Being Prepared

Our snowy weekend started Friday afternoon and we enjoyed big beautiful fluffy flakes through the evening followed by snow for most of the day Saturday.  Today we are expecting a cold reprieve before another system comes through.  Weather reports of course conflict- but we expect at least a foot! 

So once my Happy Snow Dance is out of the way- the list making starts.    We have so many things to think about- making sure neighbors and family close by are OK, checking our backup systems,  food for animals etc.    Karl laughs at me when I go about setting by water for us and animals and oh yes- TOILETS.   Most of my life has been spent on well water ( thank god)  but it has its challenges when we have hard freezes and power outages.  There is just something NOT FUN about going outside and baring ones bum to 7 degrees to attend to necessities.  So I run buckets of water  and fill the tub while Karl laughs at me-  Perhaps I will make him go outside.

While I sit here musing about our sense of being prepared, and what our ancestors had to do to leave here in the Mountains- we seem so soft, ignorant and unprepared on how to really live in isolation.  Fortunately for me, I am only one generation away from it.  My mother grew up in Moravian Falls, and remembers what it was like to heat with wood and grow her own food.  Her family were homesteaders in the truest sense- outhouses, gardens, plowing with a mule.  Yesterday she told me she remembered that when she was young, it was customers- honor to read the meter and send in money monthly for electricity.  Her family had only 2$ a month budgeted for electric a month and when the meter hit that- he would turn the power off until the next month.  Imagine- electricity was a LUXURY!

What things do we consider essentials now that were a Luxury not too long ago?  


As I obsess over being prepared- I am watching the news about the horrific shootings in Arizona.  How can anyone be prepared for such senseless violence?   6 dead, 13 wounded a little girl only 9 years old-  chillingly born on 9/11. 

How can you be prepared for such tragedy?  I go back into checklist mode- insurance, bills payed, -  but all that seems so inconsequential - How did I live my life?  Do the people I love know I love them?  Reminds me of the ole Garth Brooks tear jerker- "If Tomorrow Never Comes"    Not something we want to think about but it is irresponsible not to.... I like to think I try to live each day with mindfulness and gratitude- but I am sure I could work harder at it.  How bout you?

WHITE CHRISTMAS

SNOW!   It is the legendary stuff of songs and the perfect fluffy finish to the Holidays.

We have a White Christmas and what a beauty it is-  the snow was falling Christmas Morn and still continues the day after- coating everything in muffled silence.

Everything is cozy and warm inside and we have made several trips outside to revel in the snow. 

The roads are silent, the animals snug in their little hidey holes - our ladies are not really happy about having snow in their coop and have expressed their outrage with cackles and lack of eggs.

We see little birdy track and bunny hops in the snow and our kitties are too comfy in the garage to even care.  The dogs romp for a few minutes and are ready to return inside for a warm toasty bed.... ahhhh snow!

Karl spent a few hours trying to beat the snow off our cypress trees to avoid the ugly splitting we had last year.  The results of his 40+ tree-whacking tirade are yet to be determined- stay tuned. 

Mom made it home yesterday shortly before they closed I 40 in Mc Dowell County.  Our good bud Bob stopped in on his way today from Knoxville to Fairview- defiant that he will be able to catch a flight out to San Diego tomorrow.  We wish him safe travels but are so happy that we have no where to be but home, enjoying the weather.

Stay warm and cozy- but take some time to walk in this Winter Wonderland!

Too bad dogs can't read

Too bad Dogs can't read!

Ahhhhh the memories.  Our first project as a married couple lo these 7 years ago was to install a huge fenced- in yard for the dogs on the Lazy Dog Ranch.  The pups now boast a big area with trees and an indoor/outdoor run.  Karl electrified the fence a foot off the ground to dissuade digging and thus far- we have yet to have an escapee. 

