SWMBO is heavily into gardening. In fact, part of her job entails
running a greenhouse. She often brings home cuttings, seeds, etc.
so I wasn't surprised to see some 6" long seed pods sitting on the
table by the front door last Saturday morning.

I was in the kitchen on Sunday when I heard some strange noises from
the living room, like somebody had thrown marbles or something -
tick-ting-tap. I looked into the living room but didn't see anything.
SWMBO was upstairs, so I figured she must have made the noise.

A few minutes later I heard the noise again, this time louder, with
even more of the tick-ting-tapping.

When I went into the living room and looked more closely, I found
that all of pods had split in 2. Parts of the pods were on the floor
and some of the seeds were 6 - 8 *feet* away from the table. The
noises I heard were the seeds being shot into a lamp, a closet door,
etc. Each seed was about the size of an M&M.

I called SWMBO down and when she saw what had happened she got all
giddy. "Isn't nature wonderful? They must have thought the warm
house meant that it was spring. The pods exploded and shot out their
seeds."

Based on the location of some of seeds, it was obvious that a couple
had flown right over the recliner that I usually sit in. I could
have been killed! ;-)

I gotta admit, it was pretty cool. I just wish I had actually seen it
happen.

On 3/21/2016 12:07 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
SWMBO is heavily into gardening. In fact, part of her job entails
running a greenhouse. She often brings home cuttings, seeds, etc.
so I wasn't surprised to see some 6" long seed pods sitting on the
table by the front door last Saturday morning.

I was in the kitchen on Sunday when I heard some strange noises from
the living room, like somebody had thrown marbles or something -
tick-ting-tap. I looked into the living room but didn't see anything.
SWMBO was upstairs, so I figured she must have made the noise.

A few minutes later I heard the noise again, this time louder, with
even more of the tick-ting-tapping.

When I went into the living room and looked more closely, I found
that all of pods had split in 2. Parts of the pods were on the floor
and some of the seeds were 6 - 8 *feet* away from the table. The
noises I heard were the seeds being shot into a lamp, a closet door,
etc. Each seed was about the size of an M&M.

I called SWMBO down and when she saw what had happened she got all
giddy. "Isn't nature wonderful? They must have thought the warm
house meant that it was spring. The pods exploded and shot out their
seeds."

Based on the location of some of seeds, it was obvious that a couple
had flown right over the recliner that I usually sit in. I could
have been killed! ;-)

I gotta admit, it was pretty cool. I just wish I had actually seen it
happen.


I love gardening! Last November I planted beets in my raised beds, built
a frame over it and covered it with plastic. I watered it about once
every couple of weeks. Despite it being pretty cold at times, the beets
grew and now that it's spring I opened the cover to let air in, but kept
it directly over the top to shield it from heavy weather. I'm getting
beet roots now, about 2 months earlier than I would have if I planted
them in the spring. It was just an experiment, but might be something I
can do every fall.

--
Maggie

On Monday, March 21, 2016 at 1:45:55 PM UTC-4, Muggles wrote:
On 3/21/2016 12:07 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
SWMBO is heavily into gardening. In fact, part of her job entails
running a greenhouse. She often brings home cuttings, seeds, etc.
so I wasn't surprised to see some 6" long seed pods sitting on the
table by the front door last Saturday morning.

I was in the kitchen on Sunday when I heard some strange noises from
the living room, like somebody had thrown marbles or something -
tick-ting-tap. I looked into the living room but didn't see anything.
SWMBO was upstairs, so I figured she must have made the noise.

A few minutes later I heard the noise again, this time louder, with
even more of the tick-ting-tapping.

When I went into the living room and looked more closely, I found
that all of pods had split in 2. Parts of the pods were on the floor
and some of the seeds were 6 - 8 *feet* away from the table. The
noises I heard were the seeds being shot into a lamp, a closet door,
etc. Each seed was about the size of an M&M.

I called SWMBO down and when she saw what had happened she got all
giddy. "Isn't nature wonderful? They must have thought the warm
house meant that it was spring. The pods exploded and shot out their
seeds."

Based on the location of some of seeds, it was obvious that a couple
had flown right over the recliner that I usually sit in. I could
have been killed! ;-)

I gotta admit, it was pretty cool. I just wish I had actually seen it
happen.


