Gardening and strange sights.

Been rather quiet recently. A lot of behind the scenes stuff, mostly just stressing over the pumpkins.

Figured starting seeds should have been easy, heck they practically exploded like weeds in the garden last year as volunteers. But, I wanted specialty varieties, so we’ve been killing all those and trying to start seeds.

Direct sowing seeds didn’t work last year, so we got a window box seed starter kit, threw a bunch in…nothing.

Added some grow lights to make it a more controlled environment and started a second batch…4 sprouts out of 25 seeds.

So, it started the line of suggestions. Scoring the seeds, floating seeds to see if they are viable or not, soaking prior to planting, and the old wet paper towel in a baggie.

That paper towel/baggie combo is MOST effective, I must say. A day later, most the seeds sprouted. transferring them over to the little pots, another 2 days, and they had fully broken through.

Near 100% germination after a couple more days, and so we tranplanted a ton of pumpkins into the garden this week.

However, I’ve had to leave the tending of the little pumpkins in the hands of my boys, as I’m on the road.

Didn’t expect to run into this in the middle of nowhere.

Image source.

Will try to stop and get some more comprehensive pics on the way back through, I was heading the wrong direction with no good place to turn around/stop.

 

Pumpkins!

The only problem?

I planted CORN.

We actually took steps to discourage volunteers last fall, attempting to dispose of the guts rather than throw them in the garden. The idea being I would plant specialty kinds of pumpkins. I have more than 100 seeds across 8 species of pumpkins ready to be planted…in a couple weeks.

On one hand, these are not the pumpkins I was planning to plant. (odds of them being from the few luminas or cinderellas we planted last year are slim) On the other, the whole looking a gift horse in the mouth thing.

Legend.

But I never cared what I had done, I only cared where I was going.

– Ray Harryhausen

RIP

Walpurgis Nacht!

Finally, in an agony of desperation, he cried, “Walpurgis nacht!” and pointed to the carriage for me to get in.

All my English blood rose at this,and standing back I said, “You are afraid, Johann–you are afraid. Go home, I shall return alone, the walk will do me good.” The carriage door was open. I took from the seat my oak walking stick–which I always carry on my holiday excursions–and closed the door, pointing back to Munich, and said, “Go home,Johann–Walpurgis nacht doesn’t concern Englishmen.”

-Excerpt from Dracula’s Guest by Bram Stoker.

Ah, Walpurgisnacht. We’re half way to Halloween, folks. And, if everyone wants to pull out the Christmas in July stuff, so be it. I’m taking Halloween in April!

So, take a moment and enjoy Dracula’s Guest for a little read of Walpurgisnacht, or stop by to see the Barghest in all his glory this evening.

Gradually there came a sort of vague beginning of consciousness, then a sense of weariness that was dreadful. For a time I remembered nothing, but slowly my senses returned. My feet seemed positively racked with pain, yet I could not move them. They seemed to be numbed. There was an icy feeling at the back of my neck and all down my spine, and my ears, like my feet, were dead yet in torment; but there was in my breast a sense of warmth which was by comparison delicious.It was as a nightmare–a physical nightmare, if one may use such an expression; for some heavy weight on my chest made it difficult for me to breathe.

This period of semilethargy seemed to remain a long time, and as it faded away I must have slept or swooned. Then came a sort of loathing, like the first stage of seasickness, and a wild desire to be free of something–I knew not what.A vast stillness enveloped me, as though all the world were asleep or dead–only broken by the low panting as of some animal close to me. I felt a warm rasping at my throat, then came a consciousness of the awful truth which chilled me to the heart and sent the blood surging up through my brain. Some great animal was lying on me and now licking my throat. I feared to stir, for some instinct of prudence bade me lie still; but the brute seemed to realize that there was now some change in me, for it raised its head. Through my eyelashes I saw above me the two great flaming eyes

From 2013 buildup
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Barghest completed!

Challenging weekend, but managed to get the Barghest completed all the same. Check out the completed tutorial as well.

Got to meet several new neighbors while working on the final stages. It’s nice to know the work is being appreciated.

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