Warming weather, blue skies, temps around 70F and up. Looks like spring
is almost here. Tearing out the winter garden in bits. If it looks like
it might bear a bit longer we let it live. Eggplants are gone, one sweet
chili left with at least two fruit on it. Lots of chard, spinach,
mesclun mix, beets and other greens to harvest. Will do our best for those.

Soon we will be going to our favorite garden store and picking up
tomatoes, eggplant, sweet chiles, etc. Black crowder peas came in
yesterday from Victory Seeds, will plant those along the back fence with
string to climb. Have seeds for green beans and everything else we will
plant.

The kumquat tree still has about a dozen fruit on it that will be picked
tomorrow. We make a tossed salad with sliced kumquat fruit mixed in that
is very tasty. Fig and pear trees are starting to put on buds. Need to
prune the pear tree, to many "rain" limbs on that one. Won't take long
to lop them off and set the limbs aside for possible smoking meat later
in the year. We're hoping to get at least a small crop of the Tenousi
pears, a mix of European and Asian pears that is supposed to be tasty.
Tenousi is self pollinating according to the ag agent.

The blueberries are starting to put on buds too, seems the Christmas
tree limbs we laid around the bushes are helping as they slowly turn
into a nice mulch. Need to find a place to rake up a bushel or two of
pine needles to help with the blueberries, they need the acid of those
plants.

We've been getting some days up into the mid-seventies that make me
happy. I could not survive somewhere it gets cold and stays that way for
months. I guess it is because the USN ship I was on in '58-'59 was
always poking around the Atlantic ice shield looking for Russian subs.
Never found one but it was always cold on the bridge, my duty station. I
reckon we Texans from SE Texas just never adapt to cold. I was 18 years
old before I ever saw snow and that wasn't in Texas.

The big freezer, 24 cubic feet, is full of winter goodies so we will
have lots of good grub while we are working the spring garden.

George

On Sun, 14 Feb 2016 11:22:25 -0600, George Shirley >
wrote:

>Warming weather, blue skies, temps around 70F and up. Looks like spring
>is almost here. Tearing out the winter garden in bits. If it looks like
>it might bear a bit longer we let it live. Eggplants are gone, one sweet
>chili left with at least two fruit on it. Lots of chard, spinach,
>mesclun mix, beets and other greens to harvest. Will do our best for those.
>
>Soon we will be going to our favorite garden store and picking up
>tomatoes, eggplant, sweet chiles, etc. Black crowder peas came in
>yesterday from Victory Seeds, will plant those along the back fence with
>string to climb. Have seeds for green beans and everything else we will
>plant.
>
>The kumquat tree still has about a dozen fruit on it that will be picked
>tomorrow. We make a tossed salad with sliced kumquat fruit mixed in that
>is very tasty. Fig and pear trees are starting to put on buds. Need to
>prune the pear tree, to many "rain" limbs on that one. Won't take long
>to lop them off and set the limbs aside for possible smoking meat later
>in the year. We're hoping to get at least a small crop of the Tenousi
>pears, a mix of European and Asian pears that is supposed to be tasty.
>Tenousi is self pollinating according to the ag agent.
>
>The blueberries are starting to put on buds too, seems the Christmas
>tree limbs we laid around the bushes are helping as they slowly turn
>into a nice mulch. Need to find a place to rake up a bushel or two of
>pine needles to help with the blueberries, they need the acid of those
>plants.
>
>We've been getting some days up into the mid-seventies that make me
>happy. I could not survive somewhere it gets cold and stays that way for
>months. I guess it is because the USN ship I was on in '58-'59 was
>always poking around the Atlantic ice shield looking for Russian subs.
>Never found one but it was always cold on the bridge, my duty station. I
>reckon we Texans from SE Texas just never adapt to cold. I was 18 years
>old before I ever saw snow and that wasn't in Texas.
>
>The big freezer, 24 cubic feet, is full of winter goodies so we will
>have lots of good grub while we are working the spring garden.
>
>George

Here in the western NC foothills it is cold. Just checked, it is 1:30
PM and 28°F. Snow predicted for tomorrow.

