WINTER GARDEN

Two pots of radishes and a four foot planter that is half carrots (on the left) and half onions on the right.

These seeds were planted the first week of December.

KILLING ANTS WITH DIATOMACEOUS EARTH
As we're developing our fruit and vegetable crops we've become aware of how many ants there are in the agricultural area. Mary decided to try this since nothing else has been effective.

We don't want to use poison because we drink water from wells on our property. The ground is so permeable that pesticides get down in the water table very quickly.

We called the big mound The Matterhorn, we've never seen an ant mound 18" tall before. We are hoping this treatment will put a dent in our ant population.

HOOKY IS BACK
Last fall our favorite Peacock began spending nights in a tree behind our house. He makes his loud "Me-haaaaah" call throughout the night. At the end of May when the babies were born Hooky went back to sleeping with the tribe at night.

Now we're approaching mating season again, he's growing out his magnificant tail and trying to seduce a lady.

Tonight was the first night we were aware he is back in the tree behind our garage again, defending his turf. We went out to put away tools and heard his glorius Me-haaaaaah call for the first time this Fall.

Welcome back Hooky, we're sure glad you're here.

AUTOMATIC WATERING
Yesterday we completed installing the automatic watering system on banana circle #1. The artesian well provides enough water pressure. The half-inch black plastic pipe has a 1/16th inch hole to emit water at each future banana plant location.

The stakes for the black tubing are PVC half-inch pipe, the end in the ground is cut at 45-degree angle. We drilled two holes through each stake and used wire ties to attach the black tubing.

THANKSGIVING DINNER 2016

MMMmmmmmmm...
Delicious👍

SILLY YOUNG FLORIDA PEAFOWL
Here's a pair of youngsters nomming black-oil sunflower seed off the window sill.

Blue male on the left, green female on the right.

FRUIT FROM OUR FARM
We have orange and grapefruit trees growing in our agricultural area. A few days ago we harvested a test specimen from each tree. Mary reports they are ugly but delicious, a very sweet grapefruit.

OUR FIRST TRIP TO THE DUMP
We went to the Sarno Landfill to pick up free mulch today. There was this field of retired "white goods" across from the massive pile of wood mulch. It was washing machines, dryers, furnaces, air conditioners, freezers, and refrigerators all lined up for recycling. Most impressive!

Raccoon Running