It was a fine summer day in 2003 when we cranked on the voltage.  The wire had been strung a few days before and we watched the cats - Cletus and Roscoe rub their backs on the wire- like we had purposefully installed a "cat level backscratcher"    Now our cats are twins so one would assume the same level of intellegence- and we have simple found this is not so.  Roscoe immediately noted a hum on the wire and gingerly stepped aside.  Cletus- well he decided to do the ole rub- got a good dose of electric shock thearpy and proceeded to race around the enclosure like a racehorse with every little white hair standing on end.  Karl and I were there to witness this feat only previously seen in cartoons and we laughed until we cried.

That wire has not been necessary for over a year.  Recently, Sammie, the wee little Cocker Spaniel decided that he was going to try and dig out in multiple areas.  So Karl turned on the voltage and poor Sammie proceeded to imitate Cletus today in a yelping, screeching rant around the yard.

 Sammie has recovered and let us pray this will protect him from escape and potential harm.

Tis The Season

Our challenge to you this holiday season- find new and creative ways to help those in need.

As my niece Anna asked in her Christmas Letter to Santa ( mailed today)  "Please take care of the poar people"   Hey - at age 7 if she is concerned about others above her toy requests- perhaps we older folks need a wakeup call!

We have contributed to the "routine charities" this season and somehow, this year it did not seem enough.  We are so thankful to still have our health, our jobs and our families - we just felt like we needed to do more.

It does not always have to be money or "things"-  For Example:  I reassured an older gentleman who has no other family that if he should pass ( he just lost his wife) that I promised to care and find homes for his 4 cats.  The promise will stand and the reassurance was free but it meant the world to him to know that his fur kiddies would be cared for.  

Is there someone in your neighborhood or church who may need a little TLC?  Your time and elbow grease are free- but the result may be worth it's weight in gold to those who cannot tend to the heavier tasks.  Does someone plan to spend the holidays alone? Do you have an extra place at the dinner table?

Perhaps you are more comfortable with the furry persuasion?  Karl and I are going to try and help out at our local Horse Rescue- STAR Ranch. http://www.star-ranch-rescue.com/index.htm

Wish us luck- we go out Thursday to see what we can do to help out over the holidays when help is thin and hope to be able to continue to help.  We do not have the facilities for larger animals but the desire is there to offer some love and affection to those in need.  I fear we may come home with goats and a horse :)

Stay Tuned and be creative in your holiday charity this season!  There are many ways to offer love and peace to the citizens of the earth be they human or furry!

Happy Holidays

One of my resolutions is to pick this back up again- I have signed up for a writing class through UNC-A so we will see if perhaps my prose improves:

We try so hard not to write one of those droll letters so here was my attempt at humor :)



Happy hollerdays from the Lazy Dog Ranch!






Daisy here- a quick note to let you know that Karl and shannon are alive and well but too lazy to write a letter- so they allowed me to slobber up the keyboard to wish our friends and family a wonderful christmas and a healthy and happy new year.



This year has been blissfully peaceful. I finally limped and gimped enough to get a new dog bed- and I am allowed indoors when it gets below freezing. However, I cannot seem to convince mamma that wearing cat crap smells good so she bathes me whenever I roll in it ( which is every chance I git)



Jesse, Sonny, Sammie and the kitties are enjoying a new cedar and pine kennel and remain healthy.



We have had a great time continuing our homesteading adventure in the mountains and try to write about our forays into sustainability and they are usually more humorous than productive.



Shannon hopes to resume her blog now things have slowed down- so if you want to see what is up on the farm check us out



http://haywoodhomestead.blogspot.com



This year we are thankful for our friends and family.

The "new Normal" in this economy has brought us closer and increased appreciation for what we do have.

shannon and Karl have enjoyed- sharing crops with neighbors, reusing and repurposing, and discovering new modes of entertainment- like stump burning parties in the neighbors yard and turning the garage into a disco to host the Surgical Services Christmas Party.





We wish you in 2011 the bounties of good health, good friends and an appreciation for what we all have

Where did the time go?

