Friday, May 13, 2016

The Official Framboise Manor Potatoe Planting Day of 2016!

what a beautiful day for the Official Framboise Manor Potatoe Planting Day of 2016!


AAAAAAND - it's friday the 13th and a full moon. if you hear howling tonight - that's not a wolf, fox or coyote - that's me screaming from the hottub - thanking the Lord, the sun and the moon for a perfect potatoe planting day!

here's 40 tires, double stacked but only filled to one and a half. 200 potatoes were planted in these tires....200 potatoe seedlings whose genetics go back 6 yrs. we have saved and used our OWN potatoe seeds all these years. what a feeling!


my friend PP loves our tires. and he loves the great use we get out of them year after year.

yesterday late afternoon - the sky was brilliant!


here's dawn this morning - it promised a perfect day!


for breakfast we had our protein shakes, played cards, hottub dipped, did some of our stretches and then planted all of our potatoes - woohoo! breakfast was a vietnamese/kymberified soup - using home-canned broth, pineapple juice, a ton of lemon juice, a ton of garlic, a ton of ginger, cut up tomatoes, fresh mint, ground cumin and ground coriander. with our own chives and our own hot pepper for garnish.


talk about blow your head off, clear your sinuses and give you tons of energy to go have a great day!

jambaloney gathered some old weathered sticks from just around our yard.


then he ran them through mulchdura (named so because we have a 1980's chevy vandura, we call our truck truckdura, we call our sucky little boat boatdura - but we still call our canoe bob's special because it is a bob's special and canoedura just didn't seem to work!). anyway here is mulchdura:


he's pretty gorgeous no?

here's the mulch he makes from dead trees and brush around your yard/land.


look at this beautiful mulch!!!


kids - you know how hindsight is 20/20....and when you start off on an adventure and you plan and feel confident that you have thought everything through? well, when we landed here in 2010, after years of planning, we knew we needed a truck, we knew we needed to have several backups for our water, we knew it wasn't going to be easy but we thought we had planned for and had thought of everything that we would need pronto.

and now it's 6 years later and we finally have mulchdura - something we should have invested in when we first got here! our land is full of dead, fallen trees, brush, old blackberry bushes, old raspberry bushes, old and dead weeds....all of which can be run through mulchdura and not only can we now mulch all of our beds to keep moisture in and weeds out....mulchdura also has a fine setting so that we can aerate our soil! oh hindsight!

another pic of 40 tires planted with 200 potatoes for my friend PP. he likes it when i mention him in posts and he loooooooves tires!


in other daily news at the Manor....the tulips are all coming up!


i have no idea what kind of tulip this is - but it is bright yellow on the outside and a deep orange on the inside.


back to mulchdura - jambaloney filled a tractor tire with mulch lickety-split.....this mulch has a special purpose....


tomorrow we will weed and mulch our strawberry hugelkulture.


mulch not only keeps weeds down and holds moisture....it degrades every year and adds nutrients to your soil. we'll be making mulch for all of our beds...and the mulch is extra special because it comes from our land!!!

a funny Framboise Manor story for you - because we live in the middle of nowhere, when we order anything from the internet, we get phone calls from the local deliverers asking us where we are, how to get here....and once they get here they seem a little freaked as pirate jambaloney heads down the driveway in his bandana, dirty work clothes, knee-high rubber boots and always gives a tip. it's the tip that freaks them out the most! anyway, we were expecting a delivery since last week - UPS kept changing the date of delivery and we just rolled with it....we're starting to expect it now. but today a delivery man showed up and pirate jambaloney went down to get it. it was delivery for me and they are stunning!

you are thinking diamond earings right? a tennis bracelet? an Hermes handbag perhaps? laboutin shoes? well you are getting close.....

no, i received these 2 incredible beauties in delivery today:



TWO Umberto Eco books!!! be still by racing heart! i told you how much i loved anything Eco in this Leibster Award Post here. i looooooooooooove Umberto Eco!!!!

so kids it looks like there will be much of this in the next few days, weather permitting. sitting in the hottub reading my new books!


jambaloney is working on his contract and we will be having a late dinner  - spaghetti of lobster. i hate doing anything to lobster other than just eat it right out of the shell - but jambaloney wants it and what jambaloney wants - he gets!

then a late supper of chicken drum sticks that have been marinating all day in soya, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar more ginger and garlic than should be legally allowed - and get ready for it - cape breton's version of single malt scotch whiskey? i know...crazy eh? i'll let you know how it turned out in tomorrow's post.

for now, i have to be quiet because the man is coding and when he is coding - he goes in the zone and needs to focus. not a hard thing to do when the windows are open, all of the different birds are chirping, and the only vehicle we have heard in the last week is the delivery guy today.

we know that we live in paradise, and that good food and small little pleasures can keep us entertained for life. we have nothing but good wishes for all of you, too.

and Ed - stop calling it lunch! sending love to you all!

