Random Wednesday

1.  Mr. Jefferies has coccidiosis, or at least an evaluation of his stool sample (yes, we had the poop!) revealed coccidia.  However, even before the sample was brought in to the vet, he seemed mostly back to his normal self in all respects.  He has his energy back, he is eating and drinking and peeing and pooping (and whining and teasing me for treats and to play with him endlessly).  Yay for normal bodily functions and behaviors.  He has medication (Albon) to take, and he will remain on the bland diet for the rest of the week, at least.  I think he had a very mild case of it, or more to the point, I think he has a strong immune system that recovered from it pretty quickly. Fricking people who don't pick up their dogs' poop.  And fricking him for eating it at every chance he can get (he's fast).  I'm quite sure that's where he got it.  I know he could get it from the ground even if people DID pick up their dogs' and cats' poop, because coccidia is microscopic. But having the poop right there for him to dine on like it's the greatest delicacy in the world increases the chances, I'm sure, a hundredfold.  

2.  The Paul Roberts talk on The End of Food was enjoyable and very illuminating.  I find him to be almost a clone of Michael Pollan -- or vice versa; I'm not sure who came first -- or maybe they were twins separated at birth -- but I saw Michael Pollan first, so to me HE was first -- and Roberts wore a suit, whereas Pollan wore a t-shirt that said, "Vote with your fork," (heh-heh) but the message is pretty much the same.  Roberts had some other important economic angles from which he addresses the subject, though. I commend you to go to his talk if he comes to your area -- or I should say I commend you to buy his book, I suppose.  

2 a) He did say a few times that, being in Burlington, Vermont, he knew he was preaching to the choir, and in my individual case, of course, that is true.  He reiterated the general message that Pollan delivered here last year:  The rest of the country is watching you, Vermont, when it comes to food production.  

2 b).  He said that "overnourished" is the new politically correct word for "obese."  Let's hear it for political correctness.  

2 c).  His talk did make me rue the quarts of berries and pounds of beans, et al., that I did not get put away for this year -- the ones I mentioned in my post last week or so.  And it made me eager to redouble my efforts to grow my own as much as possible and keep it local and small-scale as much as possible.  But, you know, that's nothing new.  I must buy some beets, if I can find some available at a local farmstand, and pickle them.  The beet harvest I gathered the other day from my own garden was too small to bother pickling any -- we'll eat them fresh.  We've already eaten about a third of them.  Yummilicious.

3.  To the growing-my-own end, yesterday I went to Gardener's Supply to get some Milky Spore to try to cut down the population of Japanese Beetles in my garden. They have risen to astronomical levels this summer, after having been kept at bay for quite a few years after my last application of the stuff.  They really did a number on the plum trees, the roses, the strawberry plants, the asparagus, and the green beans this year.  Hopefully next year they will be less in number.

4.  While at Gardener's Supply, I picked up packets of sprouting seeds for the winter, and microgreen seeds to give one last shot at growing something in my garden soil before winter sets in.  

I had a long chat with the owner? manager? (not sure which) at the shop yesterday, who indicated to me that the growing zones have all been moved up a half a zone as a result of global warming.  We talked about our mixed feelings about that.  As northern gardeners, we do appreciate the longer growing season and the greater range of things we can successfully grow, but it also seems to have an ominous feel to it.  Other parts of my state (sorry, Gayle) have already had at least two killing frosts, but we haven't been hit yet.  Knock on wood.

5.  I've had a number of more questions about the raised beds in my garden.  They are made of black plastic, they are very lightweight, super-easy to assemble, and inexpensive.  They also come from Gardener's Supply.  I can't recommend them highly enough.  They have changed my whole gardening life.  You could make your own raised beds by nailing boards together, but for my money these are so much easier (they literally take 3 seconds per corner to assemble, with no tools required), and they keep in the warmth and moisture a bit better, without the risk of getting slivers, cutting, measuring, or hammering my finger into oblivion.  Then again, if you've got some two-by-sixes or two-by-eights hanging around your house (not pressure-treated) and if lack of $39 for a Grow Bed is keeping you from growing some of your own food, then by all means, slap some of those puppies together and throw some soil in, some seeds in, water it, and grow something!  

6.  I'm still not sure what I'm going to do about Red Scarf Fund fundraising this year.  I have been offered a few prizes (I have some gorgeous red Signature Needle Arts needles sitting here beside me, for example, and some generous gift certificates from Anne Hanson, along with some hand-dyed yarns offered), but response and reaction to my mention of it was tepid at best. Not sure if it's worth the work and headaches.  I suppose anything is better than nothing, though.  

