The Merry, Merry Month of May

I just came in from taking the dogs out in the back yard for their last "trip" before bedtime. It smells so wonderful out there!!! I have a bunch of brugs blooming and my conferate jasmine is blooming away. Between the two I could have just stayed and smelled and smelled!

Well dear friends let me tell you what I have been up too. It has not been good!!!! I decided to clean the sludge out of my pond and it was a 3 day job but in the process I managed to kill ALL of my fish. I couldn't figure out what I did wrong and the lady at the pond store told me it was the difference in the water temperature. I am just sick. My pond is clean now and if I had fish you would be able to see them real good.

that's odd jeri, my brother in lad had a pond, (they got rid of it, too much work I guess) but they cleaned theirs out at least once a year and their fish didn't die from the temp difference,

I hate to hear that.

It doesn't smell good in my back yard lol my brugs aren't blooming yet, but I should probably fertilize them too. their growing good.

we're cutting down trees this sunday, or someone is coming to do that got 4 o5 dead trees to cut down.

Jeri that is odd! I can't imagine the water temperature being that much different. Did you take the fish completely out of the pond? Did you de-chlorinate the water? I keep a cover over mine during the winter so I don't get leaves in mine. But my friend cleans hers out once a year and has never had any trouble with her fish except the time she put them in a great big tub and the koi all jumped out and committed suicide! She learned she has to cover the tub with something.

Jeri that's very odd! I'm wondering if there wasn't something in the sludge that killed them, or maybe stirring the sludge up in the water suffocated them??? I'm so sorry!!!!

I am not a pond person, as they do draw frogs--so I do not want a pond-but I used to have aquariums and you had to keep the fish in the bag and put it into the aquarium to adjust to the temp in the aquarium before you can release them, same thing when changing the water, you have to keep a thermometer in them to watch the temp.
Those are tiny little things though and your koi are big. Looks like they would have adjusted more easily. I am sorry you lost them anyway, maybe someone has extra to get you started again.

And here I keep buying tadpoles trying to get bull frogs. Frogs ara supposed to eat mosquitoes.

Yes, I remember that now. At the moment I was thinking chlorine and was pretty tired also, so the biggest problem was NOT thinking at all. I had finished with the top pond the day before and filled it about 1/2 way. I put in that 3 in 1 water conditioner but we dipped them from the bottom pond straight into the top pond. It may have even been a combination of things but after testing the water, it was fine. That is why she said probably temperature.

I now have about 5 gold fish left. I guess I'll be buying fish for a while instead of plants.

LOL!! The more toads around my house the better, they do eat mosquitoes and anything else that is small that flies at night.

Oh no Jeri ! Sure wish you were closer - between myself and my friend - we have alot of koi we could and need to share with you. Sorry you lost your fish. I can't see the temp being that much different though - it sure should have been close enough.

Charlotte too bad you don't want tree-frogs I have about a gazillion. The last time my grandson was here from NWA he could here them croaking outside the dining room - finally he turned to me and said "I LOVE your frogs Gran" Nothing a boy likes better than a frog. Sorry about your fish jeri I too am a koi killer. I have had about ten in my life and never have managed to keep any of them alive for long. Now I just enjoy my goldfish:)

Jeri, I am so sorry about your fish. That sounds like something I would do.

Sandra, I thought of you last night. I went out on my deck and there was a HUGE bullfrog just sitting by the cat bowl. If Ozzie had been around she could have rode him! lol

Terrye

Thanks Terrye!!! This was the worst that I have done in the 15 yrs of water gardening!!!

Oh Jeri, how sad. Could your fish had a lack of oxygen? However, I do know fish can die from sudden temp changes...except for guppies, which can live through anything! ;o)

Karen, I will get some of your tree frogs at the RU...I love those little things!

Jeri the fish I've lost seen to always be around this time of year. I've lost several due to injuries from spawning. But it is usually just one that gets a bad injury. Last year my huge koi and I mean huge that I had had since 2003 just up and died. All the other fish were ok - just that one died. He was fine one day and the next I noticed him bellie up in the pond!! Usually you can tell if they are in stress and have time to check water, etc and do something. Your problem just really sounds strange! Water can get really funky this time of year also but of course you had just changed yours.

I've been in little rock all day with danny today, looking for hiking boots for him, Charlotte, I bought a plumeria at the beebe flea market for 8.00 Just had to tell you that, I've been wanting one for a while. It's just a stick but it's big, and it will branc h out sooner or later. hopefully. I needed another plant you know. lol

just got in , and now it's time for bed. been a long day, didn't even buy any boots for him;.

Kathy Ann a good find!! I found 2 at the Master Garden plant sale in LR last year. Mine were just big sticks also. But they have grown and are starting to branch out it looks like this year. That was on my want list when I found mine last year. Isn't it great to find something like that!!

