The March of The Canada Geese

They looked so regimental today.  I caught the resident family of Canada Geese marching from one grazing area on our back lawn to the reservoir's greenery.....

With a parent in the front and one behind, the seven teenagers marched along from one grazing area to the next.  They are nearly full grown at this point, but still pretty much ordered about by their parents.  Not one of them wanders off alone.  I expect they will be flying soon.
Have a Good Day.

My Container Garden is Doing Fine.

I am enjoying my container garden this year.  I had to cut back on gardening but having tomatoes in pots is fine with me.  I don't have to struggle as much with the garden efforts.

L to R: Patio, and two Better Bush maters.  All have yellow blossoms on them and each day I shake their branches at least twice so the pollen can disburse and make little tomatoes.

This one is Red Pride, the last of my four tomato containers.  It was the smallest, but its quickly outgrowing the others at this point.
We've had just enough rain so that I rarely have to water these.  They are keeping quite moist most of the time but of course, here in Maine, we don't have the blistering heat they have in the south.  That also means our warm-weather veggies take longer to come to harvest.

My favorite assistant gardener above, my corgi Penny always joins me.  She knows the routine; check out the maters and shake their limbs before going back indoors. 
These are L to R: Patio, two Better Bush and Red Pride on the right.  As you can see, all are very healthy with dark green leaves and sturdy branches very capable of hosting lots of tomatoes.

Have a Nice Day.

The First Family Geese Are Now Teenagers.

 I hadn't see the Canada Geese Family for several days and wondered how they were doing.  Then it rained today, I mean it came down in buckets.  The First Family were out on our back lawn grazing.

They are really large and have their feathers now and their colors.  I'd say they are teenagers.

Here's one in front of his Mom and they were weaving their long necks back and forth and conversing together.   As you can see, baby is nearly as large as his Mom.

That's Dad on the right continuing his job as security guard.  He stands so rigid and keeps watch over his brood.

As you can see in this closer view, they are all nearly all in their colors and all feathered out, with the exception of a couple that must have been the later hatchlings in the group.  Still a lot of gray on them.
Have a Nice Day.

I Have a New Insulated Bag

Howdy friends.  Those that know me know that I have to shop with the Parks and Rec bus every week since giving up my car.  That meant a long trip, along pretty country roads which I love, but lengthy.  I bring a good book to read between stops or while sitting waiting for others to shop at other venues along the way. 
When I buy my meats, they need to stay on the bus for nearly 3 hours before I get home.  How does one keep frozen foods frozen and cold meats cold?
You get a good Insulated Bag.
And from what source do you think is best?
For me it was a no-brainer.   L. L. Bean.
I have to admit the cost is high and I needed the large one, not the small or medium.  I like to get my meats in 3-lb minimum packs and with buying them only twice a month, there had to be room for several packages.
Here she is folks......

This is my partner in shopping.......She measures 20" Wide by 14" Tall by 7" Deep, so a very good size for my purposes.

I chose red and white so she will stand out when sitting beside other shopping bags on the bus.

The cost is well worth it.  Reading reviews about this bag I was very  pleased that it keeps foods frozen for long periods of time.  Just what I needed.   And everyone knows that L. L. Bean stands behind their products 100%.

I have a few other items from L. L. Bean that are terrific so I know this was the best choice for me.

Imagine my surprise when I asked a friend if she could get this bag on her employee discount for me and the next thing I knew, it was on my doorstep with an early Merry Christmas greeting.

Thank you K, I appreciate this more than you know.  I am already thinking about what I can give you for Christmas in return. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Have a good day.

Interesting Day With Sunshine Rain

The day began sort of hazy really early, then turned warm (86*F) and sunny.  I watched a huge snapping turtle trying to find a safe spot to lay her eggs at seven a.m.  She was settling into a hole she made under the rose hedgerow, when the fire trucks showed up.  I guess she didn't like the palaver which was only 30 feet from her chosen spot.  She left and wandered further along.  She was huge.

Here's the hole she dug under the hedgerow, and then abandoned it. 

Here's the group that showed up beside the reservoir.  They come to drain their hoses and flush the pumpers, from several town around us.  This is a popular spot for many of the firefighters around our area.