I love gardening! Last November I planted beets in my raised beds, built
a frame over it and covered it with plastic. I watered it about once
every couple of weeks. Despite it being pretty cold at times, the beets
grew and now that it's spring I opened the cover to let air in, but kept
it directly over the top to shield it from heavy weather. I'm getting
beet roots now, about 2 months earlier than I would have if I planted
them in the spring. It was just an experiment, but might be something I
can do every fall.

--
Maggie

Well, you basically built a greenhouse. The one my wife runs is *huge*,
with automatic ventilation, a 4 zone timed watering system, etc. It's
part of a day-hab for special needs adults, located on a county owned
farm. People with special needs, farm animals and plants. SWMBO's passions.

The seedlings for the annual plant sale fund raiser are ready for sale.
The special needs adults help her in the green house and in turn the
proceeds from the sale can be used for "extras" around the day-hab,
outside of what the state provides as part of their care - in other
words, fun stuff.

On 3/21/2016 1:00 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Monday, March 21, 2016 at 1:45:55 PM UTC-4, Muggles wrote:
On 3/21/2016 12:07 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
SWMBO is heavily into gardening. In fact, part of her job entails
running a greenhouse. She often brings home cuttings, seeds, etc.
so I wasn't surprised to see some 6" long seed pods sitting on the
table by the front door last Saturday morning.

I was in the kitchen on Sunday when I heard some strange noises from
the living room, like somebody had thrown marbles or something -
tick-ting-tap. I looked into the living room but didn't see anything.
SWMBO was upstairs, so I figured she must have made the noise.

A few minutes later I heard the noise again, this time louder, with
even more of the tick-ting-tapping.

When I went into the living room and looked more closely, I found
that all of pods had split in 2. Parts of the pods were on the floor
and some of the seeds were 6 - 8 *feet* away from the table. The
noises I heard were the seeds being shot into a lamp, a closet door,
etc. Each seed was about the size of an M&M.

I called SWMBO down and when she saw what had happened she got all
giddy. "Isn't nature wonderful? They must have thought the warm
house meant that it was spring. The pods exploded and shot out their
seeds."

Based on the location of some of seeds, it was obvious that a couple
had flown right over the recliner that I usually sit in. I could
have been killed! ;-)

I gotta admit, it was pretty cool. I just wish I had actually seen it
happen.


I love gardening! Last November I planted beets in my raised beds, built
a frame over it and covered it with plastic. I watered it about once
every couple of weeks. Despite it being pretty cold at times, the beets
grew and now that it's spring I opened the cover to let air in, but kept
it directly over the top to shield it from heavy weather. I'm getting
beet roots now, about 2 months earlier than I would have if I planted
them in the spring. It was just an experiment, but might be something I
can do every fall.


Well, you basically built a greenhouse. The one my wife runs is *huge*,
with automatic ventilation, a 4 zone timed watering system, etc. It's
part of a day-hab for special needs adults, located on a county owned
farm. People with special needs, farm animals and plants. SWMBO's passions.

aweee ... We're building a small greenhouse, but winter stopped its
construction. It'll be a solar greenhouse when finished.

The seedlings for the annual plant sale fund raiser are ready for sale.
The special needs adults help her in the green house and in turn the
proceeds from the sale can be used for "extras" around the day-hab,
outside of what the state provides as part of their care - in other
words, fun stuff.


hmmm Sounds great? Do they have a website?

--
Maggie

On Monday, March 21, 2016 at 2:13:34 PM UTC-4, Muggles wrote:
On 3/21/2016 1:00 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Monday, March 21, 2016 at 1:45:55 PM UTC-4, Muggles wrote:
On 3/21/2016 12:07 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
SWMBO is heavily into gardening. In fact, part of her job entails
running a greenhouse. She often brings home cuttings, seeds, etc.
so I wasn't surprised to see some 6" long seed pods sitting on the
table by the front door last Saturday morning.

I was in the kitchen on Sunday when I heard some strange noises from
the living room, like somebody had thrown marbles or something -
tick-ting-tap. I looked into the living room but didn't see anything.
SWMBO was upstairs, so I figured she must have made the noise.