Comments

[Kristen]

Yerk! My friend's dogs got the C from the same, uh, problem with enjoying delicacies. Here's hoping Mr. J gets better as quickly as they did.

Regarding the gardening zones, I was startled to see the maps earlier this year. I saw the shift right away. Thank you for pointing it out to others.

[Sarah]

I'm glad the little guy is on the mend.

I had not seen about the zone shift, but it makes sense.

[AnnaMarie]

The zone shift makes sense but I also think the seasons seem to have moved a bit. We didn't even start getting summer until July and today it's 70 degrees at 6am. Wierd....

Glad to hear the little guy has good meds.

[cindycindy]

I hadn't heard about the zone shift. That is very disturbing. Of course, if I thought about it, it makes perfect sense. And, the Red Scarf? Why don't you do what you can and not worry about it? I'm sending mine in next week. Those who are going to do it will do it, prizes or not. And, I'm so glad Mr. J is feeling better.

[Cynthia]

We have had dogs with Coccidiosis and it does suck. The talk sounds interesting and isn't there something we can always do - we have been sprouting (went to a class last summer to learn how to grow wheatgrass, sunflower as earth sprouts and then there are all the water sprouts) and it is a good thing. Your constant conscientiousness is admirable; it is hard to maintain it 24/7 although I suppose any effort is better than none at all.

As for their term 'overnourished,' I think it is really incorrect. Most overweight people usually have many vitamin/mineral deficiencies either because there is something wrong with the way their bodies metabolize food or they are not eating the right stuff (the easy availability of junky, overprocessed foods which is much more popular than the 'slow food' movement), ergo they eat more to feel satisfied or their bodies just aren't working it right...and I know there are just those who eat more than they need. Personally, I think the judgement needs to stop, and some support/intervention needs to start. I don't care if you are 10 or a 100pds overweight; if you are healthy and functioning then good for you. (Sorry to get on my soapbox there for a second, I just have a hard time with 'politically correctness' which is often a bullshit term that doesn't change people's underlying biases, just makes it sound more palatable).

[gayle]

We're all about the grow-our-own up here. Gardening in Vt was a big learning curve for me - I grew up in Kansas, where we planted peas and potatoes on St Patrick's Day, and hard frost wasn't until November. Having only 90 days to work with is completely different.
I've heard about the zone shift, but I haven't seen much change in our area over the last 10 years. I'll have to go check and see if we're still considered a zone 3 or not.
Glad Mr J is on the mend!

[Kym]

I love, Love, LOVE Gardener's Supply! It must be fun to just "go there" instead of browsing a catalog! (That would be dangerous for me. . .I'm sure I would buy MORE if I could see it and touch it!) I acknowledged the zone shift this year by planting a weeping cedar. I will winter-protect the heck out of it, though. Because I never trust the winter weather here in Michigan.

[Becky]

I can testify that the grow beds from Gardener's Supply are the cat's pj's. They are super easy to put together. My garden was a real challenge this year. I had aphids out the wazoo, tomato hornworms, tomato fruit worms, squash bugs, etc. I was determined not to use pesticides, but I fought the fauna, and the fauna won. (Yes, I know bugs aren't actually fauna, but I couldn't resist.) That said, it was a pretty satisfying experience for a masochist. I need to read up on how to control these pests. They ate all of what I was going to can. We got fresh, but I was hoping to have some to "put up" as we say here in the South. Vote with your fork, indeed!

[Joansie]

So glad that Mr. Jeffries is back to normal.

We are so fortunate to have Gardner's Supply in "our backyard". The customer support is fantastic!

[Sandra]

Happy that Mr. J is on the mend. If I could easily and safely ship glass jars over the border, I'd gladly send you a litre of garlic dill pickles. But experience is not on my side. Our garden isn't really big enough to plant crops enough for pickling - it barely meets our needs for beans and carrots for fresh eating, but we're close enough to the Holland Marsh area of Ontario to buy bushels of produce for pickling. I should can tomatoes this year, but I'm running out of time, but I see what happens this weekend

[Joannah]

Glad Mr. J is feeling better. I'm so jealous of all of you who have enough spaced that your gardening zone matters!

[Mel]

USDA puts us in Zone 5, but based on winter lows over the past few years, we're solidly 6a. Being 1100 feet off the ocean and having a largely unshaded southern exposure make a huge difference for us, though, because friends a few miles inland get frost a good bit sooner than we do.

Coccidiosis generally clears more quickly in older pups and adult dogs, but it can be deadly in the very young. Mr. J's size doesn't help, though. Diagnosed it last week in a kitten I rescued last month and adopted out to friends.

