Saturday Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, Dec. 10

Happy Saturday! Are you and your garden prepared for winter? How about the local birds?

Something for the gardening thread that the hard-core birders may enjoy. My wife is one of those, and took some photos of a hybrid Northern Flicker. She wrote up a little description and everything...maybe for her posting on iNaturalist (which has some other photos of it.)

"Northern Flickers in the US come in two varieties: yellow-shafted in the east and red-shafted in the west. They are not separate species, they can and do interbreed regularly where their ranges cross, but they are easy to tell apart and birders like to count both separately.
This Northern Flicker has both red-shafted and yellow-shafted ancestors. It may be a hybrid or one of its parents may have passed on some red-shafted genes from farther back. Either way, there are a few noteworthy characteristics: this bird has both a red nap crescent *and* red mustaches ("pure" yellow-shafted males have black mustaches); his head and neck are mostly grey (yellow-shafted birds tend to be warmer tan/peach in the head & neck); and his breast also lacks the warm peachiness that yellow-shafted birds show. You can see a few yellow shafts in the closed wings & tail. From another angle, you'd be able to see that the undertail & underwings are both quite golden, lacking any red/orange tones.

Here's a nice article from David Sibley about intergrade flickers.
Grimmy

Fascinating. Thanks, Grimmy (and Grimmy's wife, of course!)

Edible Gardening/Putting Things By

From By-Tor:

Apple Butter
Apple butter is basically spiced applesauce, cooked for hours at low heat until the water evaporates out and it is a thick spread.
Most recipes start with making applesauce. I skip that by buying two #10 cans, one of applesauce and one of sliced apples. You could do all appesauce or all sliced apples. They are 6 lbs each, for $7 each, which is actually cheaper than fresh apples. And no work. Dump in a 10 quart stockpot and heat at medium to a low simmer.
Add:
3 Cups sugar
3 cups brown sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 ground cloves or allspice ( or both)
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
Mix all, then dump all of it in a large crockpot. Cook at high for an hour or so, with the lid off, stirring frequently. Turn to low, still with lid off, and cook for 20 hours or until it is dark. Stir it every hour or so, if possible. It is done when it is dark brown, a thick paste, and a very concentrated flavor. Puree in a blender or using a stick blender.
Yes, it is a long cook, but your house will smell like apple spice the whole time.
I will post the results in a day or two. You can keep it in the fridge, freeze it, or water bath can it.

What started out as applesauce Saturday is now 7 pints of apple butter.
It is really easy, and pretty foolproof. I posted the recipe the other day.
Try it. If it is more than you need just cut the recipe in half.

We had Pear Butter last week (Dec. 3). Earlier, Persimmon Butter (Oct. 29) and Pumpkin Butter (also Oct. 29). So now we have directions and/or recipes for four kinds of fruit butters!

Apple butter comment from By-Tor last week:

I haven't had any issues with the crock pot being on the several times I have done this. I suppose you could unplug it for awhile several times and re-plug it if it were a concern. It would just take a little longer. I plug mine in on the GFI circuit in my kitchen.

Ah, Nature

From Neal in Israel:

I sighted a very well disguised grasshopper in the garden several times this summer . Also, I was able to catch some shots of a dragonfly which came to rest on a bamboo rod in one of my flowerpots.

I had a hard time spotting the grasshopper in that second photo.

The dragonfly photos are exceptional.

Anybody have surviving insects in the garden this time of year?

Adventure

Pier at Pismo Beach. Need clams?

Gardens of The Horde

from Neal in Israel: Crinum and African Daisy

from Don in Kansas,
a Dianthus before a November hard frost:

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

If you would like to send photos, stories, links, etc. for the Saturday Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden at g mail dot com

Remember to include the nic or name by which you wish to be known at AoSHQ, or let us know if you want to remain a lurker.

Week in Review

What has changed since last week's thread? Saturday Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, Dec. 3

It includes flowers from Israel, a pear butter recipe, ghost apples, preventing and dealing with chimney fires, lovely art, and Gardens of The Horde.

You might want to check the comments received later during the weekend. And remember the comments on fireplace safety.

Any thoughts or questions?

I closed the comments on this post so you wouldn't get banned for commenting on a week-old post, but don't try it anyway.

Posted by: K.T. at 01:19 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Boy KT, I recognized the pic of Pismo immediately. I didn't even need to check.

Posted by: CaliGirl at December 10, 2022 01:27 PM (QOU0Y)

2

IIRC, Bugs Bunny spent a lot of time around Pismo Beach...

Posted by: Ped Xing at December 10, 2022 01:30 PM (bWGiN)

3 Good afternoon Greenthumbs
Had tomato soup ( canned) but like fresh chives in it but looking sad from frost this morning so didn't.

