July 2024

Even at 80 years old, we're always looking for new things to do. Our son is a very inventive guy, and he designed what he calls a "molenator" - Using an old lawn mower, he welded a pipe to where the muffler used to be and connected a hose to that to focus the carbon dioxide from the engine into the mole warren. We managed to burn up a couple of hoses until he found a stainless steel radiator hose on Ebay, and modified the design. So this may not sit well with all the people who relocate a mouse or a slug rather than kill it, but it does take a serious toll on the mole population in a small area.  For years I've been trying to establish boundaries in the tiny areas we cultivate. The majority of our acreage is a wildlife refuge for the wild critters that have been displaced all around us. Mostly we deal with fencing, but that doesn't work at all for moles and slugs, and not particularly well for deer, raccoons, bear, squirrels and rabbits.

.

I have a fence within the fences surrounding cabbage, carrots, and some corn. I plant Marigolds with nearly everything, as they are supposed to keep bugs and slugs and rabbits at bay. But for the record, I've found a slug coiled around a Marigold plant, so I can't vouch for the effectiveness.

It's been a good year for onions. 

Raspberries have been pathetic. Between the extreme temperature changes, birds, and mostly, deer, it's been a struggle. Finally getting a few of the yellow raspberries that I just planted this year.

 

Lots of flowers and lots of bees, even though I've seen where lots of folks have been missing bees this year.

A couple of grandkids came for a couple of days to give us a preview of our family gathering in August.