Tic, Tic, Tic

Loving all the seasons of life, and doing OK.

 

This year my birthday was one of those that was divisible by 10.  I am not going to say,  "Where did the time go", because in contemplation,  I know where it went.

 I didn't notice it going by so fast when I was raising four loving children, nor did I notice it as I accumulated lifelong friends.  I didn't notice it when working in my gardens because every summer I would plan what to do the next year.  I didn't see it when my children reached all the milestones in their lives because I was always so proud.  I didn't notice it when I went on vacations and had wonderful adventures and made memories.  I didn't notice many things, because I was living life.

However, I did notice it when I held my first grandchild in my arms and knew that part of me will continue on for generations.  Time tapped on my shoulder again when I retired and I missed people who I had come to see everyday and loved being part of their lives.  I also missed purpose, but then I reinvented myself and found joy. 

I am more mellow now, life is not as busy, but still interesting.  I can walk six miles without breaking a sweat (on cool days), put in large gardens that fill my soul, and hold my grandchildren close. I always look forward and attempt to ignore the negativity that surrounds me.  I try never to say no, although fear now creeps in.

I embrace my age as I have lived longer than many, but gosh darn it, I wasn't done being young.

Icicles On My Eyelashes

Holy Moley, I must have sleepwalked to Alaska, but with some hot tea, I should be OK.

 

 

The heat is cranked up, the fireplace is on, the space heater in the office is set to high, and I am still cold.  I just might forgo walking outside to the mailbox today  The bills will have to wait. 

 

The temperature is saying 11 degrees F.  I am thinking back now to the days gone by, last winter, as a matter of fact, when the average temperature was 50.  The global warming was so kind to us then.

 

It is less than two months till spring so I will spend today wrapped in two layers of clothes and eating calorie laden foods (I need some comfort) and peruse all the gardening catalogs that I have received in the past few weeks. 

 

In six months, I will complain about the heat.

 

 

 



 

 

 



 

Snaked

Had a good weekend with family and friends and I am doing OK.

The woods that border my home has a wandering creek flowing through it.  It attracts quite a bit of wildlife which I love.  The open space next to my house is a wetland and in the spring, the songs of the frogs entertain us in the evening.  Now and then I come across a snake in my garden which gives me pause, but if they keep to themselves, I'm cool with them also.   I love living in the country.





















The other night my hubby was organizing the garage and putting away gardening supplies.  As he fiddled around with the tools he noticed something in a dark corner that looked ominous.  Prodding the area with a small stick, he was greeted by a rather long snake.  He quickly  grabbed the nearest armament, a broom that was hanging on the wall, and with the swing and swiftness of Tiger Woods, he gave that reptile the old heave-ho out the door.  Only it was not just one snake, instead they were five large unknown types and they all went flying into the air. Being none too happy at his rude awakening, one of them, after landing down the driveway in one piece, turned and charged his attacker, extending his body upwards and hissing in rage.  Running on adrenalin and not to show any fear, my brave hero stood his ground and whipped that sucker one more time.  Now, surrounded by the rest of the gang of slithering varmints and no one and no creature backing down, it became an all out assault.  With his mighty weapon in hand, and  the chutzpah of a Navy Seal, my man went full force, and drove those snakes off the driveway, into the road and down the gully.  This now proud snake wrangler lifted his broom, swung it in a circle, blew off the dust of battle and hung it up for another day. 

Duel in the Sun

 Clint couldn't have done better.

The Summer of "I Didn't"

Having beautiful days and I am doing OK.

I usually spend nine months out of the year working on my gardens.  I start planning in February, order seeds in March, search through catalogs for new plants in April, and start my summer garden in May.  This year my enthusiasm lasted till June and died in July.  Everything got planted, but I was unhappy with how I put them together. Flowers didn't bloom well, bulbs did not produce as they had in the past and I didn't even like the mulch we ordered.  I can't blame the state of my gardens on the weather as we had plenty of sun and a sufficient amount of rain. 

Yes, I just lost that lovin' feeling.  That expression on the fish in my header kind of says it all.

As the summer went by, I was out there every week cutting down my bushes that seemed to grow a foot a day.  I did pull weeds, and I did move plants around, but I just didn't care that things weren't as perfect as what I had to have in the past.  Now though, it is almost fall and flowers that used to bloom till late October are leggy and/or have very little color.  I should not be surprised as the Miracle Gro fertilizer that we usually apply three times a season (and truly is a miracle grow) is still in its unopened box.  I looked things over on Saturday and decided that everything had to go. So with a burst of energy (that was short-lived) I pulled up some of those spent flowers to my hearts content.  It was a liberating experience.  I did replace some with fall flowers and now things are looking dandy, just dandy. I still have many more pots to empty and plantings (100+) to rip out of the ground but this spirit of demolition has gotten a hold of me and I am giddy with excitement (sort of).   However, next week when it is all done and most summer color gone, I may cry.