Posted by: Skip at December 10, 2022 01:31 PM (xhxe8)

4 Skip at December 10, 2022 01:31 PM

It's getting to be that time of year . . .

Posted by: KT at December 10, 2022 01:33 PM (rrtZS)

5 CaliGirl at December 10, 2022 01:27 PM

Old-fashioned pier.

Posted by: KT at December 10, 2022 01:34 PM (rrtZS)

6 That picture of Pismo is lovely, but it makes me think of W.C. Fields. One of the characters in his "The Bank Dick" is named A. Pismo Clam.

Posted by: Art Rondelet of Malmsey at December 10, 2022 01:34 PM (fTtFy)

7 Pismo beach! Nearby Diablo Canyon nuclear generator plant and Avila hot springs.

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenko Solutions at December 10, 2022 01:35 PM (pIgH5)

8 i'll be sending my Christmas cactus pics

Posted by: bigG at December 10, 2022 01:36 PM (9tuKL)

9 Northern Flickers feed on Ants they really do

Posted by: Tamaa the Drongo Bird at December 10, 2022 01:36 PM (FLiOE)

10 Better half saw the apple butter and said 'save that recipe'. Thank you By-Tor and KT!

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at December 10, 2022 01:39 PM (svkSf)

11 Drove through Pismo in Oct to go to my cousin's funeral in San Luis Obispo. Good memories of both the area and the Aunt, Uncle, and Cousins.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at December 10, 2022 01:40 PM (svkSf)

12 may have passed on some red-shafted genes from farther back
====
probably the wrong post for this, but is "further" a word anymore???

Posted by: From about that time at December 10, 2022 01:40 PM (4780s)

13 Flickers - I hate those things, always pounding on the roof or side of my house.

Posted by: Bacon Jeff at December 10, 2022 01:40 PM (knTBo)

14 I think I've seen a couple of those Flickers in our yard. Cool. Been mild, but very foggy and wet here in the Bluegrass for the past week, so the bird feeders are pretty empty. None of the Flickers seemed interested in them anyway.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at December 10, 2022 01:41 PM (Q4IgG)

15 The little town of Burton, OH has an apple butter festival in the fall. The entire town has that smell of apples and spices going through it. As a kid, we would make the short drive and it seemed pleasantly strange not to smell the Republic Steel coke battery. Anyhow, apple butter is one of the finest things to enhance a piece of toast or an English muffin for a quick snack. A schmear of apple butter, a little cheddar, and top it with more apple butter.

Posted by: bill in arkansas, not gonna comply with nuttin, waiting for the 0300 knock on the door at December 10, 2022 01:42 PM (lz5hY)

16 I was going to pull out my red lettuce that had gone to seed, and then I saw that I had some yellow warblers eating the seed heads, so I decided to let them stand until I needed to till them under.
I only have napa cabbage and daikon left in the garden, and some green onions that have overwintered and come back for three years running.

Posted by: Kindltot at December 10, 2022 01:43 PM (xhaym)

17 I'm thinking about medicinals and what to plant here in zone 7b (hot and humid summers). Perennials are always favored, since I'm a lazy gardeners and have a tendency to sow enthusiastically in pots and procrastinate transplanting.

I've got some artemisia annua seeds that I got during the height of covid panic, for making tea.

Any other suggestions?

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 10, 2022 01:45 PM (Mzdiz)

18 Flickers - I hate those things, always pounding on the roof or side of my house.
Posted by: Bacon Jeff

And emptying the birdfeed of all seeds to get to the black sunflower seeds.
They also 'drill/peck' through seed blocks to get all the sunflower seeds, the 13lb block doesn't last long. I found another type of block that doesn't have as many sunflower seeds, it lasts much longer.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at December 10, 2022 01:45 PM (svkSf)

19 I also have my eye on some winter apple trees that I plan on taking fruit wood for grafting this next Spring.
Winter apples are really not a thing anymore, most of the trees you find are Fall apples.

Posted by: Kindltot at December 10, 2022 01:46 PM (xhaym)

20 Anyhow, apple butter is one of the finest things to enhance a piece of toast or an English muffin for a quick snack. A schmear of apple butter, a little cheddar, and top it with more apple butter.
Posted by: bill in arkansas,

I like it with grilled or smoked pork.
Another reason we'll be following the posted recipe soon.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at December 10, 2022 01:47 PM (svkSf)

21 We have Northern Flickers. I shoo'd one from pecking on the house yesterday.

Maybe the neighborhood cats will take care of it...

