Homemade Bug Spray and Rain Updates

Wed. morning we attended our youngest daughter's awards ceremony.  It rained most of the day, so we only got mulch on one small flower bed.  It was cold, cloudy, and the rain just seems to fall.  It was literally cold enough to start up the woodstove, but I held back, due to the upcoming weather.

Thursday, I planted more flowers while it rained.   I toted 54 of my tomato plants out to the garden, and planted those in the rain until the rain was too much.   I got about half of them planted, then went to the front porch.  I leaned over the edge and got the front beds finished weeded.  Dropped my zinnia seeds too, but I have more to plant.  Gladiolus bulbs are now planted too.

Headed back out to the tomatoes, but guess what?  It rained again, and too much to be out planting in it.  I'm gonna have to buy a rain coat to get that job done apparently.

I stayed inside and made a hot cup of mullein/nettle tea.  My sinuses were giving me issues with all this rain and spring allergies.

I also made homemade bug spray.  The recipe is from Mountain Rose Herbs blog, and it works.  It was originally called "Bug away spray" but now you can google it as "No Skeeter Spritz" spray.   If you click on the link above (goes to my blogpost on when I first made it), the link to the original recipe does not work.

The ingredients in their newly posted recipe are almost the same, they must of just changed the name of it, and added one essential oil - cedarwood (in place of citronella oil).  

You will need to make a catnip tincture (also called extract) first (which requires fresh or dried catnip and alcohol).  Start that now, so you can make your spray and start using it.  You can also find instructions on how to make a tincture on the MRH blog as well.  

You will need organic essential oils to complete the spray.  If you don't have wild growing catnip, you can also find seeds to plant at Strictly Medicinal Seeds.  The tincture can also be beneficial to help with insomnia and upset stomach.

Here is the original recipe I have used, so you have both options.

Bug Away Spray

4 oz. catnip tincture (I used vodka to make mine)
4 oz. witch hazel extract
80 drops organic citronella essential oil
80 drops organic eucalyptus essential oil
40 drops organic lavender essential oil
20 drops organic rosemary essential oil
10 drops organic lemongrass essential oil
10 drops organic lemon essential oil

Mix all ingredients, pour into a spray bottle.  Shake before using.  I do find I have to re-apply often, especially if it's hot out and I'm sweating a lot.  

Teabag Tidbits

Just a little teabag quote for the day.

Started a jar of comfrey infused oil.  I haven't decided yet, but I'll either use this as an oil or make a salve, to topically treat my varicose veins.

Made a breakfast scramble with collards, jalapeno and bacon.  Of course eggs, potatoes and green bell peppers as well.  I felt bad Hubby had no breakfast nor lunch to pack on Monday.  We grilled out Sunday night, and had been busy outdoor Sunday morning.

Baked Bourbon Blueberry Banana bread.  Snacks for the next day or two.

You know when the weather really is wacky, when you have this much asparagus, and no snap peas to go with it (when I normally do).  Peas aren't even planted sadly.  I roast the asparagus with rosemary and olive oil.

Today is our youngest daughter's last day of school. 

Considering our weather the last two years, I've asked Hubby to put building a green house to the top of the to-do list.  I can't survive with out it now.  It's imperative in order for us to eat healthy and stock up for the winter and spring.  The weather is definitely a struggle and I have a bad feeling it will happen more often than not.

Happy Homemaker Monday

I'm joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.   Back weeks ago, I guessed I had 4 roosters and 3 hens with my spring chick purchase.  The other day I took another closer look.  I may be right, but time will tell.

Debby Flowers do you make and sell goat's milk soap?  Or anyone else that follows my blog?  If so, comment types and prices etc. please.

Breaking news! With the hot day we had on Saturday, and the early morning break from rain, the tiller was humming away.  Mower too.  We had to mow down the garden (last year's neglect), to start tilling where it was dry enough.  Hubby got 3/4 of the larger tomato patch tilled, but it started to rain.  Only a small portion of the large garden was mowed down.


On the breakfast plate. . .
Have no idea yet.


The weather outside is . . .
Cold.  We went from 80's and major storms yesterday to no rain, and we'll dip into the 40's tonight.