Here though, are some of the brighter sides of my gardening efforts this year.


 Delphiniums take little effort and grow from May till October here.



The Crape Myrtles added beautiful color along the side.



There is no work involved with the Cone Flowers and little with Geraniums.


The fan flowers (Scaevola) were smaller than other years, but still pretty.


My flower balls did not meet expectations.


But I love, love, love the Hyacinths Bean vines.  Years ago someone gave us seeds from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and these plants are about the 7th generation from that original pack.


Resembles orchids

That turn into to this

Mixed in with other vines, they are very showy.

In the evening, when the sun goes down, the gardens and woods are lit up with the new solar lights that hubby has been installing for the past few years.  The old electric ones kept tripping our breaker and these are so much nicer and environmentally friendly.   



I enjoyed my gardens so much more at night as I could not see all my mistakes and the up lighting really added to the ambiance.

Au revoir to my 2012 gardens. Some of the plants just did not work, some of my usual ones (like Impatiens) were disappointing,  and some of my bones were feeling their age.  To be honest, there were other things that I didn't do this summer for one reason or another, maybe it is just Father Time catching up with me. However, I will just turn the page on this season and try to think ahead.  I have started making plans for winter and there is a wedding in my family next year to think about also.  The future looks bright and hopeful, yes-siree!

Rocky Raccoon Comes A' Callin'

Wilting from the heat, but doing OK


I am very fortunate that my back yard borders a very nice woodland area.  It is lush with trees and flowering plants and because of the creek that flows through it, the zone is protected.  It was one of the reasons why we chose to buy this house.  I love all the wildlife that we get to see here and and always have our camera ready to catch any animal that happens to pop out into the open space.  I have to admit that I do feed them and often leave leftover vegetables and greens deep in the woods for them all.  Every winter, as the dusk of day descends, we encounter some large majestic buck.  However, by the time we get over our oohs and aahs, and get our camera focused, he is gone.  Mostly though, we have small creatures and as I have mentioned before, our neighbor farmer's cats who have come to know my yard as their second home.  Sharing my life with all these animals is a great joy for me.



Having said all that, I do believe that the animals and I should each have our own territory.  The woods are available to them, and they are welcome to the use of  my yard, if they do not eat my flowers and chew on my bushes.  So far, everything has been sypatico between us except for that rogue woodchuck who sometimes eats all my cabbages and some pesky bunnies who just love to chew my tulips down to the core. We also have the cows from across the road that visit us a few times a year right after a torrential rain storm and ruin hubby's perfect (no weeds allowed) lawn.  This does give us cause for concern, but I have to admit that we always get a good story or laugh out of those incidents. 


Now though, we have an issue.  Although hubby has a problem with birds eating out of the wrong feeders because he thinks they should know better, he gets very annoyed when the squirrels climb the poles and feast on his specialty seeds.  As mad as he gets at the squirrels, it is nothing compared to how ballistic he becomes when he sees a large raccoon swinging away on one of his feeders.  They not only drain all the food out of them but very often pull them apart.  We have many feeders and the brids of the East Coast will not suffer from the loss of one, but you would think it was a tragedy the way the man carries on.   It doesn't bother me as I think the raccoons and squirrels need to eat also and what difference does it make what creature partakes of the food that we leave out.  This is an argument that I never win.  However, I have been given a reason to rethink this all and as hard as it is to say this, maybe, just maybe, hubby is right this time (now that was hard to say and my fingers hurt typing that in).


We have lived here for 10 years and use our deck and patio five months a year.  They are our favorite rooms.  We often dine outside but are always very careful to clean up everything so as not to attract any unwanted company.  As I said before, the farmer's cats visit us daily and two of them often stay the night sleeping on one of the garden chairs.  Last week, as I laid on my couch in the family room, I saw through the window that the deck light went on.  This is a sensitivity light and will turn on when someone/something steps onto the outside area.  I was sure it was a cat and watched a tail go behind the patio dining table.  As it turned around and came ever closer to the French doors and brazingly stared in at me with his peering eyes, I knew it was not a cat, but it was Rocky Raccoon and he was hungry.  I am very grateful that I had my eye sight fixed a few months ago, and did not open the door to invite him in.

We checked with the farmer across the road and she has had a problem with a family of  raccoons.  They have eaten three of her chickens.  I am counting on her to solve the problem, however, I do not want to know how.

Maybe though, Rocky  remembers my high-pitched, blood curdling screams and is still running, preferably out of town.

 

Flying Fish

We are having some beautiful days around here and I am doing OK.

