Radogast's Non-420 Garden Creation Thread

[Radogast]

A quick look at the back porch area


The early blueberries might ripen before we leave next next month

The Black Hawk Raspberries had 4 black circles inside strong new growth totally choking the 4 new canes. I cut off the new canes in case it was a systemic blight, but I think it was larvae. The old growth is much smaller but unaffected. If we were staying around, I would do more investigation.

The catnip is growing like a weed, so I will be harvesting some before we leave.

The Concord Grape (concord is a few miles down the road) finally made it to the upper trellis.

Yesterday afternoon, a bobcat walked right by this Black Snakeroot, Black Cohosh, Fairy Candles. 3 of us watched it strut from the log bridge, past the firepit and across the cordoroy road that dams the pond. The same route as the groundhog takes.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Damn! I've got catnip growing here and didn't even know it! Never thought to look that "weed" up that I've been pulling out. LOL

I'm catching up as best I can here today.

 

[Radogast]

I am totally enjoying the baby mammals this week.

Yesterday was our first every bunny on the island - a baby. A critter for us to enjoy watching and for the future owners to deal with.

Today was a baby chipmunk and a baby red squirrel. Lots of mapping and curiousity in their movements. They scare themselves and bounce around like tigger. At one point the baby chipmunk and baby red squirrel were chasing each other Heart warmingly cute.


The pictures were too blurry to share - so how about an overview of the back yard

 

[Radogast]

The grocery store Knockout rose is blooming like crazy.

It's hard to imagine the cuteness of this baby Red Squirrel. Since we are leaving, this one won't be hand fed.

The bees were hard at work visiting the wild flowers. Not the cleanest workmen, they left a mess of pollen everywhere after they left.

 

[Radogast]

Today's Baby Mammals

I know they terrorize gardens... but they are so cute !


Chipmunk, Red Squirrel, and Gray Squirrel babies together on the deck

Baby Groundhog (two black eyes and nose in center of photo below the rock border)

The Mrs, reports that about 1/2 hour after this photo, baby groundhog had browsed along the path to the patch of clover in the bottom of the photo. Lying on it's side chewing on clover flowers... Until I reved the car in the front of the house and dropped the clutch - followed quickly by baby groundhog scampering along the paths to safety.

 

[Radogast]

Dropping the clutch


Today, for the first time in 7 years, I started the engine on my car. She has officially graduated from 'Barn Car' to 'Project Car.'

I had recently hand carved new rubber bushings to connect my shifter cables to the transaxle, the car can now be moved in and out of gear. This was important because without being able to find the gears I could not find neutral. Combined with me not being sure I had correctly bled the hydraulic clutch - this means it was unsafe to start the engine as it would risk demolishing my transaxle.

Not having the engine running meant I had not been moving the wheels so the brake pads had become firmly glued to the brake disks with a coating of rust. Being unable to gently roll the car to test if my transaxle was in neutral, meant that dragging the wheels to tow the car or rolling the car around could also damage my transaxle - When we moved into this house, she was moved on a flatbed towtruck with wheel dollies.

This afternoon, I started the engine. After sitting for 7 years, the engine started within seconds and ran just as well as it did before (among other problems, I have a dead MAF.) I love 21st century German engineering.


All this is off topic - but a huge milestone in my life and moving forward. This car (Sonja) and I have A LOT of memories.

Rust trails from dropping the clutch and cracking the rust off my brakes - which is what scared the baby groundhog.

I am ecstatic

 

[ajagunle]

There's a good Omen

 

[Radogast]

River, the cat, has been spending a lot of time in a box the last 2 days, chasing his tail, playing with a blanket, so I threw in some euphoric plant matter.


Cat, in a box, with catnip.

 

[Radogast]

Striped Skunk babies

Last night was sooooooooooo cute . The wife saw them and was almost speechless, pointing and saying "...look, look ..cute. "

For about 20 minutes we saw a mother Striped skunk and her skunk babies. Except what we saw was more like the garden doing a fan dance strip tease. Along the curves of the earth flowed a v-shaped fan of black and white stripes. Back and white sriped near the front, speckled white fluffy plumes near the rear, ike an ostrich fan gliding over a nude hip. 24 ittle legs and 6 segments rippling up and down with a bit of tumbling and swirling.

They flowed up to the old graveyard rocks to eat a half empty bowl of catfood. The skunk/ostrich fan flowed to the garden hose, regrouped, then broke into mini fans, nudged up each step one or two at a time, then finally reformed into a fan as they inspected the remaining seeds not fully eated by squirrels, chipmunks and birds. . They flowed down the steps with more grace - each baby in tight formation beginning at mother skunk's hips.

The teenagers were watching with us saying ... "so cute." The girl threw out some peanuts and the skunk fan turned and started up the steps beore getting too skitish and leaving.


I didn't dare use my flash - so this is all I have for photo proof. Hey! it would be good enough for a Loch Ness sighting

To get an idea of how cute they were, check out the still photos at
www.bwoodphotography<dot>com/Wildlife/Carnivora/Striped-Skunk-Mephitis

 

[Tead]

After sitting for 7 years, the engine started within seconds and ran just as well as it did before

Wow! 7 years... pretty amazing it purred right off.

