Damn it

[uppityperson]

I went out to harvest the side shoots of my broccoli to eat and freeze for the winter to find them already harvested. I live out in the woods, no near neighbors. ARGH!!!!! and damn it.

While I was looking, examining each plant, trying to figure out what happened, away ran a rat from the tall grass at the edge of the fence. So, rat traps are going out and grrrrrrr. ALL my broccoli is gone. Not just one or 2 plants but 12 plants now have NO side shoots. grrrrrrr.

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. Gotta admit, that is a first for me.

I've had deer eat my roses
the neighbor's goats eat my garden greens
armadillos munching down the strawberries
opposums digging up root vegies

and the usual tomato hornworms
but never had to deal with rats.

You need cats, methinks.

[uppityperson]

2. It is worse. We have 3 cats that bring us dead rodents, a dog and the rat ran through the chickens

to get from the garden to under the coop. Tomorrow the traps go out.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Chickens....remnds me...a 6 foot plus rat snake in our chicken's nest

was the lastest surprise.
Yep..I would set traps too, if only because of rats and chickens.

Wonder where the rats came from if you are the only one in the area???
for some reason, I think of rats and cities.

[uppityperson]

4. They are peaking in the state about now, one of those things. The chickens all shut up and watched

it run through them. Was hoping a rooster or the old pet turkey would stomp it but noooooooooooo.

[hedgehog]

8. I have actually seen a flock of chickens swarm and take down a mouse!

Don't ever trip in the chicken yard!

[ginnyinWI]

5. deer with the munchies, perhaps

When deer eat things, they tend to crop it off about six inches from the ground. That's how you tell it is deer. They ate all the tomatoes off my plants once, and they eat my hostas, and even my rhubarb! Got a fence around the vegetable patch now, but not the rhubarb--that was a real surprise, since the leaves can give you a tummy-ache, or so I hear.

We live on the edge of a game preserve, and also are not far from a state forest. Lots of critters in our yard.

[uppityperson]

6. Damn it, part 2

went to harvest my corn, a special early growing one that actually worked! Ears galore! Damn them rats! They crawled up each stalk and ate all the ears except 2.

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr Uppity quit doing the traps as the rats are "cute". "Cute" my butt. Out go the traps again. grrrrrrrr.

[uppityperson]

7. Damn it, part 3 and positive news about Ozette fingerling spuds

I harvested potatoes and got a 2/1 ratio this year as 3/4 of them rotted in the ground. I guess our wonderful spring made them grow faster than normal and they should've been harvested last month when I was on vacation.

On the positive note, I got enough Ozette fingerlings to eat a meal and have plenty to plant for next year. And they were very tasty and firm. If there are other potato growers here who are interested, pm me.
?1350615720

http://theherbfarm.com/Farm/Ozette/