed it, wrapped it again, and admonished him to stay on the couch. I think he was hoping I would okay him to join us at the fire. No, not a chance, but I did agree to let him play games on his Gameboy. That seemed a fair compromise. He made out okay. His sister, Ariana, deicded to make him some marshmallow, so he didn't miss out on that part of the evening. I'm guessing that foot will be sore in the morning, but at least the wound should stay closed and heal well.
Now it's almost Sunday, and I have yet to get to bed. The slides for the morning worship set are done, and I still have the smell of campfire about me. I'll see if I can hop in the shower for a few moments before settling into bed.
Despite my frustration with Crown, it was a good day--perhaps one of the most relaxing Saturdays I've experienced in a while. One of my neices got married today. Marie and I had been invited to the dance, but we opted not to travel since we were out the week before and we didn't receive the invitation until late this week. I guess we'll just send a card.
~AJR
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Saturday, July 11, 2009
Monday, July 06, 2009
A nice weekend
Well, I planned to catch a nap about 9 PM on Thursday so I would be a bit rested before driving, but as things played out, I was still up with Marie after midnight and we were waking the kids at 1 AM.
Even with that crazy start, things went well. We were on the road by 2:15 AM. The time and the route meant very little traffic. It was a different route than we've taken previously, so it helped pique my alertness. When I finally started to feel drowsy, about 5:30 AM, I woke up Marie and told her I was pulling over at the next Wayside for a nap. Well, we pulled over and I made a quick pit stop. By the time I got back to the van, most everyone was awake. They weren't too noisy, but it was enough to convince me that a nap was out of the question. That was okay, however. The quick break and a chance to get up and move around helped get my blood pumping and allowed me to wake up quite a bit. The fact that the sun was already up or coming up (hidden behind some clouds) helped, too.
We realized we did not have our State Park vehicle sticker, and we knew we could not get one until 8 AM, so we decided to swap our Friday breakfast plans with those we planned for Sunday. The kids enjoyed McDonald's, and we kept the boiled eggs, granola, apples, milk, and juice for Sunday morning.
After breakfast, it was still just around 7 AM, so we made a casual (and below the speed limit) drive the final 20+ miles to the southern entrance of Itasca State Park. We only saw one other car on that stretch of road. Between that leisurely drive, and the slow drive on the in-park road to the visitor center, it was 7:45 AM when we pulled in to the parking lot at the visitor center. Being a bit early, I took the middle kids on a brief walk around the center and on a short trail behind it. They enjoyed seeing squirrels and chipmunks that were often just a foot or two away. Nathaniel was noticing various birds. I was noticing the mosquitos, but they weren't too bad as long as we kept moving.
A few minutes after we finished our walk, the visitor center opened. We took our time, got our permit, and let the kids pick out some colored rocks to have as keepsakes. After ensuring that all had bathroom breaks, we drove the final few miles to the headwaters of the Mississippi River.
It was fun being back there. The last time we were in the park, we only had our eldest three with us (the next two were with Granny and Papa in Muscoda, Wisconsin), so we were sure to re-shoot some photos to match some we took back then. Beyond that, we just had a lot of fun. It was still early, and not too many people were there. The water was cool, but comfortable. I spent most of my time between keeping the kids somewhat quiet and looking for Ariana's colored rock, which she dropped when she fell in the water. The rock was never found--a lesson learned for Ariana, who was told to give it to mom since she didn't have any pockets.
With everyone wet, we took a hike to dry off. We enjoyed the different sites, and noticed how many people were biking in the park. We'd love to come back when we're all able to bike together.
Needless to say, I was starting to feel exhausted. I was still quite alert, but I felt the fatigue in my body. We drove into Bemidji and spent some time finding a park where we could eat lunch (the one where we intended to stop was the site of the city's annual Water Festival, so we opted to move on--parking a big van and a canoe trailer there would have been no fun at all). That gave the kids a chance to run and play a bit, but the older kids spent more of their time resting. Perhaps their first taste of adulthood?
After the park, we were only about 30 minutes away from my brother's house. We all were glad to arrive, but I was, perhaps, most glad. After about an hour up and about, I found my way up the stairs to the bed we were assigned, and I fell asleep. I slept through dinner.