Posted by: JQ at December 10, 2022 01:48 PM (o0Fxd)

22 Any other suggestions?
Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 10, 2022 01:45 PM (Mzdiz)

Lemon balm mint is good for tea, as is camomile. You could also grow Yaupon Holly.

Posted by: Kindltot at December 10, 2022 01:48 PM (xhaym)

23 You could plant something with THC if you want to lower your IQ...

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at December 10, 2022 01:49 PM (svkSf)

24 Our fall cabbage was retarded due to wedding distractions. I've got it planted along the front porch and will see if I can protect it during the winter for a spring harvest. I've got straw and bubble wrap. My brother made some screen arches to keep the deer out (yes, the bastards have actually come up to the front porch). I thought I might use those structures to keep the bubble wrap off the plants (only going to use it during the infrequent hard frosts).

Has anyone here overwintered cabbage in zone 7b?

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 10, 2022 01:50 PM (Mzdiz)

25 Our 19 lb. Cat showed up at the back door with a dove in his mouth for the wife. He's not allowed in the yard unsupervised but I had to go in for a few minutes. Gees, doves are dumb. I try to scare them off...but no. I was able save the dove.

Posted by: Eddie Spaghetti at December 10, 2022 01:54 PM (ECHKg)

26 That's the usual pose for our Northern Flickers - mooching off the feeder we put out for the smaller birds. Or banging around in the gutters outside the bedroom.

Pat* is sorting Xmas ornaments for our tree and will be on later.

Posted by: Pat*''s Hubby at December 10, 2022 01:57 PM (bixZP)

27 Lemon balm mint is good for tea, as is camomile. You could also grow Yaupon Holly.

Posted by: Kindltot at December 10, 2022 01:48 PM (xhaym)

Yaupon holly, also known as Ilex vomitoria. Say here the berries are toxic, and I don't see any medicinal use for the leaves. But they could be a pretty shrub.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 10, 2022 01:58 PM (Mzdiz)

28 I was able save the dove.

Posted by: Eddie Spaghetti at December 10, 2022 01:54 PM (ECHKg)

I haven't been able to save anything from our murderous felines.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 10, 2022 01:59 PM (Mzdiz)

29 Nothing crop related, food thread note I'm now obsessed with Kent Rollins canned crab cake thing on YouTube, no pics but it's cool to walk out in the driveway at 530am and see chevrons of sea birds going overhead. Before it starts pissing down cold rain.

Okay, California cold rain. Too used to living life in cargo shorts, 'course I have spent more than half my life biking so my legs only care when it's damn near freezing.

Which it's been lately.

Posted by: JEM at December 10, 2022 01:59 PM (3hZo+)

30 Another iNaturalist user, cool! I have only a handful of observations (user black_shouldered_kite). As my profile states, I joined mainly to harass and embarrass Average Daughter (u_phantasticus), who should have 10,000 observations before the end of the year.

Your wife has some nice pix on there, Grimmy.

Posted by: Average Guy at December 10, 2022 02:01 PM (f7Cdr)

31 I go through a big bag of nuts 'n' seeds every week to keep the birds happy. They stare through the windows if we don't.

The Tom turkeys are getting flexy and aggressive with each other.

Posted by: All Hail Eris at December 10, 2022 02:02 PM (DfWRp)

32 25 Our 19 lb. Cat showed up at the back door with a dove in his mouth for the wife

"I told you to get milk and bologna, not Milk and Moscone"

Sorry SF joke of a different era.

Pets tend to bring back things they think we want. Our big dog notorious for this.

Posted by: JEM at December 10, 2022 02:04 PM (3hZo+)

33 Pismo beach! Nearby Diablo Canyon nuclear generator plant and Avila hot springs.
Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenko Solutions at December 10, 2022 01:35 PM (pIgH5)

Avila beach was a favorite retreat for Average Wife (then Average Girlfriend) and myself back in our college days (30+ years ago - yikes!). Fond memories of pie and hot cocoa at Fat Cats Cafe at 1:00 AM...

Posted by: Average Guy at December 10, 2022 02:08 PM (f7Cdr)

34 Pets tend to bring back things they think we want. Our big dog notorious for this.

He tried a raccoon and $10k in vet bills and carrying him everywhere for three months he's 90% back to where he was.

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/coonhound-paralysis

Posted by: JEM at December 10, 2022 02:11 PM (3hZo+)

35 Spent time at DCPP back in the day. Love the area. Daughter may go cal poly next year.

Posted by: JEM at December 10, 2022 02:12 PM (3hZo+)

36 I have a Flicker wing I found in the yard years ago. It has kept the yellow color nicely. Never had trouble with them banging on my house though.