[margene]

People should be grown up and knit red scarves without the need for prizes. It's good to hear Mr. J. is on the mend. xox

[Renee]

We have raised beds also wood...your plastic ones look really nice. I just taught myself to knit with a little help from you-tube. No one around me knew how so....I taught myself:)

Renee

[Carol]

Know that I'm working on my scarf even if I didn't comment. Only a foot left to go. I'm not bothered about prizes; I'm just doing it to help out. Well, maybe prizes are nice. Good news about Mr. J!

[Andrea]

I want to have a big garden next year, but I don't even know where to start. I have no idea when to plant what, how to keep the pests and damaging bugs out, or where to go to find out. Can you recommend something? Or give me a couple start up tips? I will put my husband to work on raised beds, because he likes to build things. But seriously, I would love to grow my own squash, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, and all kinds of things, but have no idea how to get started or maintain. I live in the Midwest, so have a good long growing season.

Also, I'm a fairly new knitter and have heard of the Red Scarf fundraiser, but also don't know how to get involved. Can you pass on some information there too? I think I'd be interested if I knew more. Especially for a chance to get some Signature needles. I love those babies.

[Jena (the yarn harpy)]

Ah, Maia came to us with coccidiosis, poor pup. We found out a couple days after getting her after the first vet visit. Albon did the trick, though. We have her on Interceptor now for her monthly heartworm+ prevention and it's the most comprehensive in terms of blocking other stuff, which we only learned after getting a bout of whipworm from all the irresponsible dog owners in our apartment complex leaving their dogs' poop behind. The soil here is completely contaminated, so we had to put her on a wide-spectrum preventative. :(
I hope Mr. J has a quick recovery!

As for the growing, it is in the top five reasons why I want to move to a house instead of the apartment... I am so limited in what I can grow and then all our tomatoes came in at once so many went to waste because we just couldn't eat or use them all and for some reason, they turned bad in just a couple days on the counter. Thank God for our CSA share!

[Renee]

Aw, poor Mr Jeffries. Good to hear he's getting better.

You make me want to throw together lot and lots of raised beds. I'll have to see if maybe I can put more in next year at my parents and share the produce, we're maxed out for space here at home.

[Gerri]

Once again, I think political correctness is being used to confuse the truth and spare us, individually and collectively, of our need to face and release our judgments. "Overnourished" is probably the exact opposite of what has happen for many obese people. Unless, of course, one is speaking strictly of caloric overnourishment. In the end, it matters less what is true for one group and more that we hold ourselves and our government to better standards in production.

As for Scarf prizes-well, I'd love a chance to try those Signatures. I also get it that the hassles of awarding prizing would be huge. (I hate to have to package up and mail anything.) Let it go if you need to or stop with whatever you have and just do those. I'll still knit on.

[Mary Fran]

I have a question - oh, oh, pick me? If I'm going to start small and do one raised bed next year, is there any value to setting it up in the fall? Does the soil, etc, need to be primed/fermented/aged? Or can I just procrastinate until spring?

[Sandy]

Glad to hear Mr. Jefferies is on the mend! Quick question, how do you manage to keep the deer, rabbits, etc. from devouring your garden?

[kmkat]

1. Poor Mr. Jeffries! What is so darned yummy about poop, for heaven's sake? Our senior dog thinks she has died and gone to heaven when she can get at the cat's litter box.
B. I hadn't thought about the zone shift thing, but duh! of course! So that's why I see zone 4 plants thriving in gardens here even though the maps put us in zone 3.
iii. My red scarf is only 7" long at this point, but with proper nutrition it will grow to its full 60" length. No prizes necessary, but still. Prizes are nice.
IV. Leaning over is hard for me. I may need to built a bed that is raised about 3 feet...

[Stacey]

I have the time this year to make a scarf or two for the Red Scarf Fund, this will be my first time for this group! Don't give up, people are listening!

[Beebs]

My 2 Silk Garden striped scarves went out last week; and a nice Thank You card was in my mailbox today! No prizes necessary. Satisfaction is its own reward. However, if you do decide to run a little contest, I have a skein of STR if you'd like it for a prize.

[knitnana]

I'm so glad puppy is better. Hm. Contest? I missed that post, I'm sure...would be interested - I'm past the 1/2 way point on my scarf.

Sprouts. Must check into the ones a Lupie is ALLOWED to eat.
:)

[Jean E.]

Glad you figured out what was ailing Mr. J. My dog finds some nastiness to eat or roll in almost every time I take him for his walk. Ick. My red scarf is growing nicely. I am currently working on size 8 signature needles using Savoy yarn and the Yarn Harlot's one row scarf pattern; very soft, lovely red color.

