January 29, 2010

  • The Beast Has Started His New Project


    TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

    I really should have seen it coming.  It's the weather, of course.  I KNOW that the really cold, cold weather hasn't hit us yet but will shortly.  The Beast, however, is excited and has started one of several projects that suddenly popped into his mind.

    One is running the special circuit for the heat strips for the heat pump.  He decided NOT to wait (I told you he couldn't stand not to be busy!) until the weather is warmer.  I guess in the 40's or 50's seems warm enough for him now.  The other is......ta dah!  More plants. 

    I kid you not.  Today he comes home from Lowe's with rose bushes.  Yep, rose bushes.  Which he grandly presents to me and says...*Happy Valentine's Day...I thought I would buy you roses,* and he grins.  Got a couple of them and....all say they are fragrant.  The one I really like is the New Day rose.  It's a pretty yellow one, medium size bush (what the hell is that???), blooms continuously and is a hybrid tea rose.  I have to look the others over but one looks to be a pretty peach one and the other is one that is both yellow and orangy on the edges.  More on those another time.

    But you see where this is really leading, right?  Yep.  His thoughts are turning to *the farm*.  His apple, cherry, peach, plum and pear trees.  I looked and saw he bought the spray he needs for the peach trees.  He won't forget to spray those so we don't have any peach curl this year.  He's also got the stuff for the Japanese beetles.  We probably won't have a problem with them since he has been spraying those regularly AS DIRECTED and we didn't have much of them last spring.  I will never forget our first year and how loaded the peach trees were with them.  The Beast went NUTS!  But, thankfully, he is responsible enough that he looks for things that are bio-friendly.  I know that one of the sprays we have is primarily cayenne pepper.   I know!  Who woulda thunk it??? 

    I can tell you this much.  He is NOT sucking me in on this stuff.  I WILL direct him where to put the rose bushes but, after that, it's all HIS!  It was never my intention to turn this into a mini-farm.  I will confess that I have a project in mind for him but haven't discussed it with him yet.  I want him to construct some deep boxes for along the outside of the deck for plants.  Not just any plants....for my tomato, bean and I think I will include cucumbers and pepper plants.  Enough to provide for us. 

    I don't want to have to start a roadside stand.  Just a few of each to provide for our needs over the summer.  If we have an abundance, I'm ready to can them or freeze them.  It all depends......  Is that too crazy an idea?  I mean about some deep window box type things?  It would sure make it easier on me to take care of them and less problems with rabbits and such.

    Since January is really almost over and we only have a few more weeks before our weird weather (and, trust me, it IS weird here) starts, I can see why the Beast is thinking the way he is.  However, I will be damned if I am going to put out any plants that will suffer with the freezes I KNOW are coming.  Heck, we had several during March and April last year.  Worried us sick because so many of the trees were showing signs of blooming.  Some already had bloomed and the teeny tiny fruit was on it.  Those trees were the ones he actually DID wrap up to protect. 

    Right now I am ticked off because the hardware that holds the tray for my keyboard on my desk ripped out from the (underside of the) desktop.  I hate cheap wood fiber formed desks but, unless you want to pay a small fortune, finding a REAL wood one (at least one with real wood on the desktop) is so expensive.  I knew I should have made the Beast buy me one I found at the unfinished furniture store we were at a couple months back.  It actually was cheap enough and was beautiful.  Just shoot me now.  I used Gorilla glue on it and had to (clamp) hold it tightly in place with my knee for an hour until it set up enough.  I had hoped it was dry but it wasn't (*insert a sad face here) so I am sitting again with my knee underneath it, applying the upward pressure required.

    I wish someone I knew that has some old-time furniture wanted to get rid of a nice big desk that was MADE OF REAL WOOD.  Remember those days?  Maybe if I were still living in Florida, where I knew a lot of people .....  Oh well.

    Okay...time to get this posted for now.  At least the Beast hasn't gotten beyond the *buy all the parts needed* stage of his first project.  He won't be able to work on it tomorrow, however, because we have some severe storm warnings we are getting here for Friday.  First rain, turning into sleet, then icy sleet and some snow on top of that.  It will be a wonderful night for all sort of accidents, I'm sure.

    Love you all and I hope you have a great night.  And here's a belated New Year's wish for everyone:

    My wishes for you this New Year:

    ***May peace break into your house
    ***May thieves come and steal your debts
    ***May your pockets be a $100 bill magnet
    ***May love stick to your face like Vaseline
    ***May laughter assault your lips
    ***May happiness slap you across the face
    ***May your tears be those of joy
    ***May problems forget your home address

    In simple words, May this year be the best year of your life!!!