Recent content by dfr1973

My box of Kennebec White potatoes is still growing. Not all came up, and not all of what came up has survived ... but one did blossom even though the flowers were eaten before they could set. I still have the second box and the 3lb bag of Yukon Gold seed potatoes, although I have been adding...

Busy spring, indeed! We're also putting in garden boxes along with planting. I feel so tired, between the garden boxes and the new chicken coops ... BUT we had our first homegrown chicken last week, and the first bunch of green beans should be ready next week (along with another chicken).

We actually processed him Friday evening, but tonight we just had our first homegrown chicken dinner here. While we are still feeling a bit philosophical about the whole responsibility aspect of raising and butchering our own meat ... that is one gourmet-tasting chicken.

I did this also - went completely off the cholesterol diet, then off the statin. Happily went back to real butter, real cream, real sugar, and BACON ... and my t-chol went down with HDL being "absolutely stellar". Fasting glucose went from just "normal" to "textbook perfect." My doc said she...

I will probably give this a go as well - not only do I have plenty of leaves that break down, but I have two 3lb bags of seed potatoes that are refusing to wait for fall. Using the lawnmower with its bag sounds like the easier way to get the leaves into the potato boxes.

If nothing else, they'll make good dirt for next year.

Errr ... not for federal bureaucracy! That actually sounds low for them. I have FAITH they'll expand it within five years. Shall we play the bureaucratic equivalent of "cow patty bingo"? I'll take 125 hours as the next jump up ...

In many depictions, the Tree of Knowledge from Eden is shown as an apple tree, and an apple as the "forbidden fruit". Between the various levels of government and the ego-driven HOAs/CCRs, there have been a mind-numbing flurry of new regulations and restrictions on homesteading-type activities...

Two of my three do that - of course the two fats ones! Both utterly shameless, both insist on rolling over in the middle of the room or hallway, meowing for attention. I should probably mention that I have never owned a "normal" cat ... Congrats on the kittens, BTW! Kittens are just SOOOOO...

I haven't updated this recently ... but this afternoon I FOUND BLOSSOMS! I "cheated" ("If you ain't cheatin then you ain't tryin ...") and bought two types of tomato plants - one for hubby to slice and eat, one for me to try to make ketchup, sauce, and salsa out of - and an "Ozark Beauty"...

Elijah, sounds like your float is stuck or the gauge has stopped working ... don't trust it now. We have a '93 Ranger that we need to watch the trip-ometer, because the gauge never reads below a quarter tank.

A couple tips from another gardening newb: do NOT try to compost tubers (especially taters) or vegetable seeds (like the pulp from squash!) without nuking it in the microwave first. Save vegetable kitchen waste and eggshells for compost ... I've managed to attract enough earthworms to open a...

I spent the equinox getting and playing in dirt, as my bean seedlings doubled in size overnight! In hindsight, it was a very appropriate way to spend Oestara :) as I also put in a strawberry and two tomato plants. It was a beautiful day to do that here in Tuckessee, too (sorry to hear your...

Each of our (so-called) "US" automakers make European versions that they sell in Europe that attain European mileage. We have plenty of US-version Volkswagens, BMWs, Lexuses, Toyotas, Hondas, Nissans, Hyundais, KIAs, Subarus (and the list goes on ...) so I doubt it's that. Chrysler used to be...

I've asked this question many times over the past two years, when I first started looking to replace my (now recently totaled) 2000 Ford Escort, which would get 30-33 mpg in city driving and up to 39.5 mpg on the highway. The answer I have always gotten for the difference over the past decade...