-
Springing Forward
The eternal optimist in me believes a mid-March cold snap marked the end of freezing temperatures here in Athens. Locals say wait until Good Friday to plant tender annuals. Not me. I’m too impatient to wait any longer to jump into spring. The falling Mercury brought my seed-starting operation to a halt. I was out…
-
The Case of the Missing Fish
In early 2021, I put five fantail goldfish (Larry, Curly, Moesha, Smokey and Bandit) into my little patio water feature. Early last summer, I added some platies (live-bearing tropical fish aka Moon fish). Last fall, four goldfish and a swordtail (Maude) were taken from th pond and moved indoors to an aquarium. Bandit and all…
-
A Balmy Winter
I despise cold weather, but a move south isn’t in the cards. Living in an area with four distinct seasons is mandatory. Suffering through winter–my least-favorite season–enhances my appreciation for the other three. Fortunately, what passes for winter here is typically short and mild. Even so, spring can’t come soon enough for me. By January…
-
Cold Snap Survivors
In late-December, the temperature here in Athens dropped to eight degrees (F) and stayed below freezing for several days. I figured the vegetables in my little garden were doomed, but took precautions anyway. After mulching with a thick layer of straw and covering everything with floating row cover, I crossed my fingers and hoped for…
-
A New Look…?
I’m guessing you noticed the new look to my website. I finally bit the bullet and swapped my custom design for a free template. Everything is really mess up. To be honest, I write this post wondering if it will appear on my home page. None of the previous posts do. Longtime visitors may recall…
-
Testing My Optimism
I suspect most — if not all — gardeners are optimists. They have to be. Planting a garden is an act of faith. Lots of stuff can go wrong. A pessimist wouldn’t waste time and money on near certain failure. Gardening is seasonal. In my old Kentucky home (USDA Hardiness Zone 6), the garden went…
-
The Dog I Wanted
Adopting Tootsie was a fluke. I wanted (but couldn’t find) another long-haired Chihuahua like Toodles. Intrigued by Tootsie’s Chihuahua/dachshund parentage and fairly certain she’d already been adopted, I submitted my application. I heard back right away and went to meet her the next day. She looked like a short-haired dachshund, but I didn’t care. The…
-
Fall Garden 3.0
My third serious attempt at a fall garden is in. This time, I started all the veggies from seed. Tootsie “helped.” Back in June, I started some Foxgloves and Canterbury bells inside. These beauties are biannual, blooming in the second year and then dying. I’m testing my hypothesis that going through winter triggers bloom —…
-
10K Steps a Day?
Regulars know about my long-standing penchant for running. When I worked, weather and other commitments often got in the way. Retiring made running 3- to 6- miles a day much easier to fit into my schedule. Missing a day is rare. Missing two days in a row almost never happens. My goal is an “active”…
-
Something Fishy
The water in my little fountain/pond turned green a few weeks ago — not slimy, mossy algae but particles suspended in the water. The algae bloom hid the fish from view. Something had to give. Wrapping the pump in filter media and stuffing it in a flower pot was semi-functional until changing the filter media…