So why did I have so much time off and time with friends? Well, originally we had planned a 4 day campout Thurs-Sun. The Idaho weather decided we weren't going to get to do that. It had rained so much that even if it had stopped the campgrounds were still going to be closed because of mud.
I had also taken Monday off thinking I'd need a day to recover. After sleeping in I decided to go and do something. By now the sun had come out and the weather was spectacular. Again nature was displaying its finest in green with accents and fields of flowers.
Doing something for me nowdays means birding. So off I went, South instead of my usual North and circumnavigated the Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge. There were a LOT of good birds. I was particularly excited to see the 4 Long-billed curlews flying in for a landing. Once landed, I couldn't see them at all. This wildlife refuge doesn't have the viewing areas that you can find at Camas or Market Lake. Still my list was quite good and I got to watch Red-tailed hawk after Red-tailed hawk after Red-tailed hawk. I've been studying raptors hoping to be better able to identify them on the wing. I think I really know the RT hawk now.
Ravens
Crows
Red-winged blackbirds
House sparrows
Rock doves
Great blue herons
Long-billed curlews
Horned larks
Vestper sparrows
Cliff swallows
Tree swallows
Brown headed cowbirds
American goldfinches
Magpies
Robins
Western meadowlarks
Mallards
Redheads
Cinnamon teals
American wigeons
Yellow-headed blackbirds
Coots
White-faced ibises
American avocets
Wilson's phaleropes
Canada geese
A.White pelicans
Osprey
Western Bluebirds
Turkey vultures
Common terns
Sandhill cranes
Coppers hawk
and a Mule deer
I drove home the long way up through Wyoming then Palisades, Ririe and Idaho Falls. It was also gorgeous and added to the bird list. I am most proud of the Coopers hawk identification. Woo Hoo!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The rest of the weekend
While Yellowstone was a high point of the weekend, the rest of it was fun too. On Friday morning Nick and I went horseback riding with the ISU outdoor center people. I need to find more leg strengthening exercises. Mounting without a block just isn't possible for me. Good news is, my horsy friend says that it isn't that great for the horse either. So my new excuse is I'm trying to keep the horse in good shape. It's not that I'm out of shape...
That evening we had a potluck with a larger group of friends (Ty, Emily, Duo, Heather, Bill, John +Emily's brother). It's always good to get together and talk and hang out.
At dinner on Saturday in Yellowstone we discussed getting together for brunch on Sunday. When and where were frustrating for all of us. Most restaurants here are packed on Father's day. Finally we decided to just cook it ourselves. A Sunday feast of pancakes, eggs and bacon was enjoyed by all. Then we dispersed to recover from the weekend. I must say I was happy to nap and sit and do a lot of nothing.
Yellowstone, a Day Trip
We left for Yellowstone around 8:00 a.m. on a cloudy and overcast day. The clouds thinned as we headed north and by the time we arrived in the park it was gorgeous! The sun was shining and the grass was green and the flowers were abundant.
Last weekend Nick and I went to a bunch of garage sales. We found 4 radios with an alleged broadcast radius of 5 miles.
On my trip with the Great Salt Lake birders I discovered how useful such radios can be. They used them between the cars to point out birds to each other. So no one was stopped, stuck and wondering what everyone else was seeing.
So back to the story, we found these radios and the guy selling them told us the batteries didn't work. Nick did some research and we can get new rechargeable ones pretty reasonably, but not in time for the Yellowstone trip. So we just put in regular double A batteries and voila, functioning communications devices.
These are much better than cell phones. Everyone in the car can hear what is being said, and in the park, there just isn't good cell coverage anyway.
Though John grew up in Idaho he had never been to Yellowstone, so our traditional West Entrance to Old Faithful was the route to go. This year that route was amazing. Again the flowers were all in bloom. Heather, in the other car has a great memory for wildflowers so as we were driving she was able to tell us what we were seeing.
