dirtdiva
Senior Member
Posts: 548
Likes: 929
Email: cannedquilter@gmail.com
|
Post by dirtdiva on Oct 24, 2021 1:20:30 GMT 10
Swelling is going down and looks like they got 4 stings in all together. Nasty little buggers and I must be allergic to their venom. Heck of a reaction.
My ego is not doing as well. Brought low by a worm.
|
|
Tim Horton
Senior Member
Posts: 1,765
Likes: 1,948
|
Post by Tim Horton on Oct 24, 2021 1:41:42 GMT 10
Curious what prompted an infestation of this particular moth worm ?? Just in your region ?? Common for the region ??
Shoot quick, shoot often... Keep safe..
|
|
dirtdiva
Senior Member
Posts: 548
Likes: 929
Email: cannedquilter@gmail.com
|
Post by dirtdiva on Oct 24, 2021 4:52:29 GMT 10
Curious what prompted an infestation of this particular moth worm ?? Just in your region ?? Common for the region ?? Shoot quick, shoot often... Keep safe.. Truthfully first time I have ever seen that particular critter so I would venture to say not a regular infestation. From reading it is rather late in the season for it and a bit north and cooler of it's preferred range. Found feeding on peony foliage. I reached into the bush to cut off stems at ground level and was actually stung 4 times by 4 different caterpillars. So I imagine my venom load was pretty high thus the reaction and need for the Epipen. My husband did remove the stingers with tape and apply ice but it still had pretty substantial swelling. You just never know what is lurking in the garden. Just thankful it was not a copperhead or cottonmouth. In Louisiana where I grew up there was a stinging caterpillar that looked like a woolie worm. Called a buck moth caterpillar commonly found around oak trees. Many of the different properties I owned of course had oaks so I was familiar with that one. These caterpillars are covered in hollow spines attached to a venom gland. Common treatment was to remove spines with tape and apply a) meat tenderizer b) tobacco poultice to draw out the venom. My youngest daughter is allergic to this particular venom and as a very young toddler had a very severe reaction to this venom. My Saddleback per wikipedia :
|
|
dirtdiva
Senior Member
Posts: 548
Likes: 929
Email: cannedquilter@gmail.com
|
Post by dirtdiva on Oct 26, 2021 0:07:56 GMT 10
Foraging Black Walnuts Every year Mr Dd and myself harvest black walnuts from the neighbors property. I will not have a back walnut on my own property because the main drawback for the Black Walnut is a chemical its roots produce and secrete called Juglone, which kills many different species of plants should their root come into contact with it. Juglone once in the soil is difficult to get rid of. On the other hand our neighbor is not a gardener and does not desire to harvest the nuts or put in the effort to crack and preserve them. SO several times a week we gather his walnuts before he mows the grass. With 15 five gallon buckets of nuts thus far I will be picking out walnuts for the foreseeable future. This is a native American tree and the nut has a much stronger taste than say the English walnut or Carpathian walnut.
The walnuts have thick green husks around the very hard nut inside. These husks turn black when the nut is ripe and get a white maggot that eats the husk. My husband puts them on a concrete slab and runs the lawn tractor over them to burst the husk. Then he takes a wire brush and heavy gloves and cleans the nuts off. He then runs the pressure washer over them.
Once the nuts are cleaned up he puts them in a small trailer in the sun to dry.
Once dry my husband has a very heavy duty nut cracker designed for cracking walnuts and other very hard nuts. Much heavier than just the normal nutcracker that you generally see. Then when they are cracked they come in the house to me and I pick the meats out. Then the meats are placed on baking sheets and I toast the nut meats in the oven on very low for about an hour to dry them out good.
The nutmeats are then placed in vacuum bags and sealed and then I put them in the freezer. If I were to purchase walnuts in the store they start at about $7 a pound here for chopped walnut meats. Black Walnuts contain 57% more protein than English walnuts and have the highest levels of protein of all tree nuts. Compared with five other tree nuts, Black Walnuts contain the most protein and the fewest carbohydrates and starches. On the vitamin front, Black Walnuts contain the most panthothenic acid and the highest quantity of vitamin B-6. Black Walnuts are also low in saturated fat, high in unsaturated fat, contain vitamin A, iron, minerals and fiber and serves as a cholesterol- and sugar-free snack or ingredient. Not only do I bake with these but we eat them in salads, oatmeal, trail mixes and use for pesto with my home grown basil. Long ago they used to crush the husks and drop them in lakes or streams. The juglone would draw the oxygen from the water in that area and the fish would float to the surface to be harvested. (This is now illegal)
|
|
seqprep
New member
Posts: 2
Likes: 6
|
Post by seqprep on Oct 29, 2021 20:02:07 GMT 10
Foraging Black Walnuts Long ago they used to crush the husks and drop them in lakes or streams. The juglone would draw the oxygen from the water in that area and the fish would float to the surface to be harvested. (This is now illegal) That sounds like a pretty neat survival food gathering method.
