CANADIAN REGION: What are you doing in March 2016?

I will try something like that next  time.  Thanks for the suggestion, TD.

From Youtube

How to harvest a pound of worms.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+to+harvest+a+pound+of+worms&&view=detail&mid=54E94121A1C02CE72B0354E94121A1C02CE72B03&FORM=VRDGAR

Thanks, sanderson.  It is easy if you have the equipment and the castings are of the right consistency.

I spent an hour and a half doing some tidying up in my garden;  moving bags of leaves, wood chips and grass to the rear where the compost piles are.  There I will finish shredding the leave and then mix them with grass and coffee grounds and all the stuff I put in my chest freezer during the winter.  There was quite a lot of debris, mainly garbage bags that had split, and old containers past their best that I was happy to scrap as they had been used for years. Plus bits of wood including some of the oldest bits of my first two SFGs that I will trim to make top hats or similar.

Along the way I rescued a number of worms that I had disturbed, mostly compost worms that I put in one of my bins plus a few earth worms that I placed in a safe place so that they could continue their good work in the wood chips.

One of my new season's resolutions is  to label stuff. On a par with labeling the stuff I put in my freezer.   I think I will remember, but everything looks the same when it is frozen or  coming up from the ground. At least I do recognize creeping buttercup.

As winter approaches, there is always something not cleared away so I have to work a bit harder as soon as possible in the following year. I am getting better every year.

I was wondering where I had put my daffodils the other day.  Now I know where they were as I saw a couple of deer munching  away.  I will have to do something about that.  Already I have covered the patch of grape hyacinths with wire netting as I saw that they had been eaten to the ground.  I only hope that the flowers will make it as I am sentimental about that patch, being the only flowers in the garden when we moved in. The tulips are looking good, but I guess I will have to deer-proof them also.

Siesta time for me and Jazz.   zzzzzzz!

Sounds like you had a great day! Operation: Worm Rescue, very worthy...

Yes, Scorpio. one of those satisfying days when you feel that you have made progress.

A good day! You two deserved the nap.

Things I learned today (again)
#1 Don't presume.  It is a sorta nice day today, so I said frig it.  I am going to start more of my learning quest today no matter how cold the soil is.  I presumed that even with the cooler days and negative nights that the soil is still too cold to be too productive even though I had it covered.  Well, I decided to take my thermometer outside and put it under the plastic.  Huh. 27C.  Although this is only the surface temp, that is a good sign for me.  So a planting/learning I decide to go.

#2 Plan ahead.  I knew I had some sheep and cow compost under the step so I had to get it out as parts 1 and 2 of my blended compost (see I did learn that), and ya know what.  Still frozen solid.  So off I go to get part #3 which I knew would be solid.  Chip a chunk off each, lay it out and wait for it to thaw (which I am doing now).  No planting for me today.

#3 I am as impatient as ever.  Once I get to wanting to do something, I want to do it.  Now I am waiting.  With the weather over the next few days, and work, there will be no planting for me.  I had hoped to have done something by the 15th, and would have if I had done #1 earlier (see #2).

On the bright side.  My cabbage is still growing, and the broccoli just sprouted today (one of each) and I planted onion seed inside the other day so all is not lost.

Have a great day of spring today wherever you are.

#3 is the hardest.

sanderson wrote:#3 is the hardest.

I certainly agree with that, sanderson.

I am about to go outside and see if I can do something with the compost pile.
Lots of bagged leaves and grass, coffee grounds, and frozen kitchen scraps from my freezer.

My freezer needs clearing, so anything I cannot identify will go into compost.  That will teach me to label things.

I agree that #3 is the hardest as well...

I spent another two hours turning over my winter compost pile.  It sure is hard work turning over wet winter compost from a 4 x 4 x 4 pile.

In future I am going to go for a 3 x 3 x 3 pile that equals 27 cubic feet compare the the 64 cft of the 4 x 4 x 4.

I only made a 4 x 4 x 4 to use up all the wood that I had cut to that size, thinking I wold make more 4 x 4 beds.  In actual fact I now make 6 x 3 as it fits the length of my arms reaching into the middle of the beds.

KJ ... My back is aching just thinking about turning over that much compost. I have some time to get in shape as my compost piles are still well frozen. I'll probably be turning them in June!

Trolley, I feel fine. Thank you for your concern. I feel a bit tired was no aches or pains.

SWALLOWS (or are they House Martins?)

Today, my swallows have returned to look at the nest they had last year under my car port.  I checked it on my calendar, and saw that it was exactly the same day as last year.  I had been looking out for them due to that entry made in 2015, and they arrived right on time.  At least they know there is a home for them once more.  they have returned every year since 1997 when we built their nesting box and raised a brood every time.

I love swallows, with their acrobatic flying, fly and mosquito eating habit, and their beautiful split tails and colors!

Kelejan wrote:Trolley, I feel fine. Thank you for your concern. I feel a bit tired was no aches or pains.

SWALLOWS (or are they House Martins?)

Today, my swallows have returned to look at the nest they had last year under my car port.  I checked it on my calendar, and saw that it was exactly the same day as last year.  I had been looking out for them due to that entry made in 2015, and they arrived right on time.  At least they know there is a home for them once more.  they have returned every year since 1997 when we built their nesting box and raised a brood every time.

Having the swallows return for 19 years is so neat, so special. A 3'x 3' x 3' cage is plenty big for me. I can't imagine approaching a 4' x 4' x 4' thinking, "I have to turn this."

Kelejan, you are still my hero! And a wonderful power of example of what 81 is like!

CC

CapeCoddess wrote:Kelejan, you are still my hero!  And a wonderful power of example of what 81 is like!

CC

+1

I am 100% in agreement.

+2

+3!!

CapeCoddess wrote:Kelejan, you are still my hero!  And a wonderful power of example of what 81 is like!

CC

+4

+5

+6

Oh. heavens!  I think I am just lucky to have good health. But thank you, all the same.

That certainly helps, KJ. But you're also INVOLVED.

You're always going hither & yon to hang out with friends, hand out worms, working in the garden, walking LOTS to do all of that.

Unfortunately, I think a lot of older folks just stop and that's when they really start going downhill quickly. I don't know if they think they don't have much to contribute anymore or what... They withdraw from life, it seems like...

I'm glad you're not like that! You add so much here on the forum. I just enjoy reading your posts. And I'm sure your nearby friends feel that you add so much to their lives!