It is time to plan my 4th of July extravaganza, although in recent years the ganza in me has slowed down a bit.  However,  I will do my best for my guests and try to make it a fun day. All the ingredients that are really needed though are good friends and family to just get together and enjoy the time we have in each other's company.  Of course, a sunny, not so hot day would certainly add to our comfort and mood.

I plan on having some good food.



Some summer cocktails for the adults



and something for the kids




We will sit under my willow tree, talk about old times and new, laugh, overeat and watch the younger generation play some yard games.  The older generation will only get out of their chairs to replenish. This is as it should be.



And then right before the fireworks display, I will bring out my special surprise.

The children will love it, some who have enjoyed the cocktails a little too much might not notice and others will think I have gone completely bonkers.  What the heck, it looks like fun.  Now to decide which creature to rent, shark or angel fish.  

PhotoPrompt from Monday, June 4, 2012

Photo Prompt courtesy of Delores at  The Featherednest, http://mybabyjohn.blogspot.com/

The Gardener

She lived at the end of our road in a small, neat, white clapboard house.  I used to pass her by as I went for my walk in the morning and I would see her again at night when I took Kerry, our dog, for his evening constitutional.  She was always working in her garden.  She was a lady up in her years and dressed in a big brimmed purple hat, a blue dress with a green apron and big yellow rubber shoes.  She was a staple in the neighborhood, but I never knew her name.  We always just called her "The Gardener".  Once or twice  a year I did stop to talk and tell her how I admired her plantings.  She would always say, "Thank you, but I can't seem to get it just right this year."  She seldom looked up and I wasn't sure if she was talking to me or herself.   Her yard was lovely and and there was always something new to see.  I wish, at times, I had taken the time to speak with her longer, but we all live busy lives and other than say hello, I went about my business and she with hers.

She has been gone for a few years now and the new owners have done away with most of her gardens.  As I passed her home the other day, there in a crack in the pavement lay the daintiest of plants clinging to life among the weeds that were also choking to get out.  I thought of leaning down and trying to pull it out, but then I thought of her, and it occurred to me that this might have been a seed from one of her flowers that had fallen between the sidewalk and laid dormant until now.  I smiled, said hello, and walked on thinking that "The Gardner", in a way, was still there.

Stealing Some Scenery

It was a beautiful weekend and I am doing OK.

I have been spending the last week working on my gardens but today is gloomy with showers expected for the rest of the week.  The rain will be good for the plants and although I am anxious to get all this work completed, maybe a little rest for my breaking back is in order also.  So today, I am catching up, doing some inside work and just vegging out.

I checked in on my daughter, Heather, and saw that she posted some pictures of her family camping trip to Big Sur, CA.  I had the pleasure of making that tour (not an over-nighter) with her a number of years ago and it was spectacular.  Unlike Heather, (and all my children), I am not a camper and enjoy the comforts of a four star hotel (but will rough it in a three star, if necessary).  However, I  am proud of how they can enjoy living in the great outdoors at the mercy of all the elements.  They must have inherited a recessive gene because being covered with crawly creatures and listening to sounds that are foreign to me throughout the night is an adventure I would now rather skip. Then there is that whole bathroom business!  However, I can understand the beauty of it all and certainly enjoy looking at their pictures.

California is one of the most beautiful and interesting places that I have visited.  It's scenery is exquisite, it's population eclectic and it's pace is oh, so laid back (especially as compared to that of the northeast coast).  It is a great place to live,  play and dream big dreams.  The distance from Heather's home to Big Sur is about 70 miles and the drive is scenic beyond belief.  You will go through the majesty of the Redwoods and Sequoias,  the elegance of Pebble Beach, and drive along the coast of the mighty Pacific.  There are not enough adjectives to describe it properly.

Dwarfed by the trees



Swinging to the beat!



The Living Room



The fog will lift - eventually!



Beautiful beaches and beautiful ladies



So what do you do when you get to the top?



Looks like the fog is lifting a little.  Must be noon.



So much to see and do!



Lazy river day.  This would be more my speed.



Peace and Serenity



Like me, the river just flows around to the next bend and looks forward to what is to come.

In my next life, I hope to be more of an adventurer like my offspring.  I am sure though that I will still need my own indoor bathroom.

Gardening is a Ball

It is showering outside which is good for the plants, and I am doing OK


There are so many blogs that are instructional and post recipes, crafts, medical advice, travel information and the like.  I am really not qualified to do any of the above.  I am a so-so cook and by that I mean, "so, that was SURPRISINGLY good", or "so, maybe we should dump this meal and go out to eat.  My hands don't work as well as before so crafts that include any pointy objects or tools are to be avoided as I wish to stay away from emergency rooms as much as possible.  My traveling is limited and my only advice about that would be to take a sleeping pill or a stiff drink as soon as you get on a plane.   Flying is very uncomfortable.  I would enjoy globe trotting so much more if Scotty could only beam me up.

