Thursday, May 20, 2021

Out And About


This morning I decided that my foot felt good enough to take it on a test run. Or, actually, test walk. I took it slow and easy, probably only covered about two miles, but it felt so good to get out and move. I walked down the little side road you see above which is named the Greater Elizabeth Road because that's the Greater Elizabeth Missionary Baptist Church at the end of it. It's a pretty little lane and actually, No Man Lord's family compound (at least I think it's sort of like a family compound) backs up on it. 
Speaking of No Man Lord, I see that his trailer/camper has been moved from the center of his lot to the west edge of it where there are a few trees. I am sure that the temperature in that thing must get into the cement-melting levels when the sun is beating down on it. It's nothing but an oversized tin can and I don't think he even has electricity so he doesn't even have a fan. 
Yes. Right here in America, richest country in the world. 
Do we even claim that now? If we do, we're lying. 

So I made it home and took the trash and went to the post office and ate some lunch and hung the clothes and then I decided to go clean up the little peep coop in case I decide to put Darla and her babies in it. Of course I am counting my chickens before they hatch here but I felt compelled to do that. It almost felt like getting things ready for a home birth- sterilizing sheets and blankets, buying Chux pads and just generally nesting. Except that what I did today was mostly to scrape up chicken shit. The little coop is in the big coop and the chickens like to perch on it in the mornings and so the wire top of it was covered in poop and a lot of it has sifted down into the dirt floor below. I scraped the wire and dug up the dried poop dirt. That stuff is probably one of the best fertilizers in the world. Pure guano. 
Then I decided that what I should do with this black gold was to distribute it around the base of the fig tree which we have not fertilized in seventeen years. Every year the tree gets so much baby fruit on it but it doesn't get very big and also, the squirrels and birds eat all the figs before they ripen entirely. 
The poor tree needs some help.
So I hauled the amazingly heavy poop dirt over to the tree and then realized that the entire underneath area of the tree needed clearing out. Weeds of all sorts were growing there as well as cherry laurel saplings, some of them at least three feet tall. The reason we've let this all get out of hand is that the limbs of the fig have drooped to the ground around the edges, thus obscuring the sight of the saplings and weeds and giving us the ludicrous rationale of if-I-can't-see-it-I-don't-need-to-do-anything-about it. 
In all honesty I knew it was an overgrown mess under there so I crawled into the green cave of jungle with my pruners and pulled what I could and cut what I couldn't. 


The chickens found me, of course, and had to observe exactly what I was doing. They jumped up into the cart to see what I had in there and then they joined me under the tree to scratch and chatter among themselves. They are such social creatures. 
After I'd cleared as much as I felt I could do, I spread the guano around and then I hauled the weeds and saplings to the burn pile and by that point I was DONE! It's still not really that hot here but I just can't deal with it. 
Plus- bugs. Although blessedly, the yellow flies left me alone. 

When I was over at the burn pile, I decided to walk the twenty steps to the garden to check the green bean growth and ended up picking a good pocketful of the heirloom purple pole beans which are ripening before the rattlesnake beans which we also planted and I did pick one of those but it's not really mature. 




Aren't they pretty? I can't wait to see how they taste. I'll cook some in the next day or two but tonight I'm making pizza. 

Gibson update: He is doing well. Not a whole lot of pain. He's had three Advil in the last twenty-four hours, Lily reports, and that's all he's needed. 
Oh, to be young. Everything in and on my body aches at the moment just from the little bit of walking and yard work I did today. When, WHEN did I become this lame, limping old lady? 

Ah-lah. Who knows? Not me. And yet here we are. 

Love...Ms. Moon


33 comments:

  1. I know you found the perfect way to incorporate those beautiful fresh purple beans into tonights dinner somehow....they are gorgeous ..and I'm sure SO good. Hope your foot tolerated that nice walk today. Glad No Man Lord's *home* has been moved to have some shade. Poop, and peeps *to be*.....I am on pins and needles with those eggs! Tackling filipino *pancit* for dinner tonight with veggie eggrolls. It is what we do with *spare* time on our hands. I've almost perfected the Pancit......... with shrimp after many attempts. though I will never get it as perfect as my filipino co-worker of 30 years ago......but the memory lingers and inspires me to try
    Glad to hear Gibson is doing well.....poor guy. He is a trooper!
    Susan M

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    1. We'll be having the beans tonight! I'm excited.
      I need to explore pancit. I have no idea what this is but it sounds like I should.
      Gibson is indeed a trouper!

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  2. Now I have to add garden envy to my chicken envy. We can't put anything in until after Memorial Day and even then it's chancy. (Ohio) My only experience with figs was cookies until I saw them at a farmers market. They are delicious! Poor Gibson what a way to start the summer!

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    1. Figs are amazing! I have made fig preserves in the past and they are just so good.
      Your garden may start later than ours but I bet you don't have all the bugs we get attacking our vegetables. Florida gardening is not all glory.

