SPRING FEVER

[NorthernWinos]

Something has been happening....The days are getting longer and even on bitterly cold days you can feel the sun has some power to it...Spring is trying to make it's presence....Not for a long time for us up on the Northern Plains.

The seed and nursery catalogs tease you with their beauty...tempting you...so you go through your seeds, get an order together and within days...the seeds arrive...not to meet soil for sometime...so you have to wait.....

You place an order for fruit bearing shrubs...they will not be shipped to my zone for at least 2 months...We think of the places to plant them.... we agree on a spot for a 'Wine Garden'...look at the calender again....so you have to wait....

I look under my grow lights....didn't have good luck with the grape cuttings this year....one ray of hope...

One Frontenac Vine has finally sent out some buds and a couple leaves...the roots had been visible for many weeks growing out the bottom of the pot, so there was hope....

I didn't want to order anymore vines till I see what survives this open and cold winter....so one baby gives me hope.

Aching to dig in the soil, I remember "The Amaryllis Bulbs"...I rush to the root cellar and find them under a tray of garlic...they are showing signs of growth...even in the cold darkness of the root cellar, they know that the seasons are changing....

I gather the pots from the frigid greenhouse, open a bag of potting soil that has been in the basement....the fresh smell of soil is in the bag....I pour some soil into a tray...run my hands through it....Ahhhh!!

Trim the roots of the Amaryllis bulbs....Clean the pots....

Plant them...

Place them under the grow lights....Within a month there will be some beautiful blooms...

My dirt-addiction has had a 'fix'....

I feel much better now....

Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[peterCooper]

NW that is so cool. Looks like your busy time will be starting up in a little while.

 

[jobe05]

That looks like fun NW. I wish I had half the ability that you have in looking ahead the way you do. You knew last fall to dig those bulbs up and bring them in so you could do something with them in the middle of winter. Me..... I either plant new ones, or plant nothing at all................

 

[NorthernWinos]

Seems like I just planted these bulbs....they are growing already and sending up the flower stalks....

Meanwhile...blizzard conditions outside...finally getting some snow....

But thinking of spring...

 

[Wade E]

Where do you guys get those crazy animated little figures?

 

[NorthernWinos]

I get mine from Google....Google things like Flower Smileys.....then Right Click some you like and save to a folder....

Don't know where Ramona gets her's...she has some good ones....Hope she tells us sometime....

 

[grapeman]

How are those bulbs doing NW. Any flowers yet? A day like today certainly doesn't give you the feeling spring is here. Another 8-10 inches of snow today.

I got my zipset pots and flats yesterday. I'm going to use them this year for starting the grape cuttings in. Supposed to get 100 cuttings from Double A in a couple weeks. Hopefully shortly after I can begin doing what little pruning I need to do with the vines this year.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Appleman.....Bulbs are coming along nicely...6 flower buds in these 2 pots...Just like spring...they are taking their time...

Got more snow last night, hard to tell how much as the wind was blowing it all around...

It's no picnic here...

But we can still have fun and games...

Guess us Northerners can take the cold and blizzard conditions....

I feel bad for the folks in the South with such violent storms, and loss of life......I guess living in paradise surroundings comes with a price.Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[grapeman]

Guess us Northerners can take the cold and blizzard conditions....

.....I guess living in paradise surroundings comes with a price.

You are right NW, it's called the cold weather.


Darn, your picture of the flowers doesn't show up! Only the snow- and I'm getting tired of seeing that! Just got done plowing a foot of the heavy stuff and it's snowing even harder now!

 

[smurfe]

Appleman.....Bulbs are coming along nicely...6 flower buds in these 2 pots...Just like spring...they are taking their time...

Got more snow last night, hard to tell how much as the wind was blowing it all around...

It's no picnic here...

But we can still have fun and games...

Guess us Northerners can take the cold and blizzard conditions....

I feel bad for the folks in the South with such violent storms, and loss of life......I guess living in paradise surroundings comes with a price.

Those pictures actually make me miss living up north. I know I gripe about being cold all of the time but I do love winter and cold weather. It is the dampness and cold I hate here. I am colder here than I ever was in Illinois. I actually love winter and deep snow. I did hate the rain and sleet though but a new fresh snow of about 8" on a clear wind still day can't be beat in my opinion.


You are right about the storms to. I could live through a blizzard any day compared to a hurricane and that season is now here. Sounds like it is going to be a bad one again this year as well according to the weather experts this morning. I am ready to move someplace like Arizona but I am here for a few more years until kids grow up.


Smurfe

 

[NorthernWinos]

Thanks for Posting the photos Smurfe....don't know why I can't get them Posted the normal way...and...the way I am doing it doesn't work for everyone..

 

[rgecaprock]

I don't know about you guys,,,especially you Northeners since you do see winter....but I love to watch movies that take place in the cold and snow...for example "Fargo" and some of Stephen Kings movies....something about snow just leaves alot to the imagination....it is so quiet and mysterious.