Posted by: dartist at December 10, 2022 02:14 PM (9X/y4)

37 My skin is falling off my hand right now. No wait, that's waterproof membrane from the shower I'm building.

Posted by: Jimco Industries at December 10, 2022 02:14 PM (Eh0VZ)

38 Spent time at DCPP back in the day. Love the area. Daughter may go cal poly next year.
Posted by: JEM

I don't know what DCPP means in your post; but, I'd suggest typing the complete title as this is what comes up in a search for DCPP:

Department of Children Protection and Permanency

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at December 10, 2022 02:17 PM (svkSf)

39 Yaupon holly, also known as Ilex vomitoria. Say here the berries are toxic, and I don't see any medicinal use for the leaves. But they could be a pretty shrub.
Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 10, 2022 01:58 PM (Mzdiz)

Yep. The indigenous used them to upchuck.

Asked in plant ID what were my top 5 favorite plants.

It was there. Not the dwarf. What an abomination.

The berries form a helix. And are translucent.

Posted by: golfman at December 10, 2022 02:22 PM (BLVc0)

40
Avila beach was a favorite retreat for Average Wife (then Average Girlfriend) and myself back in our college days (30+ years ago - yikes!). Fond memories of pie and hot cocoa at Fat Cats Cafe at 1:00 AM...
Posted by: Average Guy at December 10, 2022

I was known to go to Mr Ricks.

Posted by: CaliGirl at December 10, 2022 02:22 PM (QOU0Y)

41 What beautiful flowers, Neal! Thanks, KT.

Posted by: Eromero at December 10, 2022 02:22 PM (z3WCn)

42 DCPP- Diablo Canyon Power Plant. The nuke PGandE ran perfectly for decades until the management decided T&D (transmission and distribution) was the future and sold off all their generation.

No one wanted the nuke.

And selling off the rest of their generation and keeping the T&D was a disaster.

Still runs great. All the management who knew crap decamped for Duke Power, Dynegy...everyone who bought the generation.

Posted by: JEM at December 10, 2022 02:25 PM (3hZo+)

43 Guy next door started feeding all the animals in his yard, more raccoons, squirrels and skunks than I've ever seen around here. Then he opened his garage door a foot so they could live in there and I haven't seen a raccoon since. I wonder if it's the half dozen feral cats keeping them away?

Posted by: dartist at December 10, 2022 02:25 PM (9X/y4)

44 The bamboo pic reminds me...

My buddy (we were about 10) had a dragonfly land on his BB gun barrel much like that but more centered.

Posted by: golfman at December 10, 2022 02:27 PM (BLVc0)

45 Dartist, a raccoon will murder a cat in a new york minute.

Posted by: Eromero at December 10, 2022 02:28 PM (z3WCn)

46 29 years ago the Sycamore hot springs was not too spendy, white glove service at Garden of Avila restaurant, less expensive eats at their bar/grill, private tub on patio of every room. Good old days.

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenko Solutions at December 10, 2022 02:29 PM (pIgH5)

47 My poinsettias are not going to rebloom for Christmas this year. One died in our summer heat, so down to 2-- one red, one white. Still possible they'll color-up this winter but no sign of it now.

I bought a lovely red- pink- cream one just before Thanksgiving and it's doing beautifully by a south facing window.

Also salvaged a little trailing plant from the outdoor flowerpots: "String of Beads" a.k.a. "String of Pearls" (Senecio rowleyanus). It's grown over a foot in length since I brought it in!

Posted by: JQ at December 10, 2022 02:29 PM (o0Fxd)

48 DCPP- Diablo Canyon Power Plant. The nuke PGandE ran perfectly for decades until the management decided T&D (transmission and distribution) was the future and sold off all their generation.

No one wanted the nuke.

And selling off the rest of their generation and keeping the T&D was a disaster.

Still runs great. All the management who knew crap decamped for Duke Power, Dynegy...everyone who bought the generation.
Posted by: JEM

Thanks for the clarification.
Yeah, I followed DCPP being built. I lived in S.B., Port Hueneme, and Hanford (the last 2 curtesy of the USN). And the controversy around it: heating the ocean, built on/near fault line, and whatever else they could throw trying to make something stick.
It sure did run well for all the bother they raised.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at December 10, 2022 02:30 PM (svkSf)

49 Damn! The photos in the thread are gorgeous. The one of the northern flicker reminded e of the one we saw in the back yard many years ago., That checkered back really caught the eye. It started us on years of casual, and enjoyable, bird watching.

