Start A new Week

Each week seems to roll around faster and faster . I woke up this morning feeling 50% better than yesterday. The headache was almost gone and my fever was coming down and I had got some sleep. I was still weak , but not like yesterday. Callie was in high spirits this morning. I had dosed her toy in a plastic bag with catnip over night . So, now she did not ignore it like normal. She got into some real flipping action.

Bandit even came around to give me some loving so I decided to take off and do the morning chores before the energy faded. Yea. It was nice but very Windy outdoors . I knew I was took weak to put the chickens outdoors so I fed and watered everybody and gave them a treat of some hotdog buns and left them indoors.

I carried my tomato plants outdoors to let them harden off some and watered some plants and then knew I would have to give it up . I was out of energy. So, I came in and took a shower and fixed another  garlic Pessaries and inserted it. So in 24 hours I am almost over that darn UTI. My heart really goes out to all the women  who suffer from these painful events.And make you sick as can be too.

I took a break and about an hour later my daughter and her partner came and mowed for me. Since I did not have much energy I fixed a quick snack of fishsticks and potato wedges and a honey-mustard dip.

Cali was playing with more than her toy today. She brought in a ground squirrel which I took outdoors and turned loose again. Then tonight it was two mice - which I now have over in the aquarium tank cage.??? When I take them away from her she gets mad at me and will lay and Pounce on me as if reminding me that they were hers????? We are not seeing eye to eye ??? ~smile~ Wonder how you teach a cat who was forced to live on her own -Not To Hunt??????????????????

A good sick day?

I woke up this morning at 5:30 in so much pain. I thought it was gas to start with but later on I knew it was another UTI . I hoped it would go away but it just got worse. The pain had me doubled over and then I started to run a fever.

I remembered the last time I had used a garlic enema and got rid of the first one I had ever had last year. But this time I ran across the piece of garlic inserted like a tampon. So, that was what I did and after about an hour the pain started to subside. But the fever just hung in there and it felt like you had the flu - 100degrees temp,., busting headache and aching all over.

Then my sweet daughter showed up and she and her partner went to work on that front porch for my Mother's Day gift.  She scared me to death climbing up on top of that high roof and putting on a metal roof. I will try to get a better picture of that tomorrow as I am In Love With It. I just had to have a picture of her little blue butt up on top and her partner trying to hold it steady for her as it was not strong enough to hold his manly weight and she is very light weight. But I was afraid she was going to be blown away. They got it accomplished Just as the rain arrived.

Then my sweet granddaughter showed with roses in tow for me for Mother's Day. I was thrilled to see her because she will be leaving next month to start a new life in a new state with a new partner. I am holding my breath hoping for happiness for them.

She did have her Daddy in tow or I would never get to see him - if not for her. We were having camera war. I know I looked like a hag but I really was sick and trying to pull it off -not being.

They also brought two of the smallest grandsons who were wide open. I am so blessed - granddaughter, daughter and grandsons.

I grabbed a picture of Crystal's partner who I wish would one day be my delightful son-in-law? He is so kind and sweet and thoughtful -what more could a mom wish for?

Crystal was such a good spot about romping with the boys and had them laughing and squealing at the top of their little lungs. lol My son is getting so much White in his beard. lol

You can tell that these two are just little imps!

Happy Mother's Day to Mother's everywhere.

A BRRRRRRRRRR Friday

It was such a cool Friday that I had decided I was not going to do too much outdoors. My plan was to only do all of my critter chores - But - after I got finished I spotted this bird house that I had wanted fixed for 4  years now. The roof had rotten off and I was planning to just put a little metal roof on it and my brother -in-law had said he would cut me out another roof for it , as he was the one who had built it to start with so I had said sure. But, their health went downhill and they have not made it back to Virginia and it has just been waiting for a roof. Then I read the other day that if you have more birdhouses in your garden - maybe you attract more birds  - Who eat more insects???? Now doesn't that sound like a Win-Win situation

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So, I got a new roof on it and put a little piece of metal flashing over the wood hoping to help protect it and make it last longer this time. Then I drove a metal fence post in the ground . I had mounted the birdhouse on top of a metal post that had a hole in it. I tried to life the hollow post up in the air and insert it over top of the regular metal post but I was not strong enough to life it high enough and keep it steady enough to pull that off so I ended up taking wire and tying it to the metal post. I like to use metal so cats can't climb the posts and I like to think that when the metal gets hot in the sun that snakes are not as likely to climb them??? Maybe that is just a case of me hoping so , as I have no proof. But , for the moment I have one birdhouse up in the garden??

