Yesterday, Jackie schlepped me 2 hours North West of here, to a nursery I'd seen rave reviews about - they have apricot trees. My phone lead us to the actual farm, where a semi-surprised gentleman redirected us to the warehouse. Ends up, they ship bare-root starts, but don't have a browsable nursery. So, armed with a 3-page written catalogue, we made our picks, and had to occupy ourselves for at least 1/2 an hour while the plants were fetched and bundled for us.
The suggested coffee place was in another nursery, so we did get to browse, and buy, herb and flower starts. I also found 2 nice blueberry bushes, and a Snowball Hydrangea which had been hanging around on one of my shopping lists for a while.
Called Salle to see if we could pop in at her farm for a visit, but she was enroute to an art gallery, so we went back to the lake. Transferred the 4 x 60 lb or so, paving tiles from the van to Noddy, and I tootled home. Had to move the truck and then drove Noddy around the back of the house to offload. Was also easier taking the 50lb bag of onions through the French doors. Packed all the started plants out in the patio table and watered them. This morning they looked gorgeous as I passed to go move cows and calves back into their allocated pastures and fix the fencing. This before 8 am this morning, as both mamas and babies were complaining, loudly ! I then fed Stan, and the sheep to keep them busy as Hershey has taken to booting his son in the ass while he nurses from the bottle. Maddie came to the door, fed her grapes, fed the cats, dogs, poultry. On the way through the house to go down to the basement to get the milk buckets ready, I spied Maddie on the back patio, noshing on my seedlings. She seemed to like the portulaca best. I scolded her, saying no while smacking her, so she moved away. Picked up the scattered plants, scooped up the dislodged soil medium, and then tilted the 2 chairs to protect them from her, wedging the cardboard box I carried them in under a blueberry bush. All secure - not. When I came back with the full bucket of milk, there she was at it again, but a lot more damage than her first go. I ran out shouting, she guiltily moved away. The 3 water troughs waiting the be fixed are now stacked around the chairs that are protecting the remainder of my plants ! Bloody deer. I seriously considered the venison of which she is made.
Had Sheila, Anni and Lisa outside with me when I fetched the cart, found old nursery pots, and went out to the veggie garden to dig friable, black dirt into the pots to pot the bare-root stock. Had ordered 11 starts, but they didn't have the 2 English walnuts. But there were only 7. Had to go find 3 larger pots for the apricot, cottonwood and highbush cranberry, but got them all potted and watered and took them to the North side of the house next to the airconditioner. Well out of reach of Sheila. Then it was time to go fetch the grain from Fowler. That's the problem with milking everyday, I have to feed everyday. I checked my receipt for the plants, and yep, the 2 hazelnuts weren't there. Called them, they will mail them out to me. No way am I doing a 5 hour round trip to pick up those 2.
Stopped to get some salad stuff on the way home, as I was making pizza for Herbies' lunch and didn't have green peppers. Once home, left the loaded truck outside the main shed doors (I'd asked that the ground cow feed be put last on the truck so I could unload them first) and went to start the pizza after feeding the baa-ing Stan. It was nearly 3pm and Herbie wasn't home yet, but he should arrive shortly. He did while I was still loading the toppings on, and he offered to help me unload the truck. Great :). Threw the cow rations down the hutch, then moved the truck around to the other door to offload the corn for the poultry, cow and sheep treats.
Then a bit of vacuuming, laundry folding, my bed to make with clean sheets, had done Herbies' earlier, collected eggs, and went to the hayfield with the dogs to check the pecan trees I planted last year. They look like dead sticks. I hope they get leaves soon. Then decided to go see if I could find any more morels, and Sheila and Lisa took off. Dammit, she was being semi-attentive so I thought I'd see if I could trust her, obviously that is a big NO. And the mosquitoes ! I'm bitten to lumps again. So went into the woods with 3 dogs and a cat, came out with the cat following me, and discovered Anni waiting for me on the strip between the woods and the hayfield. Hope Sheila and Lisa come home soon. Re-fed Stan, then came inside to shower. Quiet house after a busy, and rather long, day.
Pleased that I ticked off about 7 things of my to-do list this week. And tomorrow is Herbies' last work day before 2 weeks vacation.