A few minutes later I heard the noise again, this time louder, with
even more of the tick-ting-tapping.

When I went into the living room and looked more closely, I found
that all of pods had split in 2. Parts of the pods were on the floor
and some of the seeds were 6 - 8 *feet* away from the table. The
noises I heard were the seeds being shot into a lamp, a closet door,
etc. Each seed was about the size of an M&M.

I called SWMBO down and when she saw what had happened she got all
giddy. "Isn't nature wonderful? They must have thought the warm
house meant that it was spring. The pods exploded and shot out their
seeds."

Based on the location of some of seeds, it was obvious that a couple
had flown right over the recliner that I usually sit in. I could
have been killed! ;-)

I gotta admit, it was pretty cool. I just wish I had actually seen it
happen.


I love gardening! Last November I planted beets in my raised beds, built
a frame over it and covered it with plastic. I watered it about once
every couple of weeks. Despite it being pretty cold at times, the beets
grew and now that it's spring I opened the cover to let air in, but kept
it directly over the top to shield it from heavy weather. I'm getting
beet roots now, about 2 months earlier than I would have if I planted
them in the spring. It was just an experiment, but might be something I
can do every fall.


Well, you basically built a greenhouse. The one my wife runs is *huge*,
with automatic ventilation, a 4 zone timed watering system, etc. It's
part of a day-hab for special needs adults, located on a county owned
farm. People with special needs, farm animals and plants. SWMBO's passions.

aweee ... We're building a small greenhouse, but winter stopped its
construction. It'll be a solar greenhouse when finished.

The seedlings for the annual plant sale fund raiser are ready for sale.
The special needs adults help her in the green house and in turn the
proceeds from the sale can be used for "extras" around the day-hab,
outside of what the state provides as part of their care - in other
words, fun stuff.


hmmm Sounds great? Do they have a website?

--
Maggie

It all depends on who "they" are.

The farm is owned by the county but operated by a private company that
receives money from the state to run group homes and day-habs. To make
it even messier, some of the animals (mostly the cows, but others as
well) are owned by a *different* private company that operates the working dairy farm owned the company that SWMBO works for.

SWMBO gets to use as much cow manure as she needs from the dairy farm for
the green house and gardens even though technically the poop is owned by
the company that operates the dairy farm, not the company that she works
for.

In addition, some of the animals owned by the dairy farm share pens with the
county owned animals in the petting zoo that is operated by the company my
wife works for. We might as well toss in the "loaner" animals that local
farmers lend to the petting zoo, like the spare goat, a few chickens, and
some horses every now and then. Got all that?

As much as I think I understand the weird conglomeration of interested
parties, I'm never sure who owns what and is loaning animals to who.

What is really cool is the fully automated milking barn. The cows know
when they need to be milked and they go wait in line to enter an area
that holds them still while a robotic milking machine finds their utter,
attaches itself and milks them. Each cow is tagged and the system tests
the milk before adding it to the main storage tank. If the milk is bad,
it gets stored separately and someone is notified as to which cow it came
from. There are 2 continuously running slow-motion manure scrapers which
move the manure to each end of the building. The cows just step over as it
comes by.

On Mon, 21 Mar 2016 10:07:55 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote:

SWMBO is heavily into gardening. In fact, part of her job entails
running a greenhouse. She often brings home cuttings, seeds, etc.
so I wasn't surprised to see some 6" long seed pods sitting on the
table by the front door last Saturday morning.

I was in the kitchen on Sunday when I heard some strange noises from
the living room, like somebody had thrown marbles or something -
tick-ting-tap. I looked into the living room but didn't see anything.
SWMBO was upstairs, so I figured she must have made the noise.

A few minutes later I heard the noise again, this time louder, with
even more of the tick-ting-tapping.

When I went into the living room and looked more closely, I found
that all of pods had split in 2. Parts of the pods were on the floor
and some of the seeds were 6 - 8 *feet* away from the table. The
noises I heard were the seeds being shot into a lamp, a closet door,
etc. Each seed was about the size of an M&M.

I called SWMBO down and when she saw what had happened she got all
giddy. "Isn't nature wonderful? They must have thought the warm
house meant that it was spring. The pods exploded and shot out their
seeds."

