Bogieblog

Beautiful Day for Yardwork

Yesterday was a beautiful day that reached the low 70's. It was a bit breezy, but not windy, and the humidity was 15% (not a typo, we have had a lot of desert dry humidity levels this spring). I had a coupon for the local TSC that expires at the end of the month, so decided it would be a good day to get humus/manure and work on the new garden I put in last fall.

I didn't think to take pictures until part way thru the project. I started by pulling back the cedar mulch and adding humus/manure to the new area from the tree towards my position. This was where all new soil had been added last year (it is on a slope). The corner where all the leaves are in the first picture, was never filled iwth soil, so that area took a bunch - I ended up dumping in 7 or 8 of the 11 bags of humus/manure in that area.

While I was filling that corner, I decided to run down to Agway and see if they had any plants. I ended up with 3 peonies that are not the same as what I placed in the roadside garden; Alertie, Edulis Superba and Festiva Maxima. Yes, I still need to cut down those two small rocks in the corner :)

While at Agway, I saw a couple of iris I couldn't live without; Rosalie Figge (a rebloomer), Black is Black and Presby's Crown Jewel (another rebloomer). Additionally, I got some Flutter Rose Pink pincushion flowers (scabiosa) to add between the tree and the 1st Rose of Sharon (planted last fall)

One of the times I went in/out of the back door, Rita decided she wanted out (only 2nd time this year). I had to keep the youngsters at bay since they would easily get out of the fence.

Spot is always more disappointed than Rainey that I wouldn't let her out too.

However, as I was taking Spot's picture, Rita turned around and came back to the door wanting back in. Not sure why, although there was some noise from the neighbor's, there wasn't much and I didn't see any other cats around. No biggie, I let her back in and I continued with the above project.

Had a Little Snow

Got some snow Friday. Not sure how much as the temps never got down to freezing. Very wet and heavy so it was smooshing down too. but, most likely between 6 and 8 inches.

The poor daffodils that had opened up on Thursday were driven into the ground

I was fortunate in that I had to take the car in for its state inspection. The appointment was at 7:30 and the roads were still just wet both on the way to the dealership and on the way home (I just waited for it and was home shortly after 8). It snowed so fast between 10 and noon that the road started icing up.

The last roof dump shortly after noon

This picture shows how much moisture we had gotten by 3:30.

By the time the snow at the top of the gage melted, along with the rain that followed, we had about 2" of much need moisture.

Here is the snow I still had yesterday at 11:30

It is mostly gone now except for the berms from the roof dumpage and snow shoveling of said dumpage.

Yesterday afternoon I found this poor thing on the way to the mailbox.

It was a very, very pale blue. I don't think it is a robin egg, but I'm no expert. I don't know if it came out of a nest in the rhodies (about 5-7' away), or a bird landed for an emergency egg laying. It wasn't cracked at all. After examining it, I left it there for the local wildlife to clean up.

One and Done - Almost

No, this isn't  another vaccine thread - LOL

Last Sunday was a nice day and the ground on the north side of the house had thawed enough to get the last landscape timber in

The worst part was un-spooling and re-spooling 100' of extension cord to run the drill for the 3 holes to pound in the rebar. Will need to wait for a while before the complete finish work of staining the timbers to match the tiers.

Was going to go to the big city yesterday and pick up pea gravel that should match existing stuff. But, on the way to the dump the truck threw a check engine light. I was only about a mile from the local dealership where I get all my work done, so dropped it off and told them to work it in whenever since I have the car. On Saturdays they just have a big enough crew to get the day's appointments done, and don't have a shuttle driver, but they managed to get me home anyway.

While I was Concord (not picking up gravel :), I got a call from them. They had a cancellation so had gotten the truck in. Diagnosis was an O2 sensor and they had one in stock so I told them to go ahead. Later that afternoon they came to get me and the truck is all better.

The only thing that could have gone better is if the truck had thrown the code when I took it in for state inspection, recall work and to swap out the snows for summer tires two Fridays ago - but definitely not complaining.

No More Plastic

Since I put in the driveway garden, the north side of it had plastic, pound in edging to separate the grass (weeds) and the pea stone. I knew it wasn't a long-term solution, and sure enough, over the winter part of it heaved badly. No, I had not yet touched the edging in that first picture:

A week ago Saturday, I stopped at a BBS to pick up some light duty landscape timbers. Sunday I started the project by pulling out the edging, raking back the pea gravel, and removing the sod.