35 comments:

  1. You do lead an idyllic existence up there, Kymber. For some reason or other, whenever I hear the theme song from the Rover I think about you folks up there. I think because you have such a calm life.

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    1. Harry - it really is pretty idyllic...i really like that word! but i don't know what theme song you mean? does anyone else know in case Harry doesn't come back?

      i know it seems like we have a very calm life and we really do - but we also have to deal with things like weather preventing us from planting, weather destroying our planting, jambaloney on dead-lines for work...we have stresses in our lives that are different than most people's, none of which i will mention here...but we get along so well that if one of us is down or stressed, the other steps in to help the other one. and that is where we get our balance. and that is why we live such a calm life. sending love to you, M and the kids, always! xoxox

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  2. I believe y'all are far more prepared for a zombie apocalypse than we are (or any kind, for that matter). We'd probably survive - I'd just have to eat meat again.

    I've not read any Umberto Eco, though Foucault's Pendulum has been on my shelf for decades.

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    1. Kelly - we try to be as prepared as possible...our great gain is that the zombies are never gonna make it here. hon - no worries - you'd have to eat some meat if SHTF - you won't like it, but you'd do it!

      oh and if you love conspiracy theories from medieval times right up to the present, and you love sarcasm and irony - then go read Foucault's Pendulum right now! i swear that book is a scream and had me and jambaloney laughing our fool heads off when i read it to him. i had already read it myself about 5 times by then. that book still puts me in fits. sending love. xoxo

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  3. Ha ha I thought the delivery guy freaked out because Jambaloney was rushing down the lane stark naked to great him!

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    1. gosh no Joey - jam was in the yard working hard like he always does, wearing his bandana, some work pants and rubber boots - no shirt. so when we heard the car honk (everyone here knows to honk at the bottom of our driveway), he threw on his dirty work shirt and ran down to get my beautiful package. everyone here is always dressed in the cape breton fashion - pajama bottoms and some dirty work shirt/coat - it was getting the tip that caused the guy to freak out - no one here tips! sending love buddy! xoxox

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  4. Replies
    1. no worries buddy - i knew what ya meant! xox

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  5. Boy, do I look forward to your posts. They are like a micro vacation. Absolutely marvelous mulch!

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    1. oh Susan - what a really nice thing to say - and if you ever want to vacation here for real - we'd take you in a heartbeat! yer always welcome. and ya - that mulch is divine. it is so good i want to eat some of it - bahahahah! sending love. xoxo

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  6. I've never once had anything bad happen to me on Friday the 13th. However, I've heard some of the awful est truth stretching you've ever heard from people trying blame their bad "luck" on the date, instead of their own stupidity.

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    1. you know Gorges - me and jambaloney just had a conversation in the hottub the other night about nothing bad ever happening to us on friday the 13th. but what most people don't know - is that it comes from when the Templar's were arrested on friday 13th, October, 1307. as for people who blame bad luck on that date...well, you and i feel the same way about that. sending love to you, always. xoxox

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  7. Kymber,

    You guys sure do have some interesting breakfasts! I know that stretching before planting all those taters helps but I'm sure the actual planting brings it's own muscle uses.

    Those tuplips are just beautiful, who cares what they are called!

    And, I love your mulchdura. I think my hubby 'acquired' one for me that we haven't taken to the farm yet. But we too have a lot of dead/dying branches that will make wonderful mulch. Can't wait.

    Your dinnner doesn't sound half bad either!

