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Another Year Older,Hopefully another Year WiserWell,I am back on the road,and we have just made it to our Main Terminal in Tacoma.Tomorrow I will have to see about having my safely evaliuation and take care of some paperwork .Hopefully all goes as we hope and we leave here Saturday.Coincidentaly Saturday is my B_ day,I told Hubby I consider myself officially middle agedLOL I think he believed I was already there,LOL We will most likely be working and I have no idea where the day will see me,but I am sure we will stop and have a celebratory dinner somewhere.LOL
Since leaving home we have been to LAs Vegas,(No we didn't strike it rich,LOL) and then took the scenic route up the two lane highways to Oregon and on to Washington.I got a ton of new pix,and I encourage you all to see them on Flickr,as the quality is always so much better.If I find the time I will try to put up a album,but I am finding it hard to keep up with my computer time while working,and taking hundreds of pix to upload and edit doesn't help,LOL
Today I got word that Pop has been hospitalized yet again,he is loosing cognitive ability,and cannot even remember to use the phone to call.I have serious doughts about his ability to stay alone any longer,so I have asked social workers at the hospital to evaluate him and see if we can get something in motion.He will not go quietly,so I am sure legal efforts for guardinship will have to be persued.I have been wondering about his abilities for a while,but not untill the last week orso did I feel he may be a danger to himself.He certainly cannot care for Rosa,and I know that will be a hard adjustment for him as well as her.He is in the end stages of cirrhosis now,and he has had recent binges as well.I am not sure how he will recoup from this recent downward trend in his health.God willing he will not suffer much longer through this sad degeneration.These affairs are so hard to deal with away like I am,Hubby's Mother helps out in times when he needs to go in the hospital.I really apreciate her kind hearted willingness to help.
I hope every one of yopu is doing well,and that you have a great upcoming weekend. No More Lazy Days...Going Back To WorkWell Hubby came home Thursday night,and We will be getting back to work.While I will miss the freedome I have had,and the garden will have to go without the attention it could get if I were home,I need to get back to work.Finances need to be straightened out,I have several things on my wish list ,and of course during gardening season I always like to have a bit of spending money to buy new plants.We will have to have the added expense of lawn care as well,and I am considering hiring some garden help for a few hours a week if I can find someone who would like to do it.
The company has decided to let me drive as son as I get in the truck,which helps with the financial end.They will put me through a safety evaluation after we get to one of our major terminals.I will be looking forward to seeing spring come to different parts of the country .
My photography class is starting it's 3rd week,with 3 more to go,so my spare time will be taken up with photography practice,and my flickr account,I will try to keep up with posts once a week,and read others entries as I find time.Hope you all are having spring weather grace your areas,the new album is up,and it depicts spring in our area,The crocus blooms are from the garden.We got our first open blooms two days ago. Wierd Saturday WeatherIt was a strange day in central Iowa.When I awoke I got up as usual,I have been checking my space and flickr accounts while I sit and wait for the night time stiffness and spasms to fade before I even can take the boys out.I looked at a fellow Des Moines area contacts pix,and saw a snowy scene.Wondering if for some reason he was posting an old photo I opened the curtain by my desk and peered out.Everything was covered in a blanket of snow ,with more coming down.When I let the boys out back there was a thick wet covering on the tops of the branches.Temperatures were above freezing,and snow would fall off the branches in large clumps.
Now I realized it wouldn't hang around long after our warm spring temps of this week,but was I surprised.Later in the day I left to run to the grocery store.we were all in the mood for Brians chicken parmesan and needed the ingredients.The snow was all but gone.LOL only small patches on the North east sides of buildings and evergreen trees remained.The grass even seemed greener.I guess we could look on it as spring snow showers .LOL
On the way home the sun began to set.I was driving by the river,so I stopped and shot a couple of series as well as a couple of stand alone shots of the golden glow across the water and sky.I continued along the way home,before I got there I had stopped 4 times.The sunset kept changing.The views are all unique and very different from each other.As I neared town the horizin was still glowing rather high.The covered bridge usually doesn't get into the view of sunsets unless the color extends high in the sky,since the town blocks the view.I stopped and got a series of pix behind the bridge,but was not able to get them to line up.I had my long zoom on the camera,and it cannot fit the entire bridge in one frame.I should have taken a moment to change lenses,but the light was really leaving quickly.
