We had soaked the roots of the trees that were delivered on Wednesday. M dug holes for all the trees while I was at work on Thursday so we could plant them all. While I was at work, I got a text message from M: "The good news is that I have all the holes dug. The bad news is that we got more trees, so I don't have all the holes dug." Poor bastard.
So when I got home and we had had dinner, we started the planting...got about 5 or 6 planted before the rain started. (We were moving kind of slowly because M was so sore from all the tilling and hole digging and because I'm...well...a wuss still. No upper-body strength built up yet this year.) No worries, just a little rain. But we worked a little faster. Then it got gradually harder, and thunder started in the distance.
I suggested to M that we stop, so he said he wanted to get the fruit trees planted. We stopped planting the evergreen windbreak and moved to the other side of the driveway. As we planted the first or second tree, I saw lightning to the south. We hurried a little more as we saw a little more lightning. Then the lightning started showing up to the west--heading our way. We were pushing dirt and planting soil into the holes around the trees as quickly as we could while also *trying* to be gentle with the trees. No real TLC for the fruit trees as we planted them. [Title links to how they feel.]
As soon as we finished those holes, we nearly ran inside and closed everything up. We had planted 28 trees in under 2 hours. Nothing like the fear of electrocution to speed things up!
After I got cleaned up, we went out for ice cream, and then went to bed.
On Friday, M got up, walked to the couch, and fell asleep again. Then more trees were delivered.
That was the last of 'em.
We used Friday evening to get 3 more bags of tree and shrub soil, 8 more bags of peat moss, 10 more bags of mulch, some more weed-block cloth and stakes for the cloth.
Today is the big challenge. It's supposed to be a beautiful day, warm (well, 60 degrees) and sunny (that part is true so far). The alarm went off at 7:15. [M woke up earlier from the excitement. He said it was because he had napped all day before, but I know, it was really the excitement ;) ] We've had breakfast and are preparing to work our asses off. [I've said it before and I'll say it again: I wish the phrase were true, because I could stand to lose some ass.] We have to accomplish as much today as possible because we are supposed to have more storms tomorrow and snow on Monday and Tuesday.
Yes, you read that right. Monday, snow. Tuesday, snow. April 6 and 7. Snow. Spring is taking a nap, like M yesterday.
Updates tonight if we can still move....
* Stringham high: Who needs an exercise regimen? (Oh, and we now have "landscaping" to go with the giant ruts and mounds of dirt left behind from the geothermal heat pump line installation.)
* Stringham low: As M keeps pointing out, with all the supplies, it costs more to plant the trees and bushes than to buy the trees. [Steph: well duh!]
* Stringham super-high: In 3 years (if the birds don't eat too much off the "buffet"), we'll be rolling in strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and maybe a few apples, peaches, pears, and plums. Oh, and cherries.
Showing posts with label f*ing cold. Show all posts
Showing posts with label f*ing cold. Show all posts
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Arctic Chill and Working Mice
Apparently, we have mice that work outside the home. After the rash of mouse victims last weekend, despite 3 new electrocuting traps (each of which can take out 3 mice without being reset), no victims. Not, that is, until Friday evening. After the snow we got Wednesday, M saw tracks leading to and from the garage, the garden, the driveway, etc. So it's my theory that our mice apparently work hard during the week and come in to party in our kitchen on the weekends...this little guy was the scout to find all the happenin' places.
When I got home Friday, I saw that a glue trap on the counter (not one of the 2 or 3 quick-kill traps, oh no, we have ballsy mice) had captured one. I knew it was only a matter of time before it worked itself free, and I didn't want it to hurt itself. (I mean, if we're going to kill them for just doing what they do and what they are, we should just kill them quickly.) I called M to see if he would be home soon to "take care" of it or if I was going to have to finally take my first mousey life. (No answer. M must be on his way home.) I did all sorts of chores to avoid having to do the deed, killing time until M got home, all the while checking on the mouse to make sure it didn't get free. I contemplated putting the glue trap outside to give the mouse a chance--freeze to death or freeze itself. Some choice. What about putting the board on the floor and letting it take its chances--sure, another fine choice--free itself to be toyed with by the cats or be toyed with by the cats in the trap.
