Apricot Seedlings

Last July, while visiting Chuck and Nikki in Iowa, we stopped at their friends Jim and Amy to pick Apricots from their trees. We enjoyed the fresh apricots so much I decided to try to propagate some apricot trees from some of the apricot pits. To start the germination process I stratified the seeds by placing them in moist paper towels and storing them in the refrigerator for 12 weeks, until the seeds started to sprout. The sprouted seeds were then placed in potting soil and placed in our solarium. The seedlings are now ready to be placed in a cool location and allowed to go dormant until spring.

Cookies for Santa

Twas the day before Christmas and grandson Reed wasn't taking any chances with Santa Claus. Time to bake some gingerbread cookies for Santa.

The cookies for Santa must have worked. Lots of presents under the tree including a fishing pole from Grampa Rob.

Reed also got a drone from dad and Star Wars items from Uncle Ryan.

Deer and Warm Days

Record breaking temperature moved into the neighborhood and with deer hunting season over the local deer have been out during the daylight to enjoy the green grass in the fields (and lawns).

Gas Drilling

Yesterday was warm and sunny, and a good day to get some drone photos of the gas drilling operation at our family trust property in Forks township.

It only took a couple of days to move this drill rig onto the well pad and start the drilling operation.

Another view of the drilling operation. Drill rig in the center, crew quarters on the left and drill pipe storage on bottom left. The operation in the upper right removes the the drilled rock tailings from the drilling "mud" solution. The tailings are sent to a landfill and the drilling mud is reused.

A close-up view of the drilling operation. In the upper left of the photo is Ernie's new deer blind that is located inside the fence surrounding the drilling operation. New wildlife food plots are being planned.