Tomorrow is Hubbies Birthday.He is the light of my life,and He is currently sitting in Tennessee waiting on a load,and has not been very happy with how things have gone this last week.Hoping he gets through to get me on the truck soon,as I don't know how long he will be able to stand it the way it has been going for him.
I stopped in on Pop as well,and he has not been feeling well.The jaundice has been increasing lately,and he seems to shrink and get older and weaker every time I see him.I fear he may be in end stages of the disease,we will have to get him to his doctor Monday for a thourough check ,if he doesn't get worse and want to go in tomorrow.We had just shared lunch together in Des Moines the other day when I brought him to the podiatrist.I saw he was weaker than last week,but otherwise he seemed to enjoy the outing.I will go to the dr. with him,as I would like to discuss if he may need more supervision,and I have no idea where to start.
In other news,Pete has finally learned to speak.I had tried numerous times since he came to live with us over two years ago.I always knew he knew what I wanted him to do,but he seemed to have some eversion to speaking.he would just look at you,on the rare occasion he may bark upon waiting for a toy to be thrown I would praise hi to no avail.He has been getting more verbal over his toys since being home,as he plays with B and he will hold his toy away until Pete gets impatient,but still could not equate this to getting a treat.Just the other day my SIL helsd a treat ,and she sat there with it clutched to her chest ,he made her sit it out a long time,but he finally barked,and subsiquently it took less time.He now speaks on command.At lunch that day I had warned her that now he is speaking he would try it with her food as well,LOL No sooner did I say that and he did it,We had a good laugh,and I told her that she is not to give in with her food,he needs to know now that it is to be on commands only,not to beg.Dog,the worlds best beggar,LOl
The photography assignment this week is really involved,and I have 4 different types of images to practice.I will have to take some time tomorrow to find some of the scenes I would like to work on.One will be an old Baptist churchyard that has some old stones.My goal will be to practice different DOF techniques,trying to focus on different areas of the scene.Also I will stop and try and photograph some horses ,trying to focus on the eye yet still get the body in focus by using smaller aperatures.If I can find a windmill turning I need to practice blurred motion as well.It is beginning to get over whelming al the info stuffed in my brain,but at least when I am having problems getting an image the way I wanmt I have some idea now of where to change things to make it better.LOL
I have captured alot of nice images while driving around finding subjects fro my assignments,and it has been a nice diversion from the worry and strain.That has been having it's own effect on me.I have tried to keep fairly clam,and really have been focusing on enjoying the outings I have had.I have been struggling with a rash though,and at first I thought I had gotten into something,but now that my elbows and arms have dried up I have a new patch on my stomach.Hives from stress no dought.Guess stress can cause problems even if you aren't recognizing that you are feeling stressed.LOL.
I hope everyone is having a great weekend,that the weather is turning springlike where you live,and that your week will be a productive and peaceful one.
Whew,What a day.I knew I had an errend to run in Des Moines today,and B had to go to Winterset for a Dr. appt.He went for results from a sleep study,and it turns out he also needs a C pap.While he was there he had them look at a sore foot.Late last week he helped a friend push a car out of a ditch and his foot had been swollen and sore since.That boy is so big,and so utterly strong he just does stuff without thought to his body perhaps not being as strong as he is.LOL It turns out he has 2 broken meta tarsals.They are not new however.Apparently he had broken them and they had not healed properly in the past.Now he will need surgery for repair.Ouch.
A flickr contact had gotten ahold of me late last week.He wanted to get together for photo shoot when I was in town again.He was wanting to get ppl shots,I have been working on my week one assignment for class,which is using manual setting and figuring out the proper exposure.They had suggested outdoor shots of family or pets.No one being cooperative I had been practicing the technique on country drives shooting Barns and bridges and such.The weather was a beautiful 70 degrees,the sun was bright ,the sky was that amazing shade of blue you associate with summer,and the fluffy white clouds were just the lightest fluffy pillows in the sky.AWe both wore Tee- shirts.No jackets needed.It would have been a shame to waste such a day inside.
