It appears that we have become the dumping ground for stray dogs.
You already met Sadie. She was such a sweetheart. I wanted to keep her but Pa said no.
I found her a good home in Eager which is next to Springerville.
Look what showed up last week! Two of the sweetest Rotties on this earth. I named the old one Grace and the young one Hope. They were so friendly and loving. As usual we scouted around to see if anyone was camping at the ranch and didn't find a single soul. As you know, we live in the middle of nowhere so the only way they could have ended up here was to be dumped. I really wanted to keep these beauties but we found them a good home where they could be inside and not have to lay in the dirt all day. They took to their new owner right away. Wonder what will show up next? Maybe a horse! Can I keep it, can I keep it?
Our friend Luis took us fishing at Show Low Lake. It is right behind Home Depot in Show Low. We didn't even know it was there. It is really beautiful!
Pa and I bought new fishing rods and got our fishing licenses. We left at 6 in the morning, stopped at McDonalds for breakfast ( Pa hates McDonalds and threw his breakfast sandwich away) and off we went to fish.
Luckily we brought chairs and lots of fishing gear. Unfortunately, Pa woke up with a very stiff and sore neck and wasn't feeling very well. But being the trouper he is, he just sat there with his line in the water and didn't move very much.
I haven't fished in years so Luis took me under his wing and got my hook put on my line, baited my hook and cast my line out. I was bound and determined to cast my own line and after a few practices, got pretty good at it. It was pretty breezy which was a God send because as usual I was totally unprepared for the sun. The breeze kept me cool.
We were fishing right from this spot. Down the embankment.
We really need a small boat. Got one you want to give us?
Choppy water
There is the dam.
and guess what folks! I caught the first fish! My arms were burnt to a crisp. I finally had to take my shirt off, drape it over my shoulders and cover my arms. I wish I would have worn my sunglasses because even the rims of my lower eye lids got burnt. We were only planning on staying till noon......
Luis caught the second fish
and the 3rd fish. His last fish got caught on a rock while he was reeling it in and he couldn't get it to shore. I was standing ready with the net and he was so distressed that he would lose his fish, I finally waded out with my shoes on and netted it. He was so happy. It was the largest fish caught that day. Poor Pa didn't catch a thing. Can you believe that? He has been a mighty fisherman for years and for him to not catch anything is unbelievable. He felt so rotten I don't think he minded tho. Luis gave us all the fish. Next time I am taking a long sleeve shirt, using sun screen and wearing sunglasses. I was thinking of making me a jacket using shade cloth from Home Depot! At least I didn't get over heated like I usually do and get sick.
My poor garden and flowers. Critters have been having a feast. Until last year, we hadn't seen any ground squirrels (chipmonks) but this year they have been skipping about all over the place. I got out one of my handy dandy Harbor Freight traps and managed to trap 4 baby ground squirrels. They were so darned cute, I couldn't do them any harm so I took them two miles down the road and set them free.
We've had dozens of mice and rats fall in the buckets of water that we set around to get rid of them. Are we ever going to run out? There must be millions of them.
So here is one of my hanging baskets that used to be full of Petunias.
Here is where they ended up.
This is what it is supposed to look like.
This is one of my desert Spiderworts after a rabbit turned the cage over and ate it.
Here is what it is supposed to look like. We have to cage everything to protect them from varmits.
I took a cutting from our cottonwood tree and it's doing quite well. That cage thing is protecting my yellow rose bush.
Pa made this horse trough thing for me to put plants in to protect them from the bunnies. He cut a pipe in half and welded on legs. Not too pretty but by this time, half the plants would have been eaten. I'll bring them in the house for the winter.
Once again, I'm growing my own milk. Did you know this is what a dairy farm looks like? Ha ha. This is how we protect our garden plants until they get big enough so the critters won't want to eat them. The last row is Okra and the other rows are green beans. If we don't do this, the critters will either dig them up and let them lay there or else eat them.
Cantelope and cukes. I had to replant everything because the ones I started in the house died. I think starting them in the house is a waste of time. The plants are stronger when you just plant the seeds outside to begin with. I don't think you gain any growing time because the seeds catch up to the starter plants.
