We're so overrun with voles that I'm seriously thinking about giving up the garden for this year. My spinach is disappearing. The thirty garlic that were set in October now number twenty-six with three more stalks turning yellow. The garlic still have about 5-6 weeks to go before harvesting. I find numerous new holes and tunnels daily. Research on voles shows my approach needs a new method. We bought two bags of Sweeney's Armadillo and Vole Repellent to begin the new strategy. Day by day for five days, the granules are suppose to drive the little buggers away, maybe to someone else yard or to the woods. Today was the third application which should be steering them closer to the west woods. The repellent uses Fullers Earth as a carrier for the castor oil and the rodents should be repelled by the castor oil smell and exit the soil to a new territory. Two more days of applications and we'll see what happens. If this works, I'll be planting my yellow and green beans and my tomato plants. If not, I'll surrender to Mother Nature and shop for more jigsaw puzzles at thrift stores.
Happy Summer Solstice! It was a beautiful start to this day. The typical mountain fog had settled in when I got up at 6:30 but burned off shortly after. I always go outside when I first get up, scan for wildlife, and walk around soaking in the morning peace and calm. Did about 20 minutes of stretchy yoga, showered and had a light breakfast of cream of buckwheat with ghee-fried peaches. I still felt a little full from eating Italian food with Janice last night. We go out at 4:30 and take our time eating and talking, have a glass of wine and Friday night is dessert night. Janice is doing better. It'll be a year in August since she lost Ernie. I left the breakfast dishes in the sink and headed to our Murphy Farmers Market. First stop was "Healing Ways" produce farmers for fresh Swiss chard, butter crunch lettuce, and a bunch of young summer squash and zucchini since all of mine are falling off the plants....
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