In the past I could not get through a shopping trip at Wal mart without having to sit frequently or leaaning on carts.With my new tens I have been doing so much better,so I didn't hesitate.We met by the courthouse,and before the day was out we had been walking 3 hrs.We stopped for lunch,and I honestly don't remember sitting but twice on the walk.We covered probably 10-12 blocks.stopping alot along the way to take photos.I found myself forgetting to set the exposure so I had to retake alot of pix.LOL (how about a tens for my brain? LOL)
I did have one instance where a electrode that had been showing signs of wear came completely apart.During a bathroom break I slapped the gooy part back on it and stuck it back on.I knew it wouldn't last long.About 4 blocks from the parking lot ,while heading back from the river I started to experience some pain,no spasms,but I had definately pushed it.My battery had given out,when my truck was in sight it might as well have been a mile away,it seemed so far.LOL I leaned on the truck bed while I dug for keys.It was when I got in I looked and realized the tens was not powering.Looks like proper planning would be to tuck spare electrode and battery in my pack on day outings like this,LOl Tonight when I took the unit off the rest of the electrodes fell apart,they were a little over a week old,and that seems to be the most I get out of them.No matter what minor inconveniences this thing is my best friend.A month ago I had to talk myself into shopping,and that was if I could park right by the door and only walk in and right back out.
I captured many cool images downtown.I saw flags whipping in the breeze,reflections of historic architecture in windows of sky scrapers,and window washers on the Federal Building,they reminded me of spiderman.Hanging from their cables.T was a great help in giving me tips on setting exposure.In the class it was presumed 0 would be a perfect exposure.I was getting a bit over exposed.T told me to adjust 1-2 clicks darker,and Wow.I was getting those deep blue skies without even using a polarizer.
Hubby is having a rough time.They are not moving him like he would like.He is talking job change,and has me wondering about my future again.There may be some big changes if this doesn't work out.maybe we are supposed to do something different right now.At any rate if I do not get back to work here,I am going to have to make some kind of arrangements to survive the period before i can find something else.For now I am praying he can hang in here,so I can salvage this carreer.The future is surely shaky,cannot imagine applying for truck jobs with a bad accident so recent.I am thinking of starting the wheels in motion on trying cyber order work at home opportunities as seen last fall on Good Morning America,just in case.Could use some good vibes.LOL
I will be recouperating tomorrow,and need to stay close to home for a while now.I hope everyone is having a good week.
Garden Tip for February and MarchOK,I know you may have noticed I never got to a tip for February.I was really feeling uninspired with all the snow and clod temps here,so I will combine it with March.Really these tips are weather dependent for your own areas anyway.
One thing I enjoy doing during the February and March months is basic garden cleanup and light pruning chores.Pruning is a task that is hard to teach,There are different techniques and proper times to prune different plants.During February it is not unusual for us to have some unseasonably warm weather,although not this year.LOL On those warm 60 degree winter days I will go out and prune certain bushes.The yews can be trimmed at this time,then as the new growth comes out it quickly covers the cuts.I like a more natural shape So I like to prune them by hand to shape the bush to the desired size and look.You may also easily use a hedge clippers and shape them uniformly.keep in mind that the bottom branches need to recieve light or you will end up with thiose eamples of shrubs with bare knees,LOl Try to shape them to be a bit wider at the bottom than the top to allow light to reach the lower branches.I also use this time to prune my spireas,all varieties ecept the bridal veil for it is a spring bloomer and pruning it now would remove the flowers.The other spireas that bloom pink flowers later in spring will actually do better with a pruning,Pruning incourages fuller growth and thereby giving you more flowers.For this chore I simply use a hedge shears and lop off the top 1/3 of the growth or more.You can easily keep these plants to your desired size as they respond well to hard pruning.( Prune lightly again after blooming will encourage repeat bloom on these plants as well) I also prune barberry bushes at this time.The dwarf varieties take well to a hard pruning as well.They may look bad at first,as you will b e cutting them down to the larger older branchesw,But they will quickly fill back out with the new leaves.Larger barberry bushes tend to look best in a fountain shape as they grpow naturally that way.For those I will prune out the larger branches I wish to remove to shape the plant.I cut them off at ground level and remove the whole branch.
