Three Year House Project

Grandsons house project is quickly coming to an end and move in day is near. I’m hoping to see an announcement for open house sometime near the 4th of July this year.

Summer 2015 concrete slab was poured and ruff in plumbing is finished.

Spring / Summer 2016 In the beginning red iron was purchased, trusses custom constructed and house framing was welded up waiting dry in day.

Summer 2017 House dry in.
Exterior doors, windows, insulation, wall and roof sheet was in place before our fall rain season and the first cold weather arrived.

Summer, Fall, Winter 2018 Interior room framing, plumbing, electrical wiring and drywall in nearing completion.
Most of the detail time consuming projects are underway. Drywall taping and bedding, painting, wall outlets and light fixtures, ceiling fans are being installed. Much of the trim work still needs doing.

Winter / Summer 2019 There’s daylight at the end of the tunnel. Tile flooring has been installed. Kitchen is in it’s final phase, appliances are being installed.
Water, sewer plumbing electrical service are all installed.
Grin what else does a grandson and grand daughter in law, great grand son and great grand daughter need?

Grandson may forget to say thank you for all the help and encouragement but I won’t forget. Had it not been for Mom, dad, uncle’s, aunt’s and many others this house would still be nothing more than a few grand plans on scraps of paper.

The best and most important part of this 5 year project is he owns his house free and clear without the need for a 30 or 40 year mortgage. Has no bankers or loans to contend with .

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U.S. Army 244th Birthday / Flag Day

Pacific Paratrooper

244 Years Strong

THE U.S. ARMY

AMERICA’S FIRST NATIONAL INSTITUTION

Since its official establishment, June 14, 1775 — more than a year before the Declaration of Independence — the U.S. Army has played a vital role in the growth and development of the American nation. Drawing on both long-standing militia traditions and recently introduced professional standards, it won the new republic’s independence in an arduous eight-year struggle against Great Britain. At times, the Army provided the lone symbol of nationhood around which patriots rallied.

PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO VIEW THESE TWO (2) VERY SHORT VIDEOS.  THANK YOU

*****          *****          *****

Tomorrow is also Flag Day, an annual observance of the Second Continental Congress’ official adoption of the stars and stripes in 1777. At the time, they “resolved that the flag of the 13 United States” be represented by 13 alternating red and white stripes and the union…

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Cinnamon flavored adult beverage

This only works if you like the flavor of Cinnamon.

1 – 750 ml bottle of Gin, Vodka or white(clear) Rum 86 or 90 proof
3 or 4 sticks Cinnamon
1 cup cane sugar
1 cup distilled water
1 clean, sterilized quart canning jar with tight fitting lid

Variations or additions to this drink: Add few Clove seeds or fresh Vanilla seeds

* Bring 1 cup water and sugar to near boiling point. Stir sugar water until sugar is dissolved and clear until no hint of undissolved sugar remains

Put Cinnamon sticks and sugar syrup into quart jar

Pour 750 ml bottle of rum, vodka or gin into quart jar secure lid tightly

Refrigerate for 15 days or more, more is better

Carefully remove Cinnamon sticks, strain (I use a coffee filter) any Cinnamon bits left behind and bottle.

Serve cold with or without ice

** Warning this recipe makes a very, very sweet drink.
You may want to consider making your first bottle using 1/2 as much sugar and water.
Grin, you can always add a bit more sugar, but it’s really difficult to take sugar out of your adult beverage.

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Magnesium and Phosphorous deficiency

Magnesium and Phosphorous deficiency in your garden. Millennial Green Thumb blog pointed out how to identify Magnesium and Phosphorous deficiency in your vegetable patch and how to correct this nutrient deficiency problem.

This spotlighted the fact that I also sometimes suffer from mineral and vitamin deficiency. As I get older I have at times suffered from leg and hand cramps.

After a bit of research I discovered that often leg cramping can be cured by a daily dose of potassium supplement. Even though bananas and potato’s are good food based sources of potassium sometimes I still do not eat as well as I should and suffer from my poor diet choices.

I was suffering from hand cramps a few months back and discovered that a daily dose of Magnesium supplement mostly resolved my hand cramping problem.

If you are over 50 it would be a good idea to speak to your doctor about adding a daily dose of mineral supplements and you may want to consider supplementing your diet with iron and vitamin D.

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International Nude Gardening Day – An Event To Celebrate Gardening And Good Health

Nude (Naked) Gardening Day is 14 years old.
Happy birthday to all those brave soles that go nude in their gardens around the world on Nude Gardening Day, Saturday May 4, 2019.

Caution: Nude gardening is addictive and may be transmitted to other family members and close friends.

Status Active since 2005
Genre Annual naturism/nudism, gardening, guerilla gardening, permaculture event
Date(s) First Saturday of May
Frequency Annually, first Saturday of May
Location(s) International
Inaugurated Saturday, September 10, 2005
Most recent Saturday, May 5, 2018
* Next event Saturday, May 4, 2019
Website http://WNGD.org

Be brave, just do it.

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Flower in my weed patch

Little Bluestem grass photo @ Wikipedia.
This is year 3 on my go native project. So far it seems to be working out fairly well. During spring and summer I see a lot of Hummingbirds, bees, wasp and butterfly’s visiting the flowers and in the fall and winter I have a lot of cardinals”red birds’, doves, quail, finches and wrens that take advantage of flower and grass seed that remained after frost.

I have an area that covers about 10,000 square feet on the north side of my house/yard that I am allowing to reestablish it’s self in ‘mostly’ little bluestem, native grasses, wildflowers and a lot of just common weeds. It is a no mow area. Last fall I over seeded that area with some purple cone flower and Mexican hat flower seeds, but truth be know I really don’t know how much of that seed actually came into direct contact with bare soil or how much germinated. I will have a better idea later this summer when the flowers have had time to out grow the grass so I can get a idea what I should do this fall in my over seeding project.

I have another space only about 10 feet wide and 50 feet long on the west side of my chicken pen that I will over seed with purple cone flower and what the seed seller is calling ‘Long Headed Coneflower’ just before our next rain storm is forecast to pass over my tiny spot of Southwest Oklahoma.
FYI – Long Headed Coneflower, to me looks just like Mexican hat but with all the flower peddles colored yellow.

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Spring prepping for summer wildlife viewing

Hummingbirds will soon be returning to my tiny garden. Black-chinned and Ruby-throat hummingbirds have been sighted by bird spotters not more than 50 or 75 miles south of my tiny garden. 2019 spring hummingbird migration map

Today is forecast to be around 70%F, so, I’m making up a batch of sugar water and sterilizing hummingbird feeders. I want to be sure when birds arrive I have food out for them. After their long migration flights from central Mexico they will be tired and hungry in need of a high sugar, high energy food source.

The worst thing that can happen is I will need to dump and putout fresh food in 3 – 5 days should the birds fail to arrive this week.

FYI- To make your own sugar water, use 4 parts water to 1 part sugar. 1 cup water with 1/4 cup sugar, 2 cups water with 1/2 cup sugar, anyway your get it 4 to 1 ratio.
Bring water to a boil, add sugar and remove from heat source. Stir until sugar is dissolved in your hot water.
Do not boil your sugar water, you want sugar water not syrup.
Adding red food coloring to your sugar water is not necessary and in some cases can be harmful to hummingbirds.
Hint: Use pure cane sugar not beet sugar.

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Things some people have forgotten and some young people never knew

Before you get your Political Correct panties in a knot.
This is a fun posting and should be viewed as a Fun Posting.

 
 
 
 
My Garden Fairy spreading garden fairy dust in my garden

 
 
 
With all the scandals on fraud and bribery in university admissions, parents and student alike must consider what $75 thousand dollars buys at our top rated universities.

 
 
 

I support PETA. People Eating Tasty Animals

 
 
 
A few words of free advice for our young people in and out of university.

Why do ->YOU<- garden?

I often hear gardeners bragging about how much money they have saved by self growing vegetables in their backyard or plot gardens. If you do a detail cost assessment of your growing cost and supermarket cost per pound(kilo) you may find it is costing more per pound to grow than to buy.

Gardening and gardeners generally fall into two categories.
Category 1. I think most home gardeners fall into category 1 gardeners. Gardening for us is a hobby. We are not in gardening because we think we will be saving a few hundred or even a thousand dollars on our yearly food bill.

We garden because we enjoy growing things and being out of doors. We like seeing our flower and vegetable seed grow and bloom. Freshly harvested vegetables have better color and taste better than vegetables that were picked last week and shipped to supermarkets.

Cost of gardening is not a primary consideration for us. We are into gardening for it’s health and entertainment value.

Category 2. This category often includes survivalist, penny pincers, those living off the grid or mostly off the grid. Category 2 gardeners are concerned with feeding their family summer and winter from home garden grown produce. They are most likely to can, freeze and dehydrate garden produce for long term storage. Gardening is not a hobby to them. It’s a yearly on going job/task to be accomplished.

It matters not if you are a category 1 or 2 gardener gardening is not cheap. The initial cost can be overwhelming.
Container gardening requires investment in large containers(pots). Damaged pot must be replaced. New fresh potting soil must be purchased every spring.
Flower/vegetable seed must be purchased and often seeds or seedlings must be purchased every growing season. Many times you must invest in grow lighting. Allocate space and a heated environment to germinate and grow seedlings.

Green house or grow house are a costly investment and require continuous maintenance. Initial grow lighting is not cheap nor is the cost of heating a grow area or green/grow house.

Raised beds are not cheap to buy or build and require maintenance to keep them in good condition. Raised beds must be replaced every few years. They must be rejuvenated by adding compost every grow season.

All situations require the use of organic or man made fertilizers.
Insect and weed control be it organic or commercial made is an ongoing battle that is time consuming and often expensive.
Few areas receive enough rain at the time needed, so add the cost of collecting water or the cost of using tap water to keep your garden plants in good, healthy and productive condition.

Some, not all gardeners must invest in good fencing to keep pest like deer, dogs, lions, tigers, bears and elephants out of their garden plot.

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Spring .. are we there yet?

Spring… depending on your definition of spring, March 1 or to some March 21 is the start of spring. Either way my soil temperature at the 2 inch depth is 45%F and still to cool for most spring garden plant seed to germinate well.

FYI: I garden in USDA hardness zone 7, in southwest Oklahoma. It is still 40 or so days until the arrival of my last usual frost free night, some time around the 10th of April.

This morning I have had a winter weather event. Temperatures have dropped from 33%F at 6AM to 23%F recorded at 3PM this afternoon. Not much rain but enough to cover everything with a thin layer of ice.

I ventured out long enough to fill/refill bird feeders and now it is time to pour a glass of wine and watch the birds getting fat on welfare bird seed platters.

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