The rest of the weekend was nice. A bit of fishing and canoeing, lots of campfire time, bacon and eggs over the fire--it was wonderful. I do wonder, however, if God gave us mosquitos to remind us that we're not in Eden anymore.
It all went by too quickly, yet Marie and I were longing for home before Sunday morning. I think it was a bit tough on her, at times, because she bore the brunt of caring for (chasing) Gideon and (getting clawed by) Elaura.
Each of the kids got a turn in the canoe. Little Zemirah was scared from the moment we pushed off, so I paddled over to the fishing pier on Gilstead Lake and dropped her off with Marie and Grandpa (my dad agreed to come with for a while). Ezekiel was a bit scared, too, but I encouraged him to stay with us (Elijah and me) as we fished a bit on the lake. As we got out into the middle of the lake, I heard him say "I'm not scared because I'm with dad." What a lesson for my own heart!
He still had a few moments where he was clearly unsettled, like the time I let us drift into the sparse weeds near shore so I could rig lines without drifting. Overall, however, he was a good little sailor! Elijah did a great job paddling in the front, too. Katarina and Josiah were in a canoe by themselves, and Josiah took Ariana out a bit later so she would have a turn. Nathaniel and Zechariah canoed together in the third canoe. I was pleased that they all stayed upright, and that they had fun.
After canoeing a while, we came back in and I went out onto the pier to help out. By that time, Marie had to take Elaura on a little walk to get her to settle down. She was tired of being in the stroller and just wanted to be out and about, but she had already crawled straight toward the edge of the dock once, so setting her free was not an option.
Everyone was clearly getting frazzled after a while, so we packed it all up and headed back to my brother's house. On the way back, we stopped by a little shop he tipped us off about, where we got huge ice cream cones for everyone (and at a great price, to boot!). Once back at the house, I helped get the fire ready for supper. Although we didn't catch anything worth keeping, Dan and Dad had plenty of fish on hand for a good, old-fashioned shore lunch style dinner. I haven't had so much fish in ages! After dinner, the boys built up the fire, and the bags of marshmallows were opened.
I was beat by the time dinner was done, but managed to stay up for the marshmallow madness. Then, right as I hoped to catch some early zzzs before driving in the morning, I realized Marie was hard at getting our gear together for packing. I fought with myself for a bit and then set about to getting things loaded. It wasn't too long before the job was done and we both collapsed into our borrowed bed.
Morning came quickly. We purposed to allow ourselves a relaxed ride home, so we took our time getting the kids ready. Instead of eating breakfast at my brother's house, we wanted to put a few miles behind us first. We stopped at a Wayside at Cass Lake, and ate our breakfast there. We had a bit of fun with Katarina, who did not want to eat a boiled egg. It cost us a bit of time, but gave us three minutes and forty-five seconds of very entertaining video!
I opted to take a more direct route back toward home (on Minnesota 371), but soon realized that we might have been better off on our original route, even if it added extra miles. Traffic behind us was lined up almost constantly, and I can't remember the last time I was ever passed by so many cars (or passed by so many cars in no passing zones). We eventually got off onto a parallel county road, but ended up back on 371 after we stopped for lunch. We made it home healthy and whole, and had time to keep to our Sunday evening tradition of watching Little House on the Prairie together.
Oh, and we also caught the prodigal hamster that had been on the loose for a week.
Overall, it was a nice weekend. I was in awe of the beauty of that area of our state, and it made me miss getting back to the Boundary Waters. God willing, perhaps we'll be able to take another similar trip sooner rather than later, though I'd be glad if we chose to find a place a little closer to home. It was, after all, a long drive.
~AJR
Even with that crazy start, things went well. We were on the road by 2:15 AM. The time and the route meant very little traffic. It was a different route than we've taken previously, so it helped pique my alertness. When I finally started to feel drowsy, about 5:30 AM, I woke up Marie and told her I was pulling over at the next Wayside for a nap. Well, we pulled over and I made a quick pit stop. By the time I got back to the van, most everyone was awake. They weren't too noisy, but it was enough to convince me that a nap was out of the question. That was okay, however. The quick break and a chance to get up and move around helped get my blood pumping and allowed me to wake up quite a bit. The fact that the sun was already up or coming up (hidden behind some clouds) helped, too.