Posted by: JTB at December 10, 2022 02:32 PM (7EjX1)

50 >>> 18 Flickers - I hate those things, always pounding on the roof or side of my house.
Posted by: Bacon Jeff

And emptying the birdfeed of all seeds to get to the black sunflower seeds.
They also 'drill/peck' through seed blocks to get all the sunflower seeds, the 13lb block doesn't last long. I found another type of block that doesn't have as many sunflower seeds, it lasts much longer.
Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at December 10, 2022 01:45 PM (svkSf)

nurse ratched may have some suggestions on dealing with woodpeckers.

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at December 10, 2022 02:32 PM (llON8)

51 Boy KT, I recognized the pic of Pismo immediately. I didn't even need to check.

Fond memories of Pismo. Wayyyyyyy back in the day I spent a lot of time there.

Posted by: jewells45 fuck cancer at December 10, 2022 02:32 PM (nxdel)

52 DCPP- Diablo Canyon Power Plant

Even Gov Gruesome Newsom realized that they're the reliable source of keeping many California lights on and has not shut down (yet).

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenko Solutions at December 10, 2022 02:32 PM (pIgH5)

53 Raccoons punch well above their weight. It took all four of our dogs to deal with the one who hobbled our big boy and that after he put a hole in my leg.

I tried to give him a way out but he attacked me, so after that it was 'sorry, you made your grave you get to lie in it'

Posted by: JEM at December 10, 2022 02:33 PM (3hZo+)

54 Dartist, a raccoon will murder a cat in a new york minute.
-----
Only other thing I did was put my back porch light on. I have motion sensors in the yard and they didn't do sh*t. Maybe I have a coyote.

Posted by: dartist at December 10, 2022 02:35 PM (9X/y4)

55 AZ deplorable, I think the Diablo Canyon Nuk plant was 'used' as a plot line in Lucifer's Hammer by Pournelle and Niven.

Posted by: Eromero at December 10, 2022 02:35 PM (z3WCn)

56 Took a tour at Diablo Canyon nuclear generator back in the day. Docent bragged about being better than Rancho Seco (long closed) where a valve broke off and was banging along in the coolant pipes, before realizing he was trashing the industry, and shut up quick.

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenko Solutions at December 10, 2022 02:37 PM (pIgH5)

57 The first seed catalog arrived a couple of days ago. Don't those SOBs at Jung realize I can't spend hours and hours poring through these things dreaming about all the veggies I haven't time, space (or energy) to plant this spring? What presumption!

The pages on tomatoes alone took up at least an hour. SIGH!

(Wonder when the next one arrives.)

Posted by: JTB at December 10, 2022 02:38 PM (7EjX1)

58 From Boise area: Lows 19-33, highs 28-39 F. A little snow Sunday morning, found a little more from overnight on Friday morning. Currently, incomplete snow cover on lawns. Roads are a bit icy in shady spots.

Our local flickers are definitely Red-Shafted Northern Flickers. I previously sent in a photo of one hanging onto our seed feeder. Lately we've been watching quail at the backyard seed block. Love those little cuties!

Not much to say at this time of year. We bought a Christmas tree, got the lights on it yesterday, need to do the decorating today. I believe this one is a Grand Fir, with dense branches and medium-long needles, so only small ornaments will work. It was last week when we put up the lights around the door and on the two front pillars.

We attended my women's handgun group's Christmas party - in the gift exchange, I ended up with a loaf of asiago cheese bread, one jar each of apple and pear butters, and 3 holiday-decorated tea towels.

The only adventure or puttering, going on, is when Husband goes out to the porch behind the shed, to get more firewood.

Posted by: Pat* at December 10, 2022 02:38 PM (bixZP)

59 Posted by: Eromero

I don't think the nuke plant in Lucifer's Hammer fits DCPP because the rock dropped in the Sea of Cortez caused a flood of the valley surrounding the nuke plant, IIRC.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at December 10, 2022 02:38 PM (svkSf)

60 Re DCPP - ever heard of 'performance based pricing'?

Funny...was there for both software work on controls and CPUC basically resulting in a bunch of clueless PGandE management kicked to the curb and those who dared (Hey, Bottorff) won.

Posted by: JEM at December 10, 2022 02:41 PM (3hZo+)

61 What I meant was the Nuke Plant being the giant step back toward civilization. Though, that was just pieces of a comet, now an EMP? Whoa.

Posted by: Eromero at December 10, 2022 02:42 PM (z3WCn)

62 What I meant was the Nuke Plant being the giant step back toward civilization. Though, that was just pieces of a comet, now an EMP? Whoa.
Posted by: Eromero

Yeah, Niven and Pournelle recognize modern civilization doesn't exist without reliable power.
Now if only our current thought leaders had this kid of appreciation.
(Better take this to the Book Thread rather than continue in the Gardening Thread. Sorry KT.)