Correction, it is snowing now. Just looked out the window. Time to
make the hot orange-cranberry punch.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

On 2/14/2016 12:37 PM, The Cook wrote:
> On Sun, 14 Feb 2016 11:22:25 -0600, George Shirley >
> wrote:
>
>> Warming weather, blue skies, temps around 70F and up. Looks like spring
>> is almost here. Tearing out the winter garden in bits. If it looks like
>> it might bear a bit longer we let it live. Eggplants are gone, one sweet
>> chili left with at least two fruit on it. Lots of chard, spinach,
>> mesclun mix, beets and other greens to harvest. Will do our best for those.
>>
>> Soon we will be going to our favorite garden store and picking up
>> tomatoes, eggplant, sweet chiles, etc. Black crowder peas came in
>> yesterday from Victory Seeds, will plant those along the back fence with
>> string to climb. Have seeds for green beans and everything else we will
>> plant.
>>
>> The kumquat tree still has about a dozen fruit on it that will be picked
>> tomorrow. We make a tossed salad with sliced kumquat fruit mixed in that
>> is very tasty. Fig and pear trees are starting to put on buds. Need to
>> prune the pear tree, to many "rain" limbs on that one. Won't take long
>> to lop them off and set the limbs aside for possible smoking meat later
>> in the year. We're hoping to get at least a small crop of the Tenousi
>> pears, a mix of European and Asian pears that is supposed to be tasty.
>> Tenousi is self pollinating according to the ag agent.
>>
>> The blueberries are starting to put on buds too, seems the Christmas
>> tree limbs we laid around the bushes are helping as they slowly turn
>> into a nice mulch. Need to find a place to rake up a bushel or two of
>> pine needles to help with the blueberries, they need the acid of those
>> plants.
>>
>> We've been getting some days up into the mid-seventies that make me
>> happy. I could not survive somewhere it gets cold and stays that way for
>> months. I guess it is because the USN ship I was on in '58-'59 was
>> always poking around the Atlantic ice shield looking for Russian subs.
>> Never found one but it was always cold on the bridge, my duty station. I
>> reckon we Texans from SE Texas just never adapt to cold. I was 18 years
>> old before I ever saw snow and that wasn't in Texas.
>>
>> The big freezer, 24 cubic feet, is full of winter goodies so we will
>> have lots of good grub while we are working the spring garden.
>>
>> George
>
> Here in the western NC foothills it is cold. Just checked, it is 1:30
> PM and 28°F. Snow predicted for tomorrow.
>
> Correction, it is snowing now. Just looked out the window. Time to
> make the hot orange-cranberry punch.
>
76F here Susan at 1:11 pm, real feel is 78F, the heater hasn't run in
two days so far. Overcast with lots of clouds and possible rain tonight
or tomorrow.

Miz Anne's siblings in Southern Maryland are looking at another snow
storm soon. I'm glad we didn't settle there 56 years ago. I'm checking
my overstocked inventory of jars, lids, etc. Need to go through the
stored goodies to see if any have gone off date as yet. I try to stay
ahead of the deadline on food but sometimes leave a jar back on a corner
of a shelf.

On Sun, 14 Feb 2016 13:15:15 -0600, George Shirley >
wrote:

