Sunday Stuff

 Hi Everyone!

I'm writing this on Saturday evening. I have way too much to do tomorrow. I was on my way to our protest when Mr. M's blood pressure plummeted. I had to call 911. So going to the protest was a no. However, my little town had a great turn out.  In fact the entire Oregon coast turned out in record numbers. 

It is impressive, around the world, how many people came out in support of us.

Later in the day I  started working in the garden.  I'm making some trellises for pole beans, cucumbers, and what ever else. The wind was knocking me off my feet so that will have to wait. Tomorrow the wind is supposed to be even worse. 

I don't know who the artists are for these but they are just too cute to pass up.  

Tonight we at cabbage from the garden. There is nothing like fresh veggies that you grew yourself. I soaked a potato over night to reduce the potassium and Mr. M. had mashed potatoes with his baked chicken.

Speaking of potatoes, I harvested the first grow bag or red potatoes.

When potatoes start to get limp, stop watering. In a few weeks the stems will start to fall over and the leaves should turn brown. This mean the tubers have stopped producing potatoes. 

I spread a tarp and start to pull on the stems tipping the grow bag onto the tarp. Then, beautiful potatoes emerge.

I really do love digging through the dirt getting every little potato I can find. 

the little ones get put into stew just as they are.

This isn't the largest haul I have had but these are beauties. It is the first time I have grown potatoes in a grow bag.  

Good size for reds.

then they go into a box for about 2 weeks so the skins can cure.

I have them in 2 boxes because you don't want them touching each other. Except these are touching because I had to bring them down from a shelf. LOL

Well that's it for now. I'm really tired and my entire body hurts today. Time to put my PJ's on and drink some hot tea.

Have a nice evening and a great Sunday.

Nicole 

 

 

 

Friday Face OFF 6/13/25

 

Welcome To Friday Face OFF (FFO)

This is the place to show off your faces or your face. Post any type of face from any medium. You can create it, or find it in nature, or even that face in the design of the

woodwork in your house. 

Human, animal, alien, or monster. 

ANY KIND OF FACE!

My daughter sent this photo. She has been keeping her appearance out of the lime light. She is battling myeloma. My daughter is the one with the green top. I think she looks beautiful. My SIL, the one with the tank top, retired from the Marines after 25 years. It's the first time he has been able to grow his hair and a beard. The other folks are good friends. 

 

As promised I have a real drawing this week.  Most of you know I haven't drawn since Mr. M. was in hospital last year. I sure can tell how rusty I am. Here she is though. I know, I hate drawing hair and it shows. LOL

 

I'm trying to find only fun, relaxing things in my life. The main reason is to keep lupus/sjogrens at bay, and I just can't take much more of the "thing" in the white house. So, I played with AI this week too. The fun thing with AI is that the strangest things can appear. Like her fingers. What the heck!

 

or this, she only has 3 fingers.

 

Or this, she has too many fingers. LOL

Anything to make me laugh.

 

Here are some features for this week.
 

Erika N  

 

Carol

 

 

Debra 

 

Don't forget to link up with Gillena

One last thing before I go. If you are protesting this Saturday know your rights.

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects the rights to free speech, assembly, and petition the government. Talk to the organizer in your area on what to do if faced with the opposition.

Be safe out there.

 

That's it for me, 

now it's time to show me your face. 

  

Nicole 

Tuesday

 Hi Everyone!

It's been a busy last few days. Of course in the garden. I am so lucky to have neighbors that want to give me new wood. 

Terrible photo but there is a lot of wood here.

I have an old pallet for gardening, but it is too small so I didn't think I was going to use it. However, these 8' boards came in handy.

I forgot to take a photo before I started putting grow bags on. I put the pallet down then the boards that rest on cinder blocks. Perfect and 8' by 4' area. 

 

A better photo of how it is set up. 

I have five 5 gallon grow bags and the one in back is 10 gallon. So far. 

 

For me this is the best way to mix soil. Some of this is the last of what was saved from last year. Soil is a premium for me so I save every bit I can. Add some compost, bone meal, blood meal, 10-10-10- fertilizer and some peat and I have a good growing medium. I did good too, this filled all of the grow bags.

The one thing I have learned about grow bags is that a good mulch needs to go into the bottom before soil. If you have never used a grow bags the water seeps freely taking nutrients with it. I found if I put some bark on the bottom it helps retain moisture and nutrients.

Opps, my shadow got in the photo.

I will be planting more varieties of squash, pole beans, cucumbers, and I can't think what else.

Speaking of cucumbers, I got my first baby cuck up yesterday. These are planted in my big garden.

 

I harvested my first cabbage today too! Can't wait to eat this. Absolutely no looper holes. It pays to cover plants.

 

This squash blossom is from my 

Italian Zucchini. There are a few Zucs growing and I thought something was wrong with them. 

 I've not grown Italian Zucs before. They look quite different from Grey, or dark Zucs.

 

I brought in a few snippets of herbs.

There is nothing like cooking with fresh herbs. 

 

I have also been drawing this week and will have it finished for FFO. Hope to see you then.

 

Have a great evening

Nicole 

Happy Saturday

 Hi Everyone!

Well it's a happy day! 

Yeah, I'm addicted to gardening.

This evening I was checking the garden when I came across 3 plants with.... are you ready? Cauliflower!!!! OMG!!! This is the best year for brassicas. I will stop complaining about the cold nights because the broccoli, cabbage, and cauli are giving me so much food. Seriously, how cute is this very baby cauli?

The garden is thriving, even through the cold nights and strong windy days. I take photos every week for my records and today I will show you the best of the best.

click on any photo to enlarge it. 

This photo shows only the front of all the peas. This plant is loaded.	All of the potato plants are doing great. This one is starting to wilt and fall so I say another month and I can harvest this one.
Cucumbers, onions, carrots	and the new beets are already coming up. Darn shadow.
Cabbage, brussels, onions, and carrots.	These are radicchio. I've never grown this before so we will see how it goes.
More onions in the brassica area.	I'm so happy with my squash since I sprayed it with milk.
Squash is coming. Plant 1	This is the plant that I sprayed the milk on. Plant 2

Every year I try something new to see if plants grow better. This year, instead of planting all of the onions in one big onion patch, I have them growing in 6 different places with companion plants. They seem to be doing just fine. The other thing is I have staggered my growing. Since I have to grow mostly in containers, space is at a premium now. Plus, I don't want everything ready to pick at the same time. For the squash, I have the two big ones in the photos, behind them are 2 more plants that are much smaller and I have several seedlings in the art room. I'm hopping this will give me a better harvest.  

One not so fun thing is that something, raccoon I think, at some red cabbage.

2 to be exact.  

I've got it fixed with my special hot spray and a live trap, and a noise maker. Nothing has been eaten since. This is the first time any of my plants have been eaten on. However, I'm the only one with a garden this year. The other two that used to garden across the street from me have moved and so I am up for grabs I guess. LOL

 

A few of my flowers are starting to bloom too.

I love these fuchsia.

 

and these just keep on giving. 

 

Well, that's it for garden day. I would love to see what you are growing, leave a comment so I can check it out.

Nicole