Skip to main content

Just the Bits

April 9th - rain and snow mix, morning temperature was 21°F!
April 10th - 38°, high of 44°F, rain
April 11th - 30°, low chance of rain, partly sunny

We should be picking asparagus, wild violets and wild dead nettle right now, but the weather is delaying it.  I surely hope we still get them all.  Time will tell.


Despite freezing cold weather that is freezing my chickens water at night, my potted comfrey is already coming to life again.  The weather is to warm up again thankfully.


I need help with deterring rabbits.

Does anyone have any tried and true (non toxic) ways to deter rabbits from your flower beds and herb garden?  I read coffee grounds deter them, but they are not good for my herb garden.  I had motion sensor noise gadgets, but they did not work for the rabbits last year.


A tree of some sort is growing in the edging (between the landscaping stone and chives of all places) of the herb garden, and it has thorns.  It needs to be dug out thanks to the birds.

I have wild growing wineberry starts (again thanks to the birds) to yank from the asparagus patch, and have already put straw in the newer asparagus patch (to keep those weeds down for harvest).  I will need to add more straw before Spring harvest.


(oatstaw in a jar)

I've been brewing nettle tea for us here lately.  It's a powerhouse, but it's great for allergies too. I'm no doctor, but you can do your own research on stinging nettle.


Homesteading/Self Sufficiency goes hand in hand with being physically fit.  If anyone is interested, I can write up a post on this.


Garden or no garden is the question.  We purchased not-so-inexpensive fencing to fence one garden area last year.  We need fencing to protect the other (larger) garden area, and it's now in limbo.  The cost to buy fencing is not low, by all means, but we can install it ourselves.  

A lot has affected the purchase of the fencing.  Our electric cost doubled, and we are not even heating the upstairs (as we did when the kids lived here).  We are not even using heat in two downstairs rooms either, yet our cost doubled.

Groceries more than doubled.  Home repair supplies are up.  I mean it's just a rough time for everyone right now.


Home Repairs/Updates:

-purchased one window blind and installed it (was thankfully under $30)

-one last blind is needed for another room, but the window itself will need replaced at some point soon.  I'm on a list to be notified when they are in stock (has to be custom cut to fit).   I already got one email stating they were in stock, but when I went to order it, it said "out of stock" (again).  I called, and yes in fact, they are out of stock (again).

-lined more wire closet shelving. I have a few more to line.

-started stairway project by scraping tape and adhesive off the walls (kids!!) This job will take a while to get done.

Just the Bits ©  April 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Comments

R's Rue said…
Yes everything is going up. I love asparagus.
www.rsrue.blogspot.com
R's Rue, we love asparagus too. Home grown (or locally grown) tastes so much better too.
Our electric costs have remained about the same for a long time, we belong to a Rural Electric Cooperative. I am noticing that groceries have gone up some in the past year ...about 10 to 15 dollars a week and I usually buy staples when they are on sale. We have rabbits here and they like the dandys and other weeds in our yard! We have an LP furnace and our heatings costs are about $1,200 for the year...not bad for Minnesota.
Far Side of Fifty, moving is not out of the question for us. We've thought about it more than once. We live where the electric is the highest in the area (sadly).

Popular posts from this blog

Chit Chat

  The pickings are slim right now, but we'll take anything we are blessed with.  I made a salad and cleaned the beans.  The rain will give us more for a meal in a day or so.  The green beans are every so slowly coming on this season. I made a batch of homemade granola, and instead of my homemade vanilla extract, I used my homemade Christmas Spice Extract.  It smelled so good in the oven, and while cooling.   I picked some purslane, and am doing an experiment with it this time.  Update soon.   Chit Chat ©  August 2026 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

I've Been MIA and Heat Wave

First day of July.  It's hot.   I'm definitely not entering a stage of boredom any day soon.  Although I've been doing a lot, it's been productive.  We are in the middle of the worst heat wave I can ever remember.  So humid, there is very little to no work being done in the gardens for the last few days.  Heat index has been up to 106 degrees, and nights did not get any cooler than about  77 degrees.  The heat wave will continue for the rest of the week.  No rain yet. I froze water in small bottles to keep the chickens water cold, and froze treats for them. I canned a small batch of reduced sugar peach jam (before the heat  wave).  I have to admit, it's been very nice to can for two people now.   Enjoyed the last of our asparagus harvest.  The last two stalks were harvested June 29th.  The longest asparagus season we've ever had.  They look light colored, but taking them out of the fridge, they quickly...

Reminders?

      On the positive side (after the hot pepper debacle). . .                                                We are looking forward to creative healthy meals, derived from the garden and whatever is in abundance, or available.  The chickens helped supply this meal last year and was delicious. Beets roasted with onions and rosemary from the herb garden.  Also, a picture from previous garden years.  Oh, we put thyme on these too, and also from the herb garden. Not to forget those tomatoes and all the sauces made over the years.  That dish included asparagus from the garden, as well as oregano from the herb garden. Sometimes a roll down memory lane gives us the spark to keep gardening and planting.  Maybe.   Reminders?   ©  June 2026 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart