Thanks, Jan and Eileen, for your comments on my lonely blog! I hadn't meant to disparage your support, Jan. You've been such a good friend it's hard to believe we haven't met in real life! You're right about commenting on others' blogs. I actually do look at a fair number of blogs, but most of them are written by Blog Celebrities who have countless admirers and no time for the small fry! Maybe I should form a support group for under-appreciated blogs.
There's a dusting of snow this morning; compared to our usual March snowfalls it is nothing (it's not unusual to get 2 or 3 feet this time of year). Nevertheless I am impatient for spring. Seeing those photos of daffodils in Oregon makes me insanely jealous!! The other day I thought I saw a crocus shoot sticking out of the ground where the wind had rendered the surface free of snow. But yesterday when I looked again I couldn't find it. Probably one of the peas ate it.
Speaking of peas, it appears they are all hens. One of the white ones could be a male--it's a bit hard to tell. I never knew that both males and females strut so when I first saw them fanning each other I thought they were males. So far nobody has started calling "MAO MAO" to blow my socks off. I can't seem to get answers to my questions about when they start calling and if hens do it too. It seems there is no peafowl handbook and the websites don't answer my questions--they seem to cover diet and building aviaries, things like that. I may buy a male from a guy in the valley who has a pied a couple of months younger than mine. This peacock is tame, which would be a plus. The guy I bought my eggs from has a couple of males he might sell so I'm waiting to hear from him. His prices are a bit lower than what the guy here is asking.
Yesterday I went to Home Depot to buy seed-starting mix and pots. I was pounced on by about six employees. The store was empty and they must have been bored out of their minds. Across the road is a Lowe's, which was built last year after a Lowe's about half a mile away was torn down. I don't understand this. How many home improvement stores do we need? And I can't understand tearing down a store that was built 15 years before and relocating to a piece of undeveloped land. More and more strip malls are being built around here when most of the existing shopping centers have about a third of their space unrented. I just don't get why State College can't learn from other towns and cities that have made the mistake of allowing uncontrolled sprawl. The town is in the hands of developers and real estate people. There are also more banks in State College than anywhere else I've ever been.
Anyway, back to the subject at hand: seed-starting. I had not planned to start any seeds this year because every time I do it I end up losing all the plants after I set them out. Last year I think I went through 5 sets of tomato plants and finally after seeing the last set through the vulnerable stage all the tomatoes got blight. But Shreed really wanted me to start some seeds and I have tons from last year. Fine, I told him, let your heart be broken. I'm not going to get attached. Right.
Enjoy a random cat picture as that's my default illustration. Crim checks all the plumbing every morning--he's so conscientious! Shreed is in Norway so Crim has to be the man of the house.
2 comments:
I was just joking, Martha. I know you appreciate my commenting as much as I appreciate your commenting on mine. Comments really help. I don't usually comment on a blog that already has 30 or more comments posted. I comment to support and obviously with 30 comments that blog already has plenty of support.
I'll bet the peas did eat your crocus. I remember mine sitting in the apple tree eating the flowers off the branches. They are pretty destructive. Good thing they are so pretty and entertaining.
I really don't recall the females making that distinctive call like the males do. They have their own calls, certainly, but I could always tell who it was, a male or a female. Too bad I can't mail you one of Joan's males.
My comment is starting to get as long as your post, I think I'll switch to email.
The case of urban sprawl is one of my big pet peeves. Our Office Depot (a perfectly nice store) moved a quarter mile - quarter mile! - to a new building. Now the older strip mall where they were located is almost empty. They were the last large store in residence and with them gone, others are moving out too. The new store has nothing that the old one did not. I just can't understand it.
By the way - I am a regular reader of your blog and I enjoy it immensely. You are appreciated. And blogging is the socially acceptable way of talking to yourself! I blog because I like to have a forum to express myself, regardless of whether anyone is listening. Even after three years, when someone comments I am absolutely gobsmacked, and very flattered.
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