On my reading pile. . .
Book from the library

On my TV . . .
Justified on Amazon Prime


On the to-do list . . .
-laundry
-dishes
-floors
-errands


...for the month to-do list
-make horse chestnut tincture and infused oil
-make homemade bug spray
-make homemade tick oil
-plant garden
-finish flower beds, drop seeds etc.
-flip rain barrels
-start potted weeds and herbs
-build raised bed
-call greenhouses for sweet potato slips
-order more wasp/bee traps (non toxic)
-place an order for dried fruits, and other needs
-place order for essential oils, etc.
-clean oven
-clean fridge out

On the menu . . .
Spaghetti, asparagus
Grilled steaks, baked sweet potatoes with whiskey butter
...have no idea on the rest of the week
Hot taco dip for snacks
Banana bread for snacks


What I am creating . . .

In case you didn't see my post, I'm putting together these.  One for the truck, camper and car - notepad, pen, pencil crochet hook, eye needle, tape measure, scissors.  I'm still trying to restock my knitted dishcloths as well.

Looking forward to . . .

Planting the garden, better weather, no rain and another motorcycle ride.  A trip to the island.

Looking around the house . . .

It's a mess.  Again.  We had the grandkids over last night for a grill out.  Thankfully, the rain stopped for that to happen.  The colder, wet weather will keep me inside, so indoor cleaning will happen today.

From the camera. . .

Aurora watching the new cardinals make their nest in a tree just outside my study.  They were making all kinds of rukus to scare off the cat.  Super excited that we'll see baby cardinals.  Oh, I won the battle with the chickadees too.  They'd pack grass in outside next to an air conditioner, and I'd dig it out.  In it went, out it went.  So far, I've won.  Oh, and our hummingbird is back.  He/she was out getting dinner from my hanging plants last night.

I bit of porch cuteness.

The mailbox garden.  Making progress.

New to the flower beds.  Gorgeous begonias.

One of my simple pleasures . . .

A soak in the tub with essential oils.

Prayers . . .

A family friend with severe back pain, and no insurance.  

More Rain and Random Ramblings

Woke up to rain showers Saturday morning.  My intention was to do the very last of the flower bed weeding and plant the last of the flowers, drop zinnia seeds and plant glady bulbs.  Everything was soaked.

So frustrating.  Farmers have not been in their fields at all around us.  Zero.  On my way to town, I saw a farmer hook up a sprayer to a 4-wheeler.  A friend of the family told us her father (farmer) is not planting corn at all due to the weather.

Saturday we got up to the 80's, but I couldn't do much work outside.  The bees and wasps were swarming again.  I must get that trap up ASAP.  I however, got 3 hours of weeding done in the mailbox garden.  It was full of grass and I neglected it for 2 years.  This year it'll be spiffy.  I will try and get a photo if the bees and wasps leave the area.  Believe it or not we got zero rain Saturday night.


It's Sunday.  Yay.  The only day my Hubby gets off work.  Guess what?  More rain.  Bwahahahahahahahaha!  Yep. Thunderstorms.  Later in the day.  At first they said 5pm, but now they say 2pm.

He is going to attempt to fire up the tiller and start in the tomato patch first.  Updates on if that even happens later.

I decided to buy myself a little treat to enjoy after planting flowers.

On another note, my mother had been asking where she could buy "baby" flamingos.  I found large ones, but she kept asking, leaving voice mails etc.  I decided to just go on Amazon and poof!  In less than a few minutes, had them ordered and shipped to her house.  She was elated and sent me this photo.

I have to admit.  They do look cute behind the larger one, ha ha!  She has since then planted bright pink wave petunias in that flower bed.

Storms, Flowers, the Un-planted Veggie Garden and a Crochet Emergency Kit

Thursday we had another gorgeous start to the day - sunshine and up to the 70's again.  I weeded the front flower beds. Indoor cleaning always suffers, but I had to take advantage of a good day outdoors.  It needed done badly. I still can't get into the veggie garden.

Evening however, brought on major thunderstorms, wind and possible hail.  I was pretty thankful I had not planted the tomato plants or anything for that matter.

(wasn't cheap and I still need more, and will add color with zinnia seeds and glady bulbs)

This is one small section that edges sidewalk off front porch.  It's a small start.  Needs a few more touches, my rooster planter and then mulch for all the beds.  We lost a few mums over winter, so come fall I'll add a few if I can.  We also lost the granny apple tree, the plum tree died and our large peach tree looks terrible.  The two red apple trees are looking good so far.  Elderberry trees look terrible, but growing.  Darn deer.  I have to put stakes around them this year.  We also lost a blackberry bush, and possibly a red raspberry bush too.

