Intuitive Value: April 2012

Introduction

Introduction: Mapping Out a Plan for the Rest of My Life and Enjoying the Journey

My Golden Years are an extension of the life I have lived up to retirement which began on December 1, 2011. I have organized this blog to include the top ten relevant topics shown below in the right side column in General Topics. Just click on one and you will see all that I have written on that topic. Click on the Most Current tab for chronological order of all entries.

I have addressed each topic in no particular order other than what is currently on my mind on the day I am posting. I started each topic by describing where I was when I began this blog and then exploring the possibilities of progression and any goals that I would like to meet. After that, I write about the path to reach that goal as it happens. Sometimes I just write about what is happening now.

I welcome any comments and questions either on this blog or email as I travel these paths and hope to share my growth with interested persons who may find some common elements in their own path to the rest of their life. I hope to use my skills as an appraiser for nearly 30 years to continue to observe different perspectives on a subject and reconcile into a conclusion that is of value to me. Please join me whenever you like. Email notice of new posts is no longer available so just bookmark the address.

The Blog Archive tool is helpful to find posts by year. Of most importance to me is the confidence developed in my intuitive skills over the years and it is that part of my character I am trusting to define value in my life. I believe change can be good and I can be enriched by believing in my true self using my intuition. The analytical part of my life no longer has a financial grip and I can let go of what absolutely made sense at the time in favor of what feels right now. I have done a lot of work since this blog began in 2011 and I hope you will join me as I explore this approach in My Golden Years.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Master Gardener Training 2012

I have wanted to be a part of this program since it began in our county about five years ago. Up until this year, there were scheduling conflicts for the twice weekly classes for me competing with my job. When I was able to take time off work, there were not enough other interested people to hold the classes. So this year it all came together and I am very happy to be a part of this Personal Growth experience! Once I have become a Master Gardener, I will have many related experiences to blog about in Community and Friends in addition to Home and Landscape and Outdoor Activities. I hope viewers will want to come back time and again to my blog and see how I have 'grown' in other areas of my life related to this training.

The Training Schedule's Topics are taught by instructors associated with the University of Missouri - Columbia. Each class is 3-4 hours with a total of 30 required hours. It began March 26th with Orientation and Social Time. The topics include:

Plant Growth & Development
Fruit Production
Soils/Plant Nutrition
Woody Ornamentals/Trees
Hobby Greenhouses & Water Management & Tool Care
Turf grass
Entomology
Annual & Perennial Flowers
Plant Diagnostics/Diseases
Vegetable Production

The Graduation will be on May 3rd with a lunch. At this time, I have three more classes to attend. There is much printed materials given out in addition to power-point presentations of which copies are provided. It is a great opportunity to have instructors in their field of expertise from MU.

The mission of the Master Gardener Program is to provide horticultural information and training to the gardening public, based on University of Missouri research specific to the local climate, soils and plants.

The mission of University of Missouri Extension is to serve the citizens of Missouri by extending research-based knowledge and problem-solving resources to people throughout the state.

Upon completion of the core course, the Trainee must then provide 30 hours of community volunteer service related to 10 different established projects. These projects include the following topics:

Community, School, Church Landscapes/Gardens/Beautification
Development and Administrative Activities
Elderly Activities
General Public Assistance/Consultation
Garden Shows/Farmer's Markets/Fairs/Other Booths
Horticulture Answer Service (includes time to research questions)
Master Gardener Meetings
News Articles/Newsletter
Teaching (including preparation time)/Workshops/Short Courses
Youth Activities

After the core course and 30 hours community service is completed the first year, the Trainee becomes a Certified Missouri Master Gardener volunteer. To remain an Active Master Gardener, at least 20 hours of volunteer service is done each year along with 6-hours Continuing Education. The Inactive Master Gardener has only to complete the active requirements and be approved to be invited to special events and receive the newsletters again. After ten years, Emeritus status will be granted and volunteer hours will no longer be required but he or she will be invited to all activities and to attend any continuing education programs offered to Master Gardeners.

For addition information:

State Master Gardener Website which includes the Core Manual - www.extension.missouri.edu/mg/

Hickory County Extension Website - www.extension.missouri.edu/hickory

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Iowa Trip 2012 - Spring

On April 14th, both Keith's and my Iowa families got together at the Green Lantern in Decatur, Nebraska for dinner. It was a time to celebrate my brother Ed's birthday too! In this photo from left to right: Joe, Joanne, Charlotte, Lottie, Keith, Beti, Ed, Dianna

Keith, Joe, Joanne, Lottie, Charlotte

Lottie's Home in Onawa

Keith and I stopped by the courthouse in Onawa to see my old friends Jolene, Dawn, and Vicky who have all been working there together for 25-30 years. We talked about the upcoming 40th West Monona High School Reunion coming in July 2012. It is good to see old friends and later Keith and I stopped by to see Jolene and her family.