Well you know how it is -0nce you get outdoors and start to see things you want to accompish. ?????
I did not put the chickens out with me and I was starting to regret that but it was so windy???

I walked down to my little pea patch and only saw weeds after a month now so I decided it was time to do something about that.

So, I went to digging and I dug and dug and redug the original plott entirely up and then decided to add to it and did more digging with my trusty madic  .Now you can see all the little pea seeds all lined up in the rows just waiting to be covered up -and another job well done.

I was pretty tired by then but I remembered I had treated myself yesterday to these lovely gladiolas for 200 and there are 6 of them so I went hopping around like the Easter bunny -but instead of hiding eggs I was inserting bulbs in the ground and hoping I can remember where I have placed them. I did not put them down the driveway like I would love to because the deer absolutely LOVE them. They ate almost a bushel full a few years back when a friend shared with me and I learned the HARD way.

I was good and tired and headed to the house and happened to remember the seeds I had obtained at that seed swap. One was an envelop of pumpkin seeds. So, I went in and grabbed them and headed to the side yard where I used to keep the guinea pigs in a little lot. It is near the walnut trees though and I have been dying  to know IF pumpkin  would live there??? Soooooo, I decided to answer my curiosity and dig up a spot where the soil is so soft and dark and plant those darn seeds to see what happens???????????????????

Next I moved to the other side of a little falling down shed and dig up another spot and planted the butternut squash there??????  Walnut trees kill off a lot of plants so I will try and find out about these two????

I was good and tired by then and headed to the house one more time and happened to remember I had Two more plants in the house that needed to be planted and here it was all Cloudy and calling for rain and it would be an excellent time to get them in the ground. They would not even wilt. So I gather them up and found these two old bird cages and placed over top of them to protect them from those killer deer .

These little guys are called Honey Berries and this is what I have found out about them:

What are Honeyberries? Fresh spring fruits are something for which we wait all winter. The first honeyberries taste like a cross between raspberries and blueberries. They are excellent eaten fresh or used in desserts, ice cream and preserves. Related to the blueberry and huckleberry, haskap berry is a heavy producing plant that requires little special care. Advertisement Honeyberries (Lonicera caerulea) are in the same family as blooming honeysuckle, but they produce an edible fruit. Birds and other wildlife love the berries and the attractive shrubs grow without much encouragement in temperate and cool zones to a height of 3 to 5 feet. The term haskap refers to the Japanese varieties, while edible honeysuckle refers to the Siberian hybrids. The plant produces a 1-inch, oblong, blue berry with a flavor that fails to be classified by most eaters. It is said to taste like raspberry, blueberry, kiwi, cherry or grapes, depending upon the taster. The sweet, juicy berries are experiencing new popularity among European and North American gardeners.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Haskap Berry Info – How To Grow Honeyberries In The Garden http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/honeyberries/how-to-grow-honeyberries.htm

Hump Day ???

It was suppose to be a nice Shady day and I thought -Perfect Day for my eyeballs to work outdoors. So I put half of the chickens out in their corrals and what did it do- - - - - RAIN!  Well, it did not thunder or carry on so I did not panic and after a light shower of about an hour -it stopped -so I kept on going. It was a cool day and I wore my winter jacket but was pleased to accomplish some things.

I went to the garden and decided I did not want to get hung up in my wisteria vine as I would be coming and going -so I "bandaged " my wounded tressil back together where the car had got away from me at. Me and those nails did not see eye to eye and it took me a while to bang them in because the board kept getting away from me while I was hammering. But, after MUCH trail and error -it is up there once again. lol

Of course about that time the wind kicked up and blowed the top off of the cage and the sky got dark , but I refused to pay attention to the sky. This was my day to accomplish some things in the garden and that was what I was going to do and the weather better just get on board?

My daughter had given me a sale paper that showed you could get two bags of garden soil for 12.00 and I had picked those up yesterday . They were such a mess where someone had broken open the bags and covered the others in dirt and then the rain turned it all to mud -so they were good and dirty and I had to wrap my arms around them in the car and get covered in mud. Then I waddled from the car to the raised bed I had built last year and dumped them on the litter I had put there through the Winter time. This was where I had my tomatoes last year and the aphids ate them up -so they say not to plant them back in the same spot.

I finally got that plastic bag hacked open and the soil spread and planted some Heirloom Pole beans called Kentucky Wonder. It says they are pole, tender and stringless. A friend told me that as long as I keep them picked they will bear all Summer??? That would be nice and now they can grow right up this stock panel that I have inverted over my bed.  Don't they look like little soldiers all lined up??? Well, they are little soldiers facing a Summer battle of some kind of "BUG" I have yet to meet.  I know it has to happen because nothing seems to come easy anymore and just grow???? There is always something as hungry as I am just waiting for it.

I would say this is the first time I have ever had a pole bean -but technically I had them 7 years ago. I had built a little teepee and run them up on it. It was the prettiest little sight and the beans were just covering it and I was waiting for them to get just big enough??? Yea, Right! But, those deer did not care what size the beans were -they devoured every single speck of beans and vines and I never even got a smell??????????????????????

When I picked up the soil they had these purple potatoes on sale for 2.00. There were 5 in a bag and I have read good things about them and were dieing to try them. They also said they were good keepers too????? So I grabbed two bags ( I wanted more - lol) and sat and cut them into different starts and let them dry in the warm car while I worked.

It is hard to see this net fencing I am working on for those deer! I drove two metal stakes in the ground and then attached the netting to the top of a second post and tied it on tight and then took a bolt and bolted the second post with the net on top of the first one in the ground. That makes it higher than the American fence .  Maybe the deer won't get those pole beans this year??????

Maybe this angle shows a better picture. I was lucky too because just as I completed this part -here came the rain AGAIN. So much for just a shady day. But , once again I was lucky and it was just a light shower for a few minutes so I hid in the car and waited it out with one of my pups. Then back to business.

Remember that section I used the car to yank out those will rose bushes (well there is one there on the left that I kept) well I am digging it up and it is nice and loose to put those purple potatoes in.

Now that the deer fence is up and I have hacked some weeds growing there I planted two baby yellow zucchini in the soft soil. Once they get a tad taller I plan to take some foil and place around the base of the plant to deter those squash borers. Since it is so dark and damp they should not even know they have been moved from where I started them.

I moved down to a raised bed I have outside of the garden and planted a little mulberry tree that a friend gave me last year when it was only a couple inches tall. I kept it in the house all winter -in a window. I know it looks frail -but I have high hopes for it.

I had another mulberry tree beside the driveway and everybody complained about it hitting their cars? Grrrr! For some reason it just GREW right toward the driveway . Then one day a storm hit and took it down right in the driveway. Boy did I cry when nobody was looking. I LOVE  mulberries and they are so good for you.

Did you think I was going to forget to protect it from those avenging deer????? NO WAY! Hoping this old cage and a couple of stakes will do the trick. Hope, hope, hope! Trying to protect my treasure once again. I had actually planted 6 one other time and we had a flood and my son ran over all of them with the bulldozer??????????????????????????

These are my baby Dinosaur Kale that I have started from seed and just moved them into this raised bed. They are suppose to love the Summer heat and not die out like some greens do. I am trying to keep lots of greens for my macular degeneration . I have never had these before and am dieing of curiosity to see how they will do. That is one neat thing about a garden - you always keep learning and also lots of exercise. ~smile~

A sneaky little baby white cucumber had slid in there with the baby kale so I moved him over to the fence and stuck this broken aquarium over him so I will not forget he is there and it will protect him until he gets bigger , as he is just a tiny squirt.