No, I can't sing and I can't dance and my hula hoop days are behind me.  However, I do have lovely gardens.   I know I over-plant and sometimes my enthusiasm for new found species can get the best of me, but all in all, I do have fun.

A few years ago, I noticed that the large plants which hang from posts in our local town had a variety and abundance of flowers coming out from all sides.   I investigated and saw that holes were made on the sides and bottom of the pots, and plants inserted here, there and everywhere.  I then saw an article in a magazine showing how to do this.  I have been making them now for about three years.  The ones that turn out well are splendid, and the ones that don't meet expectations, are still quite beautiful.

The following is my first (and probably last) DIY How To:

Step 1:  Buy 2 coconut moss lined hanging planters. Remove the chain from the planter that you will use on top. You will only need the chains attached to the bottom pot.  With a Sharpie pen, mark an X in all the spots where you want to place a plant. Either cut holes or cut out an X and pull sides out.   I suggest you stagger these holes, one high, one low (although I did not do this on one of the containers).  I also cut out the very top circle and the bottom for plants that I will insert at the end of the process.

Step 2:  Choose the plants you wish to use.  Smaller ones from market packs work the best. Push them through the holes you have cut out. You want the holes big enough so the plants have room to grow.  However, do not make them too large or flowers will fall out.  Add soil, and include some Soil Moist and fertilizer. Fill completely, pushing down hard so the dirt is tight in each planter.  Thoroughly water and again pat down.  Make sure dirt comes to top edges.

Step 3: Get a large piece of cardboard and lay over the planter that will go on top.

Step 4: Holding cardboard tightly, turn planter over and set on top of bottom pot.  Slowly, pull away the cardboard. 

Step 5:  Wire planters together.

Step 6:  Shoo away any wandering nosey neighbors.  They will sit on the cardboard and eat you out of house and home.

Step 7:  Adjust all the plants and put in flowers on the top hole.  Make sure your chain is not in the way and breaking any foliage.

Step 8:  Hang in an area where all sides can get light and is not against a tree or wall.  Place your reserved plant in bottom hole.

All kinds of plants can be used and mixing types can make a beautiful display.  The one I am showing is just Impatiens, but it is a nice spreading plant and you can get a wow effect just sticking with one species in a few colors.

and Viola, in about 6 weeks, you will have something like this.

Minus my granddaughter Poppy

                                       

And granddaughter Sophie

             
                                               

.

It's Time

I'm running late, but doing OK.



In the spring of our lives, time seems to go by so slowly because we are always looking forward to the future.

As summer passes, there is no time, we are busy with too many things.

As the flowers lose their luster and fall approaches, we wonder where did it all go.

Whoosh.............................................

However, only "now" matters; it is only the moment at hand, the moment to make the most of what we have and what we can give.

I am going to start planting, because that time has come.  It's time for my gardens.  Time for me to sow my seeds and hope for the best.

"April hath put a spirit of youth in everything."

William Shakespeare

Time to Say Goodbye

Somewhat sad, but doing OK.

It has now officially come to a close.  The chilly, windy weather has arrived. There is no putting it off any longer, I have got to put an end to my summer plants.  Most have held on and done their best to keep blooming and possibly because of all the rain (and not depending on me), have lasted longer than their expected shelf life. They are showing their age now and instead of letting the frost get them, I will be compassionate and put them to sleep in a more dignified manner.  So as I dump them into the compost heap, I say farewell to them all.

Goodbye, Sun Impatiens, you grew to new heights. 

Toodles, begonias, you were mystical in my Zen garden

Hasta la vista fan flower  (Scaevola), you asked so little of me but gave much.

Chau Zinnias, you really brightened up the later part of the season.

Au revoir all you beautiful Hibiscus, you were magnifique!.

Sorry about that Picasso Petunias, you didn't make it though the summer.  I tried my best to keep you around, but like me, you wilted in the blistering hot sun.  I appreciated your splendor while you were here.

Arriverderci, Diamond Frost (Euphorbia).  You were like snow in summer without the miserable elements.

Ah, Knock Out Rose, you will need to be pruned for the winter, and what can I say, you were....., well you know what you were.

Knock out!

It was nice to meet you big green and red plant on my deck,  You will be spared as I am going to put you in my basement and take you out next spring.   Good luck, as I might forget about you every now and then.  It is survival of the fittest down there.  In a few years, that's where I may put hubby.

I have no idea what you are.

To all the other plants I had (who's names have been forgotten) but brightened up my days of summer, Chau.   I will welcome your seedlings back next year.

It is now time for Mums, cabbages and pumpkins.

I'll be back