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Last night I had a long list of things that needed to happen before I left for work this morning- it also included sleep so time was a little limited.
In preparation for the family descending upon my house I wanted to move the compost pile from the back yard to a less conspicuous location on the outside of the fence (which is still my property but the fence had to be inside a the property lines due to a big maple tree on the line.) Dad had left a pitch fork for me but I still had to carry every load from one location to another. It was not too bad but a little strenuous over the long haul. I discovered a holly bush under the compost which I will probably dig out and I'm just now wondering if I can grow a start of my grandma's graduation rose in that location along the fence. It's a climbing rose so the fence would provide some support. Hmmm....something to think about anyway. I'm thinking I will need to build something to contain the compost a little more or it will start to creep into the gate path. It's not urgently needed but again, something to think about. The pile is probably thigh high at this point so I hope it breaks down nicely. I thought perhaps I should find some big worms to add to it to help the process.
Once I had that done, I turned my attention to the pond. Most of the water had been drained out but there was still 10-20 gallons in the bottom and along the steppes. I used a mug to dash as much of it out as I could, then I got towels and used them to mop up the rest. As I was mopping, I rescued about a dozen worms from the mud at the bottom and relocated them to the compost pile. Most didn't fall in the "big" category but they will grow. In all the scooping and sopping I think I removed the copious quantities of mosquito larvae as well. I certainly hope so anyway. The bottom of the pond is covered in roofing grit so I'm going to have to work on it a bit more. I'll probably use the spray nozzle to clean it up and then use a larger plastic tube to try to siphon it out. We'll see, Dad ruined two siphons trying to do that originally. I'm still trying to figure out how to get water running down the steppes but I may need an expert for that. I don't know what to do with it otherwise. I'd thought about Koi to keep the mosquito larvae down but the pond isn't very deep and it doesn't have any shelter for them. I also thought about water plants but it's not a very large pond so I'm not sure. Still more things to consider in the future. I need to do some research.
While I was working outside, I potted some chives and a small Thai basil plant in pots and set them with the other herbs in along the pond. I think I have a pretty good collection now of herbs that I often use in cooking but I'm still thinking about what I might be missing. After I sprayed off the towels to remove most of the grit, I went inside and started laundry. Since I'm gone this weekend I needed to get my laundry done so I'd have clean clothes on Monday. While the initial load was running, I ran out for some dinner. When I came back I finished up the laundry while I packed for the weekend. I'm going to be on the coast which appears to be rather wet so I packed extra clothes but I limited myself to one carry-on size suitcase, my project bag, and my cosmetic case. Only the weekend will tell me how well I did on getting everything and whether I, once again, packed too much.
This morning, I took care of the cat's food and water, put the dishes in the dishwasher and started it, did the last minute packing, and ran out the door 15 minutes later than I should have with breakfast in hand rather than in the belly. It was a little nutty but I think I'm ready so that I can go directly to Seaside from work. To keep me company I have Hounded by Kevin Hearne as an audiobook. It's the first in the Iron Druid series. I started it this morning on my way to work and it seems like it's going to be a great romp. Now I just have to get through the work day.
I hope you all are having a great day and have interesting plans for the weekend!
In preparation for the family descending upon my house I wanted to move the compost pile from the back yard to a less conspicuous location on the outside of the fence (which is still my property but the fence had to be inside a the property lines due to a big maple tree on the line.) Dad had left a pitch fork for me but I still had to carry every load from one location to another. It was not too bad but a little strenuous over the long haul. I discovered a holly bush under the compost which I will probably dig out and I'm just now wondering if I can grow a start of my grandma's graduation rose in that location along the fence. It's a climbing rose so the fence would provide some support. Hmmm....something to think about anyway. I'm thinking I will need to build something to contain the compost a little more or it will start to creep into the gate path. It's not urgently needed but again, something to think about. The pile is probably thigh high at this point so I hope it breaks down nicely. I thought perhaps I should find some big worms to add to it to help the process.
Once I had that done, I turned my attention to the pond. Most of the water had been drained out but there was still 10-20 gallons in the bottom and along the steppes. I used a mug to dash as much of it out as I could, then I got towels and used them to mop up the rest. As I was mopping, I rescued about a dozen worms from the mud at the bottom and relocated them to the compost pile. Most didn't fall in the "big" category but they will grow. In all the scooping and sopping I think I removed the copious quantities of mosquito larvae as well. I certainly hope so anyway. The bottom of the pond is covered in roofing grit so I'm going to have to work on it a bit more. I'll probably use the spray nozzle to clean it up and then use a larger plastic tube to try to siphon it out. We'll see, Dad ruined two siphons trying to do that originally. I'm still trying to figure out how to get water running down the steppes but I may need an expert for that. I don't know what to do with it otherwise. I'd thought about Koi to keep the mosquito larvae down but the pond isn't very deep and it doesn't have any shelter for them. I also thought about water plants but it's not a very large pond so I'm not sure. Still more things to consider in the future. I need to do some research.
While I was working outside, I potted some chives and a small Thai basil plant in pots and set them with the other herbs in along the pond. I think I have a pretty good collection now of herbs that I often use in cooking but I'm still thinking about what I might be missing. After I sprayed off the towels to remove most of the grit, I went inside and started laundry. Since I'm gone this weekend I needed to get my laundry done so I'd have clean clothes on Monday. While the initial load was running, I ran out for some dinner. When I came back I finished up the laundry while I packed for the weekend. I'm going to be on the coast which appears to be rather wet so I packed extra clothes but I limited myself to one carry-on size suitcase, my project bag, and my cosmetic case. Only the weekend will tell me how well I did on getting everything and whether I, once again, packed too much.
This morning, I took care of the cat's food and water, put the dishes in the dishwasher and started it, did the last minute packing, and ran out the door 15 minutes later than I should have with breakfast in hand rather than in the belly. It was a little nutty but I think I'm ready so that I can go directly to Seaside from work. To keep me company I have Hounded by Kevin Hearne as an audiobook. It's the first in the Iron Druid series. I started it this morning on my way to work and it seems like it's going to be a great romp. Now I just have to get through the work day.
I hope you all are having a great day and have interesting plans for the weekend!
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