I wish I would have known that you were in LR. Marilyn stopped by here and left something for you!

She told me, and we weren't far from your house at one time, I should have stopped by. sorry.

I thought it was a great find too Charlotte. I knew that lady at the flea market had plumerias I caught her at the right time, she had some ee's but all common ones, 2 gallon japanese maples for 20.00 which looked really good for 2 gallon plants. no names on them though.

We're trying to get our gear together for a 2 day hike soon, and I am bringing a dr pepper with me even if it's hot I don't care lol we're still looking into our destination yet. he thinks it's going to be tough on me to carry a pack and walk 7 or 8 miles a day. who knows, when I get my hiking boots, I'm going to walk in them to b reak them in and hopefully they'll feel ok for a long hike.

last hike I had to change shoes 2 hrs into the hike. that's not good.

Our Internet is still out. Cayla said the have to wait for a climber to climb the tower to fix it.
We have turned cool here after the rain. Maybe I can get back to weeding if it stays cool

Sandra it's been very cool here. So cool I had to get out my fleece shirt to wear outside!!! Slept in my fleece pj's last night! I think it's going to be cool here until Thursday. I'm trying to get some stuff done outside today. I still have all that stuff from our Memphis trip that I haven't gotten in the ground. I'm not supposed to do anything strenuous for 2 weeks. Wed will be 2 weeks so I'm working into it. But I can tell I don't have my strength back good yet. That anesthesia stuff just takes it out of you!!

Kathy Ann as much and as far as you walk all the time, you want have any problem with walking 7 or 8 miles.

Charlotte you are right about that. When I had my teeth done it took me a while too

Finally got DGs back on my home computer. Yay!!

Me, too, Charlotte. I had packed up my winter clothes already and had to get them back out. I sprayed some MG on my beds today and about froze when I got wet. Too cool.

KA, are you guys hiking around home or going on a trip somewhere else?

Terrye

I worked outside all afternoon. It finally got a little warmer. I got a lot of the things planted I got in Memphis but have a lot to go still. I need to plant the variegated dogwood tree and the smoke trees. Before I can do that I have to either dig up or cut down a crape myrtle and a rose of sharon. I have a feeling I'm going to be cutting down at least one if not two!! They are both pretty big trees. I'm eliminating all the grass in the back!! I'm down to one small patch. It's in front of the workshop. I have azaleas in front of the workshop and I'm putting smaller new varieties of hydrandreas in front of them. Got to figure out exactly how I'm going to do it. Then I need to go out and get some big flat stones to put in the beds for stepping stones and then some mulch to dress it up and cover up my bare dirt!!

I worked outside all day today too charlotte. had a good day!

first over night hike will be close to home, i think an hr or two away from home. as we get more experienced, we'll venture further away from home. I may find out i'm too old and weak for all this stuff ha .

Sandra is your home phone out too? I tried to call but it said you were on the phone and I left a message. This was Fri or Sat can't remember. I was answering your text. What is your Itune name? Doctor wants a cat scan and xrays this week. He said the pain down the leg was the nerve but my back pain was not coming from that herniated disc. So he wants more test. I knew that was coming though since my MRI would be a year old next week. Charlotte wishing you a better week this next week. It has been cold here too. I got up to go out about 6 and it was only 47 degrees. I put on my layers but waited till about 7 to go out.

Kathy Ann I hope you have a good time.

Genna clematis like the roots cool. I usually lay the first 6 inches of stem (minus leaves) down horizonally. That way you will get more stems coming up from the root. This helps when a fragile stem gets broken you have another one. Throw a piece of broken concrete at the base. They like a little lime. They need moisture but well drained. The 3 year rule really applies Like Bonnie said though all of them are so different.
to clematis. First year they sleep second year they creep, third they leap. Jackmania (sp) and Nelly Mozer are some good starter clematis. They seem to tend to themselves. A little Epson salt gives them a good kick in the early spring. Mirical grow after that does good. A little osmocote helps to. Spraying the miracle grow kinda lets you communicate with your plants. You pay closer attention when you walk around with the hose. A lot of time they are struggling to climb. Give them a twig stuck in the ground at the base of whatever you intend grow them on to give them a start them tie it to your support

Sorry gotta go can't stand to sit any length of time today. Camp is still out of water. I will post some pictures when I can sit longer.

