Friday I had to go out and get cat food for the wildlings and I went to the feed store to see what plants they had in and bought five tomato plants, two bell peppers, a basil, and some yellow and white seed potatoes. It’s baby chick season too but I didn’t buy any of those.
About two years ago, maybe even a little longer, the feed store bought a big building much nearer me that used to be a western wear shop that closed and moved to Bay City because, like every small business in this town, they didn’t get enough business to stay open (and no I didn’t shop there either because I’m not into ‘western’ wear). The feed store announced they would be moving and expanding which included partnering with Ace Hardware. This announcement generated some excitement because one thing this town does not have is a good all round hardware store. The previous lumber yard had a hardware, paint, and plumbing section with limited selection but the guy retired after Harvey and closed up shop leaving us with Walmart or a place called Star Parts which has a very limited supply of hardware and plumbing stuff. Then Alamo Lumber (a local chain) announced they were going to move on the same spot as the previous lumber yard which structure they tore down and rebuilt and they’ve been open for about a year and they do have a large and well stocked hardware, plumbing, gardening, electrical, etc supply side. The early excitement died down as they turned out to be the most expensive place in town. So now, finally after delay after delay and permits and flood remediation and all the other hoops they had to jump through to get those permits they finally started adding on and remodeling the building and glory be, they are moving to their new location this weekend.
When I was in there Friday one of the women behind the counter said to me after I mentioned that the new location would be much closer to where I live, I think you live down the street from me. I live on XXXX, I said. I live on YYYY (which is the next street over), she said. I walk Minnie down her street as well as mine. She didn’t recognize me so much as she recognized Minnie. You live on the north side or the south side of the street I asked. She lives next door to the house that’s for sale. Oh, the house with the christmas wreath still hanging in the tree. She laughed, well I got all the other decorations put away last weekend. True. She didn’t put her Christmas decorations away til Halloween last year.
Saturday I was out pulling up the mustard greens which had bolted and pulled the last cabbage and was turning and weeding the last section of the garden to get it ready to plant when Melissa, Rocky’s wife, called. Rocky has been busy the last two plus months tearing out and completely redoing the inside of a house so I haven’t seen much of him lately and I had told Melissa that I need the water pipe over at the shop fixed when he gets a spare day. So apparently the spare day was that day, now or who knows when is how she put it. So Rocky showed up and completely replaced the water pipe into the shop, the one I had wrapped with insulating foam and duct tape and which still cracked. You might remember I wrote about finding water gushing out of it in 40˚ weather right before dusk. Anyway, once we got all the insulation off, we found that not only had it cracked below the turn off valve but also the outside casing of the turnoff valve had not just cracked but split apart. Fortunately it was still functioning. That bulge midway is a new shut off valve but the handle is on the other side and at the bottom is the casing, 8" deep, that contains the main shut off valve, the one I couldn't get to turn. It's still off so we haven't checked the new pipe yet.
I should finish up my garden today but first I have another task I need to address over at Pam’s house. More about that later.
I feel like you would be a good chicken mama, but maybe you don't need all those eggs. Also, cat might not be amused.
ReplyDeleteTook me a while to actually see the chickens. How good that you got that pipe fixed, at least so that there's no more damage for the time being.
ReplyDeleteI know you have a Texas summer waiting around the bend, but it's still wonderful to think of your already turning soil in your garden.
ReplyDeleteA friend over Beaumont way got his potatoes planted last week. He said the earth was just right, for the first time in a couple of years. He got out the tiller, then put out his back hand-planting, but he's happy as can be. It never occurred to me that people would buy baby chicks, but -- of course. How else are they going to get them? There is another way, of course, but I suspect getting them from a hatchery is far less labor intensive.
ReplyDeleteLooks like we have another great week coming up. There's some fog developing now, and it probably will be an issue for a few days, as the warm daytime temperatures move over the bay. As some wag said, "When the sea fogs, we see fog."
I really want some hens for the eggs. I would not be able to butcher and eat an animal I raised, but eggs would be great. The one thing stopping me is needing to be there to feed them daily. We like to be able to travel and the other pets go with us. Hard enough to leave my gardens for a week.
ReplyDeleteNotice how the job got done when the wife entered the equation? Hot here in North Texas already. Upper 80's and low 90's. In February. BUT. 😂 We can take heart. A friend of mine here said her weatherman said we won't necessarily have an unusually hot summer. I hope you get some payback for your gardening efforts. I enjoy following along in your world. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteGood the pipe is replaced and due for testing. You will have tomatoes soon, it seems.
ReplyDeleteWell, it's good to get that pipe fixed (hopefully!). I wish we could keep chickens. I'm sure it's not permitted where we live and it would be hell with all the foxes, but those chicks are so cute.
ReplyDeleteHow great it will be to have a hardware store closer to you! All the places around here are at the far distances from our house. They did put a Tractor Supply just one exit down the interstate but they don't really have a lot of what I need.
ReplyDeleteHurray for Rocky! Nice that you got that project knocked off your list.
Well, my daffodils were buried in snow on Friday but today we will reach 65°. The weather has been nutty.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in Houston a week ago, we went to Galveston to see the beach and the Naval Museum (which was terrific!). It was very cold and windy, tho.
Hope your pipe is fixed for good!
You are a month ahead of us! Tomatoes and chicks???
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