Liz Writes Life
June 30, 2021
Garden update
Yep, it is hot! But as long as the plants have water they are
growing by leaps and bounds. It is time to fertilize, again, with the Hawaiian
Buds and Blooms this week. I weeded everything in the vegetable garden, last
week, and will need to do it again later this week. Doesn’t take long for the
weeds to grow, when they get water too – from the soaker hoses!
My gardening is always an adventure and I had a surprise last
Wednesday. I just happened to look out my bedroom window about 4 p.m. and a
scrawny yearling deer was climbing through the boards in the garden fence. He
or she has been hanging around the place here by itself. One doe just had twins
and another doe was hit by a car three weeks ago on Hwy 3 and died. So, I don’t
know what is up with this one.
I actually felt sorry for the poor thing, but was not about
to let it eat the tomato or other vegetable plants. It did get a few bites of a
foot-tall amaranth and much taller hollyhock. So, I opened one garden gate and
went through the opposite gate to calmly try to push it out. It missed the gate
opening several times and then jumped and cleared the six-and-a-half-foot tall
fence! (The top two feet is just several lines of wire.) Whew, at least it was
out – without a wreck.
So, what should I do to make the garden deer-proof? And how
much money would I have to spend? I am cheap.
Last fall, one doe was walking up on the porch, jumping in
the garden; then, after munching, jumping back over the short-railing onto the
porch and out. I watched her do it one day – it was full daylight! Most of the
garden was done. I had canned and given away most of the tomatoes, so I let her
eat. But, I knew I would have a deer problem sometime this summer.
After thinking and thinking and sleeping on it, the next
morning I remembered some large one-inch squared plastic netting I had
purchased at least 10 years ago. Hum? It has been folded-up and laying outside
the garage in the weather, so I was quite shocked when it looked like it was
worth using. It had been 100-feet long and eight feet wide, but was now in
several shorter lengths from previous uses.
Took me about two hours to get it up about half-way around
the garden fence, which was quite fast for this old gal. At least I thought it
was fast.
Being thrifty, I found the orange baling twine I picked up
from Highway 3 (fell off a rancher’s pickup), cut it into smaller pieces and
used it to tie-up the plastic netting to posts and boards and even the wires. I
have a nice little two-step stool that worked perfect to safely reach the
higher places, since I am height-challenged!
The next day, I was able to purchase much smaller-squared
netting that is also 100 feet long, but only seven-feet wide. And, it took another
two-hours to get this up around the rest of the fence -- on Saturday morning. I
left extra at both ends, so I can barricade the porch from deer entry!
Gotta say, I am pleased to have accomplished this task in
just a few days. It doesn’t look pretty, but if it works I don’t care what it
looks like. After all, I am proudly a Redneck!
So that is my garden saga from last week!
Drought is bad
A friend sent me a notice from the State Water Resources
Control Board about a public meeting that will be held, tomorrow, July 1, 2021
regarding drought actions that could be implemented in the Scott River and
Shasta River watersheds.
The meeting is from 2 to 4 p.m. and can be attended using
zoom through the internet. A quorum of the State Water Board may be present at
the meeting. However, no State Water Board action will be taken. But, management
plans will certainly be put forward. To join the zoom meeting, go to the Water
Board website and do a search.
This is an ongoing situation. On June 1, 2021, the State
Water Board issued Notices of Water Unavailability to 102 diverters in the
Scott River watershed. On June 15, 2021, California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
sent a letter to the State Water Board that recommended drought minimum
instream flows for the Scott River and Shasta. CDFW also requested the State
Water Board adopt emergency regulations. Nope, this is not good.
On June 25, 2021, CDRW sent another letter about the low
flows in both rivers.
So, the State Water Board is assessing a number of actions
that may be taken to address water shortages in the watersheds, including
funding for water conservation or efficiency projects, temporary urgency
changes, use of instream flow dedications under Water Code section 1707,
forbearance, a drought emergency regulation, and increased enforcement.
Back on May 10, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom extended the
drought State of Emergency to cover 41 counties. He cited critical low flows in
locations, including the Klamath Basin. Stats show that the annual precipitation
levels are half of normal across much of the Klamath Basin and that includes
Shasta and Scott Valleys.
You can bet our county is working on the issue. But, the
state agencies are going to be making mandates and soon.
May peace
and calm be with you this week. Smile – just cuz it makes you feel better!
Liz Bowen
began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a
native of Siskiyou County and lives near Callahan. Columns from the past can be
found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.
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