Monthly Archive: May 2008

Today’s Plantings

Pumpkin seeds and microscopic bell pepper seeds

During my lunch break today, I saw ominous rain clouds approaching for the first time in two solid months. So I figured it was a good time to get some more seeds in the ground, fast! I chose the next two packets in my pile of seeds. The third type of pumpkin and a bell pepper that is supposed to ripen into white fruit. The pumpkin seeds were fine, but those pepper seeds were small!

Planting ground for pumpkin and bell peppers

It was a challenge, but I got them both into the ground before any rain fell.

Microscopic tomato seeds

The rains hadn’t arrived yet, but thunder had. I like a good challenge, so went to get the next two packets in the pile. These were tomatoes. The seeds in these packets were also small. I never really looked at the seeds in tomatoes while I’m eating them, this was a wake up call. Small!

The Tomato Place

I started cursing at this point being the packet said to plant them 1/4-inch into the ground, the ground is not totally soil, it’s got a lot of lumpy rocks in it, and the seeds I could barely see. But, I did something along the lines of planting, as I poked a hole, plopped in a seed, and found some soil to pour over the indentation.

Rain by Raven

Just about then, the rains came. Woohoo! I didn’t have to water the newly planted seeds. And Raven got a good look at the first rain storm of the summer. She’s always at the front of the line.

More seeds

After work, I decided to plant two more of the remaining four packets. Lettuce and zucchini were next in the line-up. The zucchini was a fine sized seed, but I about fell over when I opened the lettuce packet and tried to find the seeds. They pretty much are the size of flea dirt, but they’re white. I have no idea where the seeds are in a head of lettuce, but at this size, I won’t hold my breath, or maybe I should. A seed this size could easily go up one’s nostril with a mere inhalation.

The Zucchini Spot

I planted the zucchini back in this little spot.

The Lettuce Place

Being I couldn’t see the microscopic lettuce seeds, I can only surmise that there are some in the dirt here.


Leissl and Ginger

Leissl and Ginger told me it was a job well done. Aren’t they the cutest smiley faces around?

Ginger teasing me with her ball

Then Ginger said, “Play ball!”
So we did.






Helen

It Rained This Afternoon

The last picture I have of rain in Fort Doberdale was taken on 3/23/08, and that was more of a tinkle than a rain.  Today, finally, we had rain.  During my lunch break.

This is the tropics?  It’s resembling more the Mojave desert!

Helen

Second of Five Planting Days

Today’s plantings, cotton candy pumpkin and winter squash

Here’s today’s seed plantings.  Winter squash will go nicely in the dogs’ daily crock pot stew.  As for the pumpkin, this is the second of three types of pumpkin I’m planting.  They take several months to develop, so by Halloween, we should have a nice pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin to stop by and join us for a glass of pumpkin punch.

Today’s spot for the pumpkin and winter squash

Ginger is showing us the area behind her where today’s seed plantings went.

Seeds
And here are the seeds that went into the ground.

Helen

Methods of Carrying the Loop

Taylor loves carrying her loop around her snoot.  She trots around the Fort Doberdale campus as if she’s a walking picture, framed by her loop.

Taylor and her loop.   Taylor on her rounds   Peek-a-boo!

Raven prefers the below-the-snoot method.  This way if she sees something else she wants, she can drop her loop faster in order to grab her newer interest.

Taylor and Raven running loopy

Lilian’s got a smug mug way with her loop. 
She’s a princess DoberDiva.

Lilian’s loopy, too!

Helen