Thurs.

There are some beautiful creations in my Father's world and I always appreciate the opportunity to enjoy them. This would be one of the tulips my daughter got me two years ago. I don't think it even bloomed last year. Guess it had to make me wait to appreciate it even more.

I told my little chickens that today would be their last day out until Sat. as it is actually calling for rain tonight and thunderstorms tomorrow.  So they worked hard on the weeds in their little corrals today while I worked in the garden too.

I was down to those last 3 trees to get out of that spot where I had got rid of the wild rosebushes. I dug trenches around them and tied my rope to the base of the first one and to the car and gently eased off and my car came to a stop. I gave it a little gas and eased it out of the ground.

So, I moved on to the second one and when I eased off the car came to a dead stop, so I put her in four wheel drive and with the extra pull that dumb thing came out of the ground and FLEW through the air for 50feet and landed on my windshield. Scared the jeepers out of me and made me so grateful not to have a broken window.  Now how in the world that happened I cannot explain??????????????? Another one of those weird things that only happen to ME.  Made me very jittery about doing that last tree, but it was much smaller and came out like it should !  So I took my maddox and dug all around digging up the clumps of grass and weeds and then took the rake and raked it up pretty good. It might be the place I will put the tomato plants as they say not to plant them where you planted them the year before . That will be a couple of weeks so this will give the weeds time to re-sprout and  hack them down again before I plant them. Maybe this year I can get some tomatoes as I only got 7 quart jars last Summer as aphids took over the plants and each day I sprayed and squished and did everything I could think of -only to lose the battle as they sucked the life out of the plants. Everybody else I talked to did not even know aphids would attack a tomato plant???? Leave it to me?

My little Munchkin running away from me. I wish I knew a pet psychic who could tell me what they are going through.

I got my little lime tree moved out of the house today -it will appreciate that.

I also got the two little orange trees moved out too, since it is calling for rain tonight and tomorrow I am hoping it will give them a good healthy bath that they all 3 need. I discovered that after the mealy bugs ate my coleuses that they thought they had to have something else so they had moved onto the citrus trees but finding their leaves Very Dense they were not having the same luck as they did when they finally killed my coleuses . I had put many hours of work into taking the swabs and alcohol to them but they still won the battle. I was so dishearten.

Don't Have Sense Enough To Quit

Some of my little "chicken mowers" are out in the shade today as I work outdoors.

Another group of them has been hard at work in the garden for me. That dirt spot is what they cleared for me yesterday. That is where I hope my cucumbers will go.

All this spot has been where I have been working to remove the wildrose bushes. They had formed one huge rambling matt. I got scared after the car got away from me and today I just started digging . I thought I was going to dig trenches around the base of the plants but the ground was so dry that it let me dig up the last 20 or so. I REALLY wanted to keep one , so I am letting the one on the fence there stay for right now. I will remind myself to keep it pruned if I really do keep it.  I just got side tracked like most of us do. I put the blue tarp down to help bake the weeds for the next couple of weeks before it will be safe enough to plant as our last frost date is May 15.

There are 3 trees there that I cannot dig up so I have dug trenches around them and will try my luck at hooking the car to them and yanking them out????

It is very hard to see it but I got this section of my deer netting fence back up where the weeds had torn it down for me.

From this post on the left to one up there on the right will be where I now need to add a section of deer fence.

This is what is left of my Winter patch of  Winter Kale. It did not do as good as a row of  just regular Curly Kale that I ate on all Winter long but I am grateful for it . It will last long enough for some new . I am trying something called Dinosaur kale . I have planted the seeds and am waiting for them to come up. They are suppose to like Summer heat , so we will see.

This is a patch of "Walking Onions" that made it through the Winter . I am amazed. The Winter was bad enough, but that soil if Bone Dry and they are still hanging in there. I really do love plants that hang in there with you.