We realized we did not have our State Park vehicle sticker, and we knew we could not get one until 8 AM, so we decided to swap our Friday breakfast plans with those we planned for Sunday. The kids enjoyed McDonald's, and we kept the boiled eggs, granola, apples, milk, and juice for Sunday morning.
After breakfast, it was still just around 7 AM, so we made a casual (and below the speed limit) drive the final 20+ miles to the southern entrance of Itasca State Park. We only saw one other car on that stretch of road. Between that leisurely drive, and the slow drive on the in-park road to the visitor center, it was 7:45 AM when we pulled in to the parking lot at the visitor center. Being a bit early, I took the middle kids on a brief walk around the center and on a short trail behind it. They enjoyed seeing squirrels and chipmunks that were often just a foot or two away. Nathaniel was noticing various birds. I was noticing the mosquitos, but they weren't too bad as long as we kept moving.
A few minutes after we finished our walk, the visitor center opened. We took our time, got our permit, and let the kids pick out some colored rocks to have as keepsakes. After ensuring that all had bathroom breaks, we drove the final few miles to the headwaters of the Mississippi River.
It was fun being back there. The last time we were in the park, we only had our eldest three with us (the next two were with Granny and Papa in Muscoda, Wisconsin), so we were sure to re-shoot some photos to match some we took back then. Beyond that, we just had a lot of fun. It was still early, and not too many people were there. The water was cool, but comfortable. I spent most of my time between keeping the kids somewhat quiet and looking for Ariana's colored rock, which she dropped when she fell in the water. The rock was never found--a lesson learned for Ariana, who was told to give it to mom since she didn't have any pockets.
With everyone wet, we took a hike to dry off. We enjoyed the different sites, and noticed how many people were biking in the park. We'd love to come back when we're all able to bike together.
Needless to say, I was starting to feel exhausted. I was still quite alert, but I felt the fatigue in my body. We drove into Bemidji and spent some time finding a park where we could eat lunch (the one where we intended to stop was the site of the city's annual Water Festival, so we opted to move on--parking a big van and a canoe trailer there would have been no fun at all). That gave the kids a chance to run and play a bit, but the older kids spent more of their time resting. Perhaps their first taste of adulthood?
After the park, we were only about 30 minutes away from my brother's house. We all were glad to arrive, but I was, perhaps, most glad. After about an hour up and about, I found my way up the stairs to the bed we were assigned, and I fell asleep. I slept through dinner.
The rest of the weekend was nice. A bit of fishing and canoeing, lots of campfire time, bacon and eggs over the fire--it was wonderful. I do wonder, however, if God gave us mosquitos to remind us that we're not in Eden anymore.
It all went by too quickly, yet Marie and I were longing for home before Sunday morning. I think it was a bit tough on her, at times, because she bore the brunt of caring for (chasing) Gideon and (getting clawed by) Elaura.
Each of the kids got a turn in the canoe. Little Zemirah was scared from the moment we pushed off, so I paddled over to the fishing pier on Gilstead Lake and dropped her off with Marie and Grandpa (my dad agreed to come with for a while). Ezekiel was a bit scared, too, but I encouraged him to stay with us (Elijah and me) as we fished a bit on the lake. As we got out into the middle of the lake, I heard him say "I'm not scared because I'm with dad." What a lesson for my own heart!
He still had a few moments where he was clearly unsettled, like the time I let us drift into the sparse weeds near shore so I could rig lines without drifting. Overall, however, he was a good little sailor! Elijah did a great job paddling in the front, too. Katarina and Josiah were in a canoe by themselves, and Josiah took Ariana out a bit later so she would have a turn. Nathaniel and Zechariah canoed together in the third canoe. I was pleased that they all stayed upright, and that they had fun.
After canoeing a while, we came back in and I went out onto the pier to help out. By that time, Marie had to take Elaura on a little walk to get her to settle down. She was tired of being in the stroller and just wanted to be out and about, but she had already crawled straight toward the edge of the dock once, so setting her free was not an option.
Everyone was clearly getting frazzled after a while, so we packed it all up and headed back to my brother's house. On the way back, we stopped by a little shop he tipped us off about, where we got huge ice cream cones for everyone (and at a great price, to boot!). Once back at the house, I helped get the fire ready for supper. Although we didn't catch anything worth keeping, Dan and Dad had plenty of fish on hand for a good, old-fashioned shore lunch style dinner. I haven't had so much fish in ages! After dinner, the boys built up the fire, and the bags of marshmallows were opened.
I was beat by the time dinner was done, but managed to stay up for the marshmallow madness. Then, right as I hoped to catch some early zzzs before driving in the morning, I realized Marie was hard at getting our gear together for packing. I fought with myself for a bit and then set about to getting things loaded. It wasn't too long before the job was done and we both collapsed into our borrowed bed.
Morning came quickly. We purposed to allow ourselves a relaxed ride home, so we took our time getting the kids ready. Instead of eating breakfast at my brother's house, we wanted to put a few miles behind us first. We stopped at a Wayside at Cass Lake, and ate our breakfast there. We had a bit of fun with Katarina, who did not want to eat a boiled egg. It cost us a bit of time, but gave us three minutes and forty-five seconds of very entertaining video!
I opted to take a more direct route back toward home (on Minnesota 371), but soon realized that we might have been better off on our original route, even if it added extra miles. Traffic behind us was lined up almost constantly, and I can't remember the last time I was ever passed by so many cars (or passed by so many cars in no passing zones). We eventually got off onto a parallel county road, but ended up back on 371 after we stopped for lunch. We made it home healthy and whole, and had time to keep to our Sunday evening tradition of watching Little House on the Prairie together.
Oh, and we also caught the prodigal hamster that had been on the loose for a week.
Overall, it was a nice weekend. I was in awe of the beauty of that area of our state, and it made me miss getting back to the Boundary Waters. God willing, perhaps we'll be able to take another similar trip sooner rather than later, though I'd be glad if we chose to find a place a little closer to home. It was, after all, a long drive.
~AJR
Thursday, July 02, 2009
A bit of a getaway
Well, I broke down and took four hours of time off today to get a head start on our little getaway. Since Independence Day falls on a Saturday this year, we have the preceding Friday off. So, a half-day head start let me get some things in order without feeling stressed to death. I fixed the trailer wiring, made a trip to Hutch for supplies and food with Marie, two of the boys, and Elaura, picked up the canoe trailer and canoes, and got everything packed (or so we hope). All that, and I even managed to sneak in a short nap right after I got off work--not bad, indeed.
We're headed up near Blackduck, Minnesota where my father now resides. He moved there and is living with one of my brothers, Daniel and his wife. My dad always loved the northwoods. The only vacations we ever took were fishing trips a few hours further north than Blackduck, to Sioux Narrows, Ontario. He must enjoy living out there.
This will be the first time I've visited any of Dan's homes in probably 20 or more years. During much of that time, he had been in Florida and my immediate family and I were without the means to visit him. My dad is getting on in years--he turned 76 this spring--so we wanted to get some time with him while we may. We've been meaning to visit, but the over five hour drive doesn't make for a quick afternoon visit, and our most recent young ones have not been the best travelers. So, the long weekend will provide us with a wonderful opportunity, and the closest thing to a vacation we're likely to see this summer.
Canoes are borrowed and poles, tackle, clothes, and other gear is loaded. The kids are asleep, and Marie has clothes laid out for all of them. Our plan was to hit the road at one o'clock on Friday morning, but I just remembered that we don't yet have a Minnesota State Park pass for our vehicle, so we won't be able to enter the park until 8 AM when the office opens. That's okay. We'll wake them at one, and we should be on the road before two o'clock. In the interim, I plan to catch a quick nap, and am looking forward to the drive (after the first hour passes--I expect the kids will be restless at first). Well, the clock just struck twelve (okay, okay--the computer clock just flipped digits), so I'm signing off.
~AJR
We're headed up near Blackduck, Minnesota where my father now resides. He moved there and is living with one of my brothers, Daniel and his wife. My dad always loved the northwoods. The only vacations we ever took were fishing trips a few hours further north than Blackduck, to Sioux Narrows, Ontario. He must enjoy living out there.
This will be the first time I've visited any of Dan's homes in probably 20 or more years. During much of that time, he had been in Florida and my immediate family and I were without the means to visit him. My dad is getting on in years--he turned 76 this spring--so we wanted to get some time with him while we may. We've been meaning to visit, but the over five hour drive doesn't make for a quick afternoon visit, and our most recent young ones have not been the best travelers. So, the long weekend will provide us with a wonderful opportunity, and the closest thing to a vacation we're likely to see this summer.