As soon as we have warm days it is nice to clean up the garden remains from last year as well.I may use a weed whacker here to cut down the stalks from old perrenials.In most cases I leave the clippings in the garden,they will break down to feed the soil,and as soon as the growth starts they will soon be unoticable.
I also leave old leaf litter in the garden,but if they are so thick as to smother the plants imerging you may wish to rake them up.
The beginning of March is also a good time to plant seeds for vegetables and flowers to be used in the garden in most parts of the country..Many perrenials and annuals can be started indoors easily.Starting from seed allows you to get varieties you may not find locally as well as being cost effective if you wish to plant many of one variety.To know when to start your seeds I use the timeframe of 6-8 weeks before you can safely set them out in the garden.For me that time is mid to late April,so The first week of March is the proper time to start.
Many people hesitate to plant their plants from seed believing it is difficult or that they need expensive lights to do it.Actually many seeds are easy to germinate from seed on a space like a counter in the kitchen.
You may get a seed starting set up with flourescent plant lights and shelves.But if you don't have those resources you can have success with a few low cost supplies.My hubby built this simple frame for me out of bracketting matterial he had laying around.With a couple of clamp light fixtures and a couple of Compact flourescent bulbs you have enough light ,the clamps clamp onto the frame and can be adjusted to where you want.
I use seed trays with 2 inch individual cells and a good quality sterile seed starting mix You use jiffy pots that you soak and expand that come in trays as well.There are also peat opts that you can use with seed starting mix,but I find these to wick away the moisture and dry out faster.You want to keep your seeds and seedlings consistantly moist but not soggy.Iuse a domed tray cover from the nursey to cover the trays with.This helps keep the moisture levels consistant and can be vented if the moisture is too high.
I am starting a handful of different varieties of perrenials for my garden.(If you are using jiffy pots you will need to soak these overnight to get them to expand.) To start I fill my cells with the seed starting mix.I will wet this mixture down well before planting as these mixes are made of peat moss and will soak up alot of water at first.
Gather your seed packets.Pay attention to the directions on each packet as germination may require different conditions for different seeds.I will place 2-3 seeds in each cell to insure I get at least one good plant,I can always snip off the weaker sedlings later to allow enough room for the strongest to fill out.Place the seed on the top of the peat mixture.Cover lightly according to the depth the package indicates.Press down gently to ensure good contact with the planting medium.To water these seeds and seedlings I use a mister blottle.The spray will be gentle as to not disturb the tiny roots from the peat mix.Cover and monitor.Be patient,It will take a couple weeks to see growth.Some seeds may take onger yet if temps are lower than they prefer.If you like you may buy a warming mat at your local nursery.These serve to keep the soil temperature warm.All of the varieties in my tray prefer light to germinate,The primulas like a cooler temperature so I will plant them in a pie plate with holes in it to allow drainage and put it in a gallon sized zip lock bag to keep the moisture in.They do not need the light to germinate,so they will do just fine with out the lights .Just pay attention to the seed packets they have all the info you need.
Once you see growth you need to monitor your conditions closely.Water before they go too dry,as these young tender plants will not recoer from going dry like a more mature plant.If allowed to droop they could easily bie or be stunted.When you see their second set of leaves (these are their true leaves) you may decide which plants to snip to thin pout your seedlings.Pick the most robust looking seedling to keep.
When they are big enough to put out in the garden move the trays out to a shaded location for a few days and bring them in back in at night when it is cool.gradually move them to more light and leave them out longer,This will help them acclimate to the outdoors before planting.
