It's Fair Time and Garden Eats

The Placer County Fair is this weekend and it's free. You have until 10 tonight to enjoy. It's the time of year I make sure I'm home to watch my place and especially my parking spot. I knew with the free entrance fee the "free" parking around my neighborhood would be especially utilized. I planned trips in the a.m. and worked on my project, another room strip, texture spray and paint adventure in the afternoon/evenings. Incorporated into this was a slow barbequed pork loin with slow roasted potatoes and grilled grey zucchini from the garden. I harvested a few of the potatoes just under the soil but left the plants intact as the have not fully died away yet. THe varieties I harvested werre Sierra Gold and La Soda Reds. The zucchini is plentiful and by far the best producer at this time. I have a few Ichiban eggplant getting ready. Hopefully in a couple of weeks everything will be rolling.

Wordless Garden Update

Father's Day Trip For the Bees and Hummers

I spent an hour of Father's Day afternoon at Green Acres nursery watching all the different types of bees at work. There were different types of honey bees , Carpenter Bees and Mason Bees buzzing around the vast assortment of bushes and flowers. My interest was to see which flowers they seemed to prefer and utilize the most. After deciding on the flowers most likely to be beneficial to the bees that frequent my yard I purchased them and returned home. I also chose two flowers that might coax the hummingbird back that used to live in my pine tree out front before the tree trimmers cut the branch off with her nest on it. I planted them in a group that allows both full sun varieties on one side and partial sun varieties on the other.
After 3 hours of time invested and around $50 for plants the bees still prefer the Salvia, Lavender, and Sunflowers we already had.

A few Miscellaneous Country Pics

I took my camera with the intention of taking lots of pictures of different buildings and terrain features such as old barns, sculptures, an old building that is slowly crumbling and the house I owned in Lebam, Washington but never lived in or even slept in. I sold it to my nephew who still owns it. Of course I never got around to these pictures with just a long weekend to travel, visit and attend a graduation.

The Boss Tries a Few Hummingbird Pictures

My wife was really enthralled with the number of hummingbirds at my brother's house in the country in Washington. They just kept coming and coming to the feeders. The hummers drink over a gallon of sugar solution a day.

The boss.


The hummers.

Washington Bees

We arrived in Southwest Washington on friday and got to enjoy their first and so far only sunny spring day this year on saturday. I knew my brother was going to resurrect his 3 bee hives but didn't expect him to be as into it as he is. He is building all his own boxes, tps, supers etc. as well as collecting swarms to fill them. He currently has 9 hives and hopes to be up to 25 next year. That will be around 100 gallons of honey each year.
He has 7 hives of Italians, and one each hive of Russians and Cornalians. He collects the swarms from buildings as well as trees etc.

Garden Update

The garlic is about ready to harvest as I've cut off any watering for a few days, the potatoes either have flowered and are dying or are still flowering, and the store bought tomatoes have doubled in size this last week. The asparagus is growing well and the onions are getting huge. I normally try to stay organic but used my leftover Miracle Gro for Tomatoes on the Bird Girls to try to get them going. I think the prolonged cold put a hurting on them. My herb box is filling in and the flowers are attracting bees a plenty especially one pesky Carpenter Bee that I tried to photograph unsuccessfully for 30 minutes or so. The bell peppers are starting to do well as are the bush beans. Mywatermelon plants are not doing so well. No growth at all. Need more heat.

Former Killer Current Sloth

If you've noticed the theme of pictures of this "Real Killa" not much killing goes on anymore. When she leaves the porch it's only to get into the shade of the Euryops 10 yards away.

For the birds.

Picked up this today to hopefully feed the sparrows. They have been trying unsuccessfully to eat the corn and large seeds that are for the blue jays. This will add to the finch socks, dove food, peanuts for the jays, dove nesting cones and assorted watering /bathing sources.

Big Pumpkins?

Anyone up for a big pumpkin contest? I saw these today, remembered Farmer Fred's article and took them with me. I've got one hill planted.