Should we move before it's too late???

Our landlord has been getting increasingly irritating and weird. He is continually looking for problems and trying to squeeze money out of us. I am worried about their financial situation. I keep waiting for them to say something like they are foreclosing on the place or something like that. I wish I could get the financing I need in order to get a house. That is my ultimate goal. We need to find a place in this area with super cheap rent. That would be the best thing. Actually, if we could find a place that is a two bedroom, about a $1000.00/mon, allows dogs, is in the Uptown/Loring/Stevens/Powderhorn/Etc. area or between Mpls./StP., is on or very near a bus route, has a parking spot, and isn't the size of a shoebox, well that would be awesome! I should do some searching, eh?

Lata' ya'll!

Garden Journal 07-31-07

Ok, this is actually a quick note. I figured out what the one plant I was talking about last night was named:

Queen of the Night, Dutchman's Pipe Cactus, Night Blooming Cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum)

Here are a couple sites for it:

http://www.ecology.org/ecophoto/articles/Epiphyllum.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphyllum_oxypetalum

I even found a distributer.

Here is a cool sketch I found:



Anyway, don't want to ramble on too long right now. I have stuff that I need to pretend to do around here...LOL...

Ok, here are the bat pics I promised!

Garden Journal 07-30-07

Okay, so here is yet another thing that I have talked about and still haven't gotten pics for yet... I built a terrarium and it is friggin' cool. I am trying to set up a way to germ. carnivorous plant (CP) seeds, so we'll see if this works. It is a highly oxygenated environment (10 gallon tank w/ a 15 gallon air pump and only 2" of H2O) and has a high amount of humidity as the H2O is heated to about 82 degrees F. It looks pretty cool. Hopefully it is functional and meets its intended purpose. I would think that I would have to rarely water the plants I put in there as companions since the air is so humid. We'll have to see. I'm hoping that it isn't to the point of being all fungus-filled, but with that air you would think...

I am also working on some stellar plans for the Vivarium. I am hoping that I can draw up some cool specs and then take pics of 'em. Then it would be cool to take pics of the process as I do it. Gotta clear some space on the digi though. It would be pretty tight though. It took me three days to come up with a plan for the substrate and water feature, but I think I have met all the necessary issues.

I also got these cuttings in the mail today from another NHGC member. They are for a couple of plants, one unnamed and the other I am forgetting the name of and the club site is currently down, but the are reminiscent of Zygocactus or maybe a Rhipsalis. We'll see if they grow, she said to treat them just like a Christmas Cactus, so I put 'em in some damp soil and I'll let 'em be. This here is a good info site on the Zygos: http://www.fernlea.com/xmas/cactinfo.htm

Speaking of Rhips, I think that the seller miss labeled their stock. The Red Mistletoe Cactus' have cylindrical growths, where these are flat, I think that the plant is actually R. 'Rivero's Red' which I found on this site here: http://www.glasshouseworks.com/succ-pr.html

Anywho...gotta jet. Oh, and so far, no sprouts or growths in any of the seeds that I have started. Bummer! I need to reorganize my who setup though I think. OH, OH! I went to the Bachman's near me FINALLY, well, they have an as-is section and they were selling terra cotta pots, about 4" sized ones, well, they were $0.05 a PIECE! I bought 60...LOL...

I need to read a bit on lizards and vivs so lata!

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Ok, here are the pics:




And here are some of the plants I ordered on eBay, but most of them were from other members:

Garden Journal 07-27-07

Some of this crap I should have written about awhile ago, but here we go.

Today: Received my Walking Iris' from another NHGC member and my new member seeds from the club. I got a LOT of seeds. I have to remember to bring them up when I drop Shawn off so Gemma can have some. As for the WIs I planted them as soon as I brought them in the house. Trimmed the foliage back too. I figured that it would halp them recover from the dry ship. I have 'em under the grow lights as we speak…er…as I speak???

LAST Friday (072007): I planted a bunch of the seeds that I got from people/traveling/for "experiments." So, I planted all the Coral Plant (Jatropha multifida I believe) then. I probably should have scarified them before planting, at least I don't think I did. They are just so big and solid, you'd think it would help. I also planted my Canna Lilies and my Misc Daylilies in a really loose "experiment." I had read about this way to start daylilies from seed by putting them in a barely damp vermiculite aboout 2" deep. I also planted some of the seeds in regular peat-based potting mix. I did the same things with the Cannas too, but I scarified them. They should show signs of growth in about another week if it works. If I have a TONE of daylilies, I can always try this thing I read about cooking daylily sprouts like asparagus and serving them with a bit of butter. I've wanted to try that, just wasn't able to get around to it. I'm working on a plan to start my Pitcher Plant seeds. Now that I am thinking about it, I might be able to do it in one of those big pickle jars. But no matter what I do, I think I should really get a pump for the air/humidity issue. I wonder if I can find where I got that info before… Hmmm??? I'm pretty sure that I have it somewhere at home. Well, this is it for now as I am babbling and not making a ton of sense since I am feeling so crappy.

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I almost forgot to mention my new plan for the front garden. I have let it weed over for a good reason. I want it to have the ground properly shaded to conserve moisture. Then, when fall is approaching, maybe at the end of August, I will pull up all the weeds and if I have compost ready topdress it. Then I will put down a bunch of annuals and wildflowers to help naturalize it. Then I will mulch. I'll have to do it when the temps are on the decline to make sure that all the seeds go dormant. I'm gonna leave the daylilies and irises there, they seem to be doing just fine, but I think that I am going to move the peonies over by that blank spot under the tree in front of the living room window. They'll get more sun and water there I think.

