Seed potatoes ready for planting

May 6, 2018 - Sunday evening

47 degrees/partly cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Today's been a mixed bag of tricks. This morning started by cleaning the asparagus patch with the two-wheeled trimmer. Last year's dead ferns were cut and carried away. Since this year's asparagus has yet to sprout, I sprayed the weeds so they will be dead before the new crop emerges.

It was enjoyable sitting out on the garden bench cutting seed potatoes early this morning. Each  piece has at least two eyes and was turned so the cut side was facing either the sun and/or breeze. By day's end, the cut had hardened, scabbed over. This helps to prevent the piece from rotting in the ground.

Sargie left for work later in the morning. I grabbed the long handled electric chain saw and began cutting dead limbs from the large trees in front of the house.

The trees are very large and as with most old spruce trees, are beginning to die from the bottom. Unfortunately, the year will arrive when we'll have to have the trees professionally removed. Meanwhile, I just keep trimming.

I wanted to bring the lawn sweeper and chipper/shredder from the storage unit. Only one problem, the deck on the riding mower had a broken cable and couldn't be lifted. The solution? Take the thing off.

I don't know. I worked for quite a while on the mower and have come to the conclusion that I might be further ahead to purchase a new machine rather than sink more money into this one.

A worn cable that lifts the deck, one of the many things that needs replacing. 

I'm going to do a bit of mower shopping while I'm in Iron Mountain tomorrow morning.

I actually had thoughts of cranking up the old Man Truck to cart the limbs to the burn pile. Unfortunately, after sitting all winter, the battery was low on power. I took it out of the truck and let it charge all day.

With the deck removed from the mower, I hooked onto the lawn sweeper and began removing the thousands of pine cones from the yard.

I made several trips to the burn pile. 

In the end, the lawn was swept and there's no doubt it was a lot easier than raking it by hand.

It's easy to tell where I'd been

 With the Man Truck incapacitated and the battery charging, I decided to chip the dead spruce limbs into mulch to be used on the paths in the garden.

I made up my mind today that even if I do buy another riding mower, I'll keep this one without the deck for a yard tractor. It's handy if nothing else.

I was on a roll. There was still a couple of hours before Sargie was due home. It was time to till and plant the this years spuds.

I've decided to skip planting a giant pumpkin this year. It's extremely time consuming and takes up a third of the garden for just one plant. It felt strange to be planting potatoes where the giant pumpkin usually grows.

I think I have four or five different varieties of pumpkins, some growing as large as 200 pounds.

It appears the strawberries are going to make it. After being watered last night, then having received a full day of sunshine, I'm seeing small leaves sprouting. 

Sargie arrived home early this evening and we enjoyed chicken salad for supper then a relaxing evening.

I have an early doctor's appointment Monday morning and need to leave the house by 7 or a bit after. I feel good, my weight's down to normal after enjoying a chubby winter, and I'm looking forward to seeing my young medical friend, Dr. Katie. She's a sweetheart. 

I'll tell her about an ache or pain or that I tire much more easily than I used to and she'll laugh and reassure me that I'm doing just fine and to keep active.  

My kind of girl.

She keeps me healthy and I'll keep active. It's as simple as that.

Tomorrow. Sargie closes tomorrow night. Another long day for her. Thankfully, she's off Tuesday and Thursday this week.

I should be home by mid morning and need to plant some squash and pumpkin seeds in the greenhouse. I think I'll put a few tomatoes out in the garden in Walls of Water. 

It's time to crank up the backhoe for the summer and remove some of the rocks that have been pushed to the surface by the frost. There's also a large rock garden with some large boulders by the red wood shed that we want to move. The list just goes on and on.

After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

The 2018 gardening year has officially started with seven rows of spuds in the ground.