Has it really been 2 months... things are finally slowing down and I must admit- after a banner year of Maters--- I am GLAD we are expecting frost becuase I am SO TIRED OF PICKIN MATERS.  I have dehydrated them, canned, made salsa and given away more maters....

Our pantry is well stocked and we await the fall and winter, the cool is now in the air and the leaves are changing.  Perhaps now the flurry of summer activity is over- I can concentrate on writing again.

My niece Anna is now reading and I look forward to sharing life on the farm with her while she is away in Raleighwood!

Dawg Days

OK friends and famblie-  you have complained of no recent postings- so I am summoning the energy to write. 

Simply put - it is HOT and DRY and we are dyin'!   I have become soft since moving to the mountains- now when it gets above 85- I want winter back!  We have been less earth friendly and have had to turn on our AC.  The entire area is suffering from the heat and as we learned on the news- our area is in a little pocket with NO RAIN!  We have drained the cistern and had to choose which veggies we want the most and selectively water those.  No matter how hot and dry it is- the darn weeds still manage to thrive.  Wonder which ones of those we can eat?  Why aren't we grafting veggies onto crabgrass roots like we graft roses and trees to stronger rootstock?  Hmmmm 

The poor pups are so hot and we are sad to have to take out one of their shade trees soon-  our beautiful Chestnut is splitting at the base and threatens the house, garage and fencing, not to mention the dogs if they happen to be underneath. 

Daisy tries to convince us that she needs to be inside where it is cool- you see her sulking at the top.  The other pooches have been shaved for the summer.  Jessie has dug himself a nice baby pool sized hole in the dog lot which he curls up in to cool off.  It becomes muddy with our 30 second showers and he comes out looking more like an adobe brick than a lab- but he is happy even if encased in mud.  That is the nice thing about that dog lot- it is their space to be dogs- and they can dig, pee and chew to their hearts content.

This summer I have experienced a malaise much like when I had mono.  We have all had "it" and are unsure if it is an illness, the heat or perhaps some celestial cause - like the sun spots :)

I must rouse myself from the funk and get back to work.

Stay cool ya'll

Views from the Homestead

Tangled Up In Blue- The Challenges of Birdnetting

Anna in the Blueberry Patch

I wonder when Bob Dylan wrote Tangled Up In Blue if he was thinking about the challenges of bird netting?Of course not-  but the song has come to mind over the last few weeks as we harvest GALLONS of the yummy treats from our 6 meager Highbush blueberries. 

Each year- we contrive a netting scenario to keep the birds out and give us ease of picking.  Each year- I find more things I HATE about the darn stuff.  If it is not my buttons getting stuck in the netting it is a hair barette- and let me tell you folks- getting your hair pulled out by the roots is no fun when already sweating under a berry bush!  Two years ago we came home from vacation to find a black snake trapped in the mesh and he was well rotted.... EEEEWWWW!

My niece Anna is up for 2 weeks and could not wait to dive in and eat more than she picked-  It was not long until I heard cries for help as her pants button was stuck in the netting.

I tried to convince myself the netting was not necessary until I viewed the copious amounts of bird poop that have accumulated on the bars holding the netting in place.  Little rascals are just sitting up there waiting for a chance to break in!.

Anna has returned to us this year at age 6 with a whole new set of phobias!  Apparently by age 6 I had also developed a fear of all things buggy.  While she has never been stung, she is deathly afraid of bees.  Any slight buzzing sends her into a running, flailing fit - which I might add is difficult to do when trapped under bird netting but quite humorous to behold.

So, last night, Aunt Shannon convinced her that singing songs would scare the bees away-  what it accomplished- well she could not hear the bees over the melodic stylings of Ole Suzannah, Daisy Daisy and many other childhood favorites.  Since Auntie Shannon used to into fits of catatonia over bugs, I can hardly talk can I?  I have tried to educate her about honeybees and beneficial insects- but right now they are all "gross".  This is the same kid who took great pleasure in mashing tater beetles and squash bugs in her fingers.

