A Small Problem...in the Grand Scheme of Life

If you take a peak at my sidebar, I have a little problem.  I am my own follower!  What a dork!  I have no idea how I managed that and have no idea how to stop it.  Anyone?

 

Must be because Spring is in the air.!

Atwater Market - Fertilizer Friday

I am working with very scant means today.  My laptop is in the “hospital” for a few days so I am using the photos that I have on my old desktop.  Not a very co-operative creature.    C’est la vie. 

I did discover some pictures that I took last year while visiting Montreal (aka:  Home Sweet Home) just before planting season.  It was kind of a treat to revisit these pictures.  I hope you think so too.

This is the entrance to the Atwater Market.  It is a stone’s throw from downtown Montreal.  It opened in 1933.  Were it not such a landmark, it would not occupy such a prime piece of real estate.

Beautiful art deco building

  

With row after row of farm stalls.  Farmers from surrounding areas set up shop for the warmer months (April to November’ish)

All filled with gorgeous plants.  An absolute riot of colour.

This is the outdoor corridor that runs between the outdoor farmer stalls and the indoor market.

The indoor corridor has markets with fabulous foods.   Boulangerie (bread), charcuterie (meats),  fromagerie (cheese), poisonnerie (fish), and the outdoor cremerie (ice cream & sorbet) etc.

 

It is a wonderful place to visit, particularly after a long winter. 

I am linking up and getting in the Spring groove with Ms. Tootsie and Fertilizer Friday.    Please visit, it will lift your gardening soul.

Sunny Days Ahead – Fertilizer Friday

I don’t know if it’s just me or not but when October ends, my mind seems to shut off from thoughts of gardening.  Not to give it much more thought until January is behind us.  

Then like a bear coming out of hibernation my thoughts slowly turn to seeds ‘n soil.    What will I grow this year?  There are always the tried and true.  Things I plant every year.   But I like to play around too.  You know, experiment.  Thus the name of this blog.

In recent years I have concentrated on food gardening.    Last year some of the experiments were……..

Peas

Even if you despise peas, try these.  I never even bothered to cook them.  Popped them straight out of the pods. 

Garlic

Potatoes

Snake gourds

to name a few.  

Oh, and one last one.  Dill’s Atlantic Giant Pumpkin.  You know, the ones that they grow for competitions?  They weight hundreds and sometimes over a thousand pounds.  I grew one.

It weighed about 15 pounds.  Haha!  That worked well!

It’s time for me to hunker down with the seed catalogs.  What are your plans for this year?  Any experiments?

I am joining Tootsie’s Fertilizer Friday because if anyone can inspire, Tootsie would be your gal.

Squirrels – I Beg to Differ

From personal experience I have found that most people think of squirrels as a nuisance.   Granted I don’t particularly like it when they dig up my bulbs.  But there’s a quick fix – cayenne pepper!  No biggie! 

Now this might be hard for some to believe but I kind of admire them.  I look at it this way.  They are some of the hardest working critters around.  Constantly preparing for tomorrow.  An honorable trait in a person.  So why is it not so with a squirrel?

And when the odd black or white squirrel comes along, well people love them.  So in defense of l’il ole grey squirrels I will say that I like having them around.  They add interest and livelihood to the great outdoors.  At least they do in my outdoor life.

A Taste of Spring - Vintage Seed Catalog

The Original Victory Gardens

I love old seed catalogs.  This is one of my favorites.  A Salzer Seed Catalog from 1941!


The pictures have that beautiful vintage look but more interesting is that this catalog is dated January 2, 1941 putting it at a very important time in history - the midst of WW 2.  The era of the original Victory Garden. Within the pages there is a letter from the president of Salzer Seeds, Mr. Kenneth E. Salzer, encouraging Americans to plant gardens to help their country. You should read it.  It's really cool. (Click on the images to enlarge for reading / viewing.)

If you read this letter from the president you have to get the sense that life is coming full circle.  Moving back to eating local.

Purty, huh?   Spring is in the air!  OK - so I'm exaggerating.  Let's just call it a burst of color on a drabby winter day.

I am joining Tootsie’s Fertilizer Friday so check it out.  There’s always lots of pretties!

