I realize that everything last year was off whack, but I thought I could count on somethings remaining normal.  Nope.

Our seed catalogs usually start showing up around October or November.  I understand that anything that had to do with the mail was going to be late.  What I was not expecting was for our catalogs to already be out of seeds?

How can this be?  We just started getting the catalogs in late December.  I assumed that most other garden lovers were also going to have delays.  Apparently, there are a bunch of sneaky-snakes out there that didn’t wait for their catalogs; they just went right to their favorite websites and ordered ahead – grr!

What is with garden planners?  Holy crap!  There are hundreds of them out there on the internet and material world. 

• Some are free to sign up for their email. 
• Some cost minimal.
• Some go as far as making them a whole book.

I currently have five different ones that I have saved, bought, downloaded, and/or created.  One of my first goals this new 2021 year is to get something that actually works – AND HELPS – me.  The last 6-10 years have had one terrible omen after another.  I refuse to listen to them anymore.  This year WILL be a winner in our gardens, and I will figure out how.  Come hell or high-water or tornado!

On a side note, I just realized that the movie “I Robot” is supposed to be what the year 2035 looks like.  This is now less than 15 years away.  Between that and the film “Runaway”, I have decided that there will NEVER be robots tending my gardens.  At least not while I am still alive.

Happy Gardening!

(Many thanks to some very talented – and funny – cartoonists!)

You can also check me out at:  https://lifelessonslived.com/ for all the fun things I have learned in life.

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The very first day of the brand new year, and we get a fox!  Damn! 

We just got a new batch of chickens from a dear friend for my sister’s birthday. It’s the first time we have had a flock in the last five years.  Things just seemed to be one issue after another, so there was never time to spend on a new batch-o-birds. 

They came over on 12/27/20 with twelve birds, eleven hens, and a rooster. It’s a beautiful colorful mix of babes.  Just to hear them clucking around, and the rooster crowing again filled us with hope for the new year. 

Usually, when you have any newbie animals, it takes time for them to acclimate before providing anything; but these girls were up for the change and gave us our first two fresh eggs the very first day.  Woohoo – an excellent sign for a new year, right?  Wrong.

This morning at 4 a.m., my sister hears the rooster going nuts in the barn.  She grabs a flashlight, throws on her slippers (note, we still have some snow on the ground), and runs out there to find our rooster dismembered.  Proof positive of a fox in the henhouse.  JERK!  We have not even had them a full week.

AND IT’S THE VERY FIRST DAY OF A NEW YEAR – REALLY?!?

I just finished a nice post on my other blog (https://lifelessonslived.com/ ) about how I will simplify things this year to get more done, and then this happens.  We spend a month shearing and prepping our chicken coup in hopes of finally getting newbies in 2021. 

• New wire.
• New roofing.
• New bedding.
• Clean up and fixed all nesting boxes.
• Shearing up any/all holes, gaps, or possible access spots.

All this, and yet the fox won.   I was not even sure we still had them near us since we have not had anything for them to pick-off in years?

We are farmer/gardeners at heart; it’s how we grew up.  We believe in live and let live, and everything happens for a reason – HOWEVER – this one’s got me baffled.  Why us?  Why the first day of a new year?  Why in less than a week?

I never believed in trapping before, and it would be hard with all our barn cats, but I am seriously debating it now!  The monsters have tons of rabbits, pigeons, prairie dogs, and rats around here to get food – STAY AWAY FROM OUR CHICKENS.

Happy New Year to us; we get to spend the day figuring out how the beastie got in and shear it up before it (they?) comes back again. 

Oh, Happy New Year to us!

(Time to call in the Winchester boys for help!)

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