Well, my back decided it was time to start complaining once again and it was 5pm so I decided it was time for "lunch" - lol - even if it was a little late. lol  I had grabbed a cucumber at the store yesterday and I am having 2 cucumber sandwiches with cream cheese and some kettle chips. yea- probably not the best but still a treat for some hard work in my old body's eyes. ~smile~  I am glad I sit down to eat because it sure did feel good.

Now time to go round up all of those little chickens and put them to bed. I am going to wear my jacket too!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol

Talley - hoe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday

It was suppose to be the day for my acupuncture treatment but my therapist had to postpone because she had strep throat. I am so glad that she thinks enough of me to not endanger me. I love her for that. So it is set up for next Tuesday.

Then I decided to get ready and go get the  monthly groceries for me and the pups.  About that moment that Cali (not Gabby above) came busting through the doggie door with another beautiful bird. As fast as I could move I was after her and the race was on until the bird slipped through her mouth. I grabbed Cali and put her in the bedroom again while I climbed around on my knees trying to locate the bird. Finally I did and the little thing lite on my finger. I am pretty sure it was a Baltimore Oriole - it was so beautiful . I pointed my finger to the door i had opened and after it thought about it for a minute -it was gone.

This was the second time she has nabbed one of these beautiful creatures, much to my dismay. But, this was the first one since i put the bell on her collar. I think I need another bell?????

Then I loaded up the trash to take down with me and when I turned the key - the car did not grunt???? This time though my daughter had parked it where i could drift it off and so I did to get it running. I stopped at the mailbox to mail the monthly payment in for my house taxes and realized I had forgot to stamp it???? Darn it. So back up to the house I went and got the stamp. This time the car started and I knew it would be good for it to drive it to hopefully recharge everything.

I made it to Lowes Building supplies to get the fence post and soil I needed and the rain came pouring down??? By the time I had located the bolts I needed for the fence posts the rain was slower. I had to get a young man to help me get the soil as someone had torn open numerous bags and I could not lift the good bags over them to my buggy. So, he did it for me and put them in the car for me.

Next stop was the Dollar Tree where I found the two plant hangers I needed and two doggie bowels.  I walked from there to Wal-mart to get the "doggie meats" and then my frozen fruits for my smoothies and some veggies for me. I almost passed out at the register because it was 188.00?? I had not planned to spend more than one hundred because i have an eye appointment the middle of this month? Darn it

I was so pleased that the car did start and I stopped to get gas. I had to laugh when I went to put the gas in. Money was so tight last month that I had hardly gone anywhere . When I opened the door to the gas tank a wasp had built a nest in there???? LOL  So, I did good but he had to be evicted. lol

I made my last stop at the new dog food store in town and got the 4 cans of special food that I put my pups medicine in -in order to get them to take it.

I still have not got my fibromyalgia meds and my eye meds and my pups meds????? There goes another two hundred bucks and that will about be the end of my check. Money just does not go anywhere these days and it is very scary.

I wanted to do some work outdoors but it was still raining off and on and dark and gloomy so I think it affected my mood and my fibro was hurting a little . Just sore and stiff all over -doesn't help.

Then while i was typing this post the computer just up and died???? It went dark and said No Signal and that was the end of it?? Talk about challenges !!!!!!  So, I have revived it from the dead long enough to complete this post. Sending love to all and good nite!

Monday Thunderstorms

It was calling for afternoon thunderstorms around 3pm so I put the chickens out in the garden and then got this bright idea. Have you ever seen chickens tied out before???? Well, I had actually seem this before while visiting another state one day and saw it in a man's yard.

So, these ladies are always begging to go out and I ran into some very soft cord and tied one leg. Each one had sun and shade and NO I did not go off and leave them . I was working right where they were at and after their initial shock - they settled down and learned to enjoy it. And I got to keep my flowers and it was easy to grab them and put them back up once the storm did hit.

