Taming The Front Yard!

    Well, its time to reclaim the front yard from a few years of neglect. My first efforts have involved clearing out a spot for some grapes. There are LOTS of weeds and sycamore leaves to bag up and cart away. My tiny start-up compost area isn't able to handle this stuff.... so off it goes!  And since my little piece of land is on a slope I get to shovel lots of dirt in an attempt to level out the ground a bit. Had to do the same thing in the backyard!
    The result so far is that I have four new Muscadine vines planted.  Two Tara and two Carlos.  That was the easy part........ the posts HAVE to go in SOON!

   And yes, thats Bella you see in the background. She hasn't gotten a forever home yet. But she is still waiting patiently.

An Angel For Everyone.

   This is one of those days when it seems that everyone needs an extra angel. So I'll share one of mine. Will put her on both of my blogs so that she can cover more territory!

For Aunt Helen!

Mulberry eating is serious business!

If you do it right....its just a little messy. But you have to concentrate.

See! Not so bad. Of course, I only ate a few.

Clean up is always a chore. And resistance is futile!

Garden Move And Expansion.

   Well, here is the repositioning of the container garden. Found an old shelving unit that I took apart and am using as "tables". Makes it easier on my back! And that is a great thing! Hoping I cut enough drainage holes in the  3 1/2 gallon plastic buckets. Won't know for sure until we have some really good rains. I'm really hoping that this experiment goes well. I'm really starting to enjoy myself with it.   Used some bamboo to tie the plants to when the forecast was for heavy winds. Glad I did!  Now I'm considering making trellis out of it too.
    Also looking at plants to attract bees. If I plan on growing food, then I need as many pollinators as I can get! Went to a monthly meeting of some local bee keepers and enthusiasts. NOW I'm REALLY interested in having my own hives!! I've wanted to try my hand at that since I was a teenager.  Looks like the time may have arrived.  Remember... Life is a learning experience....and an adventure, if you make it that way.

Blossom "Helping" With The Landscaping.

   Yes indeed! She helped me dig up this eight foot long 4x4 post, complete with concrete base. Now thats what I call a REAL working dog!!! 
    This enabled me to move the container garden. Next up for the two of us is digging out a large amount of sand that has washed down the slope in the back yard. Its threatening to fill in under the shed. And I need to avoid that!

A Tree That Comforts.

    Read where its National Tree Week in Ireland.  March 7th-13th. I think we should all be more thoughtful about the trees that share their world with us. I've decided to post some photos of my favorite trees. 
    There are some wonderful oaks in the cemetery where all my grandparents are buried. They offer not only shade, but a steady, strong and calming energy. Its very comforting to go lean against them. Guess they get that a lot, huh?

NEVER Had This Happen Before!

    All right, its just a weird year all the way around! The egg on the right is the one I found in the hen nest today. The one on the left is from yesterday! Quite a difference! I've never seen one that small. Some of the pullet eggs are strangely shaped and smaller than normal...... but not like this! This egg isn't even as large as the yolk usually is.
    Anyone out there with more "egg-xperience" care to comment? I'd love to know what causes something like this!
    And "yes", I'm going to take a photo of it when I crack it open. Will be sharing that in the days to come.