We saw mega fauna: Mule deer, Elk, Bison, and Antelope (between Yellowstone and Island Park)
We also saw mini fauna: Yellow-bellied marmots, and Golden-mantled ground squirrels.
And of course, birds and more birds:
Crows
House finches
House sparrows
Starlings
Rock doves
Red-tailed hawks
American kestrels
Western grebes
Magpies
Red-winged blackbirds
Cinnamon teals
Yellow-headed blackbirds
Flickers
Turkey vultures
Redheads
Canada geese
Yellow-rumped warblers
Chipping sparrow
Tree swallows
Bank swallows
Northern rough-winged swallows
Most spectacular were the numerous, bright, Mountain bluebirds and the ever entertaining Ravens.
The clouds caught up with us at Firehole Lake drive, adding atmosphere to the already picturesque location.
Rain caught us at the Midway geyser basin and we (or at least I) scurried off to the car.
I needed a break so everyone else braved the rain to go shop at the Old Faithful stop. I took a 10 minute nap, read the free paper, changed shoes and then felt so much better I headed into the lodge myself, about 5 minutes before the geyser was supposed to go off. This meant, I had the restroom to myself. Oh, and the rain had stopped so there was no need to dash anywhere. I spotted the Ice Cream vendor and picked up a cone. I haven't had an ice cream cone in forever.
The Old Faithful geyser began spouting while I'm getting my ice cream. There really is a good view from the lodge. I walked out and radio in hand got a hold of Nick. I asked him if he had picked up any ice cream and he said they didn't have any in the building. I replied, then how am I eating this? Needless to say, we all went back in and everyone else got treats.
A last stop at the Black Sand geyser basin was cut short by rain. We stopped at the diner in West Yellowstone and then headed home.
As we were driving through Island Park a gorgeous bald eagle jumped out in front of the car and swooped up and out away from us. It was so close and so amazing!
Home by 10:00 p.m. and in bed shortly thereafter. I had a new number on my pedometer. I've never seen it read 40,000 steps before. Close to 12 miles of walking/fidgeting. My normal number is 10,000 and I have to work to get that.
Lovely day.
Last weekend Nick and I went to a bunch of garage sales. We found 4 radios with an alleged broadcast radius of 5 miles.
On my trip with the Great Salt Lake birders I discovered how useful such radios can be. They used them between the cars to point out birds to each other. So no one was stopped, stuck and wondering what everyone else was seeing.
So back to the story, we found these radios and the guy selling them told us the batteries didn't work. Nick did some research and we can get new rechargeable ones pretty reasonably, but not in time for the Yellowstone trip. So we just put in regular double A batteries and voila, functioning communications devices.
These are much better than cell phones. Everyone in the car can hear what is being said, and in the park, there just isn't good cell coverage anyway.
Though John grew up in Idaho he had never been to Yellowstone, so our traditional West Entrance to Old Faithful was the route to go. This year that route was amazing. Again the flowers were all in bloom. Heather, in the other car has a great memory for wildflowers so as we were driving she was able to tell us what we were seeing.
We saw mega fauna: Mule deer, Elk, Bison, and Antelope (between Yellowstone and Island Park)
We also saw mini fauna: Yellow-bellied marmots, and Golden-mantled ground squirrels.
And of course, birds and more birds:
Crows
House finches
House sparrows
Starlings
Rock doves
Red-tailed hawks
American kestrels
Western grebes
Magpies
Red-winged blackbirds
Cinnamon teals
Yellow-headed blackbirds
Flickers
Turkey vultures
Redheads
Canada geese
Yellow-rumped warblers
Chipping sparrow
Tree swallows
Bank swallows
Northern rough-winged swallows
Most spectacular were the numerous, bright, Mountain bluebirds and the ever entertaining Ravens.
The clouds caught up with us at Firehole Lake drive, adding atmosphere to the already picturesque location.
Rain caught us at the Midway geyser basin and we (or at least I) scurried off to the car.
