Pheasants seem to like our bamboo grove for winter cover.
Not something I expected.
I think I have two species of bamboo: Phyllostachys nuda and Phyllostachys aureosulcata
The stems die during test-winters about every five years.
I probably should not be surprised. Ringneck Pheasant originated in the orient.
Watched pepper seeds never germinate
Some people find it amusing that I hover over my pepper seeds as I wait for them to show signs of life.
It has been (looking at wrist watch) six days since I placed them on pads of paper-toweling and put them on a germinating heat-mat. Guajillo pepper seeds were planted yesterday.
There is a bunch of literature on how to help reluctant seeds to germinate. Gibberellic acid, hydrogen peroxide, scuffing seeds with sandpaper, adding KNO3 to the soaking water. One treatment that seems to fare well for most warm-season garden plants is to simply keep the seeds warm while you are attempting to germinate them. 90F is one temperature that gets mentioned, at least for Okra.
Snow on the ground
I intend to cut scion and poplar cuttings today. I am going with the simplest of storage methods. I will tie each variety into a bundle and leave it beneath the tree. I will put something like a "book" of straw over the bundle so it is not exposed to direct sunlight.
I will get a lot more done if I make the job easy.
Suckers running
Yeah, I know that weather predictions are shaky-at-best. But it looks like we might have a cool April. The horizontal black line is the water temperature that triggers spawning in many species of sucker. The area circled in red is when river and stream temperatures might hit that temperatures.
I have done many awesome things in my life but I have yet to catch a sucker.
Trimming brass
A nice power option for trimming brass to length.
I was able to trim 660 grams of .223 Rem brass (about 110 by count) in 6:30 minutes.
Just like a watched pot never boils...LOL
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to germ wildflower seeds, and some make you wonder how the species isn't extinct?! The popular kids on yuutoobe use various incorporations of aloe...? I have yet to try, but it'll cost me 3.99 at the grocer to find out!
ReplyDeleteWhy would anyone want to catch Suckers. Unless they were going to be used for bait for larger fish such as Muskies. They're too bony and probably have a mud taste.
ReplyDeleteMostly to say I have done it.
DeleteTheir flesh is firm in the spring but still bony.
Some people pressure can them with a bit of ketchup which pinks-up the flesh. Ground up, they claim, it makes decent "salmon" patties.
Learn something new every day.
DeleteFor the ignorant, how many times can you trim brass before worrying?
ReplyDeleteFor cases with a shoulder and loaded hot - about five. Use a neck sizing die instead of a full length die and get much longer lasting brass.
DeleteNever worry about brass. Use and re-use until the neck cracks. Your last shot will be a crappy one.
ReplyDeleteOnce you are happy with a recipe, make your hunting rounds from 1x brass. Use the rest until it fails.
That's me. You do you.
When I was reloading I forgot about case trimming once. That would be a handy rig. However, I did so little reloading older ways would be ok. I haven't reloaded in decades.
ReplyDeleteTimboto - case trimming frequency depends heavily on the load density and the case. As a rule, measure after each sizing.
ReplyDeleteWith 223 and 308 class cases the primer pocket usually stretches out long before they’re trimmed too short, Lapua brass excepted.
Proper Annealing is your friend. It measurably improves case life and makes neck tension more uniform. Well worth the effort.
-john