George Shirley wrote:
On 11/21/2010 11:50 PM, Dan L wrote:
George wrote:

[SNIP]

Friend has a Golden Retriever who can open the screen door, has the
handle you have to push to open and the dog figured it out. Now they
have to lock the door to keep him in.

OB: edible gardens, harvested enough broccoli crowns today for
dinner
tonight. Also need to harvest a bunch of sweet chiles and have about
a
six-quart bucket of hot chiles ready to pick. Okra has pretty much
given up but the tomatoes are putting on fruit again. If we don't
get
a hard freeze this winter we might make it.

George, in USDA Zone 9b

My dog is a yorke. He is always with me outside. My little dog comes
and
goes as he pleases though the doggie dog. Still alive and going on
six
years old.

Our old rat terrier had to be put down at age 11.5, she had cancer
really bad. About broke our hearts. Less than a month later we got
another rat terrier and now she has stolen our hearts. Both learned to
use the dog door quickly. One goes through the back door into the
garage and another is in the west wall of the garage. I've seen the
terrier go through both doors so fast they seem to make the same sound
at the same time. Usually they are after squirrels, a primary pest in
our gardens.


My gardens have been put to rest for the winter. One small salad
garden,
4x12 ft, just off my back deck. A canning garden, 20x20ft fenced in.
A
third raised bed garden under development, 50x100 ft, for cutting
flowers and for small fruits, a five year project, soil all clay.
Some
day I would like a small greenhouse in that area. Money is tight now
that I am retired... For the time being

We've been in this house for twenty years now. We have a veggie garden
that is 17X24, a back fence garden that is 3X70 and a west side garden
that is 3X75. Not to mention the odd flower beds, etc. In the backyard
I have two plum trees, a peach tree, a Japanese persimmon, a St.
John's quince, and two kumquat trees. Did have a nice pear tree and a
nicer lemon tree. The winter of 2009/2010 did them both in, we had
several hard freezes for the first time in our twenty years here.
Luckily the pear and the lemon are self-propagating and we now have
scions that have come up from the roots. I will replant them in better
places come January.

I look at this way. Beyond fruit and vegetables, eggs and milk to me
are
useful food groups. Almost every recipe has milk or eggs. However, if
funds get too tight, Bessy will be the first to go. She is expensive
and
takes allot of space, time and work. Chickens are super easy.
Chickens
are easier than removing weeds or taking care of a dog.

No livestock of any kind in our small town, the only thing we can't do
anything about are the grackles and the squirrels, the whole blamed
town is a wildlife refuge.

Will be starting some seed kits indoors in February.
Also got my first seed catalog yesterday from pine tree.

http://www.nadrhel.com/

I had bad luck with Pine Tree last year and the year before, very low
germination rate on the seeds I had ordered. Since we are planning on
moving back to East Texas next year we may not plant a spring garden.
I'm hoping to find a place somewhere around Livingston, TX that has
about a half to one acre that we can afford and then start my orchard
and gardens all over again. Livingston is about an hour drive from
where our descendants, all eighteen of them, live. Close enough to
visit but not so close they will drop the great grands off for us to
baby sit. Devious minds are old minds. G

I never ordered anything from pine tree, just the first seed catalog. I
purchased seeds from Baker Street heirloom seed company. I too had a
poor germination rate. I believe many of these seed companies buy seeds
from a common source. I tend to have good rates with Johnny Seeds.
Johnny Seeds does not have that wide variety of heirlooms. I still have
not gotten into seed saving for veggies. I seed save for my annual
flowers.

My little yorkie is great mouser, almost like a cat. The Ospreys do not
seem to bother him.

Many communities now allow Hens to be raised. Especially in suburban
areas. No roosters but most certainly egg laying hens. Chickens are
really super easy to take care of. Convert a garden shed. Punch a hole
in the garage. If you do no need to mow the back yard.

--
Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan)