jdmidwest

Probably just normal attrition, I don't really worry about it much. Some could have been dead already and dropped by undertakers carrying them out. I put a feeder on one at farm today, it was light. I did not expect it to make it thru because of problems last fall. But the stronger one next to it was the one that failed in Nov.

I watched bees sail out today into the snow to die. It was a pretty mass dieoff. I have read the snow disorients them, when it is white on the ground they lose their bearing and go down instead of up. Of course, the snow freezes and kills them. We got close to 50 today, about half of the snow melted, puddles of mud and water everywhere.

Post up that Etoufee recipe. The one I have used in the past costs a fortune and takes forever. That oven based roux would be a good recipe too.

I will have to water the bed in a few days, it dried out really good. I have good drainage on that bed, it is raised about 6" above the ground, I built it with scrap 1x10 lumber a few years ago. We have another round coming in tonight and tomorrow, 1" sleet and 3-7 snow, then hopefully we are done. This late cold spell has taken a toll on the bees I fear. Found one hive with the entrance reducer knocked out and mouse turds around. I have a feeling that there will be a mess in that one when I crack it open next week. It finally warmed up enough yesterday that they came out and flew some. Bee crap everywhere. They have been holding on to it for about 2 weeks. Next week is looking so much better.

A siding guy would probably be the one to call to replace the wood and wrap it with new fascia metal. No need to paint and you would be maint free. I would call around an get a couple of quotes. Depending on the style of the gutter, aluminum or steel, they may be part of the culprit. Steel may have rusted out. Of course, with all of the snow and ice, the weight of it may have just pulled them away.

Bed dried and thawed out. Got the lettuce planted 2 weeks late. Another foot of snow coming.

Looks like the BBC report I read this weekend was false. Facebook hoax turned to real news report.

Blondie is gone now too, she was 69. I used to wake up to her every morning my senior year. Debbie Harry passed yesterday. The worst thing about getting old is watching everyone you have grown up with die.

Thats some cool stuff.

This is the time of year I stock up on guns and ammo, hunting stuff and the like. Good clearance prices this time of year. Fishing stuff gets bought out in the fall at the end of fishing season when prices fall. Bad thing is, as you get older, you forget what you have when it comes time to use it....

MDC sent out a flash email last nite with the new law books that were a reminder for me. TN license is up tomorrow too.

That's it. I did not see it on the MDC website where I was looking. I used to feed bird feed, but switched to hen scratch which is milo, crack corn, and wheat. $8 a 50 lb bag this year now that grain cost is lower. I only feed them heavy like this during a ground covering snow. I will be cutting back as the ground starts to show and let them get back to fending for themselves.

I know he may be disturbed to be remembered by that character alone, but he was Spock. He was good in other roles, but he was Spock to the end. Leonard Nemoy passed on today. God speed and avoid the wormholes. Kirk will probably be remembered as a hotel hocker, Sulu, well, only the rainbow will tell.

Rules have always been complicated. Remember the point system for ducks? The ones that have baffled me are somewhat confusing. Waterfowl must retain a wing and head from field to home for id and transport. A motel is not home. A cabin you own in the field is, from the cabin to your real abode is free sailing. But a motel to your real abode is taboo. Possesion of underlength fish in a lenght regulated area. Go to Montauk and catch a few stockers, toss them in a cooler and drive down below the park to fish for real. Fish in cooler are now illegal. They actually have a freezer at the lodge for this where you can store them, but it is a little known fact. Quietly fishing the catch and release area at Montauk and the wife decides she wants to drop a dime, buy some fish food, and pass the time while patiently watching me fish. I raised a little stink over that one and they took them out. She was not chumming, and I was not catching any more than normal if she was not hanging around.

Al, you can find rebuild kits for those old Benjamin pumpers and rework them yourself. A few little o-rings make alot of difference. I am trying to figure out what the orange breast, black back, head and beak bird is. I was guessing Oriole, but I doubt it. I remember standing in the door of the shed 3 weeks ago talking to a friend on the phone, a robin landed on a limb close by. I laughed at him and told him he was way too early this year. He has been hunkering down in the white pines waiting for some open ground.

Just came in from feeding the hogs, aka birds. I have 2 feeders out and things have been pretty quiet until the snow fell 2 weeks ago Sunday. Then things started picking up. I have been thru 80 lbs of hen scratch since then. After the snow, I started tossing some out on the ground because the feeders were too crowded. There has been an assortment. Wood peckers and wood hen, cardinals, blue jays, doves, sparrows, titmouse, thrush, snow birds, and a few I really can't pin a name on. I was out there a while ago feeding and spotted something out of the corner of my eye. I turned around to catch a small hawk swooping in then pulling out when he saw me. No doubt, he has been feeding on some of my customers at the feeders.

Pickwick has been becoming one of my favorite lakes the past few years. We fish out of the lower end around the Wilson Dam. This ole boy is up around the shoals. I have been wanting to take a trip down there also.

I like the rareseed link. I found those ladypeas Grandpa used to raise on that site. Been looking for them all over.

Nice pig.

Try this place. Just got their catalog yesterday. Website and catalog shows how to collect and save the seed. All are heirloom. http://www.seedsavers.org/

Thanks for the link, I have not run across the one fly site. The trouble with my location is I am several hours from a local fly shop, material access is limited. I do have a nice selection of material in house to create from. Nice snowy day today. Going to tye some on today.

Went out to start the lettuce beds yesterday as usual. Valentine's Day is the start of the garden season around here normally. I cleaned off the raised bed of leaves and last years dead stuff. I decided it needed some more dirt. Went in to town and bought a few bags of composted peat. I noticed they were a little stiff. Opened them up at the house and dumped them in the bed. Made a nice little bed of black ice cubes about 12" square. Put the glass on and will let the thermal activity of the sun melt them out. Maybe next week or so. Looks like the garden is going to be a little late this year. 12" snow coming in tonight and tomorrow, low temp of -3 on Wed. night. I doubt if the seed would have germinated anytime soon anyway.

Its coming here tonight, 6 to 12 inches of nice powder. Its about time, not much fun having cold weather without a little white stuff.

Get a room.

I think Mack's and Cabela's has already had their clearance. Might be a few left.