I can see how my routines look awfully strange to people sometimes. When I recap my weekend, for example, it’s usually a stark contrast to other people’s weekends. My evenings typically stray this direction as well. So I thought I would recap my evening tonight as an example.
First things first – I stopped by New Seasons on the way home from work to pick up the meat we need for our dinners we have planned this week. We get our other groceries from multiple places, but we prefer the level of quality of New Seasons has with their meat: free-range, no antibiotics, locally sourced, etc.
This is where it gets a little odd. I took a short detour on the way home by a tire place, picking up three old tires to plant the remaining potatoes in. The greasy tire guys were happy to throw the filthy old tires in the car for me. I know I am a little late getting potatoes planted, but I procrastinated getting these last three tires together after doing so well planting the other seven a month ago. Upon arriving home, I didn’t change my clothes or shoes. Instead I went straight to the backyard to plant the last potatoes, carrying filthy tires in hand.
Then it’s off to collect the chicken eggs, and check on the baby chicks. I filled up the chick feeder and water container. Boy, I sure go through feed faster with the five little chicks out there too. Two eggs today came from Pearl and Hazel. The fake egg is the middle one, reminding them where to lay. Poor Winnie hardly lays at all anymore.
I opened all the windows in the house during the last hour of dwindling sunlight to freshen up the house. I sorted the recycling as dinner simmered on the stove. Jay came home from class around 9:00 pm and we sat around catching up on each other’s day. Now I sit at the computer, writing a quick blog post, then off to bed for a lovely eight hours of delicious sleep.
This is why I don’t have a TV. I love watching TV, but I wouldn’t get a single thing done in the evenings after work if I had one in my living room. Priorities.
Hey there,
I’m a fellow PDXer trying to break into the gardening scene and am learning a lot from your blog. This year we greatly reduced our yard and expanded our garden, but next year I want to add on an herb spiral and a potato tower.
But I have a question about growing potatoes in old tires – do you worry at all about chemicals/toxins leaching from the tires into the plants?
I have a question, too. (And I also had the same thoughts about the tires). But my question is about chickens. Did you put a heater out in the coop when you put the chicks outside?
So glad to see that I’m not the only one out tending chickens and watering plants in my work clothes…
Good questions! The gunk on the old tires does concern me, so I scrub them before filling with straw and potato seeds. I don’t believe the tires are toxic unless they are burned, so I think my potatoes will be fine.
I didn’t put a heater out with the chicks. I waited until they were fully feathered though before moving them outside. I also weened them off the heat lamp prior to moving them outside.
Hope that helps!
This sounds like my evenings, too…and I find that I don’t watch much tv in the summer…but hey, in the PNW, we need something to do in the long dark winters…so I won’t ditch the cable yet…
I have been known to go out and weed in a business suit…:)
Laura & Jean Ann – I loved your comments! It means a lot to know there are other gardeners out there trying to do as much as they can, while still balancing a job to pay the mortgage.