A Message From Blossom.

"Great news! Mom has almost agreed to let me have my own Facebook page! I told her I wanted to share my stories with everyone so they'll know what a great thing it is to adopt a dog like me from a rescue group or shelter. Theres an awful lot of puppies, grown-ups and seniors out there waiting for a loving forever home. And I want to help spread the word!"

"And of course that will include my feline friends too! Cats have it awfully rough out there too. We ALL deserve to be loved and cared for.
So if you want to encourage my mom to finish making up her mind.... feel free to leave a comment or get a message to her somehow. I can hardly wait!!"

Ahulee Catching Some Rays.

We've had a rare cool spell the last three days, so Ahulee is taking advantage of it. He has been soaking up the sunshine without fear of getting too hot!

" Yep, there he is again. Lounging around catching some rays, while I help Mom move this dirt! This time he isn't even pretending to "supervise'."

"And here I AM! Helping Mom instead of chasing squirrels or lizards... or whatever!!!  Oh yeah....or  sunbathing!!!!"



"Mom, this just isn't fair!"



Eggplant Follow Up.

Well, I thinned the eggplant cluster.... there were 19 of them!!! I took out 7. Then the heavy rains came and my first almost ripe tomatoes split! So, picked a pepper and a squash and some herbs and........

Added some mozzarella chunks at the end and served with a brown rice blend
It was sooooooo goooooood!!!

A Clutch Of Egg...plants.



Remember when I was concerned about ALL the blooms of one of the eggplants being together in one small area? Well this is what it looks like now! Will definitely have to thin these out. Guess I'll saute up some baby eggplant tomorrow.

Yep, they're just a little bit too crowded in there.

Ronan's Newest Complaint.

"I can't believe Mom said she was going to have to start closing the windows because of the heat! What about my early morning bird-watching? Its so much more exciting with that glass pane out of the way. Its like I can almost reach out and touch the birds when they land in the mulberry tree!   I'll bet she made that decision because of that idiot Fergis. He pushed on the screen so hard he ACTUALLY FELL OUT!!!  Now we all get punished! Gee, thanks a lot Fergman!"

Just Because I Can't Resist!

When I posted photos of some of my quilts on the Gardener of Light blog, I had no idea they'd come in so handy! This unquilted top is one variation of a pattern called Drunkard's Path. Several friends recognized the design.

And this is called Broken Dishes. Don't know why I love the pattern so much.
But I 've made several over the years.

Cell Phones And Trucks.

Good Morning! Our lesson for the day will be that you shouldn't talk on a cell phone while you are driving! You could seriously injure a mailbox!

The little tree growing by the power pole took a hit too. Not too bad.  Oh well, no one was hurt and we have a story to chuckle about.
JUST REMEMBER: DON'T DRIVE AND TALK ON THE PHONE!!!

Thank Goodness Thats Done With!

An all ready good morning just got better. I just got that stump out of the ground! Yippee!!!!!  All my work digging around with the hand trowel paid off. I'd gotten every root but the largest one that went straight down. I kept hoping it had rotted somewhere not far from where I had to stop yesterday evening. This morning I managed to get a 2x4 underneath the main section. With a concrete block in place, I used it as a lever to push up on the stump. After a couple of tries the root broke apart! One more time... Yippee!!!! 
Now after digging all that sand out, I have to put it right back in!

Kind of sculptural looking isn't it? I'm thinking about cleaning it up and using it for yard "art".  And don't let me forget: Special thanks to Rory, Blossom and Ahulee for all the work they did. Yep, even the supervising effort.

We Are "Stumped". Literally.



Well, in preparation to terrace the backyard we have been digging out where the dirt has washed down near the shed. Its filled in a lot after all these years.  Looked like it would be a cute area to put in a tiny patio! Then we found the TREE STUMP. I remember some small oak trees back there. But I thought there had only been one in this spot. Obviously I'm wrong about something!!
Anyway, the wood hasn't exactly decayed. Maybe a little around the edges. And thats it! Sheesh   So its turning into a huge project for this middle aged gal with a bad back and the three dogs. I must praise them for their efforts though! They certainly WANT to help, and have dug enthusiastically at times. Usual not the best times. ha ha  But we have had some good giggles!!