HUM???? CAn you see those big foot prints. They are padding through my small patch of WATERMELON radishes.Maybe Mr. Raccoon or Mr. Opossum????  These two beds I built by myself last year. I cut the logs and hauled them down by myself. I call them my log cabin beds and it really made me appreciate the pioneers.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is Hard Work. I wish I could have more of them but I do not have my daughter at home now to haul in dirt for me. The raised beds are SO Much Easier to work with.

This is one of my little strawberry beds. Last year I did not even get enough to make one whole bowl full but it was a treat to have a small handful each day when I went to work there. I LOVE homegrown strawberries.

The plants are bigger on this side of the bed and it has been a nightmare keeping the weeds out. It Really is WAR.

This is my Fancy Dancy homemade composter. Boy have we learned some lessons and even though they have been hard lessons I really do love this thing. It has created Black Gold.

Another patch of the Walking Onions . These are in the ground and they got their Weeding today too. I do not know what that weed is but it is a monster. It runs on the ground and forms a solid MAT both on top of the ground and also the roots under the ground . So, I have to get down on my hands and knees where I can see the base and rip them all out. I looked around and the stupid things are not growing outside of the garden but for some reason have TAKEN over inside the garden and when you grab a handful of them the little seeds just explode everywhere , so you know you are in for my fun later down the road???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

A Little Bit of Energy

I had enough energy to take all the chickens outdoors this morning . I need those little "lawn mowers" working hard since my mower has got so weak - I have to stretch its ability. ~smile

After I did that I have been working in the house . I was amazed how far behind I had got. When you have No Energy is guess you just do not have the energy to even notice what you need.

Casper got a new roost from that apple tree that I had pruned . He was so funny at first . He would not even attempt to step on it. He hates anything new or different in his apartment. lol

He started doing his own "pruning" of it to make it his own while I was running indoors and outdoors hanging up laundry. I did a few loads for me and a few loads for the pups. I noticed I struggled outdoors when I went out and then noticed the loads were a little lighter bringing them in. lol How silly to not notice your laundry is lighter when it is dryer. LOL

I completed another chicken potholder as I was resting my back , only to decide that I Hated this one when it was finished. That really gives you a sick feeling when you have put valuable time into something and then are not satisfied with it????????????

Discouraging Day

I was even too discouraged to even take a picture. I took my little chickens out to help "mow" the weeds in the garden as I worked. I was determined to work on those wild roses that had taken over a section. I Hated to get rid of them but they had got to where they would not even bloom for some reason.

I tied one section of my rope to the stalk and double wrapped it like a friend had told me to do. Then I tied it to the car and gave a little tug. A piece of rope came flying over top of the car. I stopped and checked it out and the darn rope had broke. I was so miffed because I thought I had purchased a rope strong enough to just pull roses up????

It took me a good half hour to finally get the mess straightened out and untied . This time I Doubled the rope and tried again and had better luck. I drug the section down the driveway out of my way. I discovered the patch was Much bigger than I had imagined. It was hard dirty work as I dug trenches around the base of the plants and tied the rope to them and yanked them separately .

Hours passed and then I got tired and of course that is when you make mistakes? I had yanked one out and got back in the car and backed it up to free up the rope to tie another one. I got out and headed through the gate only to realize that the car was now drifting right straight at me . SHOOT!
I ran as fast as I could and yanked the door and threw myself inside , but it was too late to save my little archway over top of my gate that supported a little vine. CRUNCH was a sickening sound. But I got it stopped before it did any more damage.

There was a nice scratch across the top of the back of the car where the back door opens. I was SO Dishearted , but grateful that I had not been hurt so I guess this is day two that my Heavenly Father has protected me from serious harm.

So, I just pulled the car up a little distance and put the rope in the car for tomorrow . I am only halfway through anyway and my energy was just plum GONE.

I was still "smarting" anyway from the fact that the local coyote had got another one of my chickens so I did not even let that group out today.

