Bergeson Nursery in Fertile, Minnesota

Over the weekend we made our annual visit to Bergeson Nursery in Fertile, MN. My mom and dad also came along to see what goodies they could find.  They did not leave empty-handed.

We spent an hour and a half there, and picked out a bunch of new perennials and some eye-catching annuals for our flower boxes. 

Even with a wagon load of flowers, our bill was less than we thought (actual amount not disclosed), which we thought was a big win. Our perennials are starting to mature so our annual flower budget is finally starting to decrease. I think this really might be the year that all of our flower areas look really filled in. Stay tuned for pictures...

Pileated Woodpecker

This handsome/pretty pileated woodpecker showed up at our feeder this morning.

We saw pileated woodpeckers almost daily for a two month-long stretch last year and were really hoping that they would return to the homestead again this year.  We'd also heard them in the neighborhood on our morning dogs walks - their rapping on trees is very distinctive. 

The feeder that the woodpecker is snacking on has peanut butter suet balls.  We've experimented with numerous kinds of suet over the years and have settled on this kind, which they seem to really enjoy. 

After having a suet snack, the woodpecker foraged for some bugs on the ground and then flew off. 

Spring Birds and Wild Spring Weather

Spring is officially here in North Dakota.  Trees have started breaking buds, hostas are up, and various plants are about to start throwing off flowers.  This time of year is especially glorious since there are no mosquitoes (not yet), so we can work in the garden without the annoyance of biting mosquitoes. 

For us the change to Spring is marked by the birds that begin arriving at the homestead, some just passing through, some to stay for the duration of Summer.  The American Goldfinches arrived just a few days ago.  We love their high-pitched chirps and striking yellow, they truly brighten up the garden. 

The American Goldfinches show up suddenly, and usually in sizeable numbers.  We go from seeing one or two, to seeing dozens in a matter of just a few days. 

The Rose Breasted Grosbeaks also showed up yesterday.  In similar fashion to the American Goldfinches, they go from one or two to bunches in a matter of days.  Sadly the Rose Breasted Grosbeaks are just passing through, they'll stay for a few weeks, then move along.  At least a few of the goldfinches will stay with us though through the Summer. 

Even though it was 90+ degrees just a week ago, Spring here is temperamental.  Today being Friday the 13th, Mother Nature tried to put on an eerie show.  A cold wind started overnight and a morning rain shower turned to snow.  Brief but intense snow showers and a brisk wind have continued throughout the day.  A hard freeze is forecast for tonight and I have a few petunias, sweet alyssum, and dianthus that I need to cover.  Hopefully this is the last freeze or frost for the Spring. 

Grand Forks Dog Jog

On Saturday Alycia participated in the Grand Forks Dog Jog, a 5k jog/walk fundraiser for the Circle of Friends Humane Society. Given that all of our dogs are somewhere on the neurotic scale (some more than others), it was not even a possibility that any of them would be invited to come along.

Instead, Alycia got to borrow Luna, the long-haired dachshund owned by Kelly of our local pet food store - Treat Play Love.  Whenever we visit the store, Alycia gets her special "Luna Time" and holds her while John gets to lug heavy sacks of dog food. Luna is a therapy dog and is probably the best suited dog for that job that we've ever known. She loves to be held and snuggled. 

There were probably a couple hundred dogs at the Dog Jog on Saturday, and Luna wanted nothing to do with them before the race started. She wanted to be up in Alycia 's arms out of the fray. 

Here's the pre-race photo. 

While there was some concern about whether Luna would walk the entire 5K, we needn't have worried. Luna was a champion and nearly ran the entire race. She just needed a little help on one short uphill climb. We even ran the last bit to the finish line, posting what I consider to be a respectable time for a mini dachshund of 52 minutes. 

Here's our post-race photo. You can see her eyes are a bit sleepy. She sat down immediately after crossing the finish line and received her well-deserved belly rubs. 

Seeds Started Indoors

I started some seeds a few weekends back, the anticipation of Spring is palpable and I can't wait to actually start planting things in the ground.  The weather over the last week has been Spring-like, highly variable, windy, and alternately cool and warm.  I've been able to get out and work in the garden quite a bit, but it's just isn't the same as being able to plant something.

Here's our set up for starting seeds indoors.  I have a multi-level wire bakers rack with two shop lights on each level.  We don't use warming mats or anything that fancy. Between the heat from the lights and turning up the thermostat a little bit in the room, it's warm enough for good germination. 

Tomato plants, growing by leaps and bounds every day. Pumpkins, squash, gourds, and cucumbers also grow quickly and vigorously.  There are also some other veggies and flowers growing in there. Perhaps we'll make our first trip to a local greenhouse and be able to plant a few flowers next weekend. 

Tired Shadowfax

Shadowfax had a tremendous playtime session in the back yard, fetching basketballs and sprinting to a fro.  She needed a moment to lay down, cool off on the hardwood floor, and gather herself before an afternoon walk. 

She was fairly mellow for the rest of the day, mission accomplished. 

Deaf Dog Aftenoon Playtime

Alycia and Shadowfax enjoy some low level chomping time.  Shadowfax loves to snuggle while she destroys toys and play tug-of-war, so the Extra Large 6-Foot Long Rope Toy (Amazon link here) is perfect for her.  It's also long enough that it prevents hands and fingers from being accidentally subjected to a wayward chomp.  We're big fans of these rope toys and get a new one once or twice a year, since eventually they get shredded and beat up.

Through it all, Shaak Ti is pretty content just to sit and chew on her "Crazy Eight" rope toy (Amazon link here).  Shakk Ti is a simple gal, she's happy with a toy that can be meticulously disemboweled or slowly pulled apart, thread by thread. 

This is a pretty standard afternoon scene here at the household. We've had our outside play time, a nice walk, and some dinner.  This is the wind down stretch, where we expend a little bit more energy and see if some snuggling develops (it usually does). 

Homemade Apple Cider from a DIY Cider Press

I've got some pretty awesome and entertaining co-workers in my job as a Community College Instructor.  Over the last few years we've developed a small circle of folks who swap the results of DIY projects and share the bounty of our various gardens and orchards.  Sauerkraut, home roasted coffee, jam, fruits and veggies of all kinds, baked goods, and numerous recipes have all been shared and swapped over the years.  It's the kind of virtuous circle of sharing and goodwill that keeps me going and energizes my mind toward sharing with others and experimenting with new ideas.

In late September I was talking with my friend Rob about my apple trees that were bearing a huge amount of apples when he mentioned that over the summer he and a friend had built an apple cider press. They built their apple cider press for less than $200.

They took a sturdy old kitchen table and outfitted it with a garbage disposal (purchased new).  All that need to be done is to roughly chop the apples into 8ths and then they get pushed through the garbage disposal slot.