All posts by ruthsoaper

Innovation

Pond, Reflections, Tools

Earlier this year my husband mentioned wanting to buy a landscape rake to use to remove leaves and pond weeds from around the edges of the pond. A landscape rake has a long handle and a wide head that would allow us to reach father into the water from the shore and remove more weeds at one time. I told him to go ahead and buy one. “They are expensive,” he said. About a week ago when we began raking the weeds from the pond, I told him to go ahead and buy the rake. He had another idea.

Using materials we already had on hand he built something similar to a grappling hook but perhaps we should call it a grappling rake.

He started with one rake head tied to the nylon rope and while it did work to remove some weeds it would always land upside down when thrown into the water, so it was not as efficient as it could be.

He then found a second rake with a broken handle. (Imagine that! We had two old rakes with broken handles hanging around.) He used two 1 1/2inch hose clamps to connect the rake heads together back-to-back. He then secured the rope around both rake handles.

The rope is about 20 feet (6 meters) long. He tied a loop in the end of the rope opposite the rake heads. The loop makes it easier to hold onto the rope while throwing the rake end out into the water.

The rope floats just in case you forget to hold on to the end.

In this case having a good retriever nearby might come in handy.

Once the rake has landed on the bottom simply pull the rope in.

It is quite efficient in removing a large amount of weeds at one time.

Home Sweet (Froggy) Home

Frogs, Reflections

I learned something this week. I don’t think like a frog.

Regular readers will remember this recent post about the frog who was interfering with my watering routine by hanging out in my watering can. We thought we had solved the problem by giving it and alternative housing option. It was a pretty cool setup if you ask me.

The frog, however, didn’t ask me and apparently didn’t share my opinion because it left its new home that evening and did not return. After a couple of days of keeping my watering can in the mud room, we started leaving it on the deck – up on the table. On Tuesday when I was refilling the watering can with the hose guess who hopped out. Yep! Somehow that frog had found its way back into the watering can even though the can was up on the table.

Well, its persistence paid off. When my husband got home the frog was hanging out on the garden hose and since my husband wanted to use the hose, he moved the frog back to the watering can.

I then placed the watering can in the flower bed. I think it’s garden art with a purpose.

Later that day, when my husband was going to the farm store, I asked him to pick up another watering can. He obliged. 🙂

Lavender In Bloom

Bees, Lavender, Reflections

My sister sent me this meme yesterday.

I replied, “You know me well.” 🙂

Our lavender is blossoming right now.

It takes up a large portion of our prayer garden and is lovely in contrast with the red roses and the yellow evening primrose which are also in bloom.

The lavender is a favorite of the bees.

While the honeybees were indulging as well, the bumble bees were the ones that I could capture in my photos.

I do regret that there is no feature that allows me to share their wonderful fragrance with you over the internet.

Thanks for visiting.

Monthly Inspiration

Reflections

It seems that July snuck up on me. I looked at my calendar today and realized that it’s July 2nd already and I had not posted our monthly inspiration. It just so happens, however, that this month’s inspirational quote is one we try to live by. It’s no stranger to this blog, in fact if you look at the side bar you will see this verse.

From my 2022 wall calendar.

Our Watering Can(‘t)

Frogs, Reflections

Several days ago my husband discovered that the watering can that we leave on our deck, for watering our potted plants, was clogged up. No water would come out. As he removed the screw-on sprinkler head from the can to clear the blockage a small frog jumped out. The blockage was cleared.

This morning, as I began watering, the can was once again clogged up. Not wanting to be startled by a frog jumping out at me, I slowly removed the sprinkler head from the can. As I lifted the head off the can there was nothing there. I looked inside the sprinkler head and the holes were clear. I then glanced down at the watering can and spotted this little frog sticking its head out.

“Oh, it is you I said,” while the little critter just sat there apparently not wanting to be disturbed (again).

I picked the watering can thinking it might hop out but instead it backed down into the neck of the can refusing to be evicted.

While my husband and I have great respect for wildlife we were not about to turn this watering can into a frog condo. Good watering cans have become quite costly. So, when I called my husband to tell him of this dilemma, he began planning an alternative housing situation for froggy.

He cut a hole in the side of this ice cream bucket, then placed the rock inside. He found this piece of tree bark that the little guy could use as a ramp and then he put water in the bottom of the bucket.

Getting the frog out of the watering can proved to be a bit challenging, but after gently poking it out of the neck of the can with a stick, pouring all the water out of the can, and shaking it upside down quite a bit the frog finally dropped out of the can.

My husband the placed it in its new digs and put the lid on to provide shade. Froggy is still free to come and go through the hole (door) in the side.

I placed the new frog house in the flower bed amongst the potted plants where it will not get too much sun.

I think it would be a lovely place to live if I were a frog.

Additional Note: I refilled my watering can this evening and left it inside our mudroom so froggy can’t return to it.