Unexpected Pretties - Fertilizer Friday

I read (and love) Tootsie’s blog but I’ve never participated in  Fertilizer Friday before so I’m the new (albeit old) kid in town.  I am not fortunate enough to live in a sunny house so I have to dig into my photos from last season.

Do you recognize this?

Notice on the lower right that a second bloom is bursting from it’s papery covering.

They were cut from these.Leeks!

I now know why leeks are so expensive.  These were planted in the spring of 2008 and over wintered in the garden into 2009.  I had no idea they would take so long to grow!   Oy....patience is a virtue.

So in addition to the scrumptious Potato Leek Soup that was made, a bouquet was born!  Waste not, want not.

That is my contribution to Fertilizer Friday for this week.  I would love to be contributing something that is “live ‘n kicking” but that is still months away.   Visit Tootsie’s blog where there are sure to be plenty.

P.S.  I am renovating my blog so please bear with me.

A White Christmas It Is…..

A lot of people dream of them.  Even Bing Crosby.  Me, not so much.  I’ve seen more than my fair share of snow and the novelty wore off decades years ago.  After all I grew up in Canada and only migrated south in midlife.  To New England no less.  Bright move, huh?

So without further ado, for those of you who long for snow at Christmas, this is for you.

Down at the creek.  (I am so grateful for zoom lenses!)

This next little guy is one of my favorites.  Talk about troopers.  They don’t even show up until the weather turns cold!   Dark-Eyed Juncos are ground feeders and hop around under the feeders to pick up seeds.  In case you’re interested, you can learn more about Juncos here.

 

With a friend.

Rummaging for seed.

Busy, busy feeders.

My neighbor’s roof!

And that was Mother Nature’s gift to us!  Thanks Mom!

P.S.  I double posted this to both blogs.  I figured this had more to do with my outdoor blog and I wanted to keep track of the outdoors in the “off season”.

Fall at the Mill – Out and About

Not much to say.  Just a few pretty pictures from a lovely Fall day.   (Taken Nov 12, 2009)

Milkweed

Kreativ Blogger - The Good, The Bad and The Silly

I would like to thank Lori E. of  Family Trees May Contain Nuts (Don't you just love that name!  What a hoot!) for passing this award along to me.   This is the second time that I have received an award (the first was in my other blog)  and I have to say it was a surprise both times.   I'm still not quite sure why but I don't mind playing.  

1. I became a mother for the first time on my birthday.
   
2. I am very quiet and  I'm fairly certain that I am incapable of yelling.  Just don't have it in me.
3. Contrary to #2, when I get together with a good friend, I am quite the chatterbox.
   
4. One day I hope  to swim with dolphins.  That would be an absolute thrill.
   
5. If I wet one hand, I have to wet the other.  I know!  So Silly!  A tad OCD perhaps.  And it doesn't end there.  The daughter mentioned is #1 is the same!
   
6. I used to be extremely shy.  But that was then, and this is now.  Not so shy anymore.
7. Karma is a powerful thing.  I firmly believe that "you get what you give" in life. 

Now I'm supposed to pass this along to seven other bloggers.  Thing is, I did this last week in my other blog and I don't want to inundate anyone so I will wait a little bit to do it.   I hope the blogger bogey man doesn't haul me off to jail!

Exploring My Neighboring Towns - Wrentham

Last week I was out and about enjoying the colors of the season and came upon a little farm in the neighboring town of Wrentham.  Several times I had been tempted to buy my pumpkins from the grocery store (chain) but repeatedly resisted.  It means far more to a local farmer that I buy from them.  So in a very haphazard way I found Adams Farm.  As a matter of fact, I am assuming that I was in Wrentham MA.  Actually factually, I may have been in Cumberland RI.  Either way my intention was well meaning and mission accomplished.  So here are a few pictures from my meandering trip.

Pretty New England Barn

Perhaps the farm guard?  He looks like he means business.

These were some good looking goats.  Look!  A Dalmatian!

These guys were just traipsing along the side of the road.

A horse in the field.  Just doing her thing.

What a beauty!  If I am not mistaken, she is getting her winter coat.

The waning days of Fall.