Dawn419 & doc's LSTA: Confounded Computer!!!

[lazyday]

Hi Dawn, Do you live close to the buffalo river? I went hiking in that area a couple of yeas ago and it to be absolutly beautiful. I found several paw-paw trees and this was a wonderful treat for me because I hadn't eaten any in many years. Do you have paw-paw trees close to you?

 

[Denim Deb]

I've never had a paw-paw. They don't grow around here.

 

[lazyday]

I really enjoy them. They have a fruity kind of like a banana flavor, very fragrant.You can smell them before you see them. I use to find them in Missouri, but I am thinking they are rare to find because I have looked for them and can't find them anymore.

 

[Wannabefree]

They are pretty hard to find. I remember finding them all over the creek bank when I was a kid though. we'd pick and eat them while we fished

 

[Dawn419]

Hi lazyday!

We're a ways east of the Buffalo river and kind of in a cubby-hole between the Spring, Strawberry and White Rivers.

There are paw-paws in our area but I don't think we have any on our land. Then again, they could be here and I just haven't found them. I did a seed trade for some paw-paw seeds over the winter so I can get some planted here. Growing some perrsimmon seedling, too. If I was smart, I'd just go over to my aunts and dig up some small persimmon trees as her old fence rows are eaten up with them. I'll be so glad when we've got my truck back on the road because then I'll be able to go out and do things like that while doc is at work.

Well, got a bunch of seeds started today and still have a lot more to do but I'm about to run out of chicken and varmit proof areas to put the flats.

Feeling lazy so I'm just going to link to the albums instead of posting individuals:

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/...shareprintsharer&linkid=link5&cid=EM_sharshar

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/...shareprintsharer&linkid=link5&cid=EM_sharshar

 

[Dawn419]

We did our civilized visit/family Easter Dinner at mom's yesterday. We left here earlier than usual and stopped at a small nursery on the way and picked up a small but blooming Snowball bush for mom and got a nice sized garden sage to add to our herb garden. I also took mom a pot of Thyme and Rosemary and dug her a clump of our Greek Oregano so she can have an herb garden at her place. They have a small one at the garden at my sister and bil's but it's time for her own. I got everything that we took over for her in the ground so she didn't have to mess with it.

Had a nice dinner: ham, mac & cheese, macaroni salad, coleslaw, baked beans, Easter bread and deviled eggs. Sis colored the whites so that my oldest grandneice would eat them, will post a pic of them later. Mom didn't have any food coloring for dyeing the eggs on her Easter bread so she used our green ones...the girls should feel honored.

Got to see my first hummingbird when I'd finished planting the snowball bush. Made mom's day when I told her as she thought she saw one on Friday but figured she was just imagining it.

Doc stopped to pay the water bill on Friday morning on his way home from work and Robert was there. They got to talking about livestock and he let doc know that his brother does meat rabbits and was fixing to get away from them so hopefully we're going to be able to meet up with him and at least see his set up if not work something out. I hadn't planned on getting into rabbits this year but we have the lumber and tin to build the "shed" for the tower cages, feeders and waterers already, just need some feed and the buns.

Mom gave me another 2 x 4 frame so I'll have another chicken/varmit proof place to set out seedlings. I may pick on the Buick by calling it a go-cart but the old gal has done a fine job playing the part of a truck!

Going to be a fairly relaxed day here since doc goes back on days tomorrow.

 

[Wannabefree]

Sounds like a nice dinner! We had fried fish, hushpuppies, and slaw We had a big family dinner planned but had to cancel due to a stomach virus Anyway glad you have had a good time! My old Buick made a wonderful "farm truck" too before we got the Chevy

 

[Denim Deb]

I didn't have the animals when I had my Tarus wagon, but I used it like I would a truck. I don't know how many times I stopped by the side of the road when I saw wood stacked and threw it in the back. If I had HAD animals back then, I'm sure I would have put hay and/or straw in the back as well! And, maybe even transported the goats.

 

[Dawn419]

WBF and Deb,

Our Buick/go-cart/truck has hauled over 200 pounds of feed and a hay when we've needed her to, so I really cant complain, but I so miss my Dodge Dakota. She's small but has no clue since she's got the Magnum V-8 under her hood. Doc has talked about trading in the Buick or the 'Kota for a Jeep and I ended that thought with the reality of owning 2 vehicles but only ever having one that is ever road worthy...we need 3 in hopes of having two running.

Forgot about our excitement on the way home from mom's last night, mainly because we're still freaking out about it.

Just before we got into Evening Shade (around 11 p.m.), we both see something standing on the side of the road. I holler coyote, doc says bobcat and at this time my mind is screaming that it is neither one of them. The face was too blunt to be a coyote and the ears weren't pointed, it was too big to be a 'yote and it was definately not a dog and too big to be a bobcat. I do believe we saw an honest-to-goodness, non-existant Arkansas cougar and after spending quite a bit of time researching...I'm pretty positive that's exactly what it was.

The AFGC claims that there is no true wild population of them here in Arkansas and what sightings are is of feral (escaped exotic pet) cougs. Hello? To me (now) and may others, they are here wild/feral...you say potato I say patato.

Back in 2009, after we bought our place, I did some research on homesteading in AR and came across this article on a cougar attack in the Ozarks: Nightmare in the Ozarksey thought they were living their dream, until they lost a loved one to a cougar attack

Remember that pile of bagged leaves in the orchard area? Well, we pulled out the chipper/shredder and turned most of those 36 bags of leaves into mulch today. Four of the bottom-of-the-pile bags' leaves were so wet that we're just gonna use them as a worm pile for the time being.

Progress in the first section of the orchard:

Colorful Deviled Eggs:

Funny pic of the week. Bub and Smoke helping doc take off his work boots:

 

[Denim Deb]

That's scary about the cougar. Believe it or not, we have the same problem in this area, but it's never attacked anyone. People have seen it, taken pics, etc, but it's brushed aside. And years ago, we had a big problem w/wild dogs. No one could let their kids play outside and if I went outside for any reason, I carried a gun. It was illegal in the area we were living to do so, but I didn't care. We ended up setting a trap and catching one of the dogs. AC didn't have a clue as to how to get it out of the cage-hubby had to tell them. AC did come out to try and catch the dogs, but all they gave them were those nooses. And, they were scared!