Seems like only yesterday I thought I'd freeze to death. Got so cold the snow never melted off my boots overnight. So cold the drinking water froze in its bottles. So cold ... well, it was cold.
Now we've got the year's first heat wave, and oy! Yesterday I spent the afternoon hiding in the shadows, slowly melting into a puddle of viscous, Joel-scented ooze. Today is likely to be more of the same, but I fooled it: I got up early and was out at the Lair before six. Reason for this is I'm in a digging phase, and I can't do much digging when it gets this hot. Yes, because I'm a lazy, whining wimp. So?
So I hit it while it was still cool. Now I've got all the gravel I need all graded nicely in the drain field, the feed line for the septic pit is (well, almost) completely in position, the barrels are ready to fill and set, and naturally I need a couple of plumbing parts to finish it off. Because I always need a couple of plumbing parts to finish it off. I swear the elk are eating my parts.
Oh, the elk! Did I mention I hate elk now? I used to be pretty neutral, or even benevolent, on the subject of elk. Now I want them dead. Reason being, a herd of them ate M's trees last month. They (the trees, not the elk) were doing really well: No transplant shock to speak of, some new growth, and then the frickin' antlered rats ate them down to the trunks.
Well, M improved the fencing, and they're coming back surprisingly well.
I'm down to watering them once a week, which they actually seem to prefer over the original once-every-three-days routine I started with. I can't speak to the long-term efficacy of this Hugelculture (sp?) thing, but it certainly holds water well.
7 comments:
You might want to consider feeding those trees a little each time they are watered. A few cups of "manure tea" would be ideal.
And I'm very glad we don't have elk around here. The damned-deer are bad enough!
Would be a tragic accident if one of the trees, about one night a month, was accidently left outside it's little corral. It would possibly attract an elk which, might possibly have an accident, and perish nearby. The locals would need to clean said elk up so as not to attract predators, vermin, or vultures (winged kind not lawyers).
Joel, if you hate elk, I doubt you've ever tasted one...
So where is the post about how to prepare elk steaks over an open fire? What about depth of penetration of AK47 ammo? Or a comparison of RAW(raw animal waste) vs. production dog food? Preparation of elk for canning?
Lots of room for exploration here. Down here it is quite legal to protect your crops from wildlife. I mean, should the opportunity arise...
Sadly, Big Woooly, we don't have any such right to protect our crops. It is one of the flaws of this state, but the "law" says you must fence the deer (and cattle) OUT, not shoot them to protect things.
But accidents do happen and I'm sure very few people bother to report such things, even here. :) SSS - or eat, as the case may be.
May I add that Elk tastes very good, can be butchered and frozen like beef, and one may shoot them over one's crops in most states.
An address Will be provided wherein any miscreant Elk or Deer "parts" [including hides/properly salted of course] can be safely disposed of .... ahem so as to not befoul the pristine desert.
Just PM and it will appear as if by Magic. [Seriously. I'll even pay postage]
On the other hand .... Matt expressed a valid "Dire Incident" [tragic accident?]scenario to worry about and Big Wooly had some valid questions it seems to me .... {rolls eyes}
stay safe,
gooch
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