Canoes are borrowed and poles, tackle, clothes, and other gear is loaded. The kids are asleep, and Marie has clothes laid out for all of them. Our plan was to hit the road at one o'clock on Friday morning, but I just remembered that we don't yet have a Minnesota State Park pass for our vehicle, so we won't be able to enter the park until 8 AM when the office opens. That's okay. We'll wake them at one, and we should be on the road before two o'clock. In the interim, I plan to catch a quick nap, and am looking forward to the drive (after the first hour passes--I expect the kids will be restless at first). Well, the clock just struck twelve (okay, okay--the computer clock just flipped digits), so I'm signing off.
~AJR
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
A nice morning
It was so nice to wake up to a cool breeze this morning. We opened windows late last night, after we realized the heat of the day had finally passed. Open windows, fresh sheets, and a morning breeze--some of the finest things in life, especially with the woman you love by your side.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Saturday surprise
Marie scheduled and pulled off a surprise party for our eldest son on Saturday, even though Ezekiel, perched in a tree where he could see Josiah when he returned home from his diversion (yard work at the Fritz's), yelled "Surprise!" as soon as he saw his brother. Josiah didn't put two and two together from that, so he got his real surprise when Marie sent him out on the deck to move something. Everyone was waiting below on the patio. He still was unsure of what was going on for a moment, and then it sunk in and his face went red.
I had spent most of the morning (up to 30 minutes before Josiah's return) working on our main garden plot. I expanded it from 8' x 18' to 8' x 24', breaking the sod on the additional 48 sq. ft. manually. After the party, some of our old friends stayed around a little later, I caught a brief nap, we agreed to let a couple of the other guests stay the night (with our kids of the same age), and I went back to the garden. I worked it until just after 10 PM, pulling root clumps and doing and initial turning of the soil down to about 18". I added two bags of peat moss, and had a couple of the boys add two bags of composted manure the next day. We hired a local fellow to come over and till with his John Deere tractor, but, in reflection, my nearly nine hours in the garden on Saturday probably had most of the job done. Even so, his tiller made quick work of mixing in that fertilzer, and it got everything distributed evenly.
Sunday afternoon had us planning out the now larger plot, and we started getting the plants in. Overall, everything went well. We had picked up some extra tomatoes and peppers on clearance, so we have a few of those left. I might try to open a bare-ground plot for those. I'm still re-thinking the location of our strawberry patch.
I was most excited about getting soaker hose staked into the garden. Once we turned it on, however, I realized that the hose we bought last year was different fromt he kind we bought this year. Last year's hose was combination drip/sprinkler hose, whereas the new lengths are drip-only. I'll need to swap out the sprinkler length with the other drip hose we have. I'll use the sprinkler hose in the strawberry patch.
Here's a (from memory) list of what we planted:
I had spent most of the morning (up to 30 minutes before Josiah's return) working on our main garden plot. I expanded it from 8' x 18' to 8' x 24', breaking the sod on the additional 48 sq. ft. manually. After the party, some of our old friends stayed around a little later, I caught a brief nap, we agreed to let a couple of the other guests stay the night (with our kids of the same age), and I went back to the garden. I worked it until just after 10 PM, pulling root clumps and doing and initial turning of the soil down to about 18". I added two bags of peat moss, and had a couple of the boys add two bags of composted manure the next day. We hired a local fellow to come over and till with his John Deere tractor, but, in reflection, my nearly nine hours in the garden on Saturday probably had most of the job done. Even so, his tiller made quick work of mixing in that fertilzer, and it got everything distributed evenly.
Sunday afternoon had us planning out the now larger plot, and we started getting the plants in. Overall, everything went well. We had picked up some extra tomatoes and peppers on clearance, so we have a few of those left. I might try to open a bare-ground plot for those. I'm still re-thinking the location of our strawberry patch.
I was most excited about getting soaker hose staked into the garden. Once we turned it on, however, I realized that the hose we bought last year was different fromt he kind we bought this year. Last year's hose was combination drip/sprinkler hose, whereas the new lengths are drip-only. I'll need to swap out the sprinkler length with the other drip hose we have. I'll use the sprinkler hose in the strawberry patch.