>On 2/14/2016 12:37 PM, The Cook wrote:
>> On Sun, 14 Feb 2016 11:22:25 -0600, George Shirley >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Warming weather, blue skies, temps around 70F and up. Looks like spring
>>> is almost here. Tearing out the winter garden in bits. If it looks like
>>> it might bear a bit longer we let it live. Eggplants are gone, one sweet
>>> chili left with at least two fruit on it. Lots of chard, spinach,
>>> mesclun mix, beets and other greens to harvest. Will do our best for those.
>>>
>>> Soon we will be going to our favorite garden store and picking up
>>> tomatoes, eggplant, sweet chiles, etc. Black crowder peas came in
>>> yesterday from Victory Seeds, will plant those along the back fence with
>>> string to climb. Have seeds for green beans and everything else we will
>>> plant.
>>>
>>> The kumquat tree still has about a dozen fruit on it that will be picked
>>> tomorrow. We make a tossed salad with sliced kumquat fruit mixed in that
>>> is very tasty. Fig and pear trees are starting to put on buds. Need to
>>> prune the pear tree, to many "rain" limbs on that one. Won't take long
>>> to lop them off and set the limbs aside for possible smoking meat later
>>> in the year. We're hoping to get at least a small crop of the Tenousi
>>> pears, a mix of European and Asian pears that is supposed to be tasty.
>>> Tenousi is self pollinating according to the ag agent.
>>>
>>> The blueberries are starting to put on buds too, seems the Christmas
>>> tree limbs we laid around the bushes are helping as they slowly turn
>>> into a nice mulch. Need to find a place to rake up a bushel or two of
>>> pine needles to help with the blueberries, they need the acid of those
>>> plants.
>>>
>>> We've been getting some days up into the mid-seventies that make me
>>> happy. I could not survive somewhere it gets cold and stays that way for
>>> months. I guess it is because the USN ship I was on in '58-'59 was
>>> always poking around the Atlantic ice shield looking for Russian subs.
>>> Never found one but it was always cold on the bridge, my duty station. I
>>> reckon we Texans from SE Texas just never adapt to cold. I was 18 years
>>> old before I ever saw snow and that wasn't in Texas.
>>>
>>> The big freezer, 24 cubic feet, is full of winter goodies so we will
>>> have lots of good grub while we are working the spring garden.
>>>
>>> George
>>
>> Here in the western NC foothills it is cold. Just checked, it is 1:30
>> PM and 28°F. Snow predicted for tomorrow.
>>
>> Correction, it is snowing now. Just looked out the window. Time to
>> make the hot orange-cranberry punch.
>>
>76F here Susan at 1:11 pm, real feel is 78F, the heater hasn't run in
>two days so far. Overcast with lots of clouds and possible rain tonight
>or tomorrow.
>
>Miz Anne's siblings in Southern Maryland are looking at another snow
>storm soon. I'm glad we didn't settle there 56 years ago. I'm checking
>my overstocked inventory of jars, lids, etc. Need to go through the
>stored goodies to see if any have gone off date as yet. I try to stay
>ahead of the deadline on food but sometimes leave a jar back on a corner
>of a shelf.

Snow stopped. I took a nap and when I got up it had stopped. No
accumulation. Probably get more tomorrow.

I spent some time this summer sorting out the canned goods and trying
to get them into some order on the shelves. Now if DH doesn't put
anything on the shelves in the basement I will know what we have and
how many. Guess who doesn't need to can tomatoes for the next couple
of years.

Now I need to get rid of lots of jars. I may have someone who would
probably take them, just need to get in touch. He has bees. I love
honey, especially sourwood.

I remember the Texas weather. We lived in San Antonio for 4 years. I
remember one "blue norther" that came through, shorts to coats in
about 30 minutes.

Gracious, it has started again.

Time to start supper.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

On 2/14/2016 10:22 AM, George Shirley wrote:
> Warming weather, blue skies, temps around 70F and up. Looks like spring
> is almost here.


Denver area weather has been gorgeous for about a week with 70s
predicted by Wednesday.

Problem? We have three months of winter left. (The last two years we've
had near-blizzards on Mother's Day in mid May.) This faux spring will
make flowers and trees bud too soon for another year with no apricots,
since the flowers or small fruit freeze on the tree.

Meanwhile I love the warmer weather.


gloria p

On 2/14/2016 5:32 PM, gloria p wrote:
> On 2/14/2016 10:22 AM, George Shirley wrote:
>> Warming weather, blue skies, temps around 70F and up. Looks like spring
>> is almost here.
>
>
> Denver area weather has been gorgeous for about a week with 70s
> predicted by Wednesday.
>
> Problem? We have three months of winter left. (The last two years we've
> had near-blizzards on Mother's Day in mid May.) This faux spring will
> make flowers and trees bud too soon for another year with no apricots,
> since the flowers or small fruit freeze on the tree.
>
> Meanwhile I love the warmer weather.
>
>
> gloria p
>
We had somewhat the same problem last year. Fruit trees budded out,
started flowering, then a hard freeze hit us. Kumquat and fig fruited
anyway, pear tree had two pears and the wind blew them off.

We're expecting rain tonight or tomorrow, that is always welcome, within
reason, don't like 18 inches in a week or 12 inches in a day though.