"MOM! I'm twelve and a half! Add that up in dog years. I'm too darned OLD to be doing this kind of hard work. Make Blossom do more digging!!"

"MOM! Make Ahulee help too! He says hes the supervisor! And he ISN'T SUPPOSED to do any digging! THATS NOT FAIR!"

OH MY!

  Oh my! I can hardly believe I didn't tell everyone. I'm SO embarrassed! I need to find a way to put in up on the page somehow. Anyway, I have two blogs going. This one was supposed to be animals and Nature and recipes, etc.. The other was going to be musings and artwork and things along those lines. But I've been jumping between the two. That has confused some folks. So the other blog is http://gardeneroflight.blogspot.com/  
  I'll get them all straightened out. Hopefully soon! ha ha ha

More Eggs. I Mean.... Eggplants!



Well, these are the "eggs" I'm keeping an eye on now. All these blooms occurred in one small space so I know I'll have to thin them out as they grow.

Also had to move the one row of plants over to the east side. The sun was just too hot on the west. Did plant a few flowers over there that the bees like.

And I started building a "wall" so I can keep raising the soil level. Don't laugh at it! I admit I don't know what I'm doing! ha ha   Plus its all from scavenged materials.  Eventually it'll look like something. I'm just not sure what!
Yes, thats agapanthus over there. I just love those. Will include a photo of the blossoms soon. Another reason for the rush on this part of the yard is that I need to try and aid one of my pear trees. I plan on digging it up and seeing what condition the roots are in. The branches are simply dying back and its failing to thrive overall. Hope its not the same thing that killed my peach tree..... those cursed nematodes. I guess I'll have to remove a lot of soil and replace with compost rich bagged "dirt" in an attempt to foil them.

Tips To A Successful Hunt.

First step: Be more awake than your little brother.

Second step: Be willing to look behind and underneath bushes and shrubs.

Third step: Be able to turn on a dime if you see something you've passed by.

Fourth step: Always choose a faithful and brave companion to accompany you. Especially if you're going to be looking behind bushes and shrubs!

Fifth step: If you hunt out in the "wilderness", that faithful companion proves to be even more important and valuable to you. Remember to give him a TREAT.

Sixth step: Always remember that serious hunting can be hard work!

Seventh and final step: COUNT THE EGGS! AND HAVE A FUN DAY!!!!
And don't forget that treat for Bo!

April Full Moon.

                                                                                                                                                    
    Beautiful moon! So lovely and serene. So why does she makes everyone NUTS!? Seriously, you can always tell when the moon is going to be full or new just by the way people act. Ever notice that?
     Anyway, regardless of some cloud cover at night, I've had a good time going out and doing a little moon gazing.  So calming. 

My Frustration!!!!!

   Well, Cormac is frustrated because I won't let him out to chase lizards and just get into trouble in general. I'm frustrated because they have changed the blog all around and I can't seem to post what I want. Just "lost" a couple of photos somehow. Aggravating!!!!!   I never can understand why anyone takes something that is simple and works fine, and then messes it up. I just don't understand! Arrrgggghhh!!  So if things slow down on Critters Galore and Gardener of Light.... thats the reason. I either need to learn to work around the mess thats been made, or find somewhere else to blog from.  We'll see what happens. Please be patient and stick around.  Heck! I haven't even begun to start the whole bee thing.

Garden Update

The zucchini are growing well. Will pick the first one this evening! Eggplants are blooming. Lettuce is trying to bolt. Herbs are doing really good! Yellow crookneck squash is also blooming.

Have lots of green tomatoes! These are Cherokee purple. Can't wait till they ripen up. Everyone brags on their flavor.

The Armenian 'cucumber' vines are finally starting to get a grip too. I just have to water them all diligently.