Weekend Happenings..

While it wasn’t a balmy 70 or 80 out this weekend (thankfully!) we did spend it working on two of our current projects.
Randy worked himself sore hammering in sleeves, hauling gravel and concrete and setting the post for the deer fence in place.


What you don’t see very well is that the top and bottom monofilament lines are in place as well.  We are getting there, it’s a slow process but it’s coming together.  While meandering around helping with little things I discovered a few wildflowers coming up on their own in the woods, lucky for me they are on the right side of the fence!


While he worked on things I couldn’t help with (even though I did try my hand at pounding in the sleeves with the sledge hammer!) I worked on finishing up some mulching in the bee area and the transplanting of some Spring flowers to their new home under the maple tree.

I also finished cleaning out the rest of the garden beds, spent some time cutting down briars, honeysuckle and dog rose. 

A gardeners weeding is never done…


Happy Easter!

Deery Me…

We did not get as far as I wanted, but in all honesty I want it all installed in a day.  So Randy getting as far as he did is a blessing and a start!

This is a gate opening, it’s not set yet, just standing in the holes Randy dug, by hand, by the way.  That gate will give us access to the woods for whatever reason we may need it. 

Randy put the sleeves down every 12’ they will be driven into the ground and a post will go in them.  It doesn’t look like a lot but this is the longest span of fencing.  He also wanted to start with this section so we could get the hang of installation.
While he was doing that I was cleaning up around various plants.

I removed the leaves from the struggling yellow bush (struggling because the deer keep eating it!). 

I pulled all the honeysuckle and weeds off the berm for years I’ve admired the ferns on it, I want to give them a chance to really shine and since this will be in the fenced area I also see some potential for using it!

I found some native ferns buried under the leaves close to the fence line, native is also a great find!

I did a major rake and rip out all along this edge.  All the suckers from the Carolina Allspice, the dog rose and wine berries were removed.

The reason is that from here to the bee area is going to become part of my planting area.  I hope!

April First…

I went out to let Cooper gallivant for a while in the sun.  It was so pretty out I came back in and got my camera to take a few pictures of some of my Spring flowers in bloom.

Of course I had to get a couple of pictures of Cooper!

I was walking around the yard when I noticed something interesting, a lot of activity at the beehives. In case anyone ever wanted to know, this is what it looks like when an empty hive is being robbed out.

Not too much different from what a happy hive looks like right?  Well here let me show you something else;

See those specks all over the front, that the stolen goods being brought out.  It’s my own fault for not having closed it off before now.  The last time I checked it was when I realized my colony was gone and I haven’t been back since.  Now that it’s warm, these bees that are looking for food wherever they can find it, found basically fast food and are tearing the comb apart to get to it.  So tonight I’ll be closing that up for sure! 
Happy April 1st…no fooling!

Think warm thoughts…

What do you get with a bored man, snow and artic cold air?

Randy got a Big Green Egg (for those that don’t know what that it, it’s a big green ceramic cooker) for his birthday last year and I will be the first to admit that food cooked on the BGE is the juiciest, most flavor packed food I’ve ever had from a grill! 

The research began and Randy decided to build an outdoor ‘kitchen’ area for two BGE’s.  He will have the large for cooking turkey or other large items or amounts of food and a medium to use when it’s just us.

So here are the bones, the two sections on either end are for the eggs.

The middle piece gets this cabinet and drawer.

When it gets warmer, these frames will get concrete backer board on them, then a counter top of something like granite or soapstone.  We will cover the backer board with stone or tiles.

So as we sit watching it snow, we can’t help but think warm thoughts…

A Nighttime Visitor..

It’s not often, at least for me, that I get a really good chance to take a picture of a rare visitor.  For the most part, they usually disappear faster than I can either get my camera or get outside.  The other night though, I got lucky!

This beautiful Screech Owl was sitting in the Rhododendron outside my living room window.  How close is that, well that glow you see to the left is the welcome candle in my window.  I’ve long loved this tree like Rhodo, it stands right next to my front porch and despite the fact that it was butchered badly by a so called professional landscaper this past spring, it has continued to attract wildlife to it.  Randy wants to cut it down, but after this, it’s one more example of why I don’t!  I was able to go out through the garage and walk very close up to this beauty and take it’s picture.  It sat watching me with those big eyes and I was just over the moon to get such a great picture.  I’ve heard them for years screeching in the night but I’d never seen one this close up.  It stayed there for a little while even after I went back inside and then flew off into the night.
What a wonderful gift!

Calling On My Compassionate Caring Friends!

My sister in law is trying to raise money to get medical treatments for some feral cats that live around her house.  For years now she’s been paying for it out of her pocket but anyone with a pet knows those fees can add up!

She’s working with a vet that gives her a break but still when facing major surgery she needs help, so please take a look here and if you can help please do!  Also, it’d be great if you could share the link the more people that know, the better chance there is that she can at least raise some funds to help with the cost. 

Her ultimate goal is to get all the cats fixed so that she can put an end to the vicious cycle of breeding that has been going unchecked in her neighborhood. 

Thanks, I know how wonderful the crafting community is and I know how much many of you love animals!

Legs Broken Needs Help!

Blessings..

Life is amazing and special and just all around wonderful.  There are days when frustration can get the best of me, when things aren’t going quite like I want them to.  Then, there are days like this, when the tears of happiness fall freely because a blessing is answered, a wish comes true and I feel my heart might burst with joy..

Happiness times two!