Updates and Some Redux

 

Early last winter, we placed an order for seeds for our garden along with a selection of berry plants and asparagus crowns. We planted a few berries at our last garden and they mostly fed the birds. I have no doubt that the birds up here will appreciate eating them as well but they seem like the best way to utilize the steep ravine sides that I no longer mow. Unfortunately, it was the first of May before they finally arrive and only after I complained. No wanting the deer to mow them off immediately until they had a chance to get established, I snuck out and got them planted before an approaching rainy few days and promptly fenced them in. The asparagus crowns however, that were supposed to be planted at least six weeks earlier, are still in my refrigerator waiting for the rain to stop, a bittersweet problem.

As you can see, we've been having timely and adequate rainfall this spring, a big departure from the previous two years. I'm sure the farmers are a bit riled up as most have not been able to get much planting done and here it is over 3 weeks into their planting season at this point but my garden is loving it. As of this writing, I'm hoping to make it down to the farm to get the remainder of the straw I bought a couple years back and haul it up here to spread around and keep the moisture we have gotten in case the summer turns dry again. That is a story in itself, but one for another post.

Also, another story for another post, is the development of fuel pump issues in my wife's vehicle which we just purchased brand new 11 months ago. Fortunately, if what I suspect is wrong, it is a known Toyota defect in the high pressure fuel pump, as opposed to the low pressure one that went bad on my minivan, which is a bit easier to access and deal with. Long story short for now, it has developed a gas leak in the engine compartment and smells like gas when driving. It is now being looked at and they promised to call me as soon as they get it diagnosed. I'm not holding my breath.

Comments

  1. I am going to be late getting my garden in this year. I hope they can quickly fix your wife's car. The smell of gas is disconcerting.

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    1. We actually got our garden in very early this year but had a long stretch of cool weather that made even the cool weather plants grow slowly. It has been a change from the previous two years where it got warm really early and most of the cool weather crops did poorly.

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  2. New cars are not supposed to come with problems. Meanwhile, we also have a fait bit of cloud and rain.

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    1. It turned out to be an easy problem to solve and fix though leaves me questioning about how vehicles leave the factory. I have a post on the whole affair coming up soon.

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  3. Another car issue, ugh! It's the reason we buy new cars because we want to avoid them. Sorry you have to deal with that again.

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    1. Well this turned out to be an unexpected issue that was easily fixed. Stay tuned.

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  4. Well, thank goodness for rain! I hope they get that fuel pump worked out. You must have done something to offend the god of fuel pumps!

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    1. If bad luck comes in threes, I'm due for a stretch of good luck I think.

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  5. I'm glad your garden is happy with the rain. I've learned it can be hard to please everyone with precipitation amounts. Too much, not enough, just right. It can vary depending on your goals.

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    1. I've always said too much is the worst. At least with the droughts of the last two years, I was able to water at critical times even if it was inconvenient to do so. We still produced some vegetables. There isn't a lot I can do when it is too wet.

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  6. Very frustrating when a new vehicle has problems, hope it was a quick fix. Your garden will really grow now with the rain and some warm days:)

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    1. It was a quick fix and the garden is growing like weeds!

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  7. I love the rain. Good luck with plants and car!

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    1. After the last two years of barely any rain, it is such a delight to get regular rain again.

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  8. There's always a big challenge when gardening.

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  9. So nice to see everything greening up and the soil wet from rain! Good idea about the straw. I'd be jealous for every ounce of moisture too. Good idea too, about planting berry bushes in the steep area. Birds do get a large share, but with good production, the humans get some too!

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    1. Just enough to top a bowl of cereal or a tart would be nice!

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  10. It does look very green and pleasant.

    We had a Ford Escort that had a failing ring on the fuel tank, just below the main body of the car. The gasoline fumes, were - well, learning to drive with the window down became a thing.

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  11. Looks like the rainfall is in the "just right" category! Certainly hope so. Glad the car fix was easy, and I look forward to hearing more.

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    1. I'm loving this rainfall though the farmers, who aren't complaining yet, are probably hoping for a dry stretch to finish putting in the crops.

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