Climbing tortoises

I caught Spud climbing out of his enclosure the other day. I walked into the living room and saw him hanging half over the edge of his enclosure. If he hadn’t had a foot in the chicken wire over the top he would have been on the floor.

The Spouse built the enclosure. It has walls 12 inches high and has had 1/2 green-coated chicken wire over the top, which we put there to keep the cats out. I didn’t think he would be able to get out. That’s what I get for thinking.

Sprouts

Found a geranium sprout:

And several lavender sprouts:

while working in the yard yesterday. I’m going to give them a little more time to develop and then move them to where I do want them.

Used my sheep shears for the first time on this plant:

You can get it to bloom a second time if you dead head it and the shears are perfect for that.

This plant, after 2 years of settling in, is finally taking off. I really like it as a ground cover. I’m going to have to figure out how to propagate it; the place where I got it doesn’t have it right now.

Bread again

Made honey oat bread again. I guess I need to give up and bake it loaf pans next time. I’m just reluctant to have bread that I’ve made look like something I got at the store. Needs to be good for something besides just eating it, although eating it is pretty darn good.

Another mad scientist day

Spent the day working on etching some metal for rings. I did the artwork last week. Today was spent doing the photoresist. That bit took quite a while. As with everything else, I didn’t get it right the first time.But I’m nothing it not persistent and the third time applying the resist finally came out with workable images. I’m now in the process of actually etching.

The whole procedure certainly makes me feel like a mad scientist, or at least a crazy chemist. A heavy apron, protective goggle and rubber gloves, measuring and mixing solutions, hooking up hoses and pumps, rinsing and re-rinsing. Makes for a busy day.

Now all I can do is hope they come out OK. Fingers crossed.