***Tuesday's Tip***

Ducklings are on their way!  Today or tomorrow!  Time to get ready for the babies with a brooder.  Ducklings need to be kept at 90 degrees for the first 7 days.  Then you lower the temperature by 5 degrees each day.  You may wonder how this is accomplished, it is actually very easy and super low tech.  Here is how I made my brooder for the dozen ducks that are to arrive anytime now!  

All you need is an utility knife and an awl.  Some large paper fasteners (I found these beauties at a thrift shop!) (I am also a fan of Sears Craftsman Tools...good tools, reasonably priced, and there warranty is unbeatable!).  And you need some large pieces of cardboard.

Simply cut your cardboard into big flat pieces.  Attach with the paper fasteners by poking the cardboard with the awl and connect the cardboard into any shape that suits your needs.

Here is my finished brooder that is inside Duckingham Palace! Keeping the ducklings confined will help them stay warm under the heat lamp.  When the ducks are big enough for the whole house I will be able to remove the paper fasteners and use the cardboard for garden mulch!

Feeders all cleaned with a good hosing & brushing (never use bleach *Toxic*)

All ready to go!  I use 2 heat lamps at first just in case one burns out.  By raising and lower the lamps you can control the heat on your ducks or chicks. I use wood shavings from the feed store for the bedding and I am good to go!   As simple as that!  So stay tuned for cute little baby duckies!

***Tuesday"s Tip*** Signs of Spring???

Despite how it looks outside and the temperature forecast says the high will be 29 and the low 5 today there are signs of spring around here.  This week begins my gardening activities...&...dreams.  I have prepped my soil and will start my onions, celery, leeks...and for something different Stevia today.  Soon too follow will be my eggplants and peppers, then tomatoes, finally some broccoli and cauliflowers.  All before anything goes into the ground outside.  This is the way it is here in the Northeast.  Spring is something that slowly emerges  in Maine.  I like it, I am not weary of winter yet but, in all fairness I seldom have to leave the homestead or drive when the weather is dicey.  But nonetheless,  the dreaming begins...the too large of garden is planned...and the optimistic thoughts of bounty commence.   

I have tidied up the growing shelves...

I am saving egg shells in my freezer ~~A TIP~~ Add a handful of eggshells into each Tomato planting hole...They love the extra calcium!

Also...

Save your cardboard milk cartons for transplanting tomatoes.  I am not sure why but the seedling that get planted in the milk boxes do much better than those in other containers.  I have done numerous experiments!

Something new I am trying this year will be planting my eggplants and peppers in my saved  Ice tea cups from last summer....little mini greenhouses, I hope.  (Ok I do go out, occasionally, and I do indulge myself with a drive-thru Dunkin Donut Ice Tea, with Lemon.) 

My box of first dreams ready for the winter starting....

and back to the cold room the summer dreams go after an evening of garden planning reverie sorting seeds and imagining the future.  The cold winds may blow outside my window but... "In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer"  ~Albert Camus

***Tuesday's Tip*** Dusty Books

 I dove into the bookshelf project Sunday and finished last night.  Not the kind of project you want to live with for too long.  So what could possibly be the "tip", you might wonder?  My books were wicked dusty!  I love micro fiber cloths as an eco way to clean.  My regular cloth just wasn't getting the job done.  I was rummaging among my rags and I came across this lime green sea anemone looking thing I forgot that I had.  It was a gift.  A Christmas gift from 2 years ago.  I don't remember who gave it to me, I am sure I thanked them...I am good about that sort of thing.  But, I do remember opening the package and wondering...What the Heck?!  Must of tossed in the cleaning rags back then.  Well, I will tell you this thing is FANTASTIC!  I wiped down all of my books with this thing and it cleaned each one wonderfully getting into the edges and right down to the last book! I don't know where you can get one of these things but, if you see one I would get it!

It was a lot of work and a bit of a push but I really wanted this project done!  Now I can focus on taxes and garden planning (& ETSY)  What I like about a project like this is the purge aspect as well as the organizing.  I have a pile of books to give away and some nice vintage finds to list on Etsy.  Also, I know better what I have for books and they are organized by subject.  I arranged the books I use the most to be more accessible and the books I want to read more seeable.  When I glance up from scarf weaving all the books I want to read most will be right there!  Think I've earned a cup of tea and a bit of reading time!!  (moral of the story too--->I will keep a more open mind about odd gifts in the future!) PS...no more taxes procrastination excuses either!