DUCKS for THEE in 2023

[ducks4you]

I am about to leave the house. I am taking both tiller tires in for new ones. The farm supply store Might have them, but can probably order same or similar. No sense to try to pump them up, since they are 20yo.
DH and I Did restring the pull, but the cord was old and IT broke, too.
I was considering buying the piece online.
Manufacturer's same is about $50.
Knock offs might not fit. At Least I used a magnetic bowl and kept the same wrench in it.
I will buy a new pull cord. Found them at WM, but Farm and Fleet probably carries them, too.
Every growing season has it's difficulties.
I have at least two tomato plants starting to flower.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

Moss rose also known as portulaca.

 

[flowerbug]

Moss rose also known as portulaca.

they are beautiful flowers and don't mind the heat or dry spells, but sadly they don't drop enough seeds here that survive and we don't like to have to put in new plants each season for those. with how much purslane we have (which is a relative) and the similar sprouting time in the gardens it's hard to keep them going here when trying to rely upon seeds dropped from previous plantings.

 

[ducks4you]

OK, tiller update.
DH and I used a cord that was rotten for the New pull cord. It, of course, broke.
I took one tire on the rim to Farm and Fleet. MIRACULOUSLY, they carried tiller tires.
Even NICER, as I was headed to the small engine repair desk the Clerk stopped to ask me what I needed, one aisle away.
I was totally blown away, and I had a chance to rate and make a comment, since I am a "rewards member."
I also bought a new correct cord with the pull AND the clerk had me buy the tool to pull the pin and remove the tires.
I may have already posted this, but customer service isn't always there anymore, and was MUCH appreciated by a little duck that doesn't fix her own machines very well.
Running on benedryl Saturday I managed to cut the 50 ft fencing panel in 1/2 and got it up and tied to one side of the cistern.
We had a very good soaking rain yesterday, with a low of 49 degrees F. It will be high in the 70's today,, perfect to finish the fencing, and the stringing of the baling twine and clothesline and planting of the cistern tomatoes.
Pictures to follow.

 

[ducks4you]

I planted wildflowers east of the cistern bed last year. Most didn't take. THIS grew in 2022 and looked like dill, no flowers.
This year it came up and flowered for me. I expect to see more, and I hope to scratch up where I pulled noxious weeds there and plant some More wildflowers. This stretch of yard has Never been the same since my excellent plumber dug up and put in the new line, which included a basement whole house filter.
I have tried several things to plant but the ground stays lower and uneven, thus a great place for a wildflower strip.

 

[ducks4you]

Right now I have the blue flowers, some cosmos and another?? yellow flower And oats and, surprisingly, wheat!

 

[ducks4you]

I have been working around the cistern for tomato planting. As of mid last week, I had dug out weeds that were growing close to the cement. MOST of them came out with the roots intack, I will worry about the others later, paint them with herbicide using a cheap watercolor paintbrush.

I picked up most of the weeds and put them inside of the box that housed my new bag mower, including what I had mowed, which includes weed seeds. I took the box over to my pile of cut street saplings, which burned last week.
The black Rubbermaid 100 gallon water tank, here to block winter winds, is now under my struggling tart cherry tree.
I Really need to consider cutting it down. NO cherries on it this year, whereas the 1 year younger tree is so loaded that there isn't enough of me to harvest all of them. THIS is harvest week, according to the tree.
I am trying one last time to give it a water drip, and the fish will soon be outside in it, to keep away mosquito larvae.

 

[ducks4you]

Here is work from Saturday. I hope to finish this work this afternoon.
I had a business phone call this morning.

 

[ducks4you]

Volunteer oats (from planting in 2021), and Volunteer Wheat, HAD to have been some birds, bc I have some growing elsewhere, too.
Happy surprises!!

 

[baymule]

Love the purple-blue spike of flowers!

Can you use the cistern ?