As the Spindle Turns . . .

Anyone else have whiplash from the global events? The more I hear, the more I am bearing down on fixing up the garden. More potatoes got planted in containers. The next round of lettuce got planted. The squirrel dug up half the yellow onions. I put another grill on top but may have broken the stems and killed the plants. I also planted the rest of the onion bulbs that didn't fit the first time around. Next year, I will use a wide wire mesh fence right away, flat on top of the ground or raised boards when I plant bulbs. The red onions in the front yard only have signs of a few right along the fence that are coming up. No evidence of digging - the straw hasn't been moved.

My budget has been stretched as far as it will go. Buying anymore top soil is out of the question until after much of planting season has passed. Growing is more necessary than ever before. I went to the food co-op on Tuesday. Half of the store was empty shelves. It included every category from produce to dry goods to milk and meat. I am not sure what happened, was the buyer sick, the delivery truck delayed, or what? There was no bread at all. I spent a day making bread. But seeing all the empty shelves was a wake up call.

I also got my natural gas bill and almost fainted. Nearly 2/3s of the charges had nothing to do with usage. To have an account with them is over $20 a month. There were climate change "adjustments" so they could survive even if no one bought natural gas. There were other changes as well that I didn't understand. It was bizarre. I'm trying to figure out how to lower my bill. Cold showers is all I can think of. We only use hot water for laundry to felt hats for sale. The pee pads also have to be washed in hot. Everything else is done in cold. I wash dishes daily. Should I go outside and start a fire to heat water? I don't understand. We make just a smidge too much to qualify for aid. I'll have to do a cost comparison from before this climate adjustment was enacted. We already keep our thermostat lower than normal people (64 F). I guess next year we try for 62 and hope no one catches pneumonia. I am pissed to say the least. The US is selling LNG to the highest bidder. I watch train load after train load leave the area.

I don't want to even think about the water and electric bill with the advent of data centers. We are slated for three! I will be doing some experiments to see what we can cut back on. Just when we're about to get hit with a super El Nino! I've seen the temperature data that the scientists use to calculate the model. We are certainly headed there There's a chance it could reverse, but I am skeptical. The Pacific ocean is too warm.

Concentrating on what is in my control, I set up a new garden bed. I have a second but haven't put it together yet. I have to shore up a retaining wall first. I need to clean up my grow room so that it can be used for a summer bedroom when temperatures get too high. I need to haul old junk out to the curb on garbage day. We are now being charged triple for garbage pickup except that it now includes once a week junk pickup. The catch is you have to call ahead and they don't always answer. The cleavers still need to be removed from about half the yard so I can plant tomatoes, using an old bed frame as a trellis. More Dig Defense needs to be installed. Once that is cleared, I may find space for a small pine frame bed that was on sale. I could buy soil for that as it is for zucchini, which can be planted later once we get another paycheck. So yes, there is stuff I can do. I am not helpless.



The current forecast is dismal for Monday night. While I have been out enjoying 80 F temperatures all week, it'll go down to 26 F on Monday night. I moved the seedlings back inside. Tomorrow I dig out frost blankets. All the potato containers must go into the garage. The concrete should be warm. We'll likely lose the apple crop and the Asian pears. I can't afford the tree coverings. The goumi may survive since it's next to a brick wall. Micro climates are great. I need to cover the lavender. It's barely hanging on after the harsh winter. The quince will just bloom more after the cold snap. It doesn't believe in blooming all at once. There's a lot to do.

The impacts due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have yet to hit us completely. The last tanker out of the strait just arrived into a US port. There will not be fertilizer for food despite farmers ordering early. There just isn't enough that arrived before the closure. We've been blessed in that we haven't completely run out of gas like some Asian countries. With that in mind, I'm working hard to make sure I have food in my yard, starting with calorie crops.

This is my makeshift bed. I have boards from my business that I no longer use, four cinderblocks, and 4 rebar stakes. The method I'm using was pioneered by Ruth Stout. Potatoes sit on soil and get covered in 8 inches of straw.