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  3. I'm glad Gibson is healing well, glad his boy self is resilient. You had a very busy and productive day, my friend. I hope you sleep well tonight.

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    1. I slept SO good.
      Gibson will be wonderful because he IS wonderful.

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  4. Those purple beans are sure pretty and so is that country church. Glad your foot is allowing you to walk today.

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    1. Me too, Terra! I need to walk for my soul.

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  5. How wonderful to have a fig tree. How annoying to have the figs eaten ahead of you.

    Here in the northeast the ripe fig season is about a week. You might just see some wildly expensive figs at a farmers market on just the right week. Right now I'm soaking dried ones for a plan I have for tomorrow.

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    1. The figs are always such a tease. Oh! Look at all this fruit! And then...where did it go?
      Can't wait to see what you're going to do with your figs!

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  6. Sweet dreams and a hug for Gibson.

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  7. Age creeps up on so stealthily - I hate it most that my eyesight gets poorer... so frustrating...

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  8. Last year we bought a fig plant. It is in a pot and now about 2 feet tall, with only 2 " branches" There are some tiny figs forming..about the size of large peas. I didn't know that squirrels eat figs, so I doubt if we shall ever get any to eat!! We have a hazel nut tree, but the damn furry ones take the nuts before they are even ripe!
    I feel for you and the aching.....the longer I am on my feet, the more my lower back hurts. The trip to St. Albans was shorter than I would have liked because I was in pain! As for gardening....I am impressed at how much you do. I have to limit myself to about 15 minutes or I suffer for it. Old age is not for wimps!

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    1. Squirrels and birds eat figs. You could net your small tree to try and keep the critters off of them.
      Squirrels get all our pecans, too.
      I'm so sorry that you were in pain for that trip. SO not fair.

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  9. Those purple beans are beautiful! Our fig has yet to bear any fruit. I keep hoping, but I'm sure even when it happens the fruit will wind up feeding the squirrels, like yours. At least I don't have to deal with cherry laurels -- they do re-seed like crazy.

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    1. Cherry laurels are a damn mess. I guess birds must poop the seeds from the little "cherries". I tell you what though- the boards we got cut from that tree sure are beautiful.

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  10. Sorry to hear about Gibson's fall and the broken wrist. Hope it heals up fast. As for "No Man Lord" - would it be possible to interview him for this blog - with a couple of pictures? Tell him he will, be known around the world and if Hollywood spots the blogpost they will probably make an award winning film about him

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    1. That is an awesome idea! Although understandably he may be very private .if he has a po box we could send him things he needs, towels,shirts, shoes etc. Many people love to give.we could be like officer tommy norman in arkansas..such a good man who spends so much time helping others. Just an idea. I adore reading your blog mary moon. Its a bright spot in my day!

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    2. Here's the thing- I get the feeling that he is a very, very private person but even above that, I do not ever want to do anything that would threaten his dignity because he seems to have a lot of that. I would not feel comfortable approaching him in a manner that might make him feel uncomfortable in any way. As I've said, sometimes even when I walk by and he's outside, he does not acknowledge me. And I respect that.

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  11. It is amazing how quickly bones heal and how quickly children heal. Jack smashed his finger with a rock last weekend and he doesn't complain of any pain. I'm glad Gibson is doing well and I'm glad you were able to get out for a walk.
    I'll be able to plant my beans next week. We just had snow and the temperature has stayed below 0C at night this week.

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    1. Oh, poor Jack! Yeah- kids are tough.
      I know you're looking forward to getting beans in the ground. I sure hope it warms up in Alberta soon.

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  12. I didn't go online yesterday and have only just now read about Gibosn. Poor guy, but I'm glad he's doing better already. Like you say, who'd be old!

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    1. Who would be old? And I am getting used to looking old but damn- feeling old is another thing entirely.
      Neither one is great, honestly.

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  13. I'm glad you were able to get out and walk. I've been pretty much housebound since Sunday because...rain. only walked the dog a few times. no rain yesterday and none so far today though it's predicted. but! the mosquitos are horrendous and I don't want to cover myself with poison if I can't work out in the yard. which I can't...too wet. glad to hear Gibson is doing fine.

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    1. There's no rain in our forecast at all. I can't understand why we aren't getting yours after you're done with it the way we usually do.
      Bugs. Ugh, ugh, ugh.

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  14. Been thinking about your hens today when my brother sent me this video (https://youtu.be/opwUVv8exVA) which unfortunately is all Italian but here is the story in English: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/raising-chickens

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  15. I will come back and check that link! Thank you!

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  16. Inspired by you I got my hands on a small package of Rattlesnake beans. The sticker on it reads: soak in water for 8-12 hours and plant when temps are reliably above 70 and the soil above 60? Gosh, I'm in Oregon, that would be .. very seldom/short! Would you just sow them?

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  17. I enjoyed reading your blog! Thanks for sharing!

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