[Magdalen] First fruits

Tue May 10 00:04:50 UTC 2016

The squirrels, or as they are called around here, tree rats, are
legion.  Some of my neighbors do not like them but I enjoy the furry
bandits.  They are a nuisance but I grew up in a neighborhood with
many oaks and many squirrels and I like watching them.  My granddad
always took me out for a walk to look at the squirrels.  I believe
that he had a hunter's interest in them but he did not burden me with
that.  I never thought that cats could actually catch a squirrel but I
raked a number of tails out of the basement along with some other
leavings this winter.  My yard has a lot of fruit and nuts for them to
eat so I think it will be a long time before anything could deplete
their numbers.

On Mon, May 9, 2016 at 5:04 PM, Lynn Ronkainen <houstonklr at gmail.com> wrote:
> The legion of squirrels in my back 'yard' are unbelievable. Plus the ladies
> two doors and three doors down from me hand feed them peanuts!!! Sheesh. So
> not only do I have little digging holes everywhere, and amid my spices that
> are in a planter, I often find peanuts, still in the shell, buried also!!
>
> The other day a small hawk perched on the back of my garden bench for over
> an hour about 8' from my patio edge (small condo patio) and for two days I
> did not see any squirrels (actually hoping that they had been hawk food...)
> but I understand that they're still out there, but they have not visited me
> or tried to mount the hanging bird feeders since the hawk spend a few hours
> on that bench, so for that I'm grateful : )  Now the Mourning Doves are also
> at 'pack level' quantity - today 12 scattered from the patio (where they
> pick up fallout from the feeders)... I sure wish there was a way to get rid
> of those Texas pigeons...
> Lynn
>
> website: www.ichthysdesigns.com
>
> When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I have not a
> single bit of talent left and could say, "I used everything You gave me."
> attributed to Erma Bombeck
> "Either Freedom for all or stop talking about Freedom at all" from a talk by
> Richard Rohr
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Jay Weigel" <jay.weigel at gmail.com>
> Sent: Monday, May 09, 2016 1:49 PM
> To: <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
> Subject: Re: [Magdalen] First fruits
>
>> There is still the problem of the myriad squirrels burying the damn
>> walnuts, though. They even bury them in our flowerpots. They just don't
>> get
>> up to the skybox!
>>
>>
>> On Mon, May 9, 2016 at 2:46 PM, Grace Cangialosi <gracecan at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> No, with the straw bale method, there's no soil involved, but if you're
>>> worried about contamination, you can set the bales on sheets of black
>>> plastic.  I think it would be worth checking out.
>>>
>>> > On May 9, 2016, at 2:29 PM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> >
>>> > But not in soil that has been poisoned by so many walnut trees you >
>>> > can't
>>> > count 'em.....with squirrels by the dozens too. We've tried the hanging
>>> > planters, but so far the best solution seems to be our "sky garden". >
>>> > It's
>>> > the only place that gets enough light, also.
>>> >
>>> >> On Mon, May 9, 2016 at 1:55 PM, Grace Cangialosi <gracecan at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> >>
>>> >> You could also use the straw bale method...could plant as many as you
>>> >> like. Just google straw bale planting.
>>> >>
>>> >>> On May 9, 2016, at 11:20 AM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> >>>
>>> >>> No tomatoes here (damn walnut trees!) although s/o has read of a >>>
>>> >>> method
>>> >>> which sounds promising.....filling a 5-gallon bucket (holes drilled
>>> >>> >>> in
>>> >> the
>>> >>> bottom for drainage) with good soil from elsewhere), covering the >>>
>>> >>> soil
>>> >> with
>>> >>> plastic, and inserting the tomato plants through slits in the >>>
>>> >>> plastic,
>>> >> then
>>> >>> keeping them in a place free of the incursions of walnut--infested
>>> >>> >>> soil
>>> >> or
>>> >>> marauding squirrels with walnuts to bury. Our upper deck would be a
>>> fine
>>> >>> place. I don't have my herbs in either; they normally are planted in
>>> pots
>>> >>> on said upper deck, but I haven't visited my neighborhood greenhouse
>>> due
>>> >> to
>>> >>> the exceedingly chilly, rainy weather. This week, for sure.
>>> >>>
>>> >>> The greenhouse is run by a lovely Mennonite (conservative--wears
>>> "uniform
>>> >>> dress" and cap, but drives) lady who employs several of her female
>>> >>> relatives, including a look-alike sister, an exceedingly elderly >>>
>>> >>> woman
>>> >> who
>>> >>> is either her mother or aunt, and a sweet Down's syndrome woman who
>>> does
>>> >> a
>>> >>> great deal of the fetching and carrying and who surprised me last >>>
>>> >>> year
>>> by
>>> >>> informing me that she was about to turn 53...I had her pegged for
>>> *much*
>>> >>> younger, not because of the DS but because she simply looks about 35.
>>> In
>>> >>> fact, they all look much younger than they are, except for granny.
>>> >>> >>> And
>>> >>> Arlene (the owner) has just about the greenest thumb I've ever
>>> >> encountered.
>>> >>> She has the best collection of herbs anywhere, year after year, and
>>> >> coleus
>>> >>> that just knock your eye out, plus fine house plants and porch plants
>>> and
>>> >>> occasional oddments of garden plants, besides the old standards in
>>> >>> >>> fine
>>> >>> array. AND the best mulch anywhere. People come from all over just
>>> >>> >>> for
>>> >> the
>>> >>> mulch.
>>> >>>
>>> >>> On Mon, May 9, 2016 at 12:57 AM, Rick Mashburn <
>>> ricklmashburn at gmail.com>
>>> >>> wrote:
>>> >>>
>>> >>>> Alex is the gardener on our house. Looks like we are going to have a
>>> >> bumper
>>> >>>> crop of tomatoes this year!
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> Peace, Rick
>>> >>>>> On May 8, 2016 9:43 PM, "Susan Hagen" <susanvhagen at gmail.com> >>>>>
>>> >>>>> wrote:
>>> >>>>>
>>> >>>>> I had a salad with tiny lettuce thinnings and baby radishes from
>>> >>>>> >>>>> the
>>> >>>>> garden.  The cucumber was from the grocery store but it all tasted
>>> >>>>> wonderful.  I weeded the asparagus patch which, sadly, seems to be
>>> >>>>> fading out, probably from neglect.  Still, I get a few cuttings
>>> >>>>> >>>>> from
>>> >>>>> it each year.  I do enjoy eating from my back yard.
>>> >>>>>
>>> >>>>>
>>> >>>>> --
>>> >>>>> The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among
>>> >>>>> you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in
>>> >>>>> >>>>> the
>>> >>>>> land of Egypt.
>>> >>>>> Leviticus 19:34
>>> >>
>>>
>

-- 
The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among
you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the
land of Egypt.
Leviticus 19:34