Saturday, June 9, 2012

Animals, beans and apricots

Fred is doing very well. He has developed a pretty avid liking for opiate painkillers. . . and today is his last round of heavy drugs. Wonder how coming off them will be. Maybe we'll have to find a kitty support group?

Sarafina says his cone and rear end remind her of Monsters, Inc.


He might be less amused. Only seven or eight more days, Fred!



The beans I saved are flowering with two different colors. I don't yet know if this is natural variation or if there was some outcrossing. I didn't do any kind of seed isolation last year. Guess like child rearing, the proof will be long-term.


The chickens who used to run screaming from us now crowd the wire demanding something, anything, every time we're out there.


But despite the suggestive rock, no eggs yet.

When the apricots get near ripe and it's a little breezy, they end up all over the ground. Although they bruise when this happens, they're incredibly sweet, sweeter than picked. I'll put up with it.

6 comments:

Annie*s Granny said...

The beans I saved from Fortex grew with both white and purple blossoms, and a different variety grew on each. One color produced true Fortex, and the other evidently a cross from the Kentucky Blue plants that were 10" away. Odd, as all the saved seeds were definitely from Fortex (no mistaking those long pods)and all were very dark brown, where the other bean seeds had been white.

Poor, poor Fred. He looks as pitiful as he must feel. Did he lose his tail? Did you find out which human (and I use that term loosely) did the dastardly deed?

Stefaneener said...

AG, guess we'll see. The beans are piebald, sort of squarish, and some came out originally almost solid, so there may be some variation.

No idea; we didn't ask the folks who might know. We're just taking it as a really loud warning. He lost nearly all his tail, and is 100% happier -- he was rolling around and purring yesterday. I think it just doesn't hurt now, and the dislocation was terribly painful. Plus, no internal injuries, yay! We'll keep him as a bobtail happily.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the update on Fred. I have been worried about him. I still can't believe people can be so cruel. Glad he is on the mend, but boy he sure doesn't look happy even medicated. Maybe it's the cone.

I don't know much about seed saving, but from my research I have learned that beans self-pollinating are difficult to cross. Hmmm….difficult, but not impossible. I wonder what you will end up growing :)

kitsapFG said...

Thanks for the follow up info on how Fred is doing. We cat lovers get really worried about other kitties in distress. :(

Michelle said...

I'm so happy Fred is going to be ok. Zeke, Jake, Hank, and Stella all send him a big purrrrr.

You have so many busy pollinators roaming your garden, I'm not surprised that your beans may have crossed. They could turn out to be better than the originals!

Stefaneener said...

Grafixmuse, he was really stoned : )
We are taking the cone off for licking breaks -- he likes it because he can wash his ears. The beans are just going to be lovely surprises.

kitsapFG, thanks for the reminder!

Michelle, I hadn't thought of that. It's entirely possible. I'll keep growing them out until I get to rename them.