More waited across the road for their turns.   The pathway is ours that leads to our back patio from the sidewalk near the bridge.

And even more.  It was like 'old home week' for the firefighters today.  They were here for several hours.  They arrived at 7 in the morning and at noon they were still here.

When the rain came pouring down, while the sun was still shining, they all got into their rigs and took off.  I'm sure they must have been finished with what was needed by then.  They usually don't take that long to clear the systems.  They even put up a marquee to keep out of the sun which you can see in royal blue in 2nd photo.

I was quite happy today to find that one of my Better Bush Tomato plants has yellow blossoms starting.

That means more tomatoes for me this season.  The other two have yet to show blossoms, another Better Bush and Red Pride.

Have a Good Day.

My First Tomato Blossoms

Its so great to see the first of the tomato blossoms, those lovely little yellow heads bobbing in the wind.

This above is Patio and she's lush and strong and beautifully green.

All my tomato pots are looking good.  My constant companion and harden helper, my corgi Penny, surveys my small container garden with me.

Today I want to scissor-cut more grass to set aside to dry out and brown so I can add more grass mulch around my plants. 

I gave Patio a tablespoon of Miss Pauletta's Perfect Tomato Food yesterday since she's blossoming.  From now on I will add the same every 2 weeks.  I'll let you know how this 'Food' works for me.

Happy Father's Day to all who helped raise a child of their own to nieces and nephews to a neighbor's child needing mentoring.

Have a Great Day!

Recipe for Miss Pauletta's Perfect Tomato Food

The following recipe is a personal growing mixture developed by Miss Pauletta who shared it with the folks attending the Homestead Clinic held yearly.  If you've ever followed Appalachian Homestead with Miss Patera  (You-tube channel), you'll find that lady also has superb tomato plants each year.  She gives this recipe a 'thumbs up' all the way.
For Robust, Healthy, Tasty Tomatoes from you own garden, try this.

TOMATO FOOD MIXTURE

3 Cups Good Compost
1/2 Cup Epsom Salt
1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
3 Cups Wood Ash a.k.a Potash
1/2 Cup Bone Meal
2 teaspoons Boron
1/2 Cup non-fat Dry Milk

Mix these well all together and set aside for use during the growing season.
1)  When transplanting your young tomato, add 2 T. of this mixture to the planting hole and stir together.
2)  When the first baby tomatoes start to form on the plant, add 1 T. to the soil around the plant and stir it in well.
3)  Then every 2 weeks from that point on during the growing season, mix in a Tablespoon of mixture around each plant.

Another growing and disease-fighting point she assures will help, make sure no part of the tomato plant touches the ground from the very beginning.  Cut away any branches that are tipping down to the ground.  Cut away any branches and leaves that are close to touching the soil around the plant.  Its the soil around the plant that can trigger tomato diseases so easily.

After transplanting, be sure to mulch around the plant except for the stem area where you need it free to water the plant.  Use dry grass clippings, straw, or bark chips. 

Another strong point, make sure there is enough room between your growing plants so that air  can freely circulate around the plant.  Loss of air circulation breeds spores and fungi.

Watering is also highly essential.  Self-watering cones like those from Garden Supply, can regulate the amount of water your plant is drinking by giving it only what it needs and never letting it suffer from lack of moisture.  Try  www.gardeners.com   and look for Aqua Cones.

                        Above:  An Aqua Cone at work with its feeding spike buried in the soil.


I just learned of this tomato food recipe today and wish I had the makin's before I transplanted my own babies.  But I did add Epsom salt and powdered milk to my hole along with some granulated sugar, before transplanting and I removed all the lower branches in order to bury my plant another 4"-6" deeper than they were in their starting pot. 
I also never water from the top but rather I add the water around the base of the plant.  Its enough that natural rain waters the whole plant, I don't wish to add to the chance of fungi developing.
My plants are both staked and caged so they can remain upright while they are growing.

I will be making up a mixture for myself today.  I have most of the ingredients except for boron and bone meal.  I'm sure I can get the bone meal at my local feed store and maybe they will also carry garden boron.

I hope to see my Patio tomato looking lush like this soon....

and my Better Bush boasting fruits like these.

 and then there's

My garden this year consists of only container plants but its still my very own homegrown garden.

                                       Have a Good Day