Luna del'Corvo

Sorry I've been semi-away, but it was a very odd week. For one thing, it's finals for my college classes, and those always get squirrelly; papers to grade (so far actually pretty good this time, knock on wood!), and panicky students...

After my unpleasant Monday, things looked up a bit, in part because himself kept to himself. Then Thursday, I got his with I don't even know what; either the short-lived stomach bug from hell, or I ate something that disagreed with me, violently! I ended up calling in sick to my middle school classes (first time this school year), but was begged to come in for my evening 'other person in the building' shift anyway. Meh - three hours to play games and surf - I can do that. I did feel better by then, after a horrible morning. By Friday I was fine, though I felt like I'd run a marathon, and my stomach muscles were threatening mutiny....

I was able to take Friday easy, but then turned right around and worked my butt off in the yard on Saturday (for which my back has not stopped chastising me...ouch!) Still, good work was done...

Then Sunday was a brief D&D session with the kiddo, his friend, and my cousin. And grading papers. Have I mentioned I kind of hate grading papers? *sigh*

More than you ever wanted to know about my Struggle for the Yard (See, that's me, in the icon, holding back the ebil weeds...LOL): ( Read more... )

So first final exam given, one to go, then one school DONE! Huzzah!

I read every day, but I find it seems to take ever so much less time than it used to. Well, OK, I'll toss a post out here, maybe it will spur a blogging renaissance!

Really, I've been out in the yard most every day that I'm not teaching, and some of those days, too! The food garden is going great - it's almost all planted and starting off nicely. This years crops will, if all goes well, include several kinds of lettuce, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, radishes, kohlrabi, celery, kale, mustard greens, green beans, lima beans, cucumbers, green and red peppers, 5 varieties of tomatoes, and pumpkins. I'm still trying to find a spot to toss in some squash, too. I also have loads of herbs, many of which came back strong from last year. I have chive, sage, oregano, two mints, tarragon, rosemary, thyme, parsley, savory, lavender, chamomile, and catnip.


For the flower garden and the beds on front, I've scattered some of the perennial herbs there instead of the raised beds. There they can spread all they like, and not crowd out the edibles. I've also planted four old English roses (an Eglantyne, an Alnwyck and two Crocus Roses (That's the Eglantyne pictured here). I am so anxious to see how they develop! I have the four grouped around the birdbath, with asian lillies in front, the lilac to one side, and a reddish-pink Knockout Rose (that I'm not actually too fond of, but it was a gift) on the other, and assorted this and that in front. I even found a small patchouli! How awesome if that really takes off!

And along the ugly chain fence (on the side where the redneck neighbor parks his tow trucks - yuk!) I'm putting in a hedgerow of double pink and blush Knockout Roses. My shade garden is sort of languishing because the soil back there is awful, but it's limping along. The bleeding hearts and lillies of the valley came back when I'd have sworn they were done for. I've been composting and mulching the bejayzuz out of it, so if I can keep them going this summer, I think by next the soil will have started to get better. (Go, worms!) The foxglove and monkshood seem to be going like gangbusters, though - yay! (Yes, it's a rather toxic little garden patch....)

But perhaps the best gardening news of all: Niblet is old enough to cut the grass! W00t! We don't have much, and are working on mulching over a lot of that, but until then, it's no longer my job! Yay!

More on non-gardening topics soon, promise, and pics as soon as things start coming up!

(As always, click for bigger version...)

Patio Pots The biggest pot has four varieties of Basil, and the two smaller round ones have five varieties of mint between them. Then of course, there is my big box of impatiens, which are not faring too well.

Azalea and Spirea The Azalea and Spirea are in a small bed just next to the patio. The veggie garden is to the far left from this perspective.

The food garden The whole veggie garden, with my dilapidated shed in the back. The front bed is the first one I built. It's 8 x 4, and almost 2 feet high. It has been giving bumper crops of lettuce since late April, but they are about done. I need to find some late season crops to put in their place...

The cabbage (and chard) patch. Something is making holes in my cabbages. I also think I put them too close together for them to really flourish. Live and learn, no?

The herb bed. Clockwise from the bottom: beets, basil, cilantro, rosemary, mint, dill, lavender, sage, and chives in the middle. (Yes, I know, beets are not an herb. I had two left over and nowhere else to put them.)

My first cucumber! I am unreasonably excited by this! This small bed is also looking to put out some really nice peppers. The cucumbers have kind of overshadowed the herbs I put here. I think next year, I will try to put in some big, permanent herb beds in front, and leave the annual plantings in the back.

Front half of the back bed The tomato half of the back bed. They need better staking, badly! At least the coffe grounds and netting have kept the rabbits and squirrels out, at least so far.

Pumpkin tower. I built a frame for my pumpkins to climb, and of which I am ludicrously proud! They are already a good 8 or 12 inches taller than in this photo, taken less than a week ago.

There are more, and a few of what will be my rose garden next year, as well as the front, but that's enough picspam for now....

(In other words, nothing terribly entertaining to report.)

I got a second raised bed built in the back, I am working on another in a back corner for some shade flowers (foxglove, bleeding hearts, lilly of the valley, etc.). I pulled out some rather ugly and sprawling hostas from either side of the front walk, and moved them under the tree in the front lawn (less grass to have to cut if they sprawl there!) and put in an azalea on one side and a small juniper on the other. I still have a few other flowers to plant along the front porch.

Once my seedlings sprout and get big enough, I will plant the second raised bed with peppers, beans, and cucumber. I'm hoping to go snag enough mulch and soil to put tomatoes along the back fence, too. Of course, it also needs to stop raining long enough for me to be able to dig! I am hoping to get everything I have planted this week, weather allowing.

Of course I do stop and teach now and then, which is going so well! Just finished student presentations of their research papers, and for the most part I'm pleased! A few groaners, but generally very good work. Then yesterday we covered the 'spiritual warfare' movement, and they were suitable dumbfounded that people actually go places (from New jersey to Mt. Everest) to battle demons.... I am hopeful that several minds have been cracked open, and some serious questions have begun to be asked. If so, my work here is done!

I told the 'for profit' university thanks, but no thanks. While the cash would have been nice, I feel SO much better having it off my back. Nothing about the whole thing ever felt right, so I'm happy to be free of the whole sordid business!