Fireflies zooming across the deck and porch
There are many fireflies as we come to the end of May. They are flying lower than usual which makes it easier to catch a few. At about 8:30 p.m., more of them seem to show up which is twilight time when you can actually see their flickering lights. Several times during a late May evening, we perform a two-minute firefly event to determine the number of fireflies we can observe during each hour of the evening. On a day there is a thunder shower, there seems to be more fireflies that evening. By observing the fireflies each evening, we can get the inventory whether this is an abundant firefly season.
Was it a fire in the farmers barn?
We remember this story as a third grade reader when we were in elementary school about fireflies. The story, (strictly fiction or fairy tale) was about the insects who are planning a spring party in the farmers barn on a warm spring Saturday night. As they planned the event, the crickets were going to provide the music. The chickens were furnishing the egg salad. The birds were using their wings to cool the barn. The mocking birds were performing the singing and the fireflies were providing the light. The bees were furnishing the honey. At midnight, the party was still going on. The farmer looked out his window and thought the barn was on fire. The fire alarm sounded, and the firemen came and sprayed the barn. The firemen were puzzled because after it was all over, they found no evidence of a fire. Like Elvis, the event was over and the insects left the building.
Keep visiting the strawberry fields
There is still plenty of time to visit the strawberry field near you and harvest. Strawberry for shortcake pies, cobblers, jams, jellies, and to eat in a bowl with fresh whipping cream on them and to stock your freezer. The harvest should last two more weeks.
Keep soil hilled up around pepper plants
As the warm May nights continue into June, the pepper plants will thrive in these temperatures. Apply an application of Plant-Tone organic vegetable food on each side of the pepper rows to feed peppers and hill up soil to cover up the Plant-Tone. Stake and cage peppers for support and protect them from winds and thunderstorms.
Enjoying a fresh strawberry yum yum
For this recipe, you will need one cup of Graham cracker crumbs, one stick light margarine, one cup sugar, two cups fresh strawberries (mashed), one three-ounce box of strawberry jello, eight-ounce pack of cream cheese, one envelope of dream whip, or pint of dairy whipping cream, half cup sugar for the fresh strawberries. For the crust, combine the Graham cracker crumbs, melted light margarine, cup of sugar, and mix well. Set crust ingredients aside. Whip the envelope of dream whip, and half cup cold milk until stiff, add the cream cheese and add one fourth cup sugar. Mix together and sit aside. Instead of dream whip you can use a pint of dairy whipping cream. Spread half of the Graham cracker crumb mix in a 13x9x2 inch baking dish or pan, then add one half of the cream cheese mixture. Spread the strawberry mixture over the cream cheese mixture. Spread the remaining cream cheese mixture on strawberry mixture on the cream cheese and refrigerate for one hour.
Keep garden magic ready all growing season
A garden plot is no better than what you use to promote it to grow and produce a harvest. Use these effective ingredients to promote healthy growth in your garden in all seasons. Use peat moss to improve soil texture and moisture retention. A bail contains 3.5 cubic feet and cost are around $11 to $12. Use Black Kow composted cow manure which is totally organic and so is peat moss. Another great product to boost growth of plants and vegetables and it too, is totally organic is Alaska Fish Emulsion, which is available in quart bottles that can be mixed with proper amount of water in a water sprinkling can.
The ferns of summer will help cool off porches and decks
The ferns on a porch or deck or even a carport offer cool relief from the heat of the late spring and early summer. The lush green of a Boston fern cascading over its hanging basket container makes a a porch or deck look much cooler. Along with the beautiful Boston fern, you can use asparagus ferns to add lush green color in large containers on the porch or deck in a semi sunny location. The old fashion panda fern can be grown in large containers. We have a panda fern and an asparagus fern that we winter over each year in the living room and place them on the deck in mid-spring. All types of ferns have different shades of green and all of them can be cut and trimmed to shape. My grandma in Northampton county had a panda fern that covered the wash tub with holes in it all during spring and summer on her huge back porch. Before winter arrived, she would get several grandchildren to move the fern-laden tub into her large pantry. We have one that has wintered over for over ten years in the living room.
Controlling the morning glory vines before they become pesky
With the warm days and nights of May, keep a very close eye on the emerging growth of all the pesky wild morning glory vines. Pull them up before they develop deep roots that will drain the strength from growing vegetables.Don’t allow the morning glorys to reach vine stage because then they will be hard to control. Pull them up when they are tiny by the roots, place in a bucket and toss them out of the garden plot to dry up in the warm sun of late spring. For goodness sake, do not let them get to bloom stage because one bloom has a seed pod with hundreds of seeds. If one does vine out and bloom, trace the vine back to the soil and pull up by the roots.
Making a simple shortcake for strawberries and whipped cream
With the strawberry season drawing to a close, this is a great and simple shortcake recipe without much sugar in it that will enhance the tartness of Piedmont strawberries and the creamy flavor of real dairy whipping cream. You will need one one cup and half cup plain flour, two and half teaspoons of baking powder, one fourth teaspoon of salt, one teaspoon vanilla, half cup of Crisco shortening, one cup sugar, two beaten eggs, and half cup of milk. Mix flour and baking powder, cream, shortening, and sugar. Add eggs and beat well, add vanilla. Add flour mixture to other ingredients. Add the milk and beat the whole mixture. Pour into a 13x9x2 inch baking pan or dish sprayed with Pam baking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes and remove from pan. Mix one and half quarts fresh strawberries with one cup sugar and spread on top of shortcake. Top with a layer of dairy whipping cream (one pint stiffly beaten with added three tablespoons of sugar), or one envelope dream whip or one large container Cool Whip.
Hoe Hoe Hoedown
“Controlling The Loot”- A Sunday school teacher was teaching her class the difference between right and wrong. She said, “All right, children, let me give you an example: If I were to get into a man’s pocket and remove his wallet with all his money, what would I be?” Little 8-year-old Jonathan confidently raised his hand with a smile and said, “Its OK, you’re his wife!”
“Expensive sundae”- A gorilla walked into the ice cream parlor and ordered a $2 sundae and placed a $10 bill on the counter. The clerk thought to himself, “Gorillas don’t know that much about money,” and handed him back $5. The clerk said, “We don’t get many gorillas in here.” The gorilla said, “I can understand why at $5s a sundae!”
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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