ATV is Home Again!

Our August heat is back.....I am not going to complain............yet.

They called yesterday that the ATV is fixed.  I had worked in the garden and canned l0 pints of tomatoes and was feeling a little tired.  We decided to go early this morning and do our shopping at the Wal Mart in Bolivar.  I was out of some odds and ends....one being ground ginger.  So were  they!  I couldn't believe it.
I did see that they had King Arther flour in 20-lb bags but only the all purpose; no bread flour.  Is still quite a savings but DH didn't want that large a bag in the freezer....I may have to convince him.

We  then picked up the ATV.  They told us it would be an expensive fix, $700.  Well it was a bargain.....$675.  I do hope this is the last repair for some time.  DH looked at a new one while there.  It was $6400.  I told him when I had everything else I wanted, we would get one.....my want list is pretty long.

I bought DH a really simple point and shoot Canon. He likes to take one with him when he checks the cows.
It has no bells and whistles except zoom and he forgot to use that!  I think Canon has better color and clarity than my Panasonic.

Sample Pics with Canon A4000 IS

The red one is semi-retired Willow.



I took these in full sun just point and shoot out the door,  This is the front yard with the River Birch in the center,

and this is taken from the dining room porch looking south.  That is a dahlia in the foreground and the Limelight hydrangea.


I just turned north east on the porch and took this of the Humming  Bird Bed,



Random Cat pictures

and I do mean random; this girl showed  up three days ago.......DH is feeding her.  What can I say?



Sugar does not think she lives here.....so she may chase her off. 

May 7, 2013

Another very foggy morning. 50° - highs 70°

Watered plants under lights. I need to re-pot some, especially the tiny lavenders.

Plans: Work outside today weeding beds and pulling dead shrub by lr window.

What actually got done (usually very different from plans!)

I mixed up 2gallons of herbicide (generic Roundup product). I don't like using them but this year the weeds have simply overwhelmed me.

Sprayed most of it. Then decided to get the 25 gallon sprayer out and spray the part of the garden that is completely covered with a short grass that has already set seeds. It is almost impossible to till.

We hooked the garden cart to the ATV (my towing mower is still in the shop) and got it to the garden when a tie rod dropped off the left front wheel. This made it impossible to steer. I had DH drive it straight forward off the garden plot. I went ahead and sprayed by picking up the sprayer (I just mixed 5 gallons so it wasn't too heavy) and moving it forward when I ran out of hose....then I had to go back the get the battery. I did get it done but am slightly sore this morning.

The only way we could get the ATV out of the garden was to remove a cattle panel that was tied to t-posts for beans; then pull the t-posts. He would drive a few feet and I would manually turn the left front wheel. We got it out......hooked up the trailer and was able to drive the ATV on. That meant a trip to Bolivar to leave it for repairs. The poor thing is 10 years old and has been used daily since we bought it. I hope it is fixable.

While down there we checked on the mower......next week hopefully. They are having trouble getting some pulley wheels off.

Then we stopped by the License Bureau and got the taxes and paper work taken care of on the new truck.

I know we should get a new ATV, but this is not the year for more equipment purchases! There also looms the possibility that they can't repair the mower....the newer mower does not have a hitch on it.

I think one could be welded on it. I definitely need something for the garden cart and sprayers. Machinery …......something always needing attention.

I have loaded the sprayer on the kids old wagon but it isn't long enough for the battery......I need a long piece of plywood to make that work. 

Last Saturday was baking bread day again. I made DH's white and my whole wheat. Also made pizza.

Gardening Pictures

The first iris of the year is from our neighbor so I call it the Lisenby Iris:

This is the first year in a very long time that the snow ball bush hasn't been covered with black aphids. I kept watching to spray and so far haven't needed to:

 
It is still in the green phase, soon to be white.

Does anyone else but me have gardening mysteries?  I thought I just had one rhubarb plant I grew in a pot last year and finally put in the new herb bed last fall.  I thought  it was Chipman's Canada Red.....I remember dividing it and putting some small pieces in the bed too.  Well this spring the largest piece jumped up and grew but it is more green than red or pink, a real disappointment.  A few days later I see tiny little leaves coming up along the edge of the bed.  I was sure it was rhubarb..and it is  and it is red as can be!  

This is the green one:

I still think the stems aren't large enough to pull this year.

and here is the red one:

I will never figure this one out unless I possibly blogged about  it.....probably didn't use the label feature though.  I must remember to do that. I am just going to enjoy that I have a red one!

I had too many chives to put all in the herb bed so I planted them at the base of the rose in the cistern planter.

 Birds

The orioles are still here and I think I saw an Orchard Oriole late yesterday afternoon but haven't seen it yet this morning.

The oriole is feasting on grape jelly for breakfast as I type.