|
|
dirtdiva
Senior Member
Posts: 548
Likes: 929
Email: cannedquilter@gmail.com
|
Post by dirtdiva on Oct 29, 2021 22:29:13 GMT 10
Foraging Black Walnuts Long ago they used to crush the husks and drop them in lakes or streams. The juglone would draw the oxygen from the water in that area and the fish would float to the surface to be harvested. (This is now illegal) That sounds like a pretty neat survival food gathering method. Yeah I would imagine it would only be effective for a small area and the fish would have to be pretty thick population wise. There would definitely have to be no game wardens any longer or they would throw the book at you though.
|
|
dirtdiva
Senior Member
Posts: 548
Likes: 929
Email: cannedquilter@gmail.com
|
Post by dirtdiva on Nov 12, 2021 21:35:26 GMT 10
|
|
Tim Horton
Senior Member
Posts: 1,765
Likes: 1,948
|
Post by Tim Horton on Nov 14, 2021 15:13:50 GMT 10
Beautiful pictures.. We have been past that and mostly all leaves down for several weeks now..
|
|
|
Post by Stealth on Nov 14, 2021 17:31:24 GMT 10
That is just STUNNING DD! I won't show my other half, he's been wanting to visit your part of the world for the longest time and if he gets to see that views like that actually EXIST (I've partially convinced him that movies have made it all up and nowhere is that beautiful... Apart from perhaps New Zealand 😂) he'll drag us over there in a heartbeat!
|
|
dirtdiva
Senior Member
Posts: 548
Likes: 929
Email: cannedquilter@gmail.com
|
Post by dirtdiva on Dec 6, 2021 19:34:48 GMT 10
December in the gardens 2021 North Central Tennessee- Agricultural Zone 6b/7a What I was looking at last month through the lens of a camera and admiring the beauty of is this month's compost. Never waste a resource. All those beautiful leaves are now brown and dry and after running through a mower to chop up become piles in my beds and allowed to rot over the winter. The last couple of days have been somewhat warmer with temps in the 60's so we have been turning them daily until cold weather returns again. By spring these will be rotted down and I will spread them over the top of the bed and just fork in a bit. Once you do this every year after a few years you get some really nice soil with lots of organic matter and fertility. I am now into my 7th year on this property and really starting to see a difference in the soil. I have these piles accumulating all over my property in beds and boxes and the leaves continue to fall. Add in some kitchen scraps, some bedding out of the duck or chicken house and a little time to the mix and it makes a great investment in the garden.
|
|
dirtdiva
Senior Member
Posts: 548
Likes: 929
Email: cannedquilter@gmail.com
|
Post by dirtdiva on Jan 8, 2022 3:10:02 GMT 10
January 2022 Happy New Year to you all. In my garden we have received over a foot of snow this week with 2 back to back snow storms and it continues to spit snow this morning. Everything is under a blanket of white in the garden. My mail box has become a victim of the snow plow and Mr DD is out rescuing the remains may they rest in peace. Gardening never ceases though and next years sweet potato slips are slowly emerging in my kitchen window despite the snow. They will go into the ground around the end of April or the first of May.
And as for the gardener I remain healthy and Covid free thus far. We still avoid large gatherings and crowds as much as possible. Covid numbers are supposedly off the charts with the state of Tennessee reporting 10,000 new cases daily. I on the other hand simply have found useful things to do to keep me busy and productive as I am not a person to be idle. My down time is spent quilting blankets, and knitting various socks, gloves and hats to keep everyone warm in my family. The picture above is a box of baby items such as blankets, sweaters, booties and hats that I knit every year and donate to an organization called Newborns in Need. They go to homeless shelters for the tiniest of their residents as well as Domestic abuse shelters for women who come in with very small infants. The tiniest of the hats go to neonatal ICU wards for their really tiny preemie patients to prevent heat loss through their little heads. I also sew a few special gowns every year for the organization that they keep on hand for still born babies. These are provided to hospitals for the devastated mothers to view their babies in one last time and many are buried in them. Mr. DD calls them angel gowns. This helps to keep my knitting and crochet skills sharp and I seem to always get lots of practice. Just my way of giving something to the most vulnerable of my community.
