Fertilizing my Lawn

Looking out my window at my yard is making me feel a bit sad. The grass looks like it is definitely struggling to make it out there. I definitely think it is time to fertilize to see if I can it to perk up. I have heard that it is best to have mowed at least twice before fertilizing your grass in the spring. I just finished mowing for the 3rd time this year on Monday so I think that it is time for me to get out my Earthway spreader, clean it up, fill it up with some fertilizer and get to work on the lawn.

And hopefully that little bit of work will help my grass go back to look like this:

Instead of this:

I've also been spending some time in my vegetable garden lately. I've been watching the plants grow, I cannot wait until they are bigger and start producing some vegetables.

Well I'm off to get some chores done so I can spend some time catching up the latest novel I've been reading, it's been an easy quick read with a fun storyline, Child of Galina by Crystal Raen in case anyone is interested. 

Also, I found my Earthway spreader here http://www.earthway-outlet.com/ for those of you looking for one to invest in.

Barn Work in the Winter

I've been working on our barn which was a bit outdated. I've installed some corner hay racks, done a lot of cleaning and sweeping up of the place. I've also organized everything, I've got the feed, hay, and bedding in the middle of the barn so it is easier to get to and move around.

I've also repaired boards that were getting to be out of shape in the stalls. I've also been debating on installing automatic waterers, but I'm still doing a little bit of research on those to decide if they are worth the investment or not.

Over the summer we are thinking of adding some skylights to the barn to optimize our daylight so that we can cut back on our electricity usage. But I did install some new lighting that helps a lot and is supposed to be more energy efficient. We've also patched any places on the exterior walls that were getting worn and letting in cool air, definitely want to keep it warm in there this time of the year.

How to Use an Oil Lantern

With this big winter storm coming up, I'm being sure that my oil lanterns are within easy reach if the power goes out. Without power my fireplace and oil lanterns come in really handy. I know a lot of people who tend to panic during power outages but I like to make the best of them, I grab a good book, cuddle with my pets and just enjoy the calm. A few people in my life are worried about me using oil lanterns. They feel that they are dangerous. But as long as you use them correctly, never leave them unattended, and follow instructions then you shouldn’t have a problem.

How to use your oil lantern: If the instructions that came with your lantern say anything different, follow those not me!

 Remove the oil container from the base of your lantern.
Take off the glass lantern “chimney” (the clear glass part that surrounds the burner)
Fill your oil container about 3/4 full with your lamp oil.
Take the burner off of the rest of the lantern.
Reattach the oil container to the lantern, then put the burner with the wick in it back onto the lantern.
It will take about 30 minutes for your wick to become saturated with enough oil for you to light your lantern.
Use a nice sharp pair of scissors to trim the wick in a clean even cut, the wick should just barely reach out of the wick tube.
Carefully light your wick.
Replace your glass lantern “chimney”.
Set your lantern in a safe place, where there is no risk of it being knocked over.

 Be sure that once your lantern is lit that you do not touch the glass “chimney” as you will burn yourself. The glass gets very hot. When I’m done with my lantern I put out the flame by blowing over the top of the “chimney”. I try to keep extra oil lantern wicks on hand in the winter months in case the power goes off any or stays off for an extended period of time.

 

Late Summer Posting

Soooo....I found this post in my blog drafts, thought I had hit the publish button, but apparently I just hit the save. So I'm sharing now. Maybe thinking about summer will warm a few of you up. It's been unseasonably cold where I'm at. Brrr...

My go to for ideas on my outdoor room has definitely been Pinterest this summer.  Hubby and I have had a neglected patio for several years now. This neglect includes but is not limited to mismatched furniture, dead potted plants, and barren as all get out. It can get quite stifling there during the heat of the summer as well, since it is an uncovered area. And trust me this summer it was unbearable some days just thinking about being out there.

A few purchased trees and large shrubs that we have placed in strategic spots has definitely helped cut down on some of the heat from the sun, by providing some great shady areas. Once the trees grow a bit more then we will be in heaven!

I have also added some new outdoor furniture and a really colorful outdoor rug, it was about time for some splurges.

I purchased the above rug in Bermuda blue for the patio. It contrasts really well with our deep green trees and shrubs.

I have also purchased several large orange buckets as containers for my plants. These containers are placed around the patio, their locations depend on the type of plant in them and how much sun it needs.

To make my buckets plant friendly, I drilled holes in the bottom of the buckets for drainage, filled them with about 2 inches of gravel before placing the dirt and plants in them. Right now I’m growing different herbs and smaller veggies to supplement my cooking needs.

One day I’d like for my patio to look like this:


But it will take some time to get to that point. For now, I’m thrilled with what we have gotten done already.

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Hope you don't mind me posting this so late, but hey, it was already written, why not go ahead and share it?

Quiet Time in a Quiet Place

When I need quiet time I tend to go off to a corner of the barn where I have a little work area set up so that I can work on a task while avoiding the hecticness of daily life.

Sometimes I can be found there with my nut cracker and a pile of walnuts, or with my sewing basket and my latest quilting blocks. However, if I'm being truly selfish for that moment, you will find me with my current book curled up on top of a few bales of hay.

It might not seem it, but to me the outdoors and having a good book go hand in hand. Each lends itself to the other in some way. I feel relaxed when I am sitting near the doorway in the barn and the sun is warming my skin and a breeze ruffles by me. It is the ultimate stress releasing activity.

Try it out. Find yourself a nice comfy hay bale somewhere and settle down for a good read.

DIY: Outdoor Ashtray

I have a few friends that are smokers; and yes they know it's bad for them, so I’m not going to preach to them about it.  Besides, I don’t really feel like I have that much room to talk since I used to smoke myself.  

But I’ve been running into the problem, that since I do not smoke my friends will excuse themselves to go outside when a craving hits.  Which I thank them for profusely.  

What I do not thank them for are the cigarette butts that were littering my yard.  Yuck!  I quit smoking so I do not want to have to go through my yard individually picking up each and every butt from someone else’s cigarette habit. (That and getting that smell on my hands makes me start craving one, which is never a good thing. Must... have... willpower...)

But, I did find a way to solve my little problem.  I had a cute galvanized bucket that a friend gave me (she’d ordered several of these metal buckets for centerpieces for her wedding, and had some extras).  So I looked online to see what all needed to go into an outdoor ashtray.  For the most part you just fill the bucket within an inch of the top rim with sand and set it in a spot where the smoker’s will notice and use it.  

Some people put a few handfuls of charcoal into the bucket before pouring the sand, it is said to cut down on the smell, but since my bucket is outside I’m really not that worried about it.

To clean it out you can just use a kitty litter scoop or if you have an old deep fryer scoop it works too (I had ordered a few extra deep fryer parts when I kept losing my original scoop, I found it, so now its my cigarette butt scoop).