steelnut

Every year we have a doe have a fawn(s) on our property. Yesterday while we were working in the garden, there was a very small doe acting strangely in the field, I told hubby that she was probably ready to have her fawn, as small as she is, she had a big belly. So this morning, there she was with her baby, the smallest fawn that we've ever seen. I wish that I had got a picture, so cute!

I love the flavor of Celebrity and always plant San Martzano's for canning. And every year I try another one, this year it's Johnson something? I can't remember the name, but it's Johnson something. I'll see how it goes

Update on the deer this spring eating daffodils. I had an early morning hair appointment and I was telling the ladies how they ate my crocus, tulips and daffs. Another customer heard me and said that she and all of her neighbors had the same thing happen. How weird?  

For years I've mixed Miracle Whip with catsup and horseradish for burgers, onion rings, turkey sliders, any sandwich at all, it's sooo good!

24 minutes ago, Sunshyn said:

We have Deer and Groundhogs. This will be the first year attempting a garden since we moved here. Any pointers on how to keep both out? We are thinking chicken wire fencing. Would that be enough?

I can only speak for our experience. We have to have an electric fence or it's no veggie garden. I diligently spray the flower beds with Liquid Fence constantly in order to enjoy the flowers. The only problem is if it rains then you have to make sure to get them sprayed again right away. Or when it rains days in a row, it's not good....and it stinks SO bad. We went away for four days two years ago in the middle of summer and had our son spray the flower beds and he was throwing up while doing it, lol!

21 hours ago, lavender said:

You folks have some really desperate deer. According to Poison Control:

All parts of the daffodil contain a toxic chemical, lycorine. The part of the plant that contains the highest concentration of lycorine is the bulb. However, eating any part of the plant can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. These symptoms usually last about 3 hours. More severe problems such as low blood pressure, drowsiness, and damage to the liver have been reported in animals that ate very large amounts of the plant but have never been reported in humans.

The bulb also contains chemicals called oxalates, which are microscopic and needle-like. When swallowed, oxalates cause severe burning and irritation of the lips, tongue, and throat. They can also cause skin irritation.

I know it's crazy! We've been here over 30 years and it's the first time that it's happened.

On 4/13/2018 at 10:43 PM, Petee said:

The Game Commission keeps track of them, particularly when they are reported near I-80.  Can you imagine hitting one of them at 70 miles an hour?  When the Elk hunting season is done, they will have unsuccessful hunters go to the area to get rid of the roamers.

This is why I will be finishing my electric fence now that the weather is cooperating.  The dogs will stay in and the elk, bear and deer will be convinced to stay out!

We've had an electric fence for 21 years now because of the deer. But, many times they have jumped it and got tangled in the wire. No harm to the deer, but damage to the garden. If elk were to come around, I honestly don't think any electric fence will stop them. We have bear too, but they've never bothered the garden. Hubby uses the trail cam a lot.

On 4/5/2018 at 8:39 AM, mr.d said:

Have not seen anything on this for sometime. Have been checking.

I've been checking too. They just want it to go away and become a distant memory, meanwhile their business goes on until the next time...

9 minutes ago, lavender said:

If they ate enough of those daffs they are going to get at the least a stomachache and maybe dead. Daffs are usually deer proof as they are poisonous.  Tulips and crocus are deer candy. We've had an elk in the yard. I'm expecting real trouble this summer. 

They ate them all right down to the ground, I was just shocked. OMG, I don't want any elk here, fighting with the deer is bad enough. 

First time ever in the spring, the deer got really hungry Wednesday night and ate my tulips, crocus and daffodils off right down to the ground!

I have to use the stinky spray all summer to keep them away and for years we've had an electric fence around the veggie garden. I couldn't believe what I saw they did in all of the flower beds. I love critters, but darn it!!! 

21 minutes ago, lavender said:

Burpee has them and they are also available on Amazon. 

Thanks Lavender!

I was wondering how those who plant from seeds are doing with their plants?

So far so good here, this is my second year. My San Martzano's are looking good so far, saying with my fingers and toes crossed!

I planted late, because last year my plants got very spindly waiting until the ground was warm enough to plant them. TIA!

On 3/26/2018 at 11:32 PM, lavender said:

You're welcome. Let me know how they grow. I just can't grow radishes no matter what I do. 

