Chris McLaughlin's Blog

Posted by Chris McLaughlin

If you're like me, you won't be able to keep your hands (or mind) from doing something in the garden even in the cold, rain, sleet, or snow. After all the cold months signal the end of the growing season, right?

I've heard people say that there's no gardening in the fall or winter. Everything is going to die off and become a muddy, depressing mess. I have to admit that this is probably going to happen at some point - but not just yet. Fall isn't the time to throw in the towel - far from it.

Just when it seems that there's no time left to grow vegetables, you'll discover there's more to plant than you think. Fall is the time to plant the cold-loving veggies that we'll get to serve at the Christmas table. Veggies such as lettuce, broccoli, peas, kale, spinach, cauliflower, beets, and radishes. You can still get carrots in, although they may not be ready for the holidays.

In mild areas there are winter tomatoes (seriously) that are planted at the end of September and can be harvested in December. The onions and garlic need to be planted for a spring and early summer harvest. In many zones, potatoes can grow nearly year-round.

There may be beds that are resting and are left bare for the winter. Perfect; now's the time to add some nutritional goodies such as compost or dried leaves to the garden for the next planting season. If you don't have a compost pile going - make one. Find every piece of organic waste (except meat, dairy, and dog or cat poop) and toss it all together in a pile. Keep the pile aerated and damp. Next spring you'll have some rich soil of your own to work with during the major growing season.

Order your hibernating blue mason bees and their nests now. Hang them up and when they awaken in the spring it'll be right over your garden; just in time to pollinate your vegetables and fruits. Speaking of fruits, it's time to break out the garden catalogs. Peruse them for any fruit trees or shrubs that you may want in your garden next season. You'll want to order them soon so they can be planted bare-rooted in December or January.

While you have the garden catalogs by your big, comfy chair circle any seeds that you'd like to try next year - and don't forget pick a variety you've never heard of. Get online and discover new seed companies. Don't skip the garden tools page this time. Make your own Christmas list of garden goodies that you may not purchase for yourself.

Clean and sharpen your tools then put them in the garden shed. Add that garden bed you were pining for in the summer when you needed more room. Make a simple green house or cover a veggie bed with a row cover. Make a cold frame so you can grow things longer and start things sooner. Start a vegetable garden journal. Don't just list the plants - draw them with colored pencils.

No gardening in the fall and winter, you say? I beg to differ.

Posted by Chris McLaughlin

So, what's great about rabbits? Rabbits are one of the most interesting and useful mammals I have ever had the pleasure of interacting with.

Rabbits are kept as livestock for some, both for meat and their wool or fur. They are the most popular, however, as pets and for showing.

Rabbits are easy to care for and can be kept by nearly anyone in any situation. At one point, another breeder and I were raising American Fuzzy Lops, and the Japanese were crazy for them!

We shipped many of these little guys to their new homes in Japan because rabbits are kept there very easily as pets.

I've had the pleasure of only raising and showing rabbits for sixteen years as well as rehabbed wild rabbits and hares. I can tell you that these furry little guys are addicting.

Some people keep them outdoors, some indoors. Some rabbits are huge and some are smaller than a guinea pig. If you look around, you'll find more rabbit breeds than you ever knew existed.

Rabbits can be shy and offish, but usually that is a reflection of how often they are handled and given attention. They do have distinct personalities and they do play with toys. They can also live longer than a lot marriages - 7-10 years.

Some people enjoy viewing wild rabbits and hares, some enjoy keeping the domestic variety, but whatever the case, people remain fascinated with them.

Come in and find out why your pet rabbit can't breed with a wild one if he gets loose in Rabbit Reproduction. Find out if a rabbit is a rodent or not in The Difference Between Rodents and Lagomorphs. What makes angora wool special? Read Raising Angora Rabbits for Wool. Learn more about rabbit health in Wool Block in Rabbits and Myxomatosis: The Rabbit Killer.

Come learn about rabbits - wild and not so wild in Mammals at Suite 101.

Posted by Chris McLaughlin

It's time for a clean slate. Time for everybody to make all those exercising, and habit-breaking promises once again. While you're at it, do the inside of you a big favor and spend some time outdoors. Give your mind and soul a little work out by discovering something new about the wild creatures that share your little corner of the world.

I know it's cold - but really breathe it in. It's also crisp, and refreshing right? So, get outside!

Need a nudge? Check out How to Track Animals and How to Cast Animals Tracks. You can visit state parks or wildlife sanctuaries like Wildlife Viewing on Mount Diablo. You can also learn how to bring wildlife closer by reading How to Build a Blind For Wildlife Viewing.

May your year goes exactly the way you envision it, and then some.

Chris

Posted by Chris McLaughlin

In 1990, my husband bought me a one-year-old pot bellied pig for Mother's Day. Her name was Priscilla, and her original owners couldn't keep her anymore. I was smitten from the first moment I laid eyes on her. Priscilla caught on quickly to anything we showed her including sitting, sitting up on her haunches, and shaking hands with us.

She slept on her own skinny mattress complete with pillow, and blanket. We would say goodnight, tuck her in and she stayed there until we came down the stairs in the morning. She honked at the door indicating when she needed to go potty, and walked with a harness and leash. To our surprise, she didn't have any odor and was cleaner than my dogs.

I talk to people who consider pigs homely, however, Priscilla ('Ditta'), was anything but. She had a darling personality and we tried to bring people closer by making her irresistible. We shared her tricks, and smarts with everyone and tied a little pink bow on the coarse hair at the end of her tail - which seemed to never stop wagging. She became quite the ambassador for pot bellies to anyone I knew.

Ditta lived in 5 different homes with us, spreading smiles at each one. There were always knitted eyebrows, and confusion as to why someone would, 'have one of those as a pet'. But that always changed to understanding, and a desire to own one for themselves. Along the way, we rescued another piggy named, Charlotte, who (as it turned out, was a boy) we renamed, Charles.

In Priscilla's 16th summer, she started having trouble getting up. Her health deteriorated quickly, and the decision was made to relieve her of her pain. At the end of the summer of 2007, Priscilla was put to rest at home with us, her human family of 15 years. I have always appreciated the affection she brought, and her tolerance as we learned about caring for her. She was one-in-a-million to our family.

Since then I have rescued a couple of piggies and placed them in permanant homes, which has made me so happy, as these guys have their own place in my heart. If you would like to know more about pot bellied pigs check out How To Care For a Pot Bellied Pig and The Intelligent Pig.

Posted by Chris McLaughlin

There's something wonderful about the little guys. From tiny dogs like teacup chihuahuas, and palm-size poodles to miniature cows, and horses, Americans like 'em bred small.

Maybe it's because being smaller, they are finally within reach of people who own only an acre or two of land (or less). Maybe it's because their doll-house-size selves remind us of both animal, as well as people babies - which makes us just want to squeeze the dicken's out of them. Whatever it is, we can't think of enough things to shrink.

I recently ran into a wonderful breed of pig that is fairly new to the United States, the Kune kune. They were imported here from New Zealand and have a super reputation for being people, and pasture-friendly. I had the pleasure of talking to a Kune breeder in Southern California, and here's what I found out.

Check out the Kune kunes.

Chris