Then my pups felt as bad as I did too and that did not lift my spirits at all. So, today has just been one of those days that is a "bump" in the road. It will make me appreciate the next good day even more. ~smile~

Well, I'm Tired No Matter What Day It IS

Well, after all of the morning chores were done I decided This was to be the PROJECT. It was a "little ground cover" that had taken over my entire flower bed???????????????????????????????????

It was stuck in the cinder block border so tight it was Major War to get it out of them.

OF Course you know I Had to get myself in trouble.  Someone had tossed this old piece of wood with a LONG nail still in it - into my flower bed and the ground cover had hidden it from my sight , so of course I stepped right on it. I like to Never got out of my shoe.

You can tell that it was a Major Miracle that I was not hurt bad. The last time I did this years ago when I was young I did it and my foot swelled up so big and turned all kinds of colors and I was so Scared and in So Much Pain that I did not think I could stand it. This time God protected me and I only have a scratch between two toes where it went in. I am SOOOOOOOOOOOO Grateful to  be spared weeks of more Pain.

It took me a couple of hours of digging and yanking but I finally got it all out. The roots were unbelieveable - a ten inch block under each plant. They were like a solid wall all the way to the side of the house. It would have been an excellent place for a snake to take cover in a short while. I carried those buckets of chicken dirt down that I had cleaned from my walk way-but I will have to do that again as they have scratched it out AGAIN.

One of my beauties that was blooming behind me as I worked-making the jog more enjoyable to see something so pretty.

This is a new color that is blooming. Isn't Mother Nature so Wonderful.

Then I ran in and out of the house a few times planting seeds in 4 of the gallon jugs I found hidden in that mess. The seeds have been doing good in the milk jugs and now I am smarter and have put all of them in two dog kennels so that raccoon cannot get ahold of them to tear them up. Darn Critter.

I moved a few more daylillies and I carried one big house plant from the house. It is a smll palm tree and it has really suffered in the dark house all Winter long- along side me and the pups. I trimmed the vine that is in the base of the pot and am hoping it will recoup. We are calling for pretty weather here for the next week. YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now my wagon is full (yes, there is a wagon under there ) I am too tired to attempt to move it, plus my back is complaining -same ole whimpy back! lol

This is my chicken potholder for today and I am right pleased with it.

This is how the hot pad and the potholder look together as a set. Not too bad are they?

Friday Morning Frown

When I stepped out on the front porch this morning - this mess made me frown. It was a bag of old cornmeal that I had Intended to put in the garden to get rid of the ant. BUT it looks like another raccoon had other plans. Then he raided the Christmas Ball off of the old door wreath but it tangled on the wood porch and got hung or he might have found himself  " All Wrapped Up". lol

Then when I turned around I kinda had " a little Steam" coming out of my ears when I saw those milk jugs that had the plants in them you had seen me start way back when - GRRRRRR! Whoever thought you would have to put your Plants in a cage to keep them?????????????????????????????

I was so miffed. I try so hard and it seems that every little turn there is something going on.

So, I went in and had a cup of coffee-not my usual thing-but I thought it might help. It calmed me down so I decided to go out and put the little chickens in their little corrals because they were calling for a beautiful , sunny day with no winds. Now I had the energy to do that. That was very pleasant.

It turned out that I ended back up in the house 5 hours later??????  I ended up in the garden to get my digger because that dumb raccoon had gone behind the chicken building and dug up those daylillies I had just transplanted and made another Big Old Mess!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, yes, I was mad at him AGAIN!

But, when I was in the garden I noticed the weeds were taking over my strawberry plants . I had cleaned out Half of the bed , when my back had given out -so here was my chance to do the other side. I had to get down on my hands and knees and put my hands around the little strawberry plants and then feel for the stalk of the two different weeds which were wrapped around the plants and then fight to get the weeds out without pulling out the strawberry plants. Grrrrrr! It was a tedious job. But I was very happy I had accomplished it. Still dreaming of strawberries !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Especially home grown berries -there is no comparison to the cardboard berries in the stores that cost a fortune and covered in chemicals.