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at December 10, 2022 02:45 PM (svkSf)

63 47 JQ, I was given a big poinsettia one year, and tried to get it to rebloom the next Christmas. WikiHow describes how to get the right number of hours of dark/light to make it work. But the plant was big enough that putting a box over it wasn't easy - and I teach 4-H classes 2 evenings a week so my daily schedule varies - and it's hard to remember to do the box thing every single day without fail. So I said "screw it, I'll let it bloom when it wants to." Which turned out to be in February. So have faith, your plants may yet bloom in their own sweet time.

Posted by: Pat* at December 10, 2022 02:46 PM (bixZP)

64 and then I saw that I had some yellow warblers eating the seed heads, so I decided to let them stand until I needed to till them under.

This is why my back deck doesn't look too pretty. I just leave the dead plant material in most of the pots so the birds can peck at whatever.

Posted by: kallisto at December 10, 2022 02:49 PM (8AAoJ)

65 >>> 27
==
Yaupon holly, also known as Ilex vomitoria. Say here the berries are toxic, and I don't see any medicinal use for the leaves. But they could be a pretty shrub.
Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 10, 2022 01:58 PM (Mzdiz)

Birds like the berries:
https://is.gd/ilJo9r
It *is* slightly toxic, and flammable!
https://is.gd/cED9Zv
... but it *has* been used to make tea in the past, because caffeine:
https://is.gd/ZHYms2
Maybe this is a good example of 'the dose making the poison' or however that goes.

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at December 10, 2022 02:49 PM (llON8)

66 dartist that is the stupidest idea in a while I heard

Posted by: Skip at December 10, 2022 02:49 PM (xhxe8)

67 Any other suggestions?
Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 10, 2022 01:45 PM (Mzdiz)

the lowly dandelion is a powerhouse of healing and nutrition, and; you don't even have to plant it!

and artemisia will get rid of parasites. Has to be a pretty concentrated dose of its active ingredient though.

Posted by: kallisto at December 10, 2022 02:53 PM (8AAoJ)

68 I've usec yaupon holly a couple of times as a foundation planting, when i needed a tall shrub. Once it gets established, it is very hardy and doesnt require much care.

Posted by: Tom Servo at December 10, 2022 02:53 PM (q3gwH)

69 My garden is under 16 inches of snow, soon to be about 20 inches. It is also 4 degrees out there, so not much in the way of growies or food production at this point.

On the other hand, the dogs are in snowmaggeddon heaven, and the temperatures bother them not at all. I'll take my blessings where I find them.

Posted by: tcn in AK, Hail to the Thief at December 10, 2022 02:55 PM (LOVUx)

70 raccoons did murder my little kittens one year.

Posted by: kallisto at December 10, 2022 02:55 PM (8AAoJ)

71 Echinacea/purple cone flower is the best combination of medicinal plant + beautiful flowers. Of course its a perennial.

Posted by: Tom Servo at December 10, 2022 02:55 PM (q3gwH)

72 Thanks, Pat*-- they bloomed in time for Christmas last year, as well as other times in previous years. Oldest one is I think 5yrs old now (?)

Anyway, yeah, they bloom when they want and without any special treatment. I put them outside in dappled shade every summer. They usually start coloring about a month after coming indoors. Was late getting them in this year, due to such mild weather. Meh, they'll probably bloom in spring this time.

Posted by: JQ at December 10, 2022 02:55 PM (o0Fxd)

73 dartist that is the stupidest idea in a while I heard
----
Lol, thanks for the compliment, what did I post that you thought was so stupid?

Posted by: dartist at December 10, 2022 02:56 PM (9X/y4)

74 I hadn't seen a flicker for 6 months and then this morning there one was on the suet cake. Weird.

Posted by: Indiana lurker at December 10, 2022 02:57 PM (3ZVqj)

75 dartist Your neighbors acts

Posted by: Skip at December 10, 2022 03:00 PM (xhxe8)

76 Norther Flicker berb- Indiana Groundpecker.

Posted by: Cicero Kaboom! Kid at December 10, 2022 03:02 PM (3Or4S)

77 hiya

Posted by: JT at December 10, 2022 03:02 PM (T4tVD)

78 Cracking myself up

Said before, a raccoon is the most stinking animal I ever met, one got in my garage when moving it and had to burn every box it got into.

Posted by: Skip at December 10, 2022 03:03 PM (xhxe8)

79 The apple butter with canned apples and apple sauce looks like a fun project and potentially cool neighbor Christmas gift. Let me try to locate decent quality canned apples and sauce in that size….