Here's a (from memory) list of what we planted:
- 3 green beans
- 4 cukes
- 6 sweet potato
- 2 summer squash
- 4 red cabbage
- 1 zuchini
- 1 butternut squash
- 1 habanero pepper
- 4 jalepeno pepper
- 3 sugar snap peas (we didn't start seed early enough and only found three plants)
- about 30 onions
- about 20 tomato plants
- about 6 bell peppe plants
- 2 muskmelon
- 2 watermelon
That's in addition to the corn we planted last weekend. We also had seed for spinach, carrots, and other things. Those fell to our late start and, looking at the now full garden, we would not have had enough room anyway. I may have enough wood for another raised bed, however. Next year, I'd like to get in more cabbages, and things like lettuce, broccoli, and potatoes.
I got up early enough this morning to water everything on the front end--the corn, roses, lilacs, and flowering plants. Recently I've noticed that I'm very stressed each year in this May-June timeframe. The garden work really helps me feel better while I'm doing it, but the amount of time involved means I'm often putting off other things (like school work) when I'm in the garden. I'm just not sure about school anymore, and am thinking about abandoning (or postponing) my Master's degree, even though I will only have four courses left after I complete this one.
~AJR
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Yard and Garden (yet again)
I was in early today, so I was able to leave by 3 PM. I worked with Marie to figure out where she wanted her roses and some other flowers. We settled on a place for the roses, but will need to revisit the rest later.
I centered the plot on the living room window, then measured it out, cut the edges, and started removing the turf. About 80% was mostly grass, so I had Nathaniel take some of it into the back yard to fill a couple of holes the dog dug.
Marie was busy working in the garage (getting things in order so it would be a usable space), and some of the kids helped in there. Most were clamoring to set up and operate a little lemonade stand since a lot of people are due in town for the Winstock Country Music Festival. It wasn't until later in the evening that we realized that the line of traffic we witnessed last year (something the kids figured ensured financial success) had been due to construction on the highway south of us. There would be no grand line of customers.
After pulling the sod, I raked out and leveled the soil. Next, I measured and marked the spots for the three rose bushes. With those marked, I set the roses aside and dug the holes. I used the dirt from the holes to return the area of removed sod back to grade, with only a slight crown from the edges. Landscape fabric was next, then three "X" cuts over the holes for the roses. I threw a layer of composted maure into each hole, then peat moss to bring the fill up to where the crowns of the plants would be just above grade. I mixed the last of the composted manure with the rest of the peat moss, and used that mix for fill around the rose bushes, which were set in their places. We picked up a couple of fertilizer packets for each plant, so I placed those near the biodegradable pots before topping everyting off and folding the fabric back into place. Dinner was being served, but I really wanted to get this done for Marie. A few minutes more let me retreive and spread three bags of red mulch, providing a thick layer on a plot 101" x 36". I made sure to keep the base of each plant relatively clear of mulch. Before going in, I watered them liberally. The rest is in God's hands now.
While I was working the roses, I had Josiah working on the assembly of a new wheelbarrel (I did get to poke some fun at him, because he managed to put a dent in the tub before it was even fully assembled!). Mechanical things are definately not his preference, but he worked dilligently, and that pleased me. Everybody helped with something, though some took many, many reminders. Ezekiel and Zemirah really enjoyed pushing in the landscape fabric staples (or hitting them with a rubber mallet).
The wheelbarrel wasn't done before dinner, so I went out to work on it a bit again afterward. While doing so, another member of the worship team showed up, so I finished up what I was doing so we could practice and put together a set for the week. I guess I'll need to finish that wheelbarrel tomorrow. I need to build that strawberry box, too.
Marie has a medical appointment tomorrow, to check on the status of her Lupus. Her joints have been really bothering her lately.
~AJR
I centered the plot on the living room window, then measured it out, cut the edges, and started removing the turf. About 80% was mostly grass, so I had Nathaniel take some of it into the back yard to fill a couple of holes the dog dug.
Marie was busy working in the garage (getting things in order so it would be a usable space), and some of the kids helped in there. Most were clamoring to set up and operate a little lemonade stand since a lot of people are due in town for the Winstock Country Music Festival. It wasn't until later in the evening that we realized that the line of traffic we witnessed last year (something the kids figured ensured financial success) had been due to construction on the highway south of us. There would be no grand line of customers.