George Shirley wrote:
> On 2/14/2016 5:32 PM, gloria p wrote:
>> On 2/14/2016 10:22 AM, George Shirley wrote:
>>> Warming weather, blue skies, temps around 70F and up. Looks like spring
>>> is almost here.
>>
>>
>> Denver area weather has been gorgeous for about a week with 70s
>> predicted by Wednesday.
>>
>> Problem? We have three months of winter left. (The last two years we've
>> had near-blizzards on Mother's Day in mid May.) This faux spring will
>> make flowers and trees bud too soon for another year with no apricots,
>> since the flowers or small fruit freeze on the tree.
>>
>> Meanwhile I love the warmer weather.
>>
>>
>> gloria p
>>
> We had somewhat the same problem last year. Fruit trees budded out,
> started flowering, then a hard freeze hit us. Kumquat and fig fruited
> anyway, pear tree had two pears and the wind blew them off.
>
> We're expecting rain tonight or tomorrow, that is always welcome, within
> reason, don't like 18 inches in a week or 12 inches in a day though.

Hit 45 here in ND yesterday.(20 degrees above average) Inch of snow
Sat, gone yesterday.
With all the oil activity here in recent years, we've had to make
accommodation's for non natives driving skills, so our cars are white
from salt October thru April. We've become Minnesota; rusty cars. Momma
bought some bibb lettuce seed, which will see the garden about mid
May.(Our early season)

If it weren't for the regulars here, I'd have stopped the news server
long ago. Hope all you guys keep going a long while. George's weather
and activity reporting always make me realize the weather will get
better soon and there is hope for seasons changing.

Mark

On 2/15/2016 6:04 AM, pheasant16 wrote:
> George Shirley wrote:
>> On 2/14/2016 5:32 PM, gloria p wrote:
>>> On 2/14/2016 10:22 AM, George Shirley wrote:
>>>> Warming weather, blue skies, temps around 70F and up. Looks like spring
>>>> is almost here.
>>>
>>>
>>> Denver area weather has been gorgeous for about a week with 70s
>>> predicted by Wednesday.
>>>
>>> Problem? We have three months of winter left. (The last two years we've
>>> had near-blizzards on Mother's Day in mid May.) This faux spring will
>>> make flowers and trees bud too soon for another year with no apricots,
>>> since the flowers or small fruit freeze on the tree.
>>>
>>> Meanwhile I love the warmer weather.
>>>
>>>
>>> gloria p
>>>
>> We had somewhat the same problem last year. Fruit trees budded out,
>> started flowering, then a hard freeze hit us. Kumquat and fig fruited
>> anyway, pear tree had two pears and the wind blew them off.
>>
>> We're expecting rain tonight or tomorrow, that is always welcome,
>> within reason, don't like 18 inches in a week or 12 inches in a day
>> though.
>
> Hit 45 here in ND yesterday.(20 degrees above average) Inch of snow
> Sat, gone yesterday.
> With all the oil activity here in recent years, we've had to make
> accommodation's for non natives driving skills, so our cars are white
> from salt October thru April. We've become Minnesota; rusty cars. Momma
> bought some bibb lettuce seed, which will see the garden about mid
> May.(Our early season)
>
> If it weren't for the regulars here, I'd have stopped the news server
> long ago. Hope all you guys keep going a long while. George's weather
> and activity reporting always make me realize the weather will get
> better soon and there is hope for seasons changing.
>
> Mark
I've been using news server for over twenty plus years. I spent $25 a
long time ago on Block.News and it's still going.

I started doing the computer thing in 1982 with an Osborne 1, nothing
out there but "boards", and very few of those. Try visiting via a 300
baud phone set up. Plus we were working in Saudi Arabia at the time.
Thank goodness my employer provided free phone service. Mostly used the
Osborne for a typewriter and then sent the articles I wrote for certain
magazines by phone, sometimes took all night to get through to the
publishers.

Thank goodness for all the 'puter nerds that got us to what we have now.

We're hoping for a light rain today and warmer weather. I may have
mentioned that I hate cold weather a time or two. <BSEG>

George, getting over some more back problems from Valentine's Day.

pheasant16 wrote:
....
> If it weren't for the regulars here, I'd have stopped the news server
> long ago. Hope all you guys keep going a long while. George's weather
> and activity reporting always make me realize the weather will get
> better soon and there is hope for seasons changing.

the garden groups are always glad to have readers/writers
too.

we're almost over this most recent cold spell, but
winter isn't over yet...


songbird