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    1. DFW - there are a lot of asian, turkish, middle eastern, khazakis, mongolians and a bunch of others who start their days with a broth of sorts - this goes back thousands of years. we don't always have broth/soup for breakfast - but on the days that we do we immediately feel like supermen - bahahahah!

      and we do our stretches every morning then hit the hottub - both of those things really get you ready for a day of work! and then during the work, your muscles have already been stretched and soaked so that after planting 200 potatoes you only ache and creak a little instead of near dying - bahahahahah! then it's back to the hottub to let those muscles get a good soaking again and then it's back to work!

      ya - the tulips are beautiful but Sol below says they call them daffodils over in england. and when we first saw our "tulips" flower, we thought the same thing. i really think they are daffodils and i was sent the wrong bulbs. no worries - as you say - who cares - they are beautiful!

      as for mulchdura - we planned to get it at the beginning of the year and then saved to get it. and now we are kicking ourselves in the butts for not getting it sooner. if you have lots of dead/dying branches on your country estate - you'll have a blast making mulch - i promise! and it doesn't take much time at all!

      sending you much love, my friend! xoxox

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  8. Kymber and Jam,
    I do recall you saving your potato seeds but forgot how you did it to keep them from rotting. Do you know the link to it?

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    1. Mike - you are going to need a pen, paper, telescope, retractor, geographical survey tripod and a calculator ok?

      ok....now that you have all of the equipment ready - write this down:

      save your seed potatoes after harvest. get a box and put them in the box. get a towel and put the towel over the box. put the box in a cool, dry, dark place.

      i know, i know....it's crazily technical but jambaloney is a technical kind of guy - bahahahahahahah! sending love. xoxo

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  9. tater heads! Always beautiful up there. Most of our deliveries are books so I understand the excitement.
    Enjoy your beautiful property, flowers, and food.

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    1. Max - this is the first time i have ordered books since we got here. jam's mom and step-dad had ordered us 2 different subscriptions to 2 different magazines that i looked forward to every month. but these are the first books - woohoo for me! thanks - we love our property and think it is very beautiful. as is your property and cabin! we love seeing pics of your place because it is so different from ours! sending love to you and the Mrs. xox

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  10. It is so nice to read about people living and enjoying their lives instead of "woe is me" posts! I admire what you guys are doing with your place. Say hi to Jamb for me. Oh, almost forgot, thanks for visiting today. It made me smile!

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    1. thank you Mr. Rat. i know that you and the Mrs. try to make the best out of everything, too, and i appreciate that. your oleanders are to die for and i love your lattice project! keep up the good work! love to you and the Mrs. xoxo

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    2. I added a quote from something you said the other day along with a link back here on my sidebar. Check it out! If you don't want it there let me know! thanks....

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  11. I just don't understand why you want to ruin such a peaceful, eye pleasing, eco-balanced picture with old rubber tires. I will never get it. Make those beds out of natural wood or stone, even concrete looks better than rotting old rubber :)

    Gratz on the mulch. I tried making my own mulch and it took so long and I have so few trees I never had enough so I sold it.

    Perhaps Jamby should try an eye patch and yell "Boarding Party" real loud. It worked for him quite well at the club one night :)

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    1. PP - we started doing potatoes in tires almost 10yrs ago - and they did so well in tires! we tried planting potatoes in the ground and it didn't work! the tires are free and re-usable, year after year! and because they are black, they retain heat and moisture. the tires heat up the earth in them so that we are able to plant the potatoes a good 3-4 weeks before we would be able to plant them in a raised bed or ground. also, the tires let us harvest potatoes as we need them - from july to december. there is no rush at the end of september to rush and harvest all of the potatoes and then have to try and save them through the winter. by harvesting as we need, and then harvesting all of the rest in mid-december saves us tons of time in september for harvesting, canning, pickling, storing, and dehydrating all of our other produce. the tires really work for us. and we say - if it ain't broke - don't fix it. i know you hate the tires but we love them!

      what kind of mulcher did you have? from start to finish jambaloney took about an hour and a half to get 250 litres of mulch. and like you, we have a ton of dead wood lying around to mulch.

      yea...he told me all about that night. he said that you got drunk off of 2 canadian beer and passed out in the alley. um-hmmmm.

      sending lots of love your way, ya nutter! xoxoxo

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  12. The Name of the Rose was a good adaptation of one of his books, as I recall.

    And you should really stop baiting Preppy. Really. I mean, it is not like it is funny at all...nope, not at all...should not do it...repeatedly...

