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Bigmike911

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About Me

  • Location
    Magnolia, Texas
  • Interests
    Swimming, Reading, traveling
  • Favorite Cruise Line(s)
    Cunard
  • Favorite Cruise Destination Or Port of Call
    Transatlantic

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Cool Cruiser (2/15)

  1. Is that on the Riverwalk? It looks like it might be.
  2. March First. I have received and planted two citrus, an Arctic Frost Satsuma, and a Citron-Buddha's Hand. The Satsuma can take 15 degrees (f) and the Citron is in a light weight pot that can be moved indoors during freezes. The deciduous trees all have buds or leaves including the Pecan's which I will treat today pre-emergent for thrups their buds are fat and will soon be leafing out. I got two Scarlet Hydrangea's for pots by the front door, and will also pot them today. Since I am in my dotage now with a bum knee I am hiring a service to feed the lawn and kill the turf insects. They wanted to come eight times a year, but I got them down to four. We will see how they do this year, and I can make a decision for the long term. I find Spring a very energizing time of the year and I need all the energy, I can get. After a couple days following a cold front, we will be back in the 80's (f) today, with sun and relatively low humidity. So today is a good day to "play" in the yard.
  3. The first signs of Spring are here along with a couple of days of cold nights, but nothing below freezing. Driving through the Woodlands, to the barber last week I noticed there is a definite green haze on the deciduous trees, and my Red Maple is already leafing out. I removed the dead potted citrus and prepared the pots for new plants and trees. I added a Republic of Texas Orange and a Citron "Buddha's hand" to the citrus order for delivery early next month. I am replacing my potted Hydrangea flanking the front door with another cold tolerant pair, this time in a brilliant red. The pots that previously held citrus on the pool deck will receive hot and cold tolerant Encore Azaleas in red, pink, purple and lemon yellow. In a continuation of my Oak tree collection I have a Cork Oak on order. I am going to grow it in a pot for the first year as it is very short and young. I had one when I lived in Southern California and it was a very interesting attractive tree. The underperforming plum trees and an Eastern Redbud have been removed from the rear garden The redbud was lovely in the spring and then after blooming develops seed pods that look like bats. Enough of that. Because of the heat last summer, I moved all of my Japanese Maples that were in the yard to the protection of my fern garden which is heavily shaded. The relocated trees have nice fat leaf buds already, and my green Fig is leafing out as well. Yesterday as my Cat Charlie was sitting on the top of the sofa in my study which backs up to windows, he started making a guttural sound. I got up to look and saw a herd of ten Roe Deer crossing the front lawn. They live in the woods surrounding my house and will eat any thing they can. Last year, one gave birth in the area between my house and a hedge in front of the house. Life in the country. I love it.
  4. If it can't take high heat or freezing cold, it probably won't grow in South East Texas. I am ordering re-blooming Azaleas for the pots. If not fruit, then at least some color. They love the sun in summer and the ones I have in pots now have wintered well. Not a lot will grow in zone 9 so it is quite a hunt. But if they can grow in zone 4 they should be fine for anything winter throws at them.
  5. Well February is nearly here and this January has been a doozy. Two weeks ago we had a Siberian cold front that took overnight lows to 11 degrees (-11.67c) for several nights among the lowest on record. I lost all of my citrus trees. The last week 7.25 inches of rain over three days. There is still a pond of rainwater in the back garden. Warm and sunny on Sunday and I began the task of taking out the trees. I grew them in large pots on my pool deck, and was able to remove all eight of them. All but one came out with some dirt left in the pots. In one old tree, probably in the pot ten years or more, had the roots completely filling the pot and it came out with no dirt left. I have two Arctic Frost Satsuma Mandarins on order for March delivery. They will go down to 10 degrees and with some wrapping should survive. My days as a citrus planter are pretty much over, between the freeze of Feb 2021 and this year, the desire to replant is nearly gone. The Satsuma's are the last call. The weather forecast for the next two weeks more like normal 70 high and 40 low. Once we get to mid Feb, we should be home free and I can begin to work on the yard again. It looks like it's been a tough winter all over the Northern Hemisphere.
  6. Queen Mary 2 has begun her 2024 World Cruise. Outbound she is traveling around the Cape of Good Hope and then to the east. On her return she is scheduled to travel through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean and then back to Southampton. At present there is a very hot war going on at the Strait of Hormuz at the Southern entrance to the Red Sea. I cannot imagine that Cunard would risk the Vessel, Crew and Passengers to bombardment just to maintain their scheduled route. That being the case, and unless something radical happens, the conflict will likely not be resolved by the time for QM2's return. What might Cunard do? Go back the way she came around the Cape of Good Hope, which would likely add days to the voyage. And that might cause a ripple effect on future voyages in 2024, or cancel some of the stops in South East Asia to be able to return to Southampton on schedule? Any thoughts?
  7. Heated bird bath, You are a generous host. Well done.
  8. I hope the weather improves for you, all. We have been having back to back storms a couple of days apart, they then head northeast over the Eastern Seaboard, across the pond to you. We have one more to go of this series, tomorrow, Monday 8th Jan, and I hope they use all their energy on this side of the Atlantic. Good Luck.
  9. Merry Christmas to All, and may good health return to those feeling poorly. It's cold (50 f) in southeast Texas, but dry and sunny today. The feast preparations are underway. Have a wonderful day, everyone.
  10. And the actually sell them too. I ordered a set of 12 and should have then tomorrow. I doubt they will be as elegant as your hand sewn ones, but likely better than my gift wrapping so far this year. I still have four gifts to wrap, so I am counting on them working
  11. Yes, it's cream of Chestnut Soup again this year. Along with Prime Rib with au jus, individual Yorkshire puddings, asparagus with Hollandaise, Waldorf Salad and Pecan Pie. The only change is instead of twice baked potatoes. Which have disappeared from the markets, I and doing English style roasted potatoes. With plenty of Vueve Clicquot to wash it down. I like the idea of reusable gift bags, I will have to see if I can find some fancy ones. I have zero sewing skills. A loose button requires a trip to the tailor. Maybe Amazon?
  12. Well, it's the week before Christmas. All of the decoration is done, but there are still gifts to be wrapped. Years ago when I was still at university. I got a Winter Break job at a local department store wrapping packages. I got quite good at it too. However sixty years later my skill or my dexterity seem to have failed me, so now just basic wrapping and tagging. No fancy ribbons or bows. It will all be done by tomorrow as my cleaning crew comes Wednesday and the dining table, my wrapping station, needs to be cleared for them. My offspring declared that Amazon Gift Cards would be welcomed, and they come pre-wrapped and Amazon delivered. There are some good things about the modern age we live in.
  13. There are reasons, I live in S.E. Texas and ice is one of them. Every three or four winters we might get snow, but never that kind of Ice. In the fifties when my dad was chasing oil and gas in Alberta and Montana, I got all the snow, Ice and cold this fifth generation Texan could stand. Here is to warmer times.
  14. The dishwasher tales continue. The repairman arrived promptly on Thursday, Actually a bit to prompt at 7:45 am. The diagnosis. The unit can be repaired for US$500, but the recommendation is to replace it. It is ten years old and the 'effective life' is seven years. So following the idiom that doing the same thing over and expecting a different result, I ordered a new one. The white one which matches with the cabinetry, is no longer manufactured so I am going stainless steel. It is the path of least resistance. They have a built in version, but I would have to find a cabinet maker to create panels for it. I have stainless ovens, built in microwave and cook top, so it won't be a big deal. The new one is due to be installed on Tuesday. Christmas decorating has begun, a series of tasks that will take us til Sunday. Happy Weekend All.
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