Based on the location of some of seeds, it was obvious that a couple
had flown right over the recliner that I usually sit in. I could
have been killed! ;-)

I gotta admit, it was pretty cool. I just wish I had actually seen it
happen.

Nice story. So what plant were the seed pods from?

(You made me think of Mexican jumping beans

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nEcObP7wTQ

On 3/21/2016 2:09 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Monday, March 21, 2016 at 2:13:34 PM UTC-4, Muggles wrote:
On 3/21/2016 1:00 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Monday, March 21, 2016 at 1:45:55 PM UTC-4, Muggles wrote:
On 3/21/2016 12:07 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
SWMBO is heavily into gardening. In fact, part of her job entails
running a greenhouse. She often brings home cuttings, seeds, etc.
so I wasn't surprised to see some 6" long seed pods sitting on the
table by the front door last Saturday morning.

I was in the kitchen on Sunday when I heard some strange noises from
the living room, like somebody had thrown marbles or something -
tick-ting-tap. I looked into the living room but didn't see anything.
SWMBO was upstairs, so I figured she must have made the noise.

A few minutes later I heard the noise again, this time louder, with
even more of the tick-ting-tapping.

When I went into the living room and looked more closely, I found
that all of pods had split in 2. Parts of the pods were on the floor
and some of the seeds were 6 - 8 *feet* away from the table. The
noises I heard were the seeds being shot into a lamp, a closet door,
etc. Each seed was about the size of an M&M.

I called SWMBO down and when she saw what had happened she got all
giddy. "Isn't nature wonderful? They must have thought the warm
house meant that it was spring. The pods exploded and shot out their
seeds."

Based on the location of some of seeds, it was obvious that a couple
had flown right over the recliner that I usually sit in. I could
have been killed! ;-)

I gotta admit, it was pretty cool. I just wish I had actually seen it
happen.


I love gardening! Last November I planted beets in my raised beds, built
a frame over it and covered it with plastic. I watered it about once
every couple of weeks. Despite it being pretty cold at times, the beets
grew and now that it's spring I opened the cover to let air in, but kept
it directly over the top to shield it from heavy weather. I'm getting
beet roots now, about 2 months earlier than I would have if I planted
them in the spring. It was just an experiment, but might be something I
can do every fall.


Well, you basically built a greenhouse. The one my wife runs is *huge*,
with automatic ventilation, a 4 zone timed watering system, etc. It's
part of a day-hab for special needs adults, located on a county owned
farm. People with special needs, farm animals and plants. SWMBO's passions.

aweee ... We're building a small greenhouse, but winter stopped its
construction. It'll be a solar greenhouse when finished.

The seedlings for the annual plant sale fund raiser are ready for sale.
The special needs adults help her in the green house and in turn the
proceeds from the sale can be used for "extras" around the day-hab,
outside of what the state provides as part of their care - in other
words, fun stuff.


hmmm Sounds great? Do they have a website?

--
Maggie

It all depends on who "they" are.

The farm is owned by the county but operated by a private company that
receives money from the state to run group homes and day-habs. To make
it even messier, some of the animals (mostly the cows, but others as
well) are owned by a *different* private company that operates the working dairy farm owned the company that SWMBO works for.

SWMBO gets to use as much cow manure as she needs from the dairy farm for
the green house and gardens even though technically the poop is owned by
the company that operates the dairy farm, not the company that she works
for.

In addition, some of the animals owned by the dairy farm share pens with the
county owned animals in the petting zoo that is operated by the company my
wife works for. We might as well toss in the "loaner" animals that local
farmers lend to the petting zoo, like the spare goat, a few chickens, and
some horses every now and then. Got all that?

As much as I think I understand the weird conglomeration of interested
parties, I'm never sure who owns what and is loaning animals to who.

What is really cool is the fully automated milking barn. The cows know
when they need to be milked and they go wait in line to enter an area
that holds them still while a robotic milking machine finds their utter,
attaches itself and milks them. Each cow is tagged and the system tests
the milk before adding it to the main storage tank. If the milk is bad,
it gets stored separately and someone is notified as to which cow it came
from. There are 2 continuously running slow-motion manure scrapers which
move the manure to each end of the building. The cows just step over as it
comes by.


wow ... that sounds like a huge co-op!