Mutant tomatoes. They are finally putting out some new green branches so they might produce after all.
I had grapes this year but the birds ate them all.
I really only wanted the grapes for the leaves to add to my pickles to keep the pickles to stay crisp. It actually works.
In order to get things to grow here, you have to keep shade cloth on the plants for the entire growing season. We are so high up ,6000 feet, the sun just bakes everything.
There is spinach and bell peppers growing in here, plus two tomatoes that I thought were peppers.
The broccoli is doing great. A guy in town said no one in town grows broccoli and was surprised I have such good luck with it.
This is yellow squash. I should cover it up but I decided to see what it would do in the great outdoors.
a green bean! Almost the entire planting came up this year. Remember when I had to plant green beans 5 times before getting a single bean?
Something ate the zucchini so I had to replant.
This is the first year I had any luck with carrots. I read on someone's blog to make a row, sprinkle seeds in it, cover it with vermiculite and then cover with burlap. Leave the burlap on until the carrots start to grow and get a good root system and then take the burlap off. I had to put shade cloth over it so keep the birds from eating the tops off the carrots. Something ate almost the entire first row this year.
I planted 25 garlic bulbs and 24 came up so I hope we get a good crop this year.
A full 6x6 bed of red and yellow onions. When I planted them, they bulbs were all dried up so I didn't think I'd get anything. I was astounded to see almost everyone started growing.
My dill came up from last year right in the middle of my everbearing strawberries. The berries were kind of stunted until I put a shade cloth over them.
I should have covered my June strawberries earlier. I think they cooked before putting any berries on so I don't think I'll get anything this year.
another replant thanks to the wind knocking my milk carton over and some dastardly creature ate my plant.
One of my apple trees. This is the 2nd summer for them
This one is a Gala. I needed it to pollenate my Honeycrisp. Hopefully, I'll get an apple or two next year.
This is our peach tree. Unfortunately the one we planted last year didn't make it so we had to buy another one.
Our Cherry tree. First year. I ordered a Cherry and an Apricot but got two cherries. Oh well, Pa loves cherries. My plum tree didn't make it so we dug it up and took it back to the store and got a refund. I'll get another one next year.
Some bird has made a nest under the water tote. This is the first nest we have seen here altho we have plenty of birds. I wonder if it is a hummingbird nest but it looks too big.
Our caged Lilacs. This year, the furthest one put on some blooms but the wind came up and dried the blooms out before they could open. Maybe next year I'll put some plastic around it to protect it.
This Mugo pine has been here for 3 years and hasn't grown at all.
3rd year for my Peoni and it has never grown a blossom. Notice the BBQ grill over it? Keeps the critters from digging up the bulb and eating it.
another example of critter protection. Unfortunately, they ate my Wisteria and Petunias before I put the rack over the top. I noticed that they are growing back thol.
I've been wanting a wind chime that bongs and found this at Tractor Supply for $30.00. Ones this size at Lowe's run $50 or $60. They were on sale for 25% off and then I used my refund for the plum tree and bought this one. It sits right outside my craft room and is so relaxing to hear.
Speaking of crafts, my cutting program crashed and I lost over 4000 cutting files. I recovered the ones I purchased but the ones I made myself are somewhere in the great beyond. I had just backed them up the night before but was unable to recover them. Luckily, I shared them with my two girlfriends in Holbrook so one of them is going to burn me a copy so I can get them back. There were a few I didn't share so they are gone forever. I discovered that Windows has a backup program so I am using that to backup everything and storing it on my new external hard drive. My other one is full of digital stamps and craft paper. I don't download as much digital craft paper anymore due to limited computer time. I wish computer time wasn't so expensive out here off the grid. We pay close to $100 a month for 15 gigs. Pa is on the internet a lot when the weather is bad and he can't be outside. We can't watch watch anything on Youtube or any other videos because that really eats up those 15 gigs.
Alrighty then, that's it for now. We are going to Nelson Reservoir near Springerville/Eager to go fishing tomorrow morning. Luis said he caught his limit in less than an hour on Friday so we are hot to trot! I'll take pictures and post them here some time next week. Take care, ya hear?