This year I am using all my grow bags. I have 24 planted so far. There is another 10 to go plus a few big plastic pots. I'm not a big fan of the grow bags but I will use what I have to maximize production. I have 12 Lehigh taters to plant yet, plus 10 yukon golds, and 10 raspberry red seed potatoes. In July if I can afford it, I'll get some organic potatoes at the regular grocery store to plant for fall. I can get two crops a year but finding seed potatoes in July is too hard. Yes, if you do the math, I don't quite have enough containers. I expect I can scour a few more big containers from the basement or garage.





Water trays for the bottoms are harder to find. The hardware store is already out, but then again, so is my pocketbook. I'll have to get creative.





I'm already starting to harden off plants. Beets, leeks, and celery are outside. Some of the herbs I overwintered in the house are also getting hardened off. My chives came back and several thyme plants did as well. In another week or so, I'll know whether my clove currant survived and my grapevine. There is asparagus to pick. Soon there will be rhubarb. Today I spent time up-potting sweet potatoes. I have 24 slips so far. My goal is 48. They won't go outside until June so there is still time. Meanwhile, the grow room is moving into up-potting as well. I have asters! They sprouted. I also up-potted lemon basil. There is so much more to up-pot so I can start another tray of seedlings. I need to get the dye plants started. My first attempt at madder failed. I'm going to try seeds from another company. It looks like I'll have one Florence Fennel and one chamomile for the herb spiral. I also moved the excess quantity of Autumn sedum to the way-back. The deer don't bother it.

I finally got a mouse trap that works. It's a live trap. I thought we only had one mouse but then I saw a second. I have caught three so far. I reset the trap just in case. I don't know where the mice are getting in. Today was spent cleaning all the surfaces in the kitchen. I'm hoping that is the end of it. After the mice set the stove/oven on fire, I have had it with them. They'd stored their seed stash next to electrical wires on the interior lining insulation of the oven. I'm sure they chewed the wires too. Anyway, with a new stove, I'm not doing a repeat. Everything is getting ridiculously expensive.

Taxes are done. That is a big relief. Somehow my business still made money. I owe the Fed but will get roughly the same back from the state. It doesn't always work out that way. As a business, I have to show a profit once every three years. They say five but it raises a red flag for auditing. A profit can be as low as $5. Or at least that used to be the rule; I haven't read the entire code lately. Don't quote me on this. I don't give tax advice. Bottom line is I'll survive April. Costs are rising and total sales are way down. I think a lot of small businesses will close this year. Doing the taxes was painful to see exactly how much I spent and on what.

Time will tell if my business survives or closes for good. Chrono will be at Oddities in Boston for MayDay and I will be at Great Lakes Fiber Memorial Day weekend- just Saturday and Sunday.

on Tray #2. I planted these on February 24th. Some are slower germinators than others. I have repotted the small seedlings from the feverfew, the statice, the artichokes, and the basil. That leaves me delphiniums, Bells of Ireland, Lemon Grass, Giant Snapdragons, and Eggplants. I planted a row of five each. Some are old seed like the delphiniums and snapdragons. Some have poor germination like the Bells of Ireland. Cells got shifted to make space for the transplanted pots. My bad. Empty cells were removed.



That leaves me with a few mystery plants. I'm pretty sure one is an eggplant. That leaves me with two unknown plants. Here's what I have:







I have some thoughts but I'd like to hear yours. Keep in mind that in Tray #1, Dead center, I grew a dandelion. Last year, the potting soil grew unknown tomatoes that the seed apparently hadn't decomposed. It adds to the spice of growing, not knowing what you are going to get.

Today's warm snap produced a bunch of asparagus, the very first outdoor harvest of the year. Violets also are blooming outside.