--
Maggie

On Monday, March 21, 2016 at 3:20:24 PM UTC-4, Oren wrote:
On Mon, 21 Mar 2016 10:07:55 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote:

SWMBO is heavily into gardening. In fact, part of her job entails
running a greenhouse. She often brings home cuttings, seeds, etc.
so I wasn't surprised to see some 6" long seed pods sitting on the
table by the front door last Saturday morning.

I was in the kitchen on Sunday when I heard some strange noises from
the living room, like somebody had thrown marbles or something -
tick-ting-tap. I looked into the living room but didn't see anything.
SWMBO was upstairs, so I figured she must have made the noise.

A few minutes later I heard the noise again, this time louder, with
even more of the tick-ting-tapping.

When I went into the living room and looked more closely, I found
that all of pods had split in 2. Parts of the pods were on the floor
and some of the seeds were 6 - 8 *feet* away from the table. The
noises I heard were the seeds being shot into a lamp, a closet door,
etc. Each seed was about the size of an M&M.

I called SWMBO down and when she saw what had happened she got all
giddy. "Isn't nature wonderful? They must have thought the warm
house meant that it was spring. The pods exploded and shot out their
seeds."

Based on the location of some of seeds, it was obvious that a couple
had flown right over the recliner that I usually sit in. I could
have been killed! ;-)

I gotta admit, it was pretty cool. I just wish I had actually seen it
happen.

Nice story. So what plant were the seed pods from?

(You made me think of Mexican jumping beans

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nEcObP7wTQ

Wisteria

It's a wonder I wasn't seriously injured.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrBzWyZUMhc

On Mon, 21 Mar 2016 12:51:55 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote:

Nice story. So what plant were the seed pods from?

(You made me think of Mexican jumping beans

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nEcObP7wTQ

Wisteria

It's a wonder I wasn't seriously injured.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrBzWyZUMhc

Really. Florida (tropics) has a sausage tree. You could bump your
head. https://tinyurl.com/zcrwgbp

(Sausage Tree, Kigelia africana)

On Mon, 21 Mar 2016 10:07:55 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote:

Based on the location of some of seeds, it was obvious that a couple
had flown right over the recliner that I usually sit in. I could
have been killed! ;-)

You should have called the FBI Bomb Squad at that time!!!

DerbyDad03 wrote:

Based on the location of some of seeds, it was obvious that a couple
had flown right over the recliner that I usually sit in. I could
have been killed! ;-)

No, you would have become a pod person, like your wife.

on 3/21/2016, Muggles supposed :
On 3/21/2016 12:07 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
SWMBO is heavily into gardening. In fact, part of her job entails
running a greenhouse. She often brings home cuttings, seeds, etc.
so I wasn't surprised to see some 6" long seed pods sitting on the
table by the front door last Saturday morning.

I was in the kitchen on Sunday when I heard some strange noises from
the living room, like somebody had thrown marbles or something -
tick-ting-tap. I looked into the living room but didn't see anything.
SWMBO was upstairs, so I figured she must have made the noise.

A few minutes later I heard the noise again, this time louder, with
even more of the tick-ting-tapping.

When I went into the living room and looked more closely, I found
that all of pods had split in 2. Parts of the pods were on the floor
and some of the seeds were 6 - 8 *feet* away from the table. The
noises I heard were the seeds being shot into a lamp, a closet door,
etc. Each seed was about the size of an M&M.

I called SWMBO down and when she saw what had happened she got all
giddy. "Isn't nature wonderful? They must have thought the warm
house meant that it was spring. The pods exploded and shot out their
seeds."

Based on the location of some of seeds, it was obvious that a couple
had flown right over the recliner that I usually sit in. I could
have been killed! ;-)

I gotta admit, it was pretty cool. I just wish I had actually seen it
happen.


I love gardening! Last November I planted beets in my raised beds, built
a frame over it and covered it with plastic. I watered it about once
every couple of weeks. Despite it being pretty cold at times, the beets
grew and now that it's spring I opened the cover to let air in, but kept
it directly over the top to shield it from heavy weather. I'm getting
beet roots now, about 2 months earlier than I would have if I planted
them in the spring. It was just an experiment, but might be something I
can do every fall.

YGM