Today our drought like conditions have ended with some much needed rain- so I guess it is time to go out and weed.

Happy Summer Solstice!

Today marks the longest day of the year and I still feel like I could not get enough done before daylight waned.  We have been in a real hot spell over the last 10 days and rain is nowhere to be seen.  The 90 degree days make it hard to work with any speed and we find ourselves drained before days end.

Karl and I have put the rain cistern to good use and have watered our crops and berries with over 500 gallons of collected rainwater so far this year.  While gravity watering is slower, it allows me time to weed while giving the plants a good soak.  So far our biggest nemesis is a rash of poison ivy scattered around the farm- we are debating methods to get rid of it and would welcome any suggestions!

However you have chosen to celebrate the longest day of the year we hope it was a good one!

Recovering from Lightnin Strike

KA BLAMMMM!

We had a freak super storm cell hit 2 weeks ago while at work. Mom thought she heard a crack over at our place- but when we came home - no clocks blinking, power was on-  that is until we tried to use the compter and then the TV. 

When I went out to see the pups, they were prancing about with huge chunks of bark in their mouths and it became evident that the point of impact was a maple tree in our dog yard.  Thank goodness we did not have pup-kabobs!

After hours of sleuthing we deduced the surge ran in on the phone line and fried our computer and DSL modem. Our satellite reciever was also affected

I won't deny the absence of connection the the outside world was not fun, but it is a challenge when one tries to work from home.

Of course life at the ranch has been packed with the impending summer- weeding.  We have had record heat and until today all the major thunderstorms have passed by leaving the land parched.

Just when you think you are fed up with Mother Nature- she brings the much needed water, cool after storm breezes and oh yes!  Art in the form of a huge rainbow.

Treatise on Ironing Sheets

I am very excited this week to prepare for a visit from my Auntie Cheryl and my Meemaw.  Meemaw is my only living grandparent, and I want to make sure this is a comfortable, special visit for her.

The preparations have been full of excited hustle and bustle and a good excuse to do some late spring cleaning.  While many folks find cleaning a drudgery, I find it relaxing to care for our little spot of heaven on this earth.  So I was happily humming, dusting, organizing and leaving behind order out of chaos until the sad realization hit me.  Oh God, the sheets!

Meemaw is very particular about her bedding- her bed was The Crown Jewel of Order in her household.  As kids, we were never allowed on her bed after it was made every morning.  Her bed never had a wrinkle or a seam out of place.  You could dent a quarter on the darn thing.  One of my most fond memories is of my Dad - running in her bedroom to waller and roll around on her bed like a dog rolling in cow shit.  He LOVED  to "mess it up".  She would get so aggravated with him!

The creation of Meemaws guest bed has been a labor of love. I had a good excuse to replace our well loved and worn knit sheets with new, crisp white cotton.  Washed in lavender soap and line dried in the sun...   ahhh images of June Cleaver and Martha Stewart danced in my head as I ventured out to retrieve the dry sheets.  

Then the horror of it all dawned....  They weren't billowing beautifully in the fresh mountain air!  The damn things were WRINKLED.   Did I mention Meemaw also IRONS her sheets?

So choking back my inner Erma Bombeck who sagely said 

"No one ever died from sleeping in an unmade bed. I have known mothers who remake the bed after their children do it because there is wrinkle in the spread or the blanket is on crooked. This is sick. "

I withdrew the iron from the back of the laundry cupboard, fished out the mini- ironing board from the depths of the closet, and proceeded to pour myself a large glass of white wine in an attempt to add some glamour to the task of ironing the sheets.  Sheets which looked great for 5 minutes and re-wrinkled because I do not, nor have I ever used- starch.

Now the bed is made, the rooms ready and while I am inclined to agree with Mrs. Bombeck, I feel I have at least made an attempt to make Meemaw's stay a comfortable one- despite my failure of Ironing 101.