Beti and Jolene at Jolene & Al's house in Onawa

Jolene's daughter, Jenny, and her daughter and doggie

Jolene's partner, Al, and her son-in-law

Jolene and Keith

An added surprise to our trip to see family was when Keith tried to contact his Uncle Clarence in Sioux City. Iowa. He was the only member of the paternal side that had contact with Keith up until this trip. Keith met his Aunt Mae for the first time while looking for Uncle Clarence who could not be found at this time. It was a wonderful experience!

Keith with his Aunt Mae

A very happy ending to a very successful Family Time!

Dam Walk 2012 - Spring

There is nothing like that first walk in the Spring to see nature come back to life! Although we had the warmest winter in recorded history, the Spring of 2012 was no less beautiful with all the new early plants to enjoy on a warm afternoon. This particular day had temperatures in the upper 80's which was not normal but definitely there to enjoy. My favorite place to walk near my home is in the Outlet Park of Lake Pomme de Terre. I like to refer to it as my Dam Walk as it is 3 miles of trail along the river below the dam that impounds the lake. In the above photo, the river is low as the spring rains have not yet begun. When they do, the dam fills up and then the Army Corps of Engineers opens the dam and allows the waters to flow. Later on the river will cover the islands shown here and move very swiftly.

Here are some beautiful things I found on this spring walk:

Wild Sweet William

Dryad's Saddle Mushrooms (edible)

Blue-eyed Mary

Dogwood Trees

Dogwood Blossoms

Moral Mushroom

A successful walk today!

Garden 2012 - Spring

This has started out to be an unusual spring just coming off the warmest winter in history. Of course, we began our garden early starting with cleaning up from last year which was done early in March.

We have not needed to till the soil for years as the added mulch each year has made that process unnecessary. All we had to do was pull any weeds and remove. That process alone works up the soil to where small hand tools and a hoe were all that are needed to smooth out the surface. At this point, the gardens are now ready for rabbit manure. We found a pick-up load advertised on Craig's list for $30; an incredible deal! We also met some very nice people in Lebanon and hopefully a potential future source for more manure.

While we waited for the right time to plant the early cold crops, the landscape was coming alive with color as well as neighboring wildlife.

Hyacinths

Redbud trees

Curious George the Groundhog was at our Lower Level door wanting us to get started on our garden!

Sorry, George. You will just have to wait until the time is right and NOT eat more than your share of the veggies! He is a friendly little fellow and not shy.

There are other things going on before the first planting of the garden such as fly-fishing and hunting for moral mushrooms.

First Rainbow Trout 2012 at Bennett Springs, MO

My first day fishing early March

It was a good first day Mr. Moral Man!

Yummy moral mushrooms, toad-in-the-hole, and clementines

By Easter morning April 8th, we had some early radishes and lettuce ready to eat and a second planting done. Some other veggies that were planted and are coming up were spinach, green onions, beets, kale and leeks. Some herbs that came up from last year include cilantro, thyme, oregano, lemon balm, mint, and sage.

Now is the time to wait to plant the vegetable sets between the rains. Our last frost date was April 15th. By this time, we have almost all of the top garden planted in early cold-tolerant crops, the 2nd garden is empty and will likely have the pepper plants and tomatoes. The 3rd garden has onions so far and the rest is yet to be determined; maybe corn and squash. The lower 4th garden is all in marigolds from last year. I have already thinned them out and transplanted the excess all over as the marigold is a natural bug-repellent.

First major harvest was on April 15th after much rain. Here we have Mesclun Lettuce, Spinach and French Breakfast Radishes. Lots of salad for the week!

Here are some other early blooms in the yard:

Alyssum and Lavender by the driveway and Red Honeysuckle vines just blooming on the trellis around my swing.

Japanese Maple, Hostas, English Ivy, and newly planted last year's creeping Thyme on the front walkway.

So now I'm jumping ahead to June and taking photos of the gardens a couple months later.

So now in June, the vegetable gardens are full except the top one which has been full and enjoyed! Now it has kale, basil, leeks, and rosemary. We will plant some more for fall in August.