After pulling the sod, I raked out and leveled the soil. Next, I measured and marked the spots for the three rose bushes. With those marked, I set the roses aside and dug the holes. I used the dirt from the holes to return the area of removed sod back to grade, with only a slight crown from the edges. Landscape fabric was next, then three "X" cuts over the holes for the roses. I threw a layer of composted maure into each hole, then peat moss to bring the fill up to where the crowns of the plants would be just above grade. I mixed the last of the composted manure with the rest of the peat moss, and used that mix for fill around the rose bushes, which were set in their places. We picked up a couple of fertilizer packets for each plant, so I placed those near the biodegradable pots before topping everyting off and folding the fabric back into place. Dinner was being served, but I really wanted to get this done for Marie. A few minutes more let me retreive and spread three bags of red mulch, providing a thick layer on a plot 101" x 36". I made sure to keep the base of each plant relatively clear of mulch. Before going in, I watered them liberally. The rest is in God's hands now.
While I was working the roses, I had Josiah working on the assembly of a new wheelbarrel (I did get to poke some fun at him, because he managed to put a dent in the tub before it was even fully assembled!). Mechanical things are definately not his preference, but he worked dilligently, and that pleased me. Everybody helped with something, though some took many, many reminders. Ezekiel and Zemirah really enjoyed pushing in the landscape fabric staples (or hitting them with a rubber mallet).
The wheelbarrel wasn't done before dinner, so I went out to work on it a bit again afterward. While doing so, another member of the worship team showed up, so I finished up what I was doing so we could practice and put together a set for the week. I guess I'll need to finish that wheelbarrel tomorrow. I need to build that strawberry box, too.
Marie has a medical appointment tomorrow, to check on the status of her Lupus. Her joints have been really bothering her lately.
~AJR
More Yard and Garden
We picked up what we hope is our last bit of gardening fare for this year. A little extra wood for an extra box, some additional peat moss, a few tools, and some final plant additions (sweet potato!). This evening, as thousands of people start rolling into town for the big Winstock country music festival, Marie and I will try to get some additional gardening done. At least until I need to run to worship practice.
While we were there, we splurged on one item for the older kids: a basketball hoop. They'll have fun with that.
I think the kids have plans to try to sell lemonade to the line of campers that will stretch in front of our house tonight and tommorrow. We'll have to see how well they do.
While we were there, we splurged on one item for the older kids: a basketball hoop. They'll have fun with that.
I think the kids have plans to try to sell lemonade to the line of campers that will stretch in front of our house tonight and tommorrow. We'll have to see how well they do.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Yard and Garden
With travels over the Memorial Day weekend, and rain on both days this past weekend, we do not yet have our garden in. Yesterday, I was able to get off work shortly after 3:30 PM (after coming in early to deal with the aftermath of the lightning storm), so we made some progress into the evening.
We managed to get our landscape paper and red mulch in around the lilac bushes that were planted last year. We also dug out a secondary garden plot at the north end of our yard specifically for corn (it borders the farmer's field there). I believe we have a full gross of corn planted.
Next on the list: building our strawberry bed. I have the wood, dirt, peat, fertilizer, and plants. I just need to make the time.
We just got the number for a local guy who tills. We will call him to see if he can till first thing on Saturday. It's raining again today, and I'm not sure what the weather will hold for the weekend.
I helped out my former boss with his PC last night. I left him some cards and asked him to spread them around.
I'll meet with Tom for lunch today.
I'm still not sure if I will be able to get time off to go to summer camp, and that's coming up in July.
~AJR
We managed to get our landscape paper and red mulch in around the lilac bushes that were planted last year. We also dug out a secondary garden plot at the north end of our yard specifically for corn (it borders the farmer's field there). I believe we have a full gross of corn planted.
Next on the list: building our strawberry bed. I have the wood, dirt, peat, fertilizer, and plants. I just need to make the time.
We just got the number for a local guy who tills. We will call him to see if he can till first thing on Saturday. It's raining again today, and I'm not sure what the weather will hold for the weekend.
I helped out my former boss with his PC last night. I left him some cards and asked him to spread them around.
I'll meet with Tom for lunch today.
I'm still not sure if I will be able to get time off to go to summer camp, and that's coming up in July.
~AJR
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