 

Misty Morning Memories

I awakened with a start this morning- "Oh No-  did I remember to turn the crock pot off last night?"  After running downstairs and out to the back porch to confirm I had turned off the chili, I was much too awake to crawl back in bed.   We try to use the crock pot on the back porch in the summer to keep the heat out of the house- but sometimes out of sight is out of mind. 

I went about the morning chores - the dogs giving me sleepy looks as it was 6:30 and they like to sleep in on weekends too.  I made myself a cup of Earl Gray and savored one of Moms Cream Scones to break my fast.  Sunday mornings are my favorite- our community remains quiet- no mowers, trimmers, radios.  I am free to enjoy the sounds of the farm sans electronics and other people.  I will often find my mom doing the same thing on her porch- quietly enjoying nature.  Our inability to sleep in must be genetic.

Today the fog encompasses the landscape, muffling some sounds while accentuating the birdsong.  I can barely make out the outline of my mom's house just a few 100 yards away.

This weekend I have been thinking a lot about my dad, who passed away 3 years ago this very weekend from a sudden heart attack.  He would have been up on a morning like this- having a hot cup of tea or coffee.  In fact, this morning he would have been camping.  Dad would be the first one up, stoking a fire and preparing for breakfast.  First I would hear him pumping vigorously to prime that old Coleman fuel stove, then the hiss of the flame followed by the plunk of the percolator- no instant camping coffee for my dad!

Then we would hear breakfast- he had this really cool toaster ( I still have it) for the stove top.  We would have scrambled eggs, toast and sausages.  I remember our devastation one such morning when we discovered the coons had out foxed my dad by pulling an entire loaf of bread out of the small hand hole in his camping supplies box.  The toast was soooo good and never tastes like that at home!  Plus- camping was the only time we were treated to WHITE bread because everyone knows whole wheat bread makes for crappy camping toast.

Karl and I both have cause to remember this weekend- both losing a parent that same year.  We talk about them now with less sadness and now fondness and laughter as we share the stories.  I find now it is comforting to see some of my dad in myself.  Funny how as we age- it is OK to be more like our parents.  Now I am nearing 40 (ugh), all those traits and beliefs I hated as a teenager and young adult now make sense and I embrace many of them. 

All those years we scoffed at Mom's "hippie whole foods cooking" and Dad's "don't pay someone if you can do it yourself".  I can now cook ( tho not as good as mom) and help Karl tackle most of the repairs and work around the farm. 

On your Sunday Morning- I encourage you to take some time to quietly sit and think.  It does not matter if  you choose to worship in a building or in the great cathedral of nature, but I think it is imporant- even if you can't take the whole day to rest- grasp a few minutes to be thankful and remember.

HOGWIRE SMACKDOWN!

It is not a good idea to get creative in the garden at dusk-  I had the bright idea this evening to increase my "vertical growth space" for maters, beans and cukes.

Earlier this spring, Karl and I cut 16 foot hogwire panels in half to make them easier to carry.  We had used them for a portable chicken pen.  Hogwire is heavy duty welded wire- wire the size of one's pinky.

So I have these panels laying round and got the bright idea to zip tie two in an arch and put them in my beds- arching over the pathway.  Suffice it to say the wire does not bend so I then got out the heavy duty green fence posts, post pounder and proceeded to pound in supports.  My plan was then to zip tie the panels to the posts in a secure arch.  It was totally gothic and so neat!

I had one zip tie not quite right and proceeded to cut it-  completely forgetting that I had to throw my shoulder into the wire to place the zip tie to the post.  So I cut it and....

WHAM! 

It sprang off the post and smacked me at close range right in the face... right over my sore nose which I injured last week moving a step ladder.

Let's just hope I don't sport a fence wire shaped bruise on my face tomorrow- that will be a hard one to explain at work :)

Plant Swap 2010 a Sunny Success!

The ladies came from near and far- all driven by a love of plants and a desire to share and acquire new specimens for gardens in Haywood Co, Winston-Salem and as far away as HotLanta!

I had the joy of hosting the annual plant swap this year and after a questionable morning, Saturday turned sunny with LOTS of wind.

