My Yard...

I was trying to come up with a word that described how my yard looked going into the weekend. The first word that came to mind was neglect, but that didn’t sound right. Neglect implied that it was not cared for. I was traveling a lot this summer, but the yard was never neglected. Everything was fertilized on time, watering was done by my neighbor’s son who I hired to water and mow while I was gone. The best word would be overgrown almost jungle like – especially in the backyard.
My weekend task was to reclaim my backyard deck which as the before pictures show was taken over by potato vine. I love this plant….it is excellent in planters and hanging baskets and as you can tell it grows like crazy. Here are some before and after pictures of my deck.

Make your day a good one.

Seeding the Yard

Last nights rain was great. My yard actually needed some. The grass in the back was getting that gray color when it needs rain. Speaking of grass, we are now in the very best time of year to put down grass seed. The soil is warm and the air temperatures are cooler. Yes, it is better then spring. Remember to pick out the right grass seed. Shade = 6 or less hours of sun. Sun = 6 or more hours of sun. Those blends that say boulevard mix, high traffic mix, salt tolerant mix, etc are almost always blends met for sun.

Shade blends have more fescue in them and sun blends have more bluegrass. I’ll be out along the street doing some over seeding of my lawn this weekend. The summer heat took its toll in certain areas, even with all the watering that was done. I’ll get it done now and it will look good next spring.

Make your weekend a good one.

The day after the party...

Today feels like the day after a big party. You look forward to it for weeks, it happens and the day after is well… A few random thoughts on this day after the State Fair. Thanks to everyone who came out during the Newscasts. It was great fun to meet many of you and even autograph some water bottles. I also want to extend a BIG thanks to Becky and Amanda the State Fair Producers - the two of you were great to work with. Thanks Becky for letting me in all the fun once again this year.

Also a big thanks to all of the crew working the fair – you folks are truly the best. Cyndy - anytime you need security keep me in mind. Rachel – I’m still wondering about the 18 seconds. That was three more then I needed. Here are a couple of pictures that sum up my last two weeks as I went from the Coliseum in Rome to the Coliseum of the State Fair. Make your day a good one.

4-H'ers at the Fair

Another early morning at the Fair. I interviewed a few 4-H’ers who had their projects at the State Fair and had yet to be judged. Judging at the Fair goes right up to the end. I’m not sure if the three of them were more nervous about being judged or having to be interviewed by me. My part was a cakewalk. I hope the judging went as well for them.

Spicy? You bet!

I ended my KSTP time at the Fair with a fiery bang so to speak. Meteorologist Rob Koch wanted to do an interview with the food vender “Sausage by Cynthia”.The catch was that Rob does not like spicy food. In fact, he thinks that store bought mild salsa is way to spicy.So, he turned to me to see if I would try some of their sausage including the “viper jerky”. Being the team player that I am, I agreed to do it.

You can see the video online at KSTP. The video speaks for itself. What I didn’t realize is that it gets hotter and hotter as time goes on. It peaked about 20 minutes after we went off the air and yes; it was the spiciest food I have ever eaten.

Make your day a good one.

Bright and early at the Fair

I was at the Fair bright and early yesterday morning. During the 6:00a.m. Newscast, I was in the Miracle of Birth Center – which included interviews with one of the veterinarians there and a group of 3 FFA’ers.I was in the FFA back in high school and college. It is always a great throw back to the past when I’m out here visiting with them. During the 8:00a.m. Newscast, we moved to another location where I showed and talked about great fall perennials. Once we get past Labor Day, I constantly get asked if you can still plant. The short answer is yes.

Trees and shrubs can be planted almost until the ground freezes. Evergreens should be in the ground by late September. Perennials should be in the ground be late September too – if they are planted in the fall, they should be covered with some straw or hay to help protect the plants during the winter months. The hay or straw should be put over them once the ground is just slightly frozen. Don’t put it down to early or you will suffocate the plants. They key to planting anything in the fall is that it is kept well watered during the fall up until the ground freezes.

Make your day a good one.

What a beautiful night to be at the Fair.

It was great fun to interview Professor Jim Luby from the University of Minnesota. Jim was starting at the U of M when I was a student there – just a few years ago. OK, I know it was more then a few years ago, but time does fly by. He works on the fruit-breeding program that includes apples. Apple season is now starting here in Minnesota. There is nothing better then a fall day at an Apple Orchard. Here is a link to the Minnesota Apple Growers Association. It lists Minnesota Apple Orchards, plus varieties of apples that were introduced from the University of Minnesota. http://www.minnesotaapple.org

Take some time this fall to get out and enjoy the locally grown apples and some of those varieties that were bred right here in MN.

Make your day a good one.