Articles written by Mary Honrud
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Maintenance
We're far enough into the gardening season that only maintenance is needed. Most of that maintenance is boring: mowing, weeding, and watering. The rain helps a lot, but then it is followed by too...
Getting things done!
It’s been a busy and productive week for me. The master procrastinator is maybe turning over a new leaf? Probably not. The main thing I’m proud of having accomplished is getting (almost) all the houseplants moved outside for the summer. A few...
Shocking - or not
I've been struggling with the electric fence not working. We've had both solar units out that are supposed to send the sun's power into the vibes that deter the deer, but neither one has delivered...
For the Birds
There are enough goldfinches and other birds in the yard that refilling the feeders is now a daily chore. Refilling birdbaths will soon be added to the list. So far I've only put water in one of...
Green, Green Grass (Of Home)
The lovely rains have really set off lots of new growth. The lawn has had its first mowing and needs another. The wheat is coming up nicely, even though we’re not quite finished with seeding as I write this. It should all be in the ground by the...
Life Giving Rain
We’ve finally had a wonderful transfusion of rain to bring life back to our parched land. It’s wonderful to see the prairies and pastures turning green again. I was so tired of the many depressing shades of brown/tan/burnt umber the landscape...
Another Gardening Session
I’m starting yet another season of gardening. It must be the 47th? Because it’s stayed nice, I’ve finally tilled the garden space. It worked up very nicely. After my few hours running the garden tractor, I spent several more hours laying out th...
Spring At Last
I don’t want to jinx it, so keep this on the down-low, but I think maybe spring is really here this time. We’ve had several decent days in a row. And I’m happy it’s warmer temps and some nice rain showers, but the best thing is not much...
Same Old /Same Old
We still haven't had any decent "get outside and do some yard work" weather. We are, however, still having a surfeit (excessive amount) of wind, and I, for one, am about sick of it. I'm sure I'm not t...
Kvetching, Part II
I feel justified in kvetching about the weather again since we’ve been hit with even more snow. It is supposed to be spring, with the grass greening up, not buried in cold white yuck. The wind was unrelenting until Saturday morning, which is also f...
Kvetching – Again
Since I'm using the word "kvetch" for my continuing bellyaching about the wind, I decided I should have more information about it. Kvetch in Yiddish means "to press" or "to squeeze" (which is what I...
Slow-Moving
It's really nice to have the warm sunshine and summery-looking clouds, but someone could sure shut off the fan! We're tired of constant howling winds. One calm day per week isn't enough to suit me. We...
It's Not Really Spring Yet
It seemed so glorious outside last Wednesday that I temporarily lost my mind and forgot it was still March in Montana. After doing some spring cleaning inside in the morning, I spent a couple hours...
I Think It Might Finally Be Spring
Spring. It's come on suddenly: the snow is melting away. Our creeks have been running enough to have filled our bird sanctuary/reservoir. A friend said their dam filled up. We'll see how long those...
Not Spring Yet
I'm not feeling very turtle-ish yet. Let me explain: years ago Dennis and I caught a comedy routine that contained the line "Hope springs in turtles." We still occasionally use that line. I had to go...
Welcome March?
March has arrived, coming in like a lion. We're therefore hoping spring will really be here at the end of the month. All the continued strong winds combined with fresh snow, as well as freezing sleet...
Vine Starting
We had a nice trip to watch one of our grandsons play 10U AA hockey just outside Chicago over the President's Day weekend. (His team competes at the single A level, but got bumped up.) Now that I'm ca...
Green Spaces
I must need a vacation from writing. I keep putting off getting this column done each week lately and so I miss the actual deadline. Luckily, the editor/manager at the Courier has been putting up with my tardiness. I am taking next week off. If...
Seed ordering & cooking
I’ve been busy getting our paperwork ready for the accountants. It’s tax season, my least favorite. This is a yearly task that I dread, and so I procrastinate. However, I think it’s a necessary evil in order to have public services that...
Watering Plants, and Cooking
Today is houseplant watering day, so technically I could say I’m tending my “green spaces in rural places” as a former editor termed what has become “my” column. It isn’t really gardening in the traditional sense, but it keeps my hand...
Sprouts, chowder, & cookies
This week I’m fully back into cooking our meals at home again. There’s a LOT of dining out when we’re on vacation. I’m also once again doing the Whole Life Challenge, so I’m using recipes that work for my chosen nutritional level, which...
Home Again
We arrived back into Montana from sunny, warm Florida Thursday night, and we were back at home by Friday evening. It just kept getting cooler (I don't dare say colder after you all endured the...
From Trees to Fruits & Veggies
This week I had planned to write about mangrove trees. We'd been to see the manatees, those huge seal-like mammals that were supposedly mistaken for mermaids by sailors who'd obviously been out to...
Nuts, Berries, or Drupes?
First off, I feel I owe all of you another apology. Maybe a double one. We are on vacation in warm, sunny Florida, and so are (aren’t?) missing out on all that delicious below zero temps you’ve been enjoying. So that’s one (that we’re warmer...
Still Cookin'
We've had some frosty days, some very windy days, some snowy days, and some that combined all of those. The frosty days are my favorites, so pretty, they make everything sparkle. The trees look as...