The extension cord was for drilling holes in the timbers so I could drive in rebar to help stabilize and keep them in place.

I got all the timbers put into place and back filled the outside. Well, except for the last 8' piece by the propane tanks. That area of the ground was still frozen as it is in full shade.

Yesterday, after returning home from getting my shot, I was able to work the ground to put in the last timber

I have to get pea stone that matches what is already in there. So far I haven't found any, but the home and garden stores are just getting in their yard supplies. I'll let the timbers rest for a couple of weeks before staining them to match the stain on the tiers.

One and Done

A couple of weeks ago I had set my first COVID shot appointment for 4/24 in Keene (I had just had my second shingles shot, so had to wait a couple of weeks). Then at the beginning of last week, the local news featured a story about the NH Motor Speedway having another mass vaccination clinic and they would have the J&J. SWEET. I have to travel 30-40 miles for a shot, so I'd rather do it once.

Immediately got on the computer and accessed the state VINI website and switched my appointment to Saturday (the state did a really good job creating the website - easy, peasy). My appointment was for 12:30. I turned off of Rt. 106 at 12:05, worked my way thru the traffic pattern, got my shot, sat for 15 minutes of observation, and worked my way thru the pattern to the exit, and exited back onto Rt. 106 at 12:30.

The Speedway is very practiced at dealing with massive traffic for NASCAR races, and they did an excellent job for this also. This being their 3rd mass clinic, they had it down to a science. The volunteers, traffic directors, and other personnel were all chipper, the weather was great, and everything ran smoothly from what I saw. I later saw a FB post from an acquaintance where they had been there ahead of me by about 10 minutes, who also had the same positive experience.

For a change, there are no side effects from this vaccine.

• I had adverse effects from the pneumonia shot; about every side effect known plus welts and rash along my shoulder and arm.
• My second shingles shot had me shivering for about 24 hours, starting about 8 hours after the shot. I was literally shaking from freezing even thought I had the pellet stove going, raised the thermostat setting, and was covered in blankets. I was so bone cold I couldn't even sleep, I just dozed for a while every couple of hours. I didn't have a fever (go figure with the shivering) but did have a minor headache and neck ache that lasted about 48 hours.
• Heck, the injection site for all my previous shots hurt for days, and even bruised for some, but not this time.

One and done baby!

Just a Few Tidbits

On 3/21 I was doing some garden clean up - cutting stalks down and remoing leaf cover from over bulbs (wherever the snow wasn't anyway). The Voodoo Sedum in the roadside garden (full afternoon sun) was already starting up, along with a few bulbs in the shrub garden.

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On 3/22 and 3/23, even with snow melting our outdoor humidity was extremely low. The only reason I realized it was that they said something on the news. Sure enough, from my weather station - 8% humidity (which was in line with what the local news was saying), and a low for the day of 5% humidity :O

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Dropped the truck off first thing this past Friday to have the snow tires rotated off for summer tires. Also had some recall work done and state inspection (which it passed with no extra work).

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Yesterday I went to BBS in Concord and picked up some landscape timbers (light duty) to coral some pea gravel. Depending on how workable the ground is, may get them installed today. Will post pics of the work, assuming I remember.

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The land next door has gone up for sale. This is normally wet/swamp land, so technically should be unbuildable. However, between the drought last year, and the low snow and rain totals over this past winter, it is pretty dry. Although right now it has a small stream going straight down the middle of it that dumps into the drainage ditch at the edge of my lot, someone could get lucky and get a build permit. Someone had bought it years ago but it has never done anything but hold abandoned vehicles (1 at a time) and they finally gave it to the town in lieu of taxes (or the town took it, I don't know which). I had been half watching for the town to put it up for auction, but apparently missed it. A Texas bank got it for under $4k according to the tax records. Now they are asking for 5.5x that amount. Toying with the idea of putting in an offer. Part of me wants to, but another part says I have better things to do with my money. One consideration is if someone does get lucky and build, that could be an issue for my drainage during wet years. Just need to do some more mulling.

That is pretty much the exciting stuff that has been going on around here, hope everyone has a Happy Easter!