[Rockzann]

Hooray for Mr Jefferies being on the mend. I know you probably have a fantastic vet but many of them don't mention that the dogs eat poop as a means of trying to get more nutrition. Something in Mr Jefferies diet is missing. You can get doggy vitamins to compensate. Really, it's not a gross habit or a dog parenting defect. My horses do it too. It's really disgusting.

[cari]

Is that half-a-zone shift nationwide? If so, it explains why I managed to grow okra and Black Beauty eggplant this year, which we're not supposed to be able to do here. I love okra, but not enough to welcome global warming. Scary.

[Geri]

Poor Mr. Jefferies;glad he's on the mend. Half-a-zone shift! Pretty scary when you think about it.
I was so bummed today to find out the local farmer's market here in Maine is back to once a week on Saturdays. All summer it's been both Wed. and Sat. so I've been able to get fresh, local produce. We leave for Ct. on Sat. so I'm getting by on what I can get at the store.Ugh! I've worked hard to get local produce this summer by going to farmer's markets in my home town in Ct. and here in Maine. It's worked out great. Would love to have a garden,but our time is so split between the two places that it would be very neglected.
Next year, I hope to do better by actually freezing some veggies for the winter. I use to do that when we had a garden. My kids even had fresh veggie baby food; no jars for my girls!
On the Red scarf front one done and ready to mail upon my return to Ct. I'll then start a new one.

[Seanna Lea]

Poor Mr. Jeffries! Get better soon and no more poo poo platter for you!

[Carrie K]

I hope Mr Jeffries is on his way to a full recovery! And I don't think he's eating what Michael Pollan would recommend.

Speaking of, don't be silly, they're not watching Vermont, they watch CA. Aren't we the center of the universe? lol

If you have any extra garden bounty, the food pantrys (pantries?) out here accept them.

[elizabeth a airhart]

all will be well with the red scarf project
prizes or not

woof mr jeffries

[Bullwinkle]

Have I mentioned that, you're my evil twin, of sorts? I'm UVM grad (I've threatened to move back so we can seceed from the union), with dog, in a place far too warm (and, now, apparently even warmer.) (But I still have sun-warm tomatoes.) Gardener's Supply is one of my favorite companies (employee owned, iirc. So they are all "owners".) And we read the same books ;)

Hope Mr Jeffries feels better - he's too small to get sick!

[Beth]

I believe the medical term for poop eating is "dumpus consumptus." ; )

[Cookie]

Thank goodness Mr. J is young, mostly healthy and strong.

Did not know about the zone shift. I guess you'll hate me more now, right? ;^)

[Judy]

Poor Mr J. Bo has a torn ACL (they call it something else in doggie language) and needs a surgery that costs $2000. Yikes. Then he has to be calm and quiet for 12 weeks. Impossible!!!

[Birdsong]

I am glad to hear that Mr. Jeffries is going to be ok... and thanks for the great post about local food. You re-inspired me enough to try to plow through some of the pears out there, set aside time in October for some of the apples, etc. I have already been inundated a few times this summer, and want to investigate cooperative canning... maybe I need to get a grant to get one built near here! It's gotta be easier than single-handedly tackling 50 pounds of peaches from one tree, like I did earlier this summer. I will love them later, though.

[Elizabeth]

I've had frost too, two nights in a row. Took me be surprise. Just the low lying areas were hit; the herb bed on the other side of the house is fine (so far) I remember last year running out after a frost and yanking all my herbs to dry and freeze. It was quite comical (in hindsight only)
Sprouting seeds...mmm

[evalyn]

To Mary Fran: whether you procrastinate or not, buy the raised bed when they are on sale. That should be happening soon.

To Norma: Too small to pickle? Never! Those little bite sized beets are soooo yummy when pickled. Blame it on my depression-era mother, but there is no berry, beet or bean to small to put away for winter, whether canned, frozen or dehydrated.

Glad to hear Mr. Jeffires is on the mend. I hate that they love to eat poop. I guess it's a people thing.

[BunnyQueen]

Perhaps Mr. Jeffries has been hanging out with the cottontails. Almost every feral rabbit our organization has ever taken in has had Coccidia, so lets blame it on perhaps eating bunny poop, which at least sounds less nasty (to me, anyway) than dog poop. :)

[bibliotecaria]

http://www.gardeners.com/Cold-Frame-with-Greenhouse-cover/VegetableGardening_SeasonExtending,37-443RS,default,cp.html
Have you considered the use of the cold frame?