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    1. TB - i have read The Name of the Rose probably close to 9-10 times. i read the entire thing out loud to jambaloney twice. the book is awesome and the movie is one of a very few that actually stick to the book and not throw in extra characters or storylines that are not in the book. the movie is awesome - we have seen it like 15 times and will gladly watch it another 10 times over the next few years. the only other movie that i can think of that sticks true to the story is Shawshank Redemption - another awesome movie from another awesome book, both of which we have read and seen many times. oops - i just thought of a third movie that sticks to the book - The 13th Warrior based on the book Eaters of the Dead. both book and movie we have read/watched at least 10 times. my goodness - i do blather on, don't i?

      stop baiting Pioneer Preppy? my nutter little brother? are you being funny? there is no way in heck that i will ever stop baiting him - bahahahhah! i love him too much to ever stop baiting him - he loves the attention!

      sending much love, my friend. xoxox

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  13. good job on all of the potatoes. Its gone cold here again not sure what is going on. Rushing my plants in and out of the house! lol

    What you call tulips over there, we call dafodils over here. Or at least that is what they look like.

    Im off to a black smithing course. See ya laters!

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    1. Sol - thanks buddy! BLACK SMITHING COURSE? YOU are my new hero!!!!

      as for rushing plants back in and out - that sucks! i used to have to do that before we got the greenhouse built and i feel your pain.

      and you know what - i think you are right! i think they are daffodils although they were labelled tulips. you saying that now makes me sure we were sent the wrong bulbs. oh well - they are still beautiful.

      good luck on your course and PLEEEEEEEZE tell us all about it.

      teehee...i know a black smith. i'm sooo proud of you! sending much love! xoxoxo

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  14. Kurt Saxon would be pleased to see your potato tire garden. I see you have cut the sidewalls out. Very nice. Have you tried to turn the tires inside out? They stand up straighter.

    I discuss tire gardening in my Planet Whizbang Idea Book For Gardeners and that is the one part of the book that I get a lot of negative response to. But tires (utilized in different ways) can be a lot of help in a garden.

    P.S. I found out recently that there is a lot of KS information now on YouTube.

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  15. Herrick - you must be a mind-reader...i first learned about tire gardening from Kurt Saxon...over 10 yrs ago!!! and learned a bunch of other stuff from him - like wheat grass! back in the city we turned our tires inside-out...but can't be bothered to do so here. your Planet Whizbang books are the bomb and if you ever wanted to do a guest post here...well that would be awesome!

    sending much love to a guy that everyone needs to know about! your friend,
    kymber

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  16. Man on man, a single malt scotch in your own backyard. I have been known to sip one of those on the rocks. Usually after supper though and never with lunch.

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  17. Well that is what I would call a non-traditional breakfast! I am a developer by trade, mainly MS products. Just curious, if you can share, what type of coding does Jambaloney do?

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    1. Perry - we have learned a lot about non-traditional western breakfasts and we are implementing them into our diet. just plain, homemade bone broth that you made and canned yourself makes a wonderful breakfast...although i always tend to throw a few things in.

      as for jambaloney's work - sent you an email. you'll be able to read between the lines.

      sending love buddy. and your comfrey roots are looking mighty fine. will be sending them in a few days or so. xoxox

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  18. idyllic just means peaceful, tranquil, and "in tune" with life.

    I usually come back and read your postings several times to see what other people are saying.

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    1. oh yes Harry - i know what the word means but no one has ever said it to me and i appreciate that you did. i can't believe that you sent us that beautiful song....i feel like you can see right into my heart or something. thank you my friend...i can't think of bigger or more important words to say. i love you Harry - for everything that you have taught us, shown us...and for being such a good friend! xoxoxo

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  19. Sweet Kymber,
    AKA Mermaid......

    I love your tires!!!! Tires make for great potato beds. We also use straw to cover those potatoes.....be careful, I've found snakes love the tires with straw.

    One thing we need to invest in is a mulcher as well, and one day we shall. Another would be a stump grinder. Hubby and I are thinking about renting both the mulcher and stump grinder soon to get rid of old trees ourselves.

    If I knew of you love these type of books prior to me selling them, I would have sent a box up to you from my parents home. I no longer have them, this little lady bought every single one for a great deal.

    Sending hugs and love to you both.
    Sandy

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