The more it struggled, the more I kvetched. My heart raced, the adrenaline pumped. I was going to do it! But then, oh, I had to get something out of the freezer. Then I wondered how I could kill it. It's not like a rabbit or a deer that I would kill to eat. This would just be slaughter.
It struggled to free itself. I sang to it to calm it. After all, it wouldn't do for it to free itself before M could eliminate it or before I grew a pair.
It was nearly free. But I had to pee.
Again, the distraction. But coming back from the bathroom, I see M walk past the front door to get the mail. Finally, my savior!
(And a good thing, too. The mouse had freed its front paws and was pulling his back paws free.) And then he was no more. Still, I reason, it's better than a tussle with the cats any day, right?
Stringham high: Even in -20 degree temps, our bedroom hovers around 55-60 degrees.
Stringham low: Our pipe draining the sump pump froze up, making the check valve come loose and spray water back in to our basement. (No damage, no flooding. M just turned things off to wait for warmer weather.)
Stringham super-high: Our furnace (which we're always surprised makes it through 20-degree weather) has performed admirably through our -2 degree (high) and -20 degree (low) weather. No room has gotten colder than 55 degrees!!!
Bonus super-high: We got a plant-and-seed catalog chock FULL of fruit trees and windbreak plants and vegetables and flowers and decorative grasses today. I was cheering and "ooh"ing and "aa"ing on ever page, like a kid in a candy store. I can't wait to start planting and cultivating again! (Yes, it's the little things that keep us going around here.)
When I got home Friday, I saw that a glue trap on the counter (not one of the 2 or 3 quick-kill traps, oh no, we have ballsy mice) had captured one. I knew it was only a matter of time before it worked itself free, and I didn't want it to hurt itself. (I mean, if we're going to kill them for just doing what they do and what they are, we should just kill them quickly.) I called M to see if he would be home soon to "take care" of it or if I was going to have to finally take my first mousey life. (No answer. M must be on his way home.) I did all sorts of chores to avoid having to do the deed, killing time until M got home, all the while checking on the mouse to make sure it didn't get free. I contemplated putting the glue trap outside to give the mouse a chance--freeze to death or freeze itself. Some choice. What about putting the board on the floor and letting it take its chances--sure, another fine choice--free itself to be toyed with by the cats or be toyed with by the cats in the trap.
The more it struggled, the more I kvetched. My heart raced, the adrenaline pumped. I was going to do it! But then, oh, I had to get something out of the freezer. Then I wondered how I could kill it. It's not like a rabbit or a deer that I would kill to eat. This would just be slaughter.
It struggled to free itself. I sang to it to calm it. After all, it wouldn't do for it to free itself before M could eliminate it or before I grew a pair.
It was nearly free. But I had to pee.
Again, the distraction. But coming back from the bathroom, I see M walk past the front door to get the mail. Finally, my savior!
(And a good thing, too. The mouse had freed its front paws and was pulling his back paws free.) And then he was no more. Still, I reason, it's better than a tussle with the cats any day, right?
Stringham high: Even in -20 degree temps, our bedroom hovers around 55-60 degrees.
Stringham low: Our pipe draining the sump pump froze up, making the check valve come loose and spray water back in to our basement. (No damage, no flooding. M just turned things off to wait for warmer weather.)
Stringham super-high: Our furnace (which we're always surprised makes it through 20-degree weather) has performed admirably through our -2 degree (high) and -20 degree (low) weather. No room has gotten colder than 55 degrees!!!
Bonus super-high: We got a plant-and-seed catalog chock FULL of fruit trees and windbreak plants and vegetables and flowers and decorative grasses today. I was cheering and "ooh"ing and "aa"ing on ever page, like a kid in a candy store. I can't wait to start planting and cultivating again! (Yes, it's the little things that keep us going around here.)
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