Funny story about that photo.  Hubby finally weed whipped.  He was trying to add more string to the gadget to finish, and we were sitting on the porch.  I told him to just let it go and do it another day.  His response, "If I listened to you I'd never get anything done."  To which I responded, "oh, so that's why the shovel is still sitting in the half dug septic tank?"  Touche.

Friday we had clouds all day, with a high in the upper 60's.  It rained.  Hmpf!  Again. It thunderstormed last night.  Again. More rain is in the forecast for the weekend.  I did some more porch cuteness.  

The wasps and bees are so bad this year.  I can't work in the flower beds after about 10am.  While I ran to the store Friday, wasps literally built a nest in my side door way.  We had to enter the front, go back out and spray it, then wait and knock it down.  Hmpf.

Have you seen this idea on the internet lately?  I made myself one for the truck.  I plan on making two more.  One for the car and one for the camper too.  Ha ha!  I give credit to Blackstone Designs website - notebook (3 for $1 at our Dollar General store), pen, pencil, crochet hook, large eye needle, measuring tape and scissors.  These would make nice gifts for friends and family who you know that crochet.  I also found out that it's much safer to crochet in a moving vehicle than knit.  I don't have a label machine, I just edited the photo with text, but would be cute to add that to it for gift (cricut maybe?).  This one went straight into "Red Lightning" (aka the truck).

I often forget to pack stuff when I bring car projects along on trips.  Speaking of memory issues.  I had to look at my lists to figure out why I ordered jojoba oil.  Sigh....I really did.  

Now, if I can put peace inside my chaotic home, it'll all balance out nicely.  I'm sure the rain will help me out with that.

Rhubarb Crunch

I adapted this family recipe with homegrown, organic ingredients.  The original recipe is from my own Mom, and called for "shortening" so feel free to use organic shortening if you can't find real lard or process your own lard.

The crunch is also a thin dessert.  It is not thick and will go quickly, as it is so good.  

Rhubarb Crunch

1 cup flour

1 tsp. Baking powder

2 Tbsp. lard (or shortening)

1/2 tsp. salt

Cut lard into dry ingredients.  Add 1 beaten farm fresh egg.  Pat into the bottom of a 13 x 9 in. baking pan.  Scatter 2-3 cups of diced rhubarb over the crust.

Mix:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup butter

Cut butter into mixture and sprinkle over the rhubarb.  Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes.

Infused Oil Question and other Chit Chat

We were blessed with another sunshiny day, and no rain.  I went way out to the garlic and tried to recover it, lining up the holes.  Didn't happen.  Hmpf.  I then tried to hand hoe it.  Didn't happen.  Too wet, which put me instantly in a depressed mood.  It's not drying out, we can't till.  We can't plant.  Clouds moved in by 2pm, so the sun didn't last too long, but we warmed up to the low 70's.

I sat on the porch and chatted with a daughter, contemplating my options for the day.  Previous to that, I pulled weeds by the side door (what a mess).  I decided to clean the porch and get some things out of the barn.  Daughter helped, and soon it was swept, and furniture out and looking cozy.  I just need flowers, hanging pots and flower beds weeded now.

Question for you all.

I have always infused my oils with dry herbs.  Everything I've read states it is safer.  I'm also reading that chickweed loses it's value if dried.  So, has anyone infused oil with fresh chickweed?  And what process did you use to do it?  Would love to hear your input as chickweed is available here now.

I had a vulture swoop down onto the old barn and sit.  There must be something dead out there.  I had to laugh when a small bird swooped in and pushed it off the post it was previously sitting on.  I wonder if those small birds do that to keep them from eating their baby birds?  Or do vultures only eat dead animals?

If you recall, our nuisance neighbor moved out of state to start another home business.  Well, word is (just hearsay at this point) he spent all his money and guess who is back?  Yep.  When we returned from our cabin retreat, I noticed the frame that was started for a barn several years ago (and abandoned) was taken down, as well as a greenhouse at the house (no one bought the flowers he grew and sold, so that business may have gone down the tubes too).  Hm.  Yesterday, a Sheriff was down there for a long time.  Could get interesting.