As for my animations. I found Heather's Animations,there are quite alot of them. Kind of spices up the dialog.


Ramona

Edited by: rgecaprock

 

[jsmahoney]

I haven't had time for pictures, but, we had an additional 10-12 inches of snow. We have a cow/calf operation and it has just been terrible this year. Our cattle lot is two feet deep in mud! That is no good when these women cows decide to calve and have that poor new born in a puddle of mud. We have been up all night about every two hours checking the cows for the past three weeks. Most of them we put into the barn and stall them, but we can't get them all into the barn. The wind has been blowing40-50miles an hourbringing the night down to around 30 below. With the cold, snow, rain, ice, and back into the 40's during the daywe worked for the last two to threedays to push the cattle and their young out to pasture on solid ground. Pretty rough to herd them in such a swampy mess, unable to use the tractor with chains, ATV's can't get through, and so our trusted feet is what was used. It is such a sickening site to see these poor new Born's cold, muddy, and frost bitten ears and tails. We have taken several new Born's into our shop to warm them up and pray they survive. We have been lucky so far up until last night, we lost one to the cold. I know most people don't think about cattle and their young, but it is a crying site to see a new born not making it, or ill from the weather. You work so hard to care for these young ins, while there mothers try and beat you to death to stay away. But when the spring comes around and they are all running with their tails in the air having a blast. It is all worth it!

 

[grapeman]

I feel your agoney js. Winters can be really rough on all animals, especially herd animals when confined to an area like yours are. I have been in about the same boat as you only ours were dairy cattle that needed milking twice a day. Those days like you describe youpray to God you make it through to the next one. I think the worst days were when you have a heavy snow and then a half inch to an inch of ice on top. The cattle scare themselves by crunching through the ice and making noise. Then they all take off on a stampe and nothing stops them. After almost ten years of that, my wife and I gave up and sold them all. That was heartbreaking also, but made life easier to live day to day. Good luck in the short term, and remeber those spring days aren't too far away.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Thanks for Posting that....I can relate....We use to raise livestock...I was a Pig Mamma for may years...we ran about 180 sows...it was always tough to get all the sows to the crates before they had their litters...the worst sound was to hear babies out in the sow lots in the middle of the night during the winter...then the work began.

We also backgrounded yearling beef steers....We had mamma cows for awhile, but then just started buying fresh weaned beef steers in the fall...I can relate to your boots getting sucked off your feet in the mud....We always had Blue Heeler dogs to do the dirty work and round them up out of the deep stuff....but getting to the feed bunks and moving them to higher ground was a nasty chore in mud season and deep snow....

We moved a few years ago and quit raising livestock...it was odd at first to sleep through the night, not run to the barn first thing in the mornings and the last thing before bed.....It is great....after awhile we didn't miss the livestock and enjoy our semi-retirement, was a little lost at first...really got into gardening to fill my time....we just grow a few crops now and rent out some land to sugar beet farmers at another farm.

We kept 2 saddle horses [that we no longer use] and continue to have Heeler dogs...they are a handful when they have no chores...You really have to try and have a job for them, even if it is just playing hard.

Good luck during the rest of your calving season...I'll be thinking about you...glad to meet another farmer on the Forum.

 

[jsmahoney]

When I started to work longer hours, I bought a border collie to help with the chores. *(&amp()(&^%%% is always on the wrong end! I've heard the blue heelers are the ones to get, but also heard they get Wolfie sometimes an didn't want a mean dog on the place. We have thought about selling, especially at times like these. But, just can't see living without them! I'd still have to have at least a dozen cows to calve out.


As far as Dairy cows! WOW! That to me is a lot more work! You absolutely have to be there every morning and every night for the milking. We use to go horse back riding a lot, and now have two horses, and two mules. I love the mules when they talk to us, but like you (don't have the time to use them). Decoration right now.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Our horses are now non-riding lawn-mowers...they keep the machinery yard trimmed in the summer and look pretty...I have been hospitalized twice from horses [not these] and have a great respect for them....

As for donkeys and mules...I don't know anything...except have heard...that they will give you 20 years service for one good kick.

No one can multi-task like a farmers wife....

 

[NorthernWinos]

The bulbs are finally opening...Ahhh...

Thinking of spring....

 

[grapeman]

Nice to see a flower about now. 2 record cold days in a row and another coming tomorrow. It never got above 0 yesterday with 40 mph winds. At least it only got to -10 deg today here. I had one guy that lives 40 miles away say it was -41 there this AM. They are talking 30's and 40's for the next week or so after another cold day or two. Yeah.


The dancing plant looks a lot like your beautiful specimen.

 

[rgecaprock]

NW,


What a pretty....amyrillis, right? Looks like you have another one soon ready to bloom too!!


Ramona