I managed to get all of my morning chores accomplished and then clean out another chicken run which I was using to mulch this bed with my shade loving Hellebore flowers in. They are in total shade from the apple tree and I dearly love them. I did have regular daylillies here but they totally took over the spot and they never bloomed because of the dark shade. Now I have the Hellebore's and they even bloom. As I got to halfway the thunder started to rumble and the sky got dark. I ran in the house and checked the computer and they were calling for a dangerous thunderstorm so I grabbed my carrying cage and ran to the garden and started carrying the other chickens back up to the building. Just as I got down to the red ones the rain started but I got them all in before the hard stuff hit. While I was in the building I gave all of them an afternoon treat of blended eggs and bread. I had a few that needed using and the chickens love having them fed back to them as treats.

As the first storm let up I decided to move my car up to the building to unload a bag of scratch grain, but when I turned the key - the car did not even grunt???? I debated what to do as I struggled to carry the 50 pounds of feed up the hill???? I thought of calling my daughter but I really did not want to bother her unless I Absolutely Had To and I have an acupuncture appointment tomorrow. It has been a month since my last one and I really feel I Need this one. So, I got the wild idea I would turn into my DH and coast the car off and start it that way , since it is a straight drive.

First off I had parked it with the wheels point UP the hill so I had to push and shove with all my might and get it rolling back and forward until it got over the hump and started down the hill . I did remember to turn the key on and put it in gear-but it did me no good. Sooooo - there is my  car down at the creek??

Then I decided to call a neighbor who lives down the road . He was at work and I knew he would pass right by it . He said he would stop and give me a jump.

Those flowers that my daughter had brought home last year are starting to bloom and they are really pretty.

I had planted them in a spot where it was easy to dig at, and I knew they would live-but I just did not know if they would bloom because it is under the shade of walnut trees. But, I guess they are survivors.

This one is on a hill above those and it came from a very dear friend that I went to church with for many years. She was such a comfort to me during an extremely hard time in my life. I miss her a lot . It is so hard to let them go even though we know we will see them again.

I went in the house and had my shower and warmed up the pizza that my daughter had brought yesterday. I was munching on it when I thought I heard a car outdoors. I knew it was too soon for my neighbor to be off from work so I checked and low and behold it was my lovely daughter and her other half. They had brought supplies for the front porch and got my car started and brought it to the house. I was thrilled.They did work on the porch until another thunderstorm ran them in the house. Just think- if they manage to get that porch covered I might be able to finally sit on the porch and watch it rain! What a treat that will be. Plus, maybe my sewing cat, Rosie can enjoy her swing once again. ??? She will love that.  ~smile~

Starting the week off

We had Rain last night and this morning. It was a nice steady rain too -the kind that will be good for the garden.

But I was not feeling up to snuff today. Just one of those days and since it was still raining I started to work on a little crochet cap for one of the great-grandbabies. I got it half completed and

My beautiful daughter and her handsome other half showed up and started to build me a front porch once again. I am SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO very thrilled. But I felt so darn bad I was no help at all  - all I could accomplish was Appreciate them . ~smile~

She also brought the fixings for a smoothie and I was thrilled about that. Since I had run out of all my frozen fruits and most other ingredients too I was so tickled to have a nice fresh one. It felt so good on my tummy. I had fixed a kale and onions and eggs plate this morning but I had a little bit too much onion compared to the kale and the onion was Very strong so it overwhelmed the dish and left my tummy unsettled all day long - UNTIL - the smoothie. What a relief!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then later the kids got a pizza and it was a nice treat. We did not eat it all so I will probably have it tomorrow for lunch.

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful daughter. I am so very grateful. When she was first born I told her that I did not know anything at all about raising a baby so I guessed we would be each other's "guinea pigs" through life. Now my life is getting to those later chapters I can never appreciate her enough. She is kind and funny with a heart of gold for her Mom. She is generous and beautiful and has a big streak of stubbornness that she got honestly from a double dose of her Mom and Dad. I have wanted to protect her from life's hard knocks but have not been able to do that, so she has been tested and come through the fires a strong woman, who amazes me . She has found a wonderful man that I treasure and I hope that he is strong enough to survive and thrive.