So for now it is lots of hot tea, dreaming over seed catalogs that supplies of are already selling out, needlework, catching up on my reading and waiting for spring. I'll be back before you know it with an arm full of seedlings and a new gardening year. Dirt Diva
|
|
frostbite
VIP Member
Posts: 5,465
Likes: 6,982
|
Post by frostbite on Jan 8, 2022 8:57:38 GMT 10
It's beautiful souls like DD, not politicians, that will make America great again.
|
|
|
Post by Stealth on Jan 8, 2022 18:23:07 GMT 10
January 2022
And as for the gardener I remain healthy and Covid free thus far. We still avoid large gatherings and crowds as much as possible. Covid numbers are supposedly off the charts with the state of Tennessee reporting 10,000 new cases daily. I on the other hand simply have found useful things to do to keep me busy and productive as I am not a person to be idle. My down time is spent quilting blankets, and knitting various socks, gloves and hats to keep everyone warm in my family. The picture above is a box of baby items such as blankets, sweaters, booties and hats that I knit every year and donate to an organization called Newborns in Need. They go to homeless shelters for the tiniest of their residents as well as Domestic abuse shelters for women who come in with very small infants. The tiniest of the hats go to neonatal ICU wards for their really tiny preemie patients to prevent heat loss through their little heads. I also sew a few special gowns every year for the organization that they keep on hand for still born babies. These are provided to hospitals for the devastated mothers to view their babies in one last time and many are buried in them. Mr. DD calls them angel gowns. This helps to keep my knitting and crochet skills sharp and I seem to always get lots of practice. Just my way of giving something to the most vulnerable of my community. Bless your socks DD . We have people in Australia who do a similar thing, they crochet or knit beanies for newborns in hospitals. I think it's a very popular craft. I've had three babies and each one came back from their first post-birth hearing tests etc. with a new, handmade beanie on! I regret sending my youngest for those tests with a hat on already, I suspect I missed out on one just because I'd already put one on bub lol. I will admit, it's one of my favourite memories of those early days in hospital with them because I've always been fiercely independent. That trait made me determined that I didn't need anyone around when I had my babies (except hubby for course!) so I didn't really have a lot of those maternal links and lessons in those early days that I think a lot of women have. It's one of the few things I regret about that time. One might say I've learned a lesson or two in my middle age lol. But my bubs coming back from their visits with the midwives with a beautiful hand made hat really helped to make me think that even though I was strong enough to do it all without help there were still women (or even men as well, now I think of it) thinking of people like me and taking the time to make a gift that they would never meet the recipient of. I still have those beanies, they live in my drawer with the onesies they wore to come home. So I can definitely say that as someone that's received something like that at such an important time in life it's something that makes a huge difference even to those of us who have happy and comfortable homes to return to. It's that little piece of 'village' that we don't realise we need until it's not there! We also have groups who make Angel gowns in Australia too. It must be heartbreaking work, but I can imagine it must create a lot of satisfaction and honour to make such an important item of clothing.
|
|
dirtdiva
Senior Member
Posts: 548
Likes: 929
Email: cannedquilter@gmail.com
|
Post by dirtdiva on Jan 10, 2022 1:07:37 GMT 10
January 2022
And as for the gardener I remain healthy and Covid free thus far. We still avoid large gatherings and crowds as much as possible. Covid numbers are supposedly off the charts with the state of Tennessee reporting 10,000 new cases daily. I on the other hand simply have found useful things to do to keep me busy and productive as I am not a person to be idle. My down time is spent quilting blankets, and knitting various socks, gloves and hats to keep everyone warm in my family. The picture above is a box of baby items such as blankets, sweaters, booties and hats that I knit every year and donate to an organization called Newborns in Need. They go to homeless shelters for the tiniest of their residents as well as Domestic abuse shelters for women who come in with very small infants. The tiniest of the hats go to neonatal ICU wards for their really tiny preemie patients to prevent heat loss through their little heads. I also sew a few special gowns every year for the organization that they keep on hand for still born babies. These are provided to hospitals for the devastated mothers to view their babies in one last time and many are buried in them. Mr. DD calls them angel gowns. This helps to keep my knitting and crochet skills sharp and I seem to always get lots of practice. Just my way of giving something to the most vulnerable of my community. Bless your socks DD . We have people in Australia who do a similar thing, they crochet or knit beanies for newborns in hospitals. I think it's a very popular craft. I've had three babies and each one came back from their first post-birth hearing tests etc. with a new, handmade beanie on! I regret sending my youngest for those tests with a hat on already, I suspect I missed out on one just because I'd already put one on bub lol. I will