Just before the last rain, I was able to plant a Chandler Blueberry in place of a very dead honeyberry. I picked up 10 new June-bearing Brunswick strawberry plants. Those have been planted as well. To finish the bed, Red Baron onions are planted under an old oven rack to keep the squirrels out. Straw has been laid down. I now have a huge pile of purple dead nettle for compost. The starlings are delighted for the nesting material. People have no idea how necessary dead grass or straw is for our bird population. I've watched robins make nests out of plastic from people's garbage bins. They shouldn't have to do that. Why do we worship grassy lawns and throw away the clippings? The garter snakes are delighted with a small woodpile I made. They eat slugs and are very welcome in my garden.

I've been working on the infrastructure for a large garden this year. The side fence line is complete. The rug has been removed - it'd been laid down 30 years ago to appease a neighbor to keep weed downs. It was under 3 inches of soil at this point and a bear to rip out. Rugs these days are made of polypropylene and do not break down. When I laid it down, I thought it was wool, which does break down. Live and learn.



I have been continuing to chop up branches by hand, a little each day. The end is in sight. Work can only happen between storms and on days where personal issues aren't planned. I started out slowly, an hour a day of work. Then increased to one hour early in the day and one later in the day. My last stint was 4 hours straight because of previously scheduled things. I knew I only had one good day this week. Yes, I hurt. Had to be done.



I am still slicing and scalping the weeds and soil, respectively. The potato bed is ready to plant. Several grow bags and pots have been topped off. The soil I scalped is from a hugel bed I created 11 years ago. It's good rich soil which includes a lot of broken down mulberry leaves. I'll be starting on Sunday to plant potatoes. The weather appears to have settled a bit. No more hard freezes for at least a week - after Sunday. There are covers for garden beds in case of a cold front. The grow bags are right near the garage and can be moved inside. That's the current plan.



Wednesday, I planted Bed #1 with spinach and lettuce. But first I had to remove all the branches, twigs and leaves. It was more work than I thought. The storm came in last night with a vengeance. The temperature dropped from 70 to 28 degrees overnight. It's 35 and overcast right now. I just came in from carving up the Japanese maple. I'd have done more but the tiny electric chainsaw overheats and the battery pack was done for now. I will go back once the motor cools down. I'd rather do this now while it's cold outside.

While carving up the Japanese maple, I noticed an awful lot of strawberry plants are just gone. I have more on order, but it was frustrating to see. I don't know if it was a rabbit or if deer just stepped over the fence. Something had been eating my sweet potatoes in there last year. Originally, I thought it was rabbits. Perhaps not. With the exception of the peas, I have not touched the front yard garden yet. A taller fence is definitely in order. Another item in that area is to remove the buttercups and the purple dead nettle. That'll happen when the shipment comes with the new strawberry plants. No shipping date has been set.

My order of seed potatoes and onions comes in tomorrow (in theory). I'll be working on bed #2 to plant the onions on Sunday. I still have to haul 30 grow bags out of the garage (and up the hill) to plant more potatoes. Potato planting will be an all week affair. The beets are hardening off outside with the leeks. Planting could happen Wednesday. Tuesday I must babysit the car at the mechanic's. State Inspection is due. Meanwhile my van is still there. There were staffing issues at the garage. I am not in a rush and he knows it. It's cool. The car on the other hand must be inspected before the end of the month.

My first harvests from the garden will be rhubarb and asparagus. The asparagus could happen this week. Perennials are a marvelous thing. Temperatures are expected in the 60s and 70s.

The coltsfoot is finished blooming too. It is now the week of the crocuses.




Bumblebees have been out. Fickle March is not done with us yet. It's currently 29 degrees. It will be even colder on Tuesday. After that, I have a lot of work to get done outside. Meanwhile inside, the baby plants are getting put into bigger pots.