The flurry of mulching, planting and weeding in the weeks prior was worth the effort- but I also had plenty of "Don't Plant This Demonstration Spaces" that I did not get around to polishing up prior to the party.... alas- there are only so many hours in a day!

After a wonderful potluck brunch- the girls walked around on a tour of the gardens and I was able to point out many of the plants shared from years past... there are pieces of my friends all over the gardens.   What a great legacy to share - knowlege, plants and lots of ideas!

Now the swap is over and the new tender plants are in the ground- the work of the summer veggie garden looms ahead.  The weather has been cold and rainy this week- hampering much needed work- but after years of drought- we can only afford to complain a wee mite.

The Gathering - Merle Fest 2010

The lack of postings as of late reflects not only the pressing work of springtime, but also the need to prepare for our annual "Gathering".  MerleFest!  We have spent daylight hours tending the farm and nights packing and pickin' in preparation for the festivities.
 
I had some time to think on the drive home from a wonderful long weekend away-  about why Merle Fest is so special to many of us - and also why we are so sad when the event is over.

For ye Bluegrass Neophytes-  Merlefest is a music festival hosted the last weekend of April in the Brushy Mountains of North Wilkesboro, NC.  Check the link above and you may find it peaks your interest- good music, beautiful surroundings and proceeds go to a good cause.... edu-ma-ka-shun!
Each year a group of friends reunites at the Moravian Falls Campground to attend the music festival.  While the nidus of the group attended college together lo these many years ago, these folks have cast  wide their net and welcomed many others into the fold.  We hosted a few "MV's or Merle Virgins" this year and we hope they had fun and will return again!  We camp, laugh, cook, laugh, relax, laugh, make music, laugh ..... well you get the point.

The entire process is EXHAUSTING yet so uplifting to the spirit.

The concept of a Gathering harkens back to the history of settlement of our mountains by the Scots and Irish.  Many travelled here to the moutains escaping persecution and famine.  "Gatherings" were a chance for far flung people who farmed this rough terrain to reconnect to the homeland.  Highland Games and Scottish Clan Gatherings are still held in Grandfather Mountain and Tryon NC each year.

This year we had folks from CA, RI, OR, FL, PA, TX, NY and all over NC!  New friendships were made and old ones rekindled.  Merlefest provides great music and a chance to reconnect with each other away from TV and the many distractions of life.  We may not come together under the aegis of the same tartan or country- but we join for a love of music.

I encourage you all to find your own Gathering- a place you can go to connect, recharge and have fun.

Stay tuned-  no rest for the weary- next weekend we are hosting a Plant Swap on the farm! 

Power Tools and the Joys of Recycling

Karl and I decided to take a break yesterday from outdoor work to focus on the projects which are currently taking up the car park spaces in the garage. 

Quiz of the day:    How many of you actually PARK your vee-hick-els in your garage?  It is a weekly struggle for us to keep that space open.  For those of you who are familiar with out garage, there is really NO EXCUSE.  And yet... the stuff just accumulates.

Karl's bay is currently hosting the " Chicken Tractor Factory " where he is working on our 3rd generation portable coops. The Ladies have torn up their last flower bed and we have determined that we must modify the "free range" space a little bit.   He is currently working on  A frame sleds- and will create a page with that when done.

My car bay is hosting the "Spring Outdoor Furniture Redo Extravaganza!"  The blue garden bench you see in some posts was one project finished.   I am now working on refinishing my Mom's old Smith and Hawken French Bistro Set.   We searched high and low for one and let me tell you- they don't make them like they used to ( for under $400.00)  So I figured with 8 bucks of paint, some sandpaper and elbow grease.... it can't be that hard.

As you may tell from the photo- sand paper did not cut it and I had to break out the grinder to get layers of paint and rust off. 

As I got into the groove I made an observation.... I was at peace- working with my hands restoring something that belongs to my mother and has been in our family for over 20 years.  