I haven't found any seeds for them locally, but I'll check the catalogs to see if I can find them.

I wash them, crush them up and put around plants in the garden to keep cut worms away.

On 3/22/2018 at 10:38 PM, lavender said:

Watermelon radishes?

 

Yes, that's it, thank you!!!

On 3/20/2018 at 8:19 PM, Petee said:

What did they look like, and what were they used for?

I never got any, but I remember folks posting how delicious they are. I want to try some different things this year, and I remembered the discussion, just not the name of the radish, but I think the name was something about a fruit?

I remember a few years back a discussion on radishes and someone provided info on a certain kind that was really delicious. I know Martins sold them back then, but I've been checking out their radishes and evidently they don't carry them anymore. Does anyone else remember? TIA!

I'm so sorry for your loss.

1 hour ago, lavender said:

Thanks so much, this is the exact chart that I thought that I'd saved last year

Does anyone know the best time(s) to start seeds indoors for tomatoes and peppers? I thought that I had saved my info from last year, but I can't find it now. Last year was the first year that I found some extra time to do my own.  I'm trying to decide what others to do, I'm thinking squash for sure and possibly cukes. Maybe others, I'll see

6 hours ago, fedup said:

You can't be surprised, can you?

No.

1 hour ago, LFG said:

It's all about the money...

It sure is. Many of us in our area have contacted local legislators to no avail. Not a peep from anyone... 

2 hours ago, LFG said:

I'm still sad that this story just disappeared, but I hope that with the DEP investigation results released at least maybe the families involved can push a little further.

I'm posting today because it's been almost a year, and I'm reminded how I came to this forum in the first place. Bonuses came out today, and 60% of the bonus is dependent on making operating income budget. We didn't make budget. We reduced one specific waste stream by 20% last year because of it's hazardous nature, and the lost revenue in that one waste stream caused us to miss budget by over $1 million. I'm the lowest bonus eligible person on this particular totem pole, the only one that actually sees or cares what this waste stream does to a landfill, and it cost me personally $9000 this year. That's real money out of my pocket, not some corporate percentage of loss. I know the next 3 guys above me up the line, and they lost $17K, $29K, and $42K of their bonuses because of the lost revenue from this one waste stream. Staying in compliance, no safety violations, no EPA infractions, all of that combines for 40% of the bonus, 60% is making the op income budget. There are many more people further up the line that also lost, and you can bet much more money, and none of them understand why this waste stream was eliminated. To them trash is trash. Salespeople go out and pick up accounts for our trucks to haul, it all goes to the landfill, what's the difference? It all brings in money, we all benefit, right? I was the only one on the conference calls leading up to the decision to reduce this waste stream that was agreeing with the third party engineers that we needed to cut back. People were getting mad at me. This is the first year that I was in a bonus bracket this large, so it is the first time that I have seen that many zeroes erased from a check, but I understand why it was worth it. No one else does, and unless you spend time in one of these landfills and see what this s**t is actually doing to us, there is no way you could understand.

That's why I pushed this story so hard, that's why I made so much noise about a little mountain town a thousand miles away that I didn't even know how to pronounce. There were no nefarious motives, there was an opportunity to shine a spotlight on an aspect of an industry that affects people all over the country. To the friends and family of Billy, the guys at my landfill continue to remember you in their thoughts and prayers, and to the guys still working... Be safe

Thank you for posting this.

Cajun Shrimp Linguini

I always change things a bit. I did use salt in my pasta water. Instead of all green peppers, I used a mix of green, red and orange ones. I also added a little zucchini that I had on hand.

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/cajun-shrimp-linguine

10 hours ago, LFG said:

Hey Petee,  how many eggs are you getting? My girls still aren't in full production yet, but I'm getting two or three a day from eight young girls, and the color is getting darker. The eggs are also gaining a little size. 

 For anyone interested, we started a new website for the farm this year. It has pictures of some of our other birds, and the "about us" page kind of tells the story of how we got into the chickens in the first place. I'm going to post the link, but I'm not sure if Steve allows links  to other websites on this site. Steve, if you need to delete it,  that's fine. If you Google "Magnolia Marans" it's the first search result. 

https://www.magnoliamarans.com/

 

Thanks LFG for sharing the site. If only I lived south of here and were retired, I would absolutely love to have some of these beautiful birds. The eggs look amazing!