I hope this takes some of the mystery out of seed starting and encourages you to give it a try. Progress ...At LastIt has been a trying week on a personal level.Earlier this week we were still unclear what the future held.Although I had been offered the chance to redeem my carreer at our current company,they seemed to be dragging their heels at getting us a truck.They finally found one,and it was in Tucumcari New Mexico.The comapany had made it clear a bus fare was the only option,and as we just cannot afford to rent a car,that would mean Hubby had to ride a bus for 24 hrs to get there.He was not too thrilled with the idea,but when Monday rolled around we had decided to stay here was the best option for the future.We called Monday and our dispatcher was not in,the relacement dispatcher did not know the whole story,and she told Hubby that the company would not pay the bus fare.We had a day of indecision,as Hubby was inclined to quit this company and find a new job.We crunched some figures,Knowing that my employment might be difficult given the recent accident.I called a prior company,and given their circumstances they did not have a truck open.Even so thaere was no guarantee they would hire me again if they did have a truck.I could have persued teaming with My GF V and see if they would hire me,But her home is in Michigan ,and we would most likely have trouble figuring out our individual home time needs,so I didn't even inquire about that route.We eventually decided to stay where we are for the year,as that would give me the best opportunities in the future,assuming the company keeps me after I undergo their evaluation,as one never really knows how these things can go.Yesterday afternoon I put him on a greyhound to Tucumcari,kicking and screaming the whole way,LOL
This has been a hard realization for me,that I have to rely on Hubby to stay with a company that he has come to have misgivings about because it's my best chance to salvage my carreer.I have always been self sufficient,have had two carreers that I was good at and that made me a good living.I have been secure that I could support myself if the need were to arrise.Suddenly I find myself in a precarious position.My nursing carreer is out of the question with my current back pain issues,I know I could never tolerate being on my feet 8 hrs,and probably never could return to that field again even if I wanted to.My trucking carreer depends on a company being willing to take a chance after my accident .I realize I have no other skills to put to use besides my hobbies,and while making a living starting a gardening bussiness is a dream,it surely could not provide the extra income we would need right now were Hubby to become the only breadwinner in the house.So he is doing what we know is the best in the long run.We have to wait and see what comes of it.
 After dropping him at the bus terminal yesterday I drove around downtown looking for some deversion.The skies were an ugly grey,and an overall sense of gloom prevailed.I stopped at the dam to see if the ice had gone and photograph the motion of water,but the dam was not runing.The upper river was still,andthe surface like a mirror.The construction of the dam being interesting I shot a photo of it .I felt I needed a break from the gloom outside,and in my soul.Where could I find the breath of fresh air I so badly needed? I found myself driving up the road towards the Botanical center yet one more time.I need to look into a ye arly pass,LOL What greeted me walking to the building were the statues in the grip of winter,still covered in snow,and the paper thin blooms remaining on the hydrangia bush by the door.When I walked in it was like time had moved forward to April,There were flowering spring trees along a walk filled with daffodils and begonias.and a circular garden with pretty white and purple streaked tulips.Who wouldn't have their spirits lifted up by that sight.I layed my camera bag down on a rock wall to get my camera out,and there was a honest to goodness lady bug walking along the rock.Needless to say I spent a couple of hours there soaking up the atmosphere.I spent most of my time at
 the spring display and the orchid display.The orchids were beautiful with many varieties blooming along the wall in different colors.They had larger potted plants along the floor under the orchids.The clivia was just starting to open up.I wandered around the waterfall yet again,and took pix of the fish from the lower level,and they have the most interesting distortions from the waters motion.Usually I shoot them from up above.This time I finally walked upstairs,and it was from there I could see the neglect and age of the building that has occured during the last years when the botanical center fell on hard times.The city has since taken over and I hope through the communities support repairs can be made.I took a few photos of the spring display from this perspective as well as from the stairs on my decent, then made my way out to the car again,refreshed. Outside there were many reminders that spring has not  yet sprung,but there is promise that it will come soon.Hubby is nearing his desitination this morning,tired from a lack of sleep.He will rest before leaving on his first load.When he can he will stop and pick us up and we will head out to the main terminal to see what my future holds.
Happy International Womans Day to ALL my woman friends .
A refreshed and hopeful Tani |
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