We decided to plant sweet potatoes on a whim this past spring. I saw some seedlings and couldn’t resist! I had no idea how to grow them other than I knew they needed soft, loose soil to grow. So into our garden box they went. I was skeptical as time when on because the plants grew great but when I dug around the root systems, I really didn’t see any potential potatoes. Now, a few weeks ago, I decided to just dig up the plants and call it a loss. Look what we found!!
Home Life
Have a great weekend!
I hope you get outside this weekend. Let nature refresh you. I will be camping with this guy… and this pup! Keep in mind that it is the anniversary of 9/11, so lets make sure to reflect on our blessings and remember those that lost their lives during this event.
Duke is our 12 year old Irish Setter. His old bones still get him through and he loves to go on trips!
For those that have older dogs, you may find that they tend to get really arthritic as they age. Duke was getting to the point that he could hardly get up and limped around everywhere. Our vet suggested Adequin (spelling?), which is an injection that plumps up his cartilage. She said it may or may not work, but the research behind it is good. We have had him on it for about 2 months now, first getting an injection every week and now every other week. He is a new dog. He hops up without hesitation and though is mobility is not like when he was a puppy, he gets around really well. The difference is amazing. So if your dog has the same issues as mine, ask your vet about it. It’s well worth the money!
Retire-what??
This may seem like a weird topic for me to write about but it is super important for the well rounded person who cares about their future – RETIREMENT. It’s on my mind because I went to an informational talk about my job’s retirement benefits today, but honestly, I am obsessed with Personal Finance right now, so it’s always on my mind. I can’t get enough of learning about investments and wealth strategies that will provide security and freedom in my future. How beautiful is that concept? FREEDOM!
I’m really passionate about this topic because you wouldn’t believe how many people blow off planning for retirement (or just having good wealth habits). I believe it is not even entirely on purpose, but just a lack of knowledge. Personal finance is REALLY intimidating… all this talk about mutual funds and brokerage accounts, seems foreign to the average young adult. Someone please tell me why this is not taught as a subject in high school! It is huge tragedy! People graduate high school, get school loans which immediately put them at average $30K in debt, and are never taught proper money management so they are racking up credit card debt, and not opening retirement accounts. What a way to begin our bright futures!
Little Hen! Little Eggs!
Bobby and I are so proud of our little lady! We got her as just a little baby and she laid her first egg last week! I didn’t realize she was old enough, honestly, but I did notice her acting a little out of the ordinary. She began hanging around this secluded area in the coop and I just got that feeling like only mom’s can get… so I put a little hay in that area and she laid her first egg about two days later. I was collecting about an egg a day for a week! She later moved inside the coop to lay her eggs, so now she has the cutest little nest.
Our chickens are the little Bantam chickens and are like mini-me’s, so the eggs are pretty small. Now that we collected enough for a good breakfast, we got brave and tried them! It’s a little weird for me when I try to eat something new I grew or in this case, raised. I don’t know why – she is healthy and eats organic food and the eggs look normal, but I was still being kind of a chicken (pun-intended) about it.
Well, we decided to take the plunge and they were delicious! Tasted totally normal, and had a nice rich flavor. We are big animal softies, so I feel so much better about eating eggs from a chicken that I know has a great life. If anyone reading this has access to local farm fresh eggs, I would highly encourage you to support them! I can’t even think about commercial chicken houses without getting very upset, especially now that I have some of my own. So I hope you get out there and support happy healthy chickens!
Toes in the water, *** in the sand… life is good today
Everyone, meet Harley – my Diamondback Terrapin. I have had him since he was a hatchling and he is most definitely the friendliest turtle on the planet! He is always coming up to see me, and if you put your hand in the water, he will literally swim into your hand. Un
believable. That’s a trick I taught him when I would feed him in a separate bowl. If you ever have trouble with your turtle eating, that’s a good method to teach him to eat at certain times and to focus on the food. It also keeps the water cleaner!
I took this picture because Harley loves to bask all day, and it’s funny because he always has a toe dipped in the water while he basks. Animals are not all that different than people sometimes! I love this turtle and he is hilarious, so you will be seeing many more posts featuring Harley.
Have a great day!
Chloe
It’s the little things…
I just love Crape Myrtles this time of year. Especially ones with white blooms. When their 
blooms are full force, their tiny little flowers fall like snow, slowly falling through the air and creating a pretty white groundcover underneath the tree. I know they are more of a southern landscaping tree, but they are so beautiful and hold tons of wildlife! I have seen more hummingbirds fly in and out of these trees than any other, and they are always full of bees! Look closely and you can see the happy little bee on the top side of the bloom (below).
Best, Chloe
everydaybiologist.com 