Last night Lynne took me to the Sewing Guild meeting and the program was about dressing up fabrics that the lady used to do her quilts. Some of them she hand painted with acrylic paints and fabric medium, some she used laces and yarns and lots of embroidery and then even beads.  She had us practice several of the embroidery stitches and then we made this little flower with one big bead and then sequins and seed beads and it turned up and resembles a flower. Sorry the picture is fuzzy - I could not get the camera to co-operate.

It was an interesting program and more fun since we did some hands on . Lynne always has to work the next morning and on the way home they were doing road work on the Interstate and it caused us to be two hours late. I know she had to be hungry since she had left work and not had anything since her lunch. She said she would have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich before she would go to bed??

We think we are in control of our life-but we really are not . You just never know what is around the next corner???? ~smile~

I received the last of my herbs in the mail today for my eye tea so I am anxious to mix it up . It is an old Native American remedy and you can drink the tea and wash your eyes too -so I am anxious to give it a try.

Somedays Just One Step At A Time

O NO - I was awakened this morning by little miss innocent this morning -bright and early as she brought in a little bird and let it loose to "toy" with it and barreled across me. I knew exactly what was going on as I grabbed for her tail as she leaped into the flowers in the window to re-capture her prize. There was a struggle between us as we both were determined, but I finally won out and carted her off to the bedroom and locked her in . I hurried back into the living room to the bird in the window only to find Gabby had crawled up in the window to check out all the commotion. I scooted her off and went for the bird-finally latching onto it. I carried it in the bathroom and shut us in to make for sure I could find no blood anywhere so I carried it to the front door and out onto the porch. I was pondering I should release it on the little shelf just in case I had missed something when the little darling latched onto my finger with her beak. lol  Of course they cannot hurt you and when I opened my hands she was Gone in a flash. Just like she had never been there -except for the tail feathers in my living room floor????

As I headed back inside I happened to glance down on the ground and notice it was covered in little birds in the early morning mist. I wondered if that was why she had been so easy for Callie to capture her prize??

So she begged and I ignored her pleas through the close door all of the day. I really hated to, but how in the world do you teach a cat who was forced to live on her own through the winter time to Not capture wild food?????  I cannot keep her in the house because she knows how to operate the doggie door and the pups really need their doggie door??????  If, If, If, If?????

I haven't put my bird feeder back up since the storm took it down about ten days ago -mainly because I do not want to lure the birds in for cat food?? And, it will not be too long before my favorite bird of all - the little humming birds that I have been feeding for years now -show up ???????????????????? Why has everything got to be so complicated???

For lunch I took the butter beans from yesterday and turned them into butter bean soup and it was very good. But, since I had not been eating beans regularly for a while now - they really gassed me up? WHeW!!!!!!!!!!!!

Miss Gabby decided to hang out with me while I ate and watched a program. My pups were feeling rotten this morning but I finally got their meds down them. After I ate I eased out doors and did my chores , but I felt so rotten I did not even put the chickens out in the sunshine. I did attempt to pull those weeds I spoke of yesterday but they were stronger than I was today and I gave up on that.

I did accomplish digging up a five gallon bucket full of daylillies and moving them behind the critter house on the hill I am trying to cover up-so I won't have to worry about mowing eventually, since I have so much trouble even standing up on that hill.

That was it- all the strength I had left so I gave up and came in the house for a supper of baked fries and fishsticks. I just feel so darn rotten - as do the pups . They would not even follow me outdoors at all today?

I spent the rest of the afternoon attempting to downsize that monster chicken to a more manageable size potholder and finally pulled it off??  But, I am just so tired. Where has my energy and creativity gone to? That is probably what my precious pups are wondering too- I hate for all of us to feel so rotten.