Cut 'n' Paste

I Am Steve Irwin Reborn
072707

I have been feeling miserable for the last two weeks, sinus infection. Sucks. So I have been keeping myself pretty darned medicated. Today is really bad. We're so short staffed that I didn't have the heart to call-in. Now I am sitting here with my zippy on and hood up and wanting to die. Really sucks.

When I did wake up for a bit this morning. I found a bat on the door frame of the back door. I think he feel asleep trying to escape. Poor little guy… So I took his pic and picked him up, but he didn't seem okay so I pet him and hushed him until he was calm and he just hungout, kinda literally, until he felt awake enough and then he tried to fly around the house. I scolded him and told him to behave and I took him outside, said goodbye and he flew away. I don't think he'll come back to visit… Sad…

I have gone WAY TOO LONG without blogging, I know, but they blocked the access at work which is a HUGE bummer for me. So now I am trying this thing where I type myself an email and then I go home and cut and paste this. We'll see how that goes.

God. I really, REALLY feel flippin' miserable. I should have called in, but I couldn't do that to everyone here. We are SO short staffed and I'm sucking up for a promo so, eh. Sucks, but that's life, right?

Our trip was awesome, I didn't really talk about it much yet I don't think… I'm not going to, I'm to ill and trying to do it at work, well, doesn't work.

Lata' all!

Garden Journal 07-17-07

Okay, I had started writing this in the notebook that I tried to do some journaling in before, but I have been very unsuccessful. So, I thought that I would just do them on here and keep the notebook for quick, misc. jots and what-not. Anyway, I need to get to the point. The Sagittaria (latifolia I think) seeds that I acquired while in Louisiana are my first project. They grow in boggy and swampy areas, native all over the U.S., but only hardy zone 7. I mixed up some peat-based potting soil mixed with moss and wet down pretty well. I put it in a African Violet planter. I thought that would be a good way to keep the soil really moist for starting the seeds. I sprinkled some on the surface of the mix as they need light for germ. The trick is that they have a double dormancy period before they will germinate, so I think that I will put them in the fridge for a month without watering again, take out for 6-8wks and keep the reservoir full to try and simulate a bog-like environment, and then empty out the water and put it back into the fridge to create a "second winter." When I take it back out I will have to put it under the grow lights, elevated so it is about 4" from the grow lights. If the African Violet pot method doesn't work, I did read a source that eluded to the use of a reg pot in 5cm of water, but what worries me about this is won't the seeds float to the surface if they are submerged? So do they mean to set a pot in 5cm of water around it? I'll see if I can figure this out a little better, but I hope the A.V. pots work. If they sprout I can put them into individual pots and then submerge the pots in water, increasing the levels with the growth of the plants. I had read somewhere that they can be under 0-6" I thought, but now I am having a hard time finding that reference. I now found one that said to keep 1/2" of water above the soil surface, I am think that, so far and from what I read, that to 2" should be good, we'll see. I have plenty of time to find a waterproof container to put this in, however I will also have to find a way of getting it full sun. I wonder if I could build a decorative conatiner with flourescent lights suspended over it. I could also get some of that, I think it is called, floating lettuce to put in there too. It would make a really sweet water garden indoors. Also, now that I think of it, I should make a plan involving making it into a fountain too. I promised Sam I would do that with his shells from the Gulf. Anyway, totally distracted...what else was I going to talk about???

Oh, I also, I have harvested or been given Red Canna Lillies, Coral Plant (Pink), Stella D'Oro Lillies. The Coral Plant (Jatropha multifida) is going to be my main focus.

Also, I need to catalog and determine what seeds I am going to get rid of and the post them on the seed swap on the NHGC member forum. Ok...anyway. That's it for now! Lata ya'll!

This is too cute...

Forgive me for this one-----

A thief in Paris planned to steal some paintings from the Louvre.

After careful planning, he stole the paintings, got past security, and
made it safely to his van.

However, he was captured only two blocks away when his van ran out of gas.

When asked how he could mastermind such a crime and then make such an
obvious error, he replied,

"Monsieur, that is the reason I stole the paintings. I had no Monet to
buy Degas to make the Van Gogh."

... And you thought that I wouldn't have de Gaulle to forward this on
to someone else? I figure I had nothing Toulouse

Check out this site:

We stopped here on the way back, awesome experience!

http://www.throwedrolls.com

New Orleans...

I have SO MANY stories to tell, but first I want to just get this posted on here so you can check out my pics:

http://s53.photobucket.com/albums/g47/japhiel/New%20Orleans%202007/St%20Louis%20Cem%201
Password: guest1234

Make sure you click on New Orleans 2007 to look at that specific album.

Lata!

You're An EXTREME Redneck (Hillbilly) When.....

1. You let your 14-year-old daughter smoke at t he dinner table in front of her kids.

2. The Blue Book value of your truck goes up and down depending on how much gas is in it.

3. You've been married three times and still have the same in-l aws.

4. You think a woman who is "out of your league" bowls on a different night.

5. You wonder how service stations keep their rest-rooms so clean.

6. Someone in your family died right after saying, "Hey, guys, watch this."

7. You think Dom Perignon is a Mafia leader.

8. Your wife's hairdo was once ruined by a ceiling fan.

9. Your junior prom offered day care.

10. You think the last words of the "Star-Spangled Banner" are "Gentlemen, start your engines."

11. You lit a match in the bathroom and your house exploded right off its wheels.

12. The Halloween pumpkin on your porch has more teeth than your spouse.

13. You have to go outside to get something from the fridge.

14. One of your kids was born on a pool table.

15. You need one more hole punched in your card to get a freebie at the House of Tattoos.

16. You can't get married to your sweetheart because there's a law against it.

17. You think loading the dishwasher means getting your wife drunk.