Posted by: Piper at December 10, 2022 03:03 PM (ZdaMQ)

80 Me too, KT.

Posted by: Eromero at December 10, 2022 03:04 PM (z3WCn)

81 dartist Your neighbors acts
----
Cats you mean? He has about 6 in his garage with food out every night and I thought they could spook one raccoon. You're obviously smarter than me, where did all the raccoons go?

Posted by: dartist at December 10, 2022 03:05 PM (9X/y4)

82 >>> 71 Echinacea/purple cone flower is the best combination of medicinal plant + beautiful flowers. Of course its a perennial.
Posted by: Tom Servo at December 10, 2022 02:55 PM (q3gwH)

Goldfinches love the seeds.

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at December 10, 2022 03:07 PM (llON8)

83 Pismo Beach? Makes me want some fresh chowder from the Splash Cafe.

Posted by: Rusty Nail at December 10, 2022 03:09 PM (3AR13)

84 29 ... " I'm now obsessed with Kent Rollins"

JEM,
I love his videos and have both the cookbooks. I've made about a dozen recipes from them and they have all been great. His chili recipe let me make the best batches I ever had. If you like the poor man's crab cakes, try his poor man's lobster. It really works. And is inexpensive.

Posted by: JTB at December 10, 2022 03:10 PM (7EjX1)

85 The two seeds that attracted our favorite birds (chickadees, titmice, various finches, and juncos) are sunflower and safflower. They worked better than the general mixes and had less waste.

Posted by: JTB at December 10, 2022 03:12 PM (7EjX1)

86 So glad to have had our apple trees removed! No sign of raccoons (so far) this season. Those apples were so wormy, the trees old and diseased; not a great loss.

Cherry tree (which is too close to power line) will be removed this winter & walnut tree pruned back hard.

I know we should be considering future Hard Times, but these trees are not beneficial to us.

Posted by: JQ at December 10, 2022 03:13 PM (o0Fxd)

87 raccoon is the most stinking animal I ever met,

Yes. One died on the property and the aroma would put biden to shame.

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenko Solutions at December 10, 2022 03:14 PM (pIgH5)

88 Rain coming in horizontally now.
Too late to rescue my drought stricken lot.
But I think I'll have things growing by March or April.

Posted by: gourmand du jour at December 10, 2022 03:15 PM (jTmQV)

89 Raccoons are nasty.

Last year, some ahole commenter on ONT was giving me hell for wanting to dispose of the effing 'coon that lived under our shed. Glad the pr!ck finally got banned.

Posted by: JQ at December 10, 2022 03:16 PM (o0Fxd)

90 I do wonder how wild animals survive in winter.
Remember some years ago in a snow storm the snow bent down a pine branch forming a tent and could tell deer camped under it that night.

Posted by: Skip at December 10, 2022 03:17 PM (xhxe8)

91 Tom, I do have over a dozen echinacea plants. I love them. Purple, orange, yellow and white.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 10, 2022 03:17 PM (Mzdiz)

92 I'm just starting on my first Flowers still life oil painting. It's a test run before I tackle what I want to be a signature work which will be a flower still life in the Portland Vase with the various flowers of Ancient Rome which includes sunflowers , daffodils, roses , lilies, anemones and violets

Posted by: polynikes at December 10, 2022 03:18 PM (kzH7m)

93 raccoon is the most stinking animal I ever met,
-----
Shot 4 off of my roof a few years ago and tried putting one in a garbage bag and boy was that a mistake.

Posted by: dartist at December 10, 2022 03:18 PM (9X/y4)

94 I battle raccoons constantly. They were getting into the cat food we'd put out for the cats. I've since stopped that. The cats get fed earlier then everything gets picked up and brought inside.

The 'coons would grab a bowl and take it under our front porch. I've had to pull up the deck boards twice because they drag the bowls so far under there I can't reach them.

I finally shot one with my suppressed .22 pistol a couple weeks ago. I know that one isn't coming back, but there are plenty of others.

