Apple Blossoms and Barney

LandBlog - April 9, 2009

by Carol

 

Through the mist of a light rain, a blush of soft pink apple blossoms dominates the orchard today.  Spring, with all her joy of renewal, is announcing her arrival where ever we look.  Indian warriors guard the road just before we enter our drive, the daffodils of various petal shapes and hues wave, the tiny wild violets encircle the wood area, the deciduous trees are fat with buds, the meadow grass grows inches everyday.  When the sun shines I want to roll in it.  I did go out under the stars to sit in it the other night, but a familiar acrid smell quickly dominated my senses.  I think I was in Marty's piss zone!

 

Spring brings lots of activities.  In addition to what Marty wrote about there have been some other noteworthy events. 

• We now have in residence a barn cat.  Megan arranged for a pick up of two free spayed and neutered cats from the Ukiah shelter.  Cats, so they claimed, who were good cats, but a bit too wild to be adopted as house cats.  I decided to call the  calicoed female Cat, and the big gray male, Barn.  We erected a chicken wire barrier in the back half of the barn, put out food and drink, and left to themselves for two days.  After the 48 hour initiation, we opened the door.  Cat darted out, fled around the corner and has not been seen since.  However, I thought Barn was still around, and kept putting food out for him. But I did question if I was feeding Barn or the wood rats who have again taken up many barn explorations.  Megan and Isabel visited a week ago, and they heard a cat!  The next day they saw Barn stretch and then dart from the cat bed I had supplied.  Isabel suggested we call him Barney, which I thought was a laudable idea.  So Barney is now the official resident of the barn.  I seldom see him, but often hear him when I put out a small ration of daily food, and at night when he likes to prowl and yeow outside the house.
• The greenhouse is packed with over-wintering ferns, begonias, gardenia, and geraniums on the wall side.  The bench houses flats of starts that Megan, Isabel and I put in on Friday, March 27th. We have two varieties of tomatoes, cukes, and basil, plus cilantro, sugar snap peas, summer squash, sweet peppers, and spinach.  Many were up in five days!  The green house is a fantastic cooker when the sun shines, about 15-20 degrees warmer than outside.  So there are starts ready for those who live in the lower latitudes.  It's way to early for most of these plants up here. I'll keep just one of each for a greenhouse plant.I need to get some brassicaceous, greens and lettuce started for here.
• Our poison oak is coming on strong as ever.  On Tuesday I donned all the protective apparel and tackled the patch that goes down the hill from the woodshed and borders the path.  It has always been a hazard, so easy to brush against, plus Bill Eastwood told me last year that it should be cleared because it was a fire hazard.  It was tough, but satisfying work.  I missed Will who is usually with me for poison oak work.  I liberated the wild rose from all the oak, so it should now thrive, and still have a bit of final clean-up, but you will see the area is much improved.  We have a huge mound of viral pulled poison oak to load in the truck.  Maybe this weekend, when Will and Hannah are here.
• Marty and I just have to stretch the subterranean chicken wire across the top end of the garden and then back fill the trench Ray dug in February to complete the rabbit-proof fence.  Marty and Ray have been working on ideas to rabbit-proof the gates, and then voila, we can start again with land gardening.
• And, oh yes, remember the illegal trees, almond, two buck-eye and catalpa, that Will, Katy and I planted last spring.  All have buds....that's a very good survival rate for The Land.

Signing off as the gentle spring rain continues....time for some soup.

 

Your gal on the land,  Carol