Artichokes


Celery


Next to transplant will be statice and safflowers. I am beginning to think that the instructions on the back of the packets were too early to plant. The "8 to 10 weeks before last frost " seedlings are really growing fast. After next week's cold snap, I need to harden off beets. Now spring starts to accelerate my workload. It's time to plant the 6-8 week plants. I am running out of space in the grow room. I finished up the first batch of lettuce and the spinach to make space. there is also over a dozen sweet potato slips. (The goal is 48). Those will have to get moved into a sunny window now.

I am looking forward to planting out the potatoes as well as moving the outdoor plants back outside. Patience is a virtue. Meanwhile, it's time to plant dye plants as indoor seedlings as well as stuff like alyssum, which I want everywhere in the yard. Time to check previous years' planting dates to make sure I don't forget anything. Flax, bachelor buttons, and salvia have been pulled to plant. More poppies went into the freezer.

It's time to go back to knitting my sweater and wait for the next nice day to work outside.

The week of rain has left everything muddy. I finished a good bit of my fence-line in the back yard. I have three pallets along the split rail fence to keep the neighbor's dog from going underneath. The chicken wire fence has been extended. Fourteen feet of fence are up. I still need to work my way up the hill with more fencing and remove more carpet. The daffodils have had the detritus removed to allow them room to grow.

Last week's progress
https://youtu.be/y6jwPPBxazQ?si=xRrQk_yGa4r3M6mK

It's suppose to rain tomorrow. It might be dry enough to make a small fire and burn some diseased wood. Rain should move in during the afternoon. If nothing else, I may start potting potatoes. The low temperatures will not get below 34. Weird. I plan to keep them in the garage so they stay frost free. If it gets really cold, I'd have to bring them into the house at night. I don't have space for 40 planters.

The ground hog is up and about. The exit hole ha been enlarged. I started pulling together my collection of gridwalls to setup a blockade. I think I have enough hardware cloth to cover the bottom of the fence. The babies can do a lot of damage and get through the holes easily. Meanwhile, there is a boatload of weeds to dispatch. We'll see what I can get done tomorrow.

Gas is up to $3.599 a gallon. (50 cents of which is state sales tax) I expect it to go higher. Right now a barrel is going for $87-$91. The oil producing nations say to expect $150 - $160 barrel soon. We won't go into what the Lying Liars have to say. This isn't temporary enough to wait it out. Diesel is over $4.00 a gallon. Marketplace (APM) had some economic scholar on saying that we pay less for food than folk back in the early 1900s. The stress on the household budget is much higher now. I don't care if one farmer supported 19 households back then. My food costs are 30 % of my budget. Housing, utilities, medical care, vehicle maintenance, there is nothing left over. We are on a fixed income.The guy just made me mad. He assumed everyone could order Doordash and could get higher pay if needed. No wonder there is no good will toward academics. They should have edited those comments out. That isn't anyone I know's economy.

The weather has us in a lot of pain. I expect volatile weather soon. Internet has been dicey. Electric too. Normally we'd be looking at cold weather. It's hot and wet. I've been emptying the dehumidifier regularly. The neighbor is grilling out in the opening of their garage. I need to stop aching and go make dinner.

One of the channels I watch is a politically neutral channel called What's Going On With Shipping? For business as well as global trends, I find it a good source on the pulse of business. I started watching when the crazy tariffs started to impact ports. As a business, I need to know the impacts on the import business. A lot of my yarn comes from Peru. I invite you to check it out so you can follow what is going on in the Strait of Hormuz. https://youtu.be/wck_88OaQX8?si=ix2_-qGd64HISP5z

One of my many concerns is how this will impact gas prices and thus food prices. It appears that it impacts Europe more than it will impact us. I still think oil companies will raise prices just because they can. I am, at heart, a pessimist. I am working real hard to not try to plant the entire garden too early. I am worried sick. Over the years I have worked with Israelis as well as Persians (and Palestinians). I fear for many things, including their children and grand-children. I worry about US Soldiers in Iraq, who are not surrounded by friends/allies. I pray for the families of those killed at the consulate in Pakistan. My cousin used to work in an embassy. They are merely public servants.