And the weird thing is they and the cats don't fight.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at December 10, 2022 03:18 PM (Q4IgG)

95 Forgot. And poppies.

Posted by: polynikes at December 10, 2022 03:19 PM (kzH7m)

96 Great dragonfly photos!

I love northern flickers, and see them all the time at the park where I walk my dog. Initially they may look silly, with the dull gray stripes on their backs and then dots on their breast (stripes AND dots?!), but then they take off - OH! - the burst of red-orange feathers under their wings is breathtaking: https://tinyurl.com/43smbc2s

Posted by: Lizzy at December 10, 2022 03:19 PM (I/doM)

97 Polynikes you do lovely work!

Posted by: jewells45 fuck cancer at December 10, 2022 03:19 PM (nxdel)

98 Cold but nice out now, regret didn't do some leaf cleanup

Posted by: Skip at December 10, 2022 03:19 PM (xhxe8)

99 GO NAVY. BEAT ARMY!

Posted by: nurse ratched at December 10, 2022 03:20 PM (U2p+3)

100 NO PET THREAD NO PEACE!!

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenko Solutions at December 10, 2022 03:21 PM (pIgH5)

101 Cold but nice out now, regret didn't do some leaf cleanup
Posted by: Skip

Supposed to rain all day tomorry.

Posted by: JT at December 10, 2022 03:22 PM (T4tVD)

102 Impulse buy at the grocery store - they had little poinsettias so I grabbed one for my mom.

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at December 10, 2022 03:23 PM (llON8)

103 We were supposed to get a few inches of snow, night before last... nope.

And it snowed, mixed w/ rain last night but no evidence of it this morning.

I'm just glad Mow- the- lawn season is over! Got majority of leaf cleanup done so whatever's left next spring, won't be a huge chore.

Posted by: JQ at December 10, 2022 03:25 PM (o0Fxd)

104 >>I have a Flicker wing I found in the yard years ago. It has kept the yellow color nicely. Never had trouble with them banging on my house though.

Oh, man, that reminds me: about 12 years ago there was a flicker who decided he liked out stovetop exhaust vent. That summer, almost every morning at the same time he would start banging his beak against that thing -- what a racket!

Posted by: Lizzy at December 10, 2022 03:25 PM (I/doM)

105 Polynikes you do lovely work!
Posted by: jewells45 fuck cancer at December 10, 2022 03:19 PM (nxdel)

Thank you. You're too kind. As soon as I get my website I can share all my paintings including my abstracts. I welcome the horde's comments about their love of abstract 😁

Posted by: polynikes at December 10, 2022 03:27 PM (kzH7m)

106 92 ... polynikes,

I hope you can post the finished painting. We all would love to it. A series of photos of the work at various stages would be fantastic if your schedule allows.

Posted by: JTB at December 10, 2022 03:27 PM (7EjX1)

107 Cold but nice out now, regret didn't do some leaf cleanup
Posted by: Skip

Supposed to rain all day tomorry.
Posted by: JT

We're getting drenched!
(for the desert!)
Rain Sunday night: between 1/4 and 1/2 inch possible.
Rain Monday: between and tenth and a quarter inch possible.
Rain Monday: between and tenth and a quarter inch possible.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at December 10, 2022 03:29 PM (svkSf)

108 Houston is going to be in the high 70's until Thursday . Not the good 70's. The humid 70's. Better than the 80's we've been in the past week.

Posted by: polynikes at December 10, 2022 03:29 PM (kzH7m)

109 As soon as I get my website I can share all my paintings including my abstracts. I welcome the horde's comments about their love of abstract 😁

Posted by: polynikes

Looking forward to your website.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at December 10, 2022 03:30 PM (svkSf)

110 PET NOOD

Posted by: Skip at December 10, 2022 03:30 PM (xhxe8)

111 99 ... Coming from a Navy town, the Army/Navy game was a BIG honking deal. It was televised even back in at least the early 60s. You could tell when it was on because the place turned into a ghost town for a few hours.

Posted by: JTB at December 10, 2022 03:31 PM (7EjX1)

112 I love dragonflies. Maybe my favorite insect. They don't bite, look pretty, and eat mosquitoes and midges.
*************
I saw an article by some earthweenies last week, and I'll concede they may be onto something (wut?)...

They claim that fireflies and dung beetles are vanishing. And while my dung watchin' skillz are a mite weak, I too have noticed that firefly sightings are becoming rarer. It's just that I don't autoblame 'climate change'. Maybe it's where I live. Loss of habitat? I dunno.

Posted by: GnuBreed at December 10, 2022 03:56 PM (JOtiF)

113 Posted by: dartist at December 10, 2022 03:05 PM (9X/y4)

I think he meant your neighbor leaving food out for the varmints was a bad idea.

Posted by: kallisto at December 10, 2022 04:00 PM (8AAoJ)

114 Large project (now on hold until spring):

Clearing out section of property that's been overtaken by tangled mess of elm tree saplings/ suckers, pasture grass and bindweed. No shade there, so it's horrible to work on in summer-- got a good bit of it done last month. All I'd done last spring got cancelled out by summer growth, ugh.

I will win the battle against this jungle. Eventually.

Posted by: JQ at December 10, 2022 05:21 PM (o0Fxd)

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