I had a similar experience with my diesel generator not long ago. Not nearly as sexy a a Porsche, but a touch more functional in my world.

 

[Radogast]

Wow! 7 years... pretty amazing it purred right off.

I had a similar experience with my diesel generator not long ago. Not nearly as sexy a a Porsche, but a touch more functional in my world.

Functional, schmunctional.

I'm supposed to throw the car away just because tires cost $1 per hour highway and $30 per hour on the track?

 

[SweetSue]

Thank you for the delightful telling of the wildlife adventures Rad. The "striped fan" was most descriptive. I'm gonna miss that yard. You made it flow so organically, more like a parklet than a yard.

 

[Radogast]

Thank you for the delightful telling of the wildlife adventures Rad. The "striped fan" was most descriptive. I'm gonna miss that yard. You made it flow so organically, more like a parklet than a yard.

Blank canvas at the new place. 4 arbors, 6 shepherds hooks, dozens of wind chimes, bird feeders and solar pathlights in search of a home. The wife expects to be more involved this time - her first suggestion, cut a hole in the fence so racoons and bunnies don't chew and claw their way in and out. It gives me an excuse to keep the chainsaw

Solstice animal sighting: opossum.

 

[Radogast]

Bella & Donna - RIP
(This post is copied from a reply in my grow journal. Pictures were added)

I packed up the Garden Fairy, the remaining path lights and marble pieces for moving today. Except for the shed, the yard is ready for our move in 2 weeks.

The animals have been coming by the picture window to say goodbye in the last couple of weeks: baby squirrels, chipmunks, red squirrels, bobcat, possum, skunks, rabbit, cardinal, crow, jay, titmouse, chickdee, robin, bluebird, finch, nuthatch, wren, humingbird.


At yesterday's breakfast, for the second day in a row, our elderly rat Bella was showing confusion, loss of balance and easily startled. They are in the habbit of climbing into a red basket in the morning and riding 'Up, up and away' to the breakfast table. For about 3 weeks Bella, she has been fetching food off my wife's plateand carrying it back to the basket to share with her equally elderly sister rat Donna - as Donna has chosen not to be part of the move and grown a large tumor. Donna hasn't been in obvious pain, but she has stopped being the curious and intrepid explorer. Bella was having so much trouble that Donna fetched food for Bella in the basket the last 2 mornings, but Bella didn't eat much. An inspection of Bella showed she also has a tumor and trouble with her left eye. We made arrangements for a vet to give them both life ending shots. I took them to the vet this evening.

The ratty girls were excellent companions for 3 years. They really were the sweetest little rats I have ever met. The girl and I burried them together in a favorite sized box, facing towards the sunset at the foot of a mother tree overlooking the brook. Tears were shed and hugs were shared.

My wife's birthday, Juneteenth/Father's Day, Last day of High School, Summer Solstice, burying the rats and final packing of the yard - this full moon summer solstice has been very transitional. We don't usually have honey bees around, but maybe I'll find a bumble bee to tell tomorrow.


Bella and Donna - Rest in Peace in love and in our memories

 

[SweetSue]

RIP precious little ones.

 

[Radogast]

I thought I was done with this thread... but the animals have been showing themselves. The corduroy road dam I built has been accepted as a pathway on and off the island. The animals contninue to come by to say goodbye.


Racoon last night

Running rabbit this morning

No photos of the Red Squirrel dragging 1/3 of a french baguette 6x it's size


Turkeys (3 hens and at least 8 poult.) The reason we let the grasses grow

 

[Radogast]

Copied from my post on Cannafan's Beauty of the changing seasons:


This girl watched me do dishes and stuff at the sink for 40 minutes

Cute and coy from a distance, she has the look down.

The bumbles were busy as bees today

I told them we were leaving in a week.

[/QUOTE]

 

[SweetSue]

Do you think the squirrels have figured out you're moving?

 

[Radogast]

Do you think the squirrels have figured out you're moving?

Pretty much all the local wild animals have checked in with us. Today, I picked up a turkey feather in the yard. Except for bear, I think every bird and mammal to be found in the woods has shown themselves in the time we have lived here. The last 2 I could think of were bear and turkey.

 

[SweetSue]

Pretty much all the local wild animals have checked in with us. Today, I picked up a turkey feather in the yard. Except for bear, I think every bird and mammal to be found in the woods has shown themselves in the time we have lived here. The last 2 I could think of were bear and turkey.

That's a wonderful thing. The connection you and your family made to this plot of land and it's other earthlings was such a delight to be a part of. My daughter and I were laughing just yesterday about the ravens and I believe it was the tax man? Hahaha! A tale for the ages. Lol!

I look forward to sharing in your new adventure. It pleases me to have this aloe plant growing and have a small piece of you here. It's starting to take off now.

I was just appreciating the lingering scent of a joint, thinking of you, as a matter of fact, because I know you'd understand what I mean. There's something comforting about smoking a joint. I don't do it often, JayBliz inspired this one over at the smokeathon. Makes the place smell like home. It was interesting to think of you and walk right into you. That just happened with Sara. If it happens with anyone else I'm gonna freak out.