This is rapidly expanding into a religious conflict that impacts the globe. Right or wrong, the genie is out of the bottle. You are not going to trick it into going back in. I am profoundly sad today.

I worked outside despite the colder temperatures today. I needed the physical exertion. More branches have been rendered into tiny twigs. I am looking at planting peas a little early. Normally, peas and onions go into the ground mid-March. Tuesday and onward, we get rain with 70 degree temps. The soak of a week of rain may be good for germinating. I have a lot of seed so even if they die, at least I will feel better. Beets got planted today in my soil blocks. Generally I plant beets indoors around Feb 25th.

I am also working on some organic store-bought potatoes. I have them in a tray in the sun to start them chitting (growing eyes). I need to check on the seed potatoes I stored in the basement. I am sure those have grown vines, going everywhere. Next week I'll work on freshening up my soil in grow bags to get those started. They might live in the garage for a little bit until the weather settles. Then I need to check with the hardware store for raised bed soil. It's stupid early to be doing this but if we want to eat this year, it's gotta be done. Last year the hardware store ran out of soil before the end of March. I have a feeling that lack of affordability is about to get even worse. Mostly though, it just feels good to be doing something useful.

MI Gardener says that bare root plants will ship next week. I ordered 10 strawberry plants - June bearing, and another blueberry bush. As long as the pine tree in the front yard is doing well, the blueberries should too. They will all go in the SW Mandala bed. It'll be a good start to the season. Another thing I ordered was onion starts. Those are coming from The Maine Potato Lady. They could come anytime in March. It adds additional urgency to making new garden beds.

Last year's onions arrived March 18th.


Last night I took my list and started trying to do a plant layout for each bed. Since I haven't finished making the beds yet, it was hard. I think I'll find more motivation if I start clearing weeds in the back. Once I have the lay of the land, I'll have more confidence. This year's plant list includes peas, beans, lettuce, zucchini, onions, leeks, sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes (4 kinds), pumpkin, beets, cucumbers, spinach, celery, and a couple of chard plants. If things work out, I also have sorghum and corn. There will also be various herbs and flowers throughout the garden. Those always depend on what actually germinates.

1. The mouse stashed seeds inside the oven lining. They caught on fire. The stove/oven is toast. The mouse is fine.
2. The water was unusable for two days. Electric went out during the cold snap and there was backflow. It took two days for testing to prove the water was potable again.
3. We got a call from the US embassy in Warsaw. Don't ask. It's too long a story.
4. The temperature warmed significantly. Bats were out. One made it into my laundry and is wrapped around my washing machine's rotor. I hope it didn't suffer. It's very sad.
5. The van is still dead in the driveway. It has to dry out before I can try to jump it.
6. I had so much going on that I didn't realize I had a show last Saturday. My apologies.


Please let that be an end to the month's calamities.

It hit a high of 0 degrees F today. I checked our thermometer. Still no safe water. It appears now that an electrical outage occurred around 4 am Saturday morning. There was back-flow. The boil alert went out around 11 am. Power was fixed right away but my guess is the staff to test the water doesn't show up until Monday or else there are a lot of pipes to test. The list of affected townships is staggering. Over 95,000 people were affected. That might just be the number in Allegheny county. All of Washington county was affected. The current estimate to finish checking the safety of the water supply is Tuesday around midnight. It sucks.

I just rinsed my hands with some vinegar water. I have more cuts than is safe to take a shower in this. I have a lot of chapped and cracking skin. I grabbed two more quarts of canned water which I put away for emergencies. I also brought up more frozen water out of the freezer. The "no stove" nor water is wearing thin. Monday will warm up enough to start the car and go get propane.

I am quite hesitant to go shopping for a new stove. I don't know if the mouse died. No point in buying a replacement until I know for sure.

Amazingly, I saw a Starling today. The snow cover is still pretty deep but I put out fresh bird seed. The temps were negative last night again. It's hard to imagine that they predict 52 degrees on Tuesday.