Yes our home phone is out too. It is VoIP so when the Internet goes the home phone does too. Maybe tomorrow

Cindy hope they can figure out something to help you!!! I'm getting back to myself. It was good to get out and work in the yard yesterday.
Glad to hear the camp is still dry - hopefully it will stay that way!!
Your explanation of caring for clematis was really good. I didn't know that about the epson salts.
I was thinking about Genna and her question about planting under trees when I was out planting yesterday. My whole back yard is just a mass of roots. I have to dig with a shovel and a pair of clippers. Small roots I clip but there are some so big I just have to find a pocket of dirt in between and make it work. I usually can't dig a hole as deep as it needs to be so I just put it in the hole and add dirt around the side. I had one spot I was determined I was going to plant two things and discovered nothing but a mass of roots. So I cut as much as I could to get down to a little dirt and then just sat the plants down in the indention and added a bunch of dirt around the plants. We'll see if it works! I need to go out and get mulch now to cover up the fresh dirt I've created. Dogs like kids can always find dirt and mud to track through!!!

Spring is such a busy time and I have way more to do than energy!!!! By the time I finish watering in the evenings I am almost too tired to type but have been reading.

I am sorry that you are in so much pain, Cindy!!! If the back pain is not from the herniated disk where is it coming from?

Cindy I am so glad that the camp has been spared so far!!! The water is gushing through both the Bonne Carrie & Morganza Spillways now and the river is so high here they have ban anyone from parking on the levee on even going up on it in the entire parish. I have never heard of that before. I believe if they had not opened the spillways the city of Baton Rouge would have flooded for sure.

I have decided to do the pond tour this year as all the proceeds benefit Hilltop Arboretum and after all the state budget cuts they really need the money. That is why I was cleaning out my pond and killed all my fish. I went last Wed. to New Orleans and picked up my Victoria Water Lily and have it planted, now I need some fish.

Sandra I hope you are back and running with your internet and phone problems. I can't imagine being without both!!! I hope you are feeling better also!!!

Charlotte I am glad that you are starting to recover from your surgery and feel good enough to play in the yard. Try not to over do it!!! Don't do what I do, do what I say do!!! LOL!!!!

Our MG project co-chairman is an 80 year old retired neurosurgeon and a comment he made recently stuck with me! He said people that just sit down and quit get old in a hurry!! You would never know he is 80 by the way he gets around. I don't want to get old in a hurry either!!

Neither do I Charlotte!!! We are some of the younger members of Crusin Cajuns(Motorhome group) and if I am 1/2 as good as these older people when I get to their age, than I will be very happy!!!! They are hard to keep up with at this age!!!! LOL!!!!

I now have another reason to love my Iphone. The tower is still down they are waiting on a climber to come from out of town to fix it I can still read and post. It is just slower typing for Me. I canonly do one finger typing on my phone!!!

Jeri I though Jim told you he would just make a donation on the pond tour thing---so they talked you into it again--lol

The doc is right. We have to keep going. I might not go as far or as fast as I used to. I will still try though!

That is exactly what he said but you know how it is. I belong to the Pond Society and Hilltop Arboretum so it came from 2 different groups. Our state has cut funding to the Ag Dept. as well as others so that is why the 2 groups teamed up to try to supplement some of the loss. The Arboretum does a lot to advance Agricultural education but without funding they will cut the lights off.

Jeri doesn't have to worrry about getting old, Ashley will keep her young! After my class reunion I reconnected with several of my classmates and we stay in touch through facebook. I'll be 69 in Aug and one of my classmates adopted her 11 year old grandson, don't know the circumstances. She is single (has been divorced for years). Despite battling bladder cancer she takes that kid tent camping and does all kind of things with him. You really have to admire someone like that - and like you Jeri she will stay young!

This message was edited May 16, 2011 12:11 PM

LOL!! Charlotte or age over night!!! Mine is a Drama Queen so I don't think we will be tent camping any time soon, thank God!!!! It's the other stuff that goes along with being a Drama Queen that scares me to death!!!

Jeri I know it is a lot harder raising grands as we do things for grands we never would have done for our kid. I want to tell you one of Caylas friends from high school is STILL a drama queen. They are 23 now and most of the others havegrown away from her as they are tired of her "drama" every minute
They are pretty popular in school but not in "real" adult life

I am tired of all the DRAMA!!!!

I'm used to boys - don't understand all the DRAMA part! Feel for you!!

I helped raise 4 girls and believe me when they hit 11--it starts and does not end for a loong time--every little thing is life or death to them.

Finally got all my stuff working again, I guess they finally got a climber to the tower. I haven't talked to Cayla yet, she is going to her part time job tonight. She is starting the summer session and has 35 new students coming in tonight. She worked on the old computers all day Sat so she could put the plug ins in they would need to use them. They have changed the classroom to a larger one with more computers. She said they are all running XP, so no wonder it took her all day to get them up to speed. She will work Monday, Tues and Thurs night for 6 weeks with this class.

Oh please say it isn't soo!!! Sandra!!! I don't remember this with my girls.

Isn't it amazing how dependent we are on the internet and telephones?