New "Content!" Ceramic Stuff and Master Gardeners Mayhem!

Minimal Ramblings and Mostly Content - Hey!!!

So last weekend, P and I went to a "Build A Birdhouse" Workshop at another local studio. I figured I could post pictures of what I made - just for sh*ts and grins:

Birdhouse #1: Tiki-Shack

(No surprise there!)

Birdhouse #2: Normal Birdhouse

(Yawwwwwnnnn!)

Birdhouse #3: Outhouse

Complete with toilet!

(Yes, the other students thought I was nuts - but yes, they laughed!)

Templates for birdhouses - cut out of roofing tarpaper

(P snagged copies of them - Yay!)

(And yes. I will be making more birdhouses)

So - that was LAST weekend. Pieces aren't done yet - we'll stop by the studio, next week, to glaze the pieces for final firing...

* * * * *

THIS weekend, we attended the annual Santa Clara Master Gardeners Spring Sale. We kept an eye on the weather (rains predicted) and hoped that the turn-out, this year, would be fairly light...

As we were driving to the sale, the skies began to darken, but the streets remained dry. However, as we got closer, it began to sprinkle...

When we first arrived (about 20 minutes before opening-time), the line stretched "only partway" around the block. This was certainly an improvement over years' past - but we still had plenty of "Hardcore" Gardeners to contend with!!!

And - just FYI - the way to tell the "Amateurs" from the "Hard-Core Crowd" is that the "Seasoned Professionals" know to bring some kind of cart for toting their purchases (and the Amateurs have that whole "Deer in the headlights" look!). To be fair, the Master Gardeners *do* provide boxes near the entrance, but the boxes are ENTIRELY insufficient for transporting acquisitions (which must be attained through elbowing/eye-gouging or ANY MEANS NECESSARY) from the tables to the check-out line!

Protective Gear is advisable!

Anyhooooo.... We parked, and waited at the truck 'til the line dispersed. Then we joined the Mad Horde:

Line, waiting for the last gate to open

The gate opened (to a loud cheer and applause) and quickly moved into the main sales area... This is the point where it's advisable to "Divide and Conquer!" (As in: "Okay, you go to the Peppers: I want an Ancho Poblano, Anaheim, Jalapeño and Red Beauty. I'll hit the Beefsteak tomatoes first, then the Pastes, what do you want?" "I'll meet you at Cherry Tomatoes!") We didn't employ these More Advanced tactics (Others did! I swear!) - but we did split-up, briefly!

And THEN the skies opened-up. Good GAWD did they open! You know how I'd been p*ssing and moaning about the paltry-pathetic-pissy rainstorms we've had, so far, this year? Well, this was a bona-fide deluge - dammit!

Tomato Alley - at the beginning of the rainstorm

Well, we were there and - by Gawd - we were GONNA get our veggies - dammit!

Of course, BEFORE the sale, P had proudly announced that she was gonna buy "Only Six Plants." I referenced last years' Garden Sale "Plans vs Actuals" on Facebook (where she had announced that she was only gonna buy FOUR plants) (and ended up with 18!).

This looks like more than six plants!

I had predicted "13" - but she ended up with 14

(+ 3 more purchased at the outside vendor booths)

I, of course, know better than to predict that I will show any semblance of "restraint!"

My Final Haul!

Twenty-six plants

(mostly tomatoes, but plenty of beans, peppers, eggplants and herbs, as well)

(and I did pick-up a couple of add'l plants "on the outside!")

When it was all said-and-done, I looked (and felt!) like a Drowned Rat!!! I pulled the truck into the driveway so I could unload the cart from the back-seat and drag it into the backyard.

I did wait for the rains to subside before I moved "the Babies" into their Temporary Home...

Thankfully, there was a break in the rain this afternoon, and I did manage to re-jigger the greenhouse so I could move them in...

Top Row of Babies - in the greenhouse...

Second row of babies...

And I've pulled-out my Hydro-Farm Mega-Garden

and Adjustable Light Fixture.

Need to clean it out, then rig-it-up for lettuces and culinary (NOT medicinal!) herbs...

(Next Project!!!)

Annnnd... My Bathroom Seedlings continue to grow!

In the next week, I hope to Test and Amend my raised beds (per the links in my last post). Maybe get some sh*t moved-along in my studio (lots of "Works In Process"). Contemplate the idea of building, maybe, a third raised bed (over where the Straw-Bale bed is, now). And clean-up/set-up my hydroponic garden!

Yeah - Ambitious, I know! (and - honestly - I doubt I'll get to most of 'em anytime soon, but it's good to set goals, right?!! Or "Be delusional" - take your pick!!!)