admit, it's one of my favourite memories of those early days in hospital with them because I've always been fiercely independent. That trait made me determined that I didn't need anyone around when I had my babies (except hubby for course!) so I didn't really have a lot of those maternal links and lessons in those early days that I think a lot of women have. It's one of the few things I regret about that time. One might say I've learned a lesson or two in my middle age lol. But my bubs coming back from their visits with the midwives with a beautiful hand made hat really helped to make me think that even though I was strong enough to do it all without help there were still women (or even men as well, now I think of it) thinking of people like me and taking the time to make a gift that they would never meet the recipient of. I still have those beanies, they live in my drawer with the onesies they wore to come home. So I can definitely say that as someone that's received something like that at such an important time in life it's something that makes a huge difference even to those of us who have happy and comfortable homes to return to. It's that little piece of 'village' that we don't realise we need until it's not there! We also have groups who make Angel gowns in Australia too. It must be heartbreaking work, but I can imagine it must create a lot of satisfaction and honour to make such an important item of clothing. Stealth it does my old heart good to know that you young mother's treasure your little items of love for your babies! I think the Wee Care program making viewing and burial gowns for still born babies actually started in your country and spread to the US. I have received some beautiful cards in the past from young mother's thanking me for the beautiful gowns that they saw their little angels in for the last time. It is a truly heart breaking service but also a source of great pride that I can help those little ones and their families. A gift of love and support from an old mother to a young one. My youngest grandson said it best when asked at school what his grandmother does his reply " My grandma dresses the angels". Besides us Moms have to stick together especially during those hardest times. As for the knit items many of my patterns come from your country. You guys have the best knitters in the world! The US used to produce beautiful textiles and yarns but no longer. Everything now comes from overseas. Very few knit anymore here and it, like quilting and sewing had become dying arts. I am starting to see a resurgence with some of the shortages of late though.
|
|
dirtdiva
Senior Member
Posts: 548
Likes: 929
Email: cannedquilter@gmail.com
|
Post by dirtdiva on Jan 10, 2022 1:17:51 GMT 10
It's beautiful souls like DD, not politicians, that will make America great again. Lord how you flatter an old woman you smooth talking rascal Besides I am waiting for some new pictures of the latest progress on the property.
|
|
frostbite
VIP Member
Posts: 5,465
Likes: 6,982
|
Post by frostbite on Jan 10, 2022 3:58:43 GMT 10
I've been wanting to post some progress photos but a member here is coming for a visit early April and Mrs Frostbite wanted what we had achieved recently to be a surprise.
|
|
|
Post by Stealth on Jan 10, 2022 6:20:45 GMT 10
As for the knit items many of my patterns come from your country. You guys have the best knitters in the world! The US used to produce beautiful textiles and yarns but no longer. Everything now comes from overseas. Very few knit anymore here and it, like quilting and sewing had become dying arts. I am starting to see a resurgence with some of the shortages of late though. I've always loved the American quilting hobby. I have a quilt from when I was overseas a while back, we have a group here that make quilts and laundry bags for service people as a reminder of home. Something to brighten up what can be a pretty boring and dingy sleeping space. They're so well made and created with so much skill and love that I'm certain mine will survive for several generations! Every now and then I get an urge to try my hand at it, and then I remember that I have so many hobbies that I already don't have enough time for that adding one more definitely won't help haha!
|
|
drjenner
Senior Member
Posts: 186
Likes: 307
Location: Pacific NW, USA
|
Post by drjenner on Jan 13, 2022 11:37:30 GMT 10
It's beautiful souls like DD, not politicians, that will make America great again. 100% agree with this statement.
|
|
tomatoes
Senior Member
Posts: 1,065
Likes: 1,089
|
Post by tomatoes on Jan 16, 2022 18:50:15 GMT 10
If anyone here is interested in sewing, knitting or crocheting for charity, it’s a thriving community here in Aus. Just do a search for relevant Facebook groups.
DD - your work looks beautiful.
|
|
Tim Horton
Senior Member
Posts: 1,765
Likes: 1,948
|
Post by Tim Horton on Jan 21, 2022 8:47:09 GMT 10
If anyone here is interested in sewing, knitting or crocheting for charity --- --- A good number of years ago now, when my mother was still alive and with it.. She was with a small group of local women who sewed, and other needle work for the local hospital support group of some kind..
Most of the things they made were receiving blankets, and other going home supplies for women with new borns and no other resources.. Many with addiction issues involved in the mix of issues in there lives..
Unfortunately..... One of the necessary and more appreciated things the mothers who needed them, was burial slips for infants.. In this population group it was a more common item needed than many know..
This all making an impact on us with our personal, and family history of child loss..
|
|