Tree Cutting Day

 

In the picture you see the one tall branch left of a fig tree that is entirely too close to the house. Phil had already cut the other branches and got the top of this one off and then cut the trunk. We had two other trees, about the same size that were leaning towards the house, a maple and a mimosa; all growing very straight and tall but leaning (mimosas tend to lean anyway). So Phil got the buck saw and took them all down. I saved the long straight trunks to make another raised bed in the garden. It may not last forever but it will last a few years. I also saved some of the maple to try making spoons with. It will take a while for the wood to cure before I can attempt that. 

Besides cutting trees there was the brush clean up and raking to do. Phil raked up the small side of the yard. I got the wheelbarrow and saved the leaves from him since he was just piling them at the side of the yard. I put them in the compost bin. I want him to use the lawnmower on the big side of the yard since it has a bag to collect the chopped up leaves in. I might just put it in the compost bin or I might use it for mulch between the raised beds if there is enough of it. 

It was a beautiful day for outdoor work. Temps in the 60's with a slight breeze (something we almost never feel in GA).

There, of course, was the shopping to do and the animals to feed before the tree cutting. This is what I found under one of the chicken waterers.

I had never seen a slug this big in my life! Michelle and I looked it up and it is a leopard slug. Amazing but not a very smart slug since it had taken cover in the chicken pen. It was in the bantam pen though and I am pretty sure this slug would never fit down their throats but if it crawls to the duck pen, it will be dinner for some lucky duck. 

Banana bread is in the oven. Nothing exciting for dinner just spaghetti though I may make a pork roast tomorrow. It has been a productive day so far and I am hoping tomorrow will be as well.

Two Good Magazines

I think that it is possible that I have "issues" with collecting magazines. It isn't that I don't read them, it is just that I can't get rid of them after I do. They are so full of good information and I do read them again from time to time. Here are two new ones that I picked up at our local Tractor Supply that I found particularly useful.

Heirloom Gardener

Heirloom gardener has been published by Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company since 2003. I have their first issue here somewhere and at the time I bought it I thought it was going to be a really good magazine but at that time the subscription price was much higher and I couldn't afford paying what they wanted for just 4 issues.
I was pleased to find it at Tractor Supply this week and browsed through it. While the magazine is predominantly about vegetables there were also articles on canning, cheese making, and turkeys. As well as articles on growing fruit, wheat, roses and cover crops. I think it is an extremely useful magazine for anyone wanting to be more self sufficient. The best part is that the subscription price is now only $12 for 4 issues so I will be ordering mine soon. You can order a subscription at http://rareseeds.com/magazine/ .

Then yesterday I went to pick up some cat food and found this magazine at Tractor Supply:

 

This is a wonderful magazine for a vegetable gardener. It had all sorts of good articles. I especially needed to read up on growing cabbage and garlic since that is what I have growing now. It also had articles on staking tomatoes (which I always have problems with), making a hay bale raised bed, growing blackberries, dill, shallots, tomatillos, celery and asparagus. Plus it has regional seed picks and lots of great recipes. When I see a gardening magazine with recipes that look good and I really want to try, it makes all the difference to me. Unfortunately this magazine was a special issue from Fine Gardening but they do have a great website at http://www.vegetablegardener.com/  .

Freezing Bananas

I just wanted to do a little post on freezing bananas. Maybe everyone knows how to do this already but at one time I didn't know you could freeze bananas so I am posting it anyway. This week I got a bag of bananas for $2 and with only me, Phil and Michelle here they just didn't get eaten so this morning I mashed them...

with a little lemon juice added. I don't know exactly how much. I had 12 large bananas and probably used a couple tablespoons of lemon juice. I put a cup and a half in each bag because that is how much it takes to make banana bread and then I just put them in the freezer.