I needed a break so everyone else braved the rain to go shop at the Old Faithful stop. I took a 10 minute nap, read the free paper, changed shoes and then felt so much better I headed into the lodge myself, about 5 minutes before the geyser was supposed to go off. This meant, I had the restroom to myself. Oh, and the rain had stopped so there was no need to dash anywhere. I spotted the Ice Cream vendor and picked up a cone. I haven't had an ice cream cone in forever.
The Old Faithful geyser began spouting while I'm getting my ice cream. There really is a good view from the lodge. I walked out and radio in hand got a hold of Nick. I asked him if he had picked up any ice cream and he said they didn't have any in the building. I replied, then how am I eating this? Needless to say, we all went back in and everyone else got treats.
A last stop at the Black Sand geyser basin was cut short by rain. We stopped at the diner in West Yellowstone and then headed home.
As we were driving through Island Park a gorgeous bald eagle jumped out in front of the car and swooped up and out away from us. It was so close and so amazing!
Home by 10:00 p.m. and in bed shortly thereafter. I had a new number on my pedometer. I've never seen it read 40,000 steps before. Close to 12 miles of walking/fidgeting. My normal number is 10,000 and I have to work to get that.
Lovely day.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Squash in the Garden ...
It all started with the question “Why?”
Why are squashes planted in hills or mounds? It’s not like I wanted to buck tradition, but it is extra work to create such mounds or hills. Two days later, I have a lot of conjecture but no real answer. The books all treat the planting in mounds as a de facto practice that need no explanation. Apparently it has been the custom for more than 100 years...
- “For general field conditions, the seeds of Squashes are usually planted in hills where the plants are to stand. If the land is mellow and rich, these hills are nothing more than a bit of ground 12-18 inches across, which has been freshly hoed or spaded and leveled off. “ (Bailey, 1910, p. 1712)
- “All squash and pumpkins are frost-tender, and grow best during the heat of summer in soils that are warm and have a high water-holding capacity. … Planting distances vary widely, but the bush types are usually planted in hills…” (Wyman, p. 1064)
1. Growth Space or Area
2. Warmth
3. Drainage
After hours of reading books and searching the Internet I finally found the wisdom of an individual gardener who states:
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Posted by macmex 6b (My Page) on
Mon, Mar 31, 08 at 12:01
Waterlily, where do you live and garden? A lot depends on one's climate. For instance, Sueloring is in zone 4 and finds that it really helps to mound up soil and plant on the mounds. I assume her climate is pretty cool, with a shorter growing season. I, however, live in Oklahoma with a long hot growing season. I sometimes grow my squash and pumpkins in "hills" meaning I simply group two to three seeds to one spot. But I don't make a mound. In fact, I often plant in a depression, so I can more easily water during the hot season. In the strictest sense "hill," in squash and pumpkin planting terminology really only means a group planting. The other option is to plant in a row. When I want a lot more of a given squash I will pour a line of good compost where I want my row and turn it under with a fork. Then I plant my squash in that row of enriched soil, perhaps a foot a part.
Another matter of terminology is that of the names "squash" and "pumpkin." Most people think of pumpkins as being round and orange, or at least round; and squash being most anything else. Strictly speaking any pumpkin is also a squash. So, if someone mentions "growing squash," you can know that what follows will also apply to your pumpkins.
Happy gardening!
George
Tahlequah, OK
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/gourds/msg0314405422835.html
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Well this year I planted in my pumpkins in small mounds and my zucchini in a raised ridge. I think I’ll try the gourds and cucumbers on a flat surface. Though I may train those vines up and over a trellis… Check back with me later to see how things have worked out.
--- Jenny
Bailey, L.H. (1910). Squash. In The Cyclopedia of American Horticulture (Vol. 4, pp 1711-1713). New York: Macmillan.
Wyman, D. (1986). Squash and Pumpkins. In Wyman’s Gardening Encyclopedia (pp. 1063-1065). New York: Macmillan
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