Ducks 4 in '24

[ducks4you]

After 30 days, one sprout. Thyme tag from a thyme I bought and killed, btw. Spotting it is a bit of a "Where's Waldo?"

 

[ducks4you]

I must have thinking of @Phaedra subliminally bc, the last 2 times I made turkey, the leftovers are feeding my critters.

Phaedra's Adventure

I don’t have a garden yet, so I truly enjoy your posts and pictures. I have a lot to do before I can put in a garden. I need to get back on tearing down those old chicken coops. So far, I’ve been mining them for materials to build something else with. LOL

www.theeasygarden.com

For YEARS I would pull and cut every little bit of meat off of the turkey carcass.
WHAT AN UN-NECESSARY AND MESSY JOB!!!
Last time (and yesterday) I cooked a turkey in my big electric roaster. For serving I used big tongs, pulled off the drumsticks and the wings, plated Them, then pulled off the white meat, plated That, and left the rest.
I went back when I was cleaning up (bc we 4 will be eating the leftovers tonight,) used the tongs to pull off the bones, separated any big pieces of meat, bagged up the bones, some with meat on them to freeze for making broth (later), then poured off any leftover juices and pieces I missed into 2 quart jars. I also took a spoon and spooned off a lot of grease fat.
There were also a few pieces of meat left in the roaster. Those went to a plate and my cat Mynx got those.
I fed Eva the gizzards and heart and some meat for dinner. There are 2 more meals for Eva in a container in the fridge. She will also get the quart jars for future dinners poured on top of her kibble.
I let Eva and the cats clean up all of the roaster, small crock pot (for boiling the innards in turkey broth previously pressure canned), the cooled pot where I made potatoes first, then gravy, and dinner plates, on the kitchen floor.
It really Does making dishwashing them easier.
That bag of turkey bones with meat, now in the freezer, will make about 5 more quarts of broth, which we use for meals.
I Guess if meat and fowl become hard to come by we will be stretching turkey, but I have discovered that we more often never eat it and I end up throwing away leftover turkey hash.

 

[flowerbug]

...
I Guess if meat and fowl become hard to come by we will be stretching turkey, but I have discovered that we more often never eat it and I end up throwing away leftover turkey hash.

i used to love making turkey soups and cassaroles but not in recent years since Mom doesn't like them, but i always thought that was the prefect way to deal with what was left of a turkey.

 

[ducks4you]

Not QUITE like WLS Radio's (1970's) Larry Lujack's animal stories, with "Timmy," but a great story, nonetheless.

https://www.reddit.com/r/duck/comments/1aycmhx

 

[heirloomgal]

Not QUITE like WLS Radio's (1970's) Larry Lujack's animal stories, with "Timmy," but a great story, nonetheless.

https://www.reddit.com/r/duck/comments/1aycmhx

Just the sweetest.

 

[ducks4you]

Middle DD wringled her way into coming to Easter at her Sisters' house next month.
She said that she would be happy to bring stuff, so today I called her on it!
She and I talk and pray almost every M-F. WE both decided to buy stuff and put together easter baskets for all 9 of us. I have probably 15 baskets still sitting in my attic, so we don't have to buy those, just fill them.
I am buying seed packets for all DD's--middle DD requested chamomile--but I am not sure what to buy for my SIL.
SIL is no gardener and I need something where she will dig up dirt and just dump seeds, and have Something come up.
I have never grown petunias from seed before.
Are they easy?
I want your thoughts, pls.

 

[Phaedra]

I have never grown petunias from seed before.
Are they easy?
I want your thoughts, pls.

I tried last year, and it's not difficult. The seeds are pretty small, but as long as they germinate, the growth is pretty stable. Before the weather is mild enough, no frost, I could cut their back once and use the cuttings for propagate another batch. So if you can get seeds from a good reputation supplier and you also like their patterns, why not give it a try?

 

[ducks4you]

I Should have this memorized, but I still look every year.

Nearest Climate Station	Altitude	Last Spring Frost	First Fall Frost	Growing Season
OGDEN, IL	675'	Apr 26	Oct 16	172 days

Ogden is 30 miles north of me, so we are good.

 

[ducks4you]

I was thinking about those seedlings that don't transplant well. Being VERY cheap, I didn't want to buy one of those wooden shapers, but I found this video.

How to Make Paper Pots for Seed Starting - Thistle Downs Farm

Tired of using cheap plastic cells to start your seeds? Learn how to easily recycle those old newspapers into paper pots for seed starting!

thistledownsfarm.com

THEN, I panicked!
WHO reads/has delivered a newspaper anymore?!?!?
But, Then, I realized that Harbor Freight packed up my purchase this week with a flyer. LOTS of grocery stores also have newspaper flyers.
It.
Can.
Be.
Done!!!

 

[ducks4you]

Some More recycling, making a raised bed from a stock tank.
I have an old stock tank, that I used, in the past, to raise baby chicks.
It has a visible leak on the bottom seam, not used, but enabling draining, so we're good.
I was Going to recycle it, but I decided, since it is a 100 gallon water tank, that it would be better used for gardening. The author obviously never kept livestock. Each tank has it's own plug to drain, and you can often screw it slightly open for a slow drip.

Stock Tank Raised Beds-DIY - Thistle Downs Farm

Check out this step-by step tutorial and learn exactly how to turn metal watering tanks into beautiful galvanized stock tank raised beds!

thistledownsfarm.com

Personally, I DON'T love the way galvanized stock tank raised beds look, but I live on a small farmette, so the look works. I might add the sticks, but the soil will come from my piles of 2 yr old or more used stall bedding.

This is what I love to grow in, but they are SO pricey and the break easily. This looks a lot like the one I bought several years ago, some 24 inches deep. I gave it to DD.
Every year I help DD to clean out and store her lovely large ceramic blue and cream pot. It lives in the winter on top of an old door that Somebody left in their garage, upside down and dry. You can even put it away Wet, and it will dry on it's own.
I don't care what solutions are made to keep these outside in zones 7 and under to avoid freezing.
If hers cracks, I don't know what the replacement $cost is. Hers was $75.00, and I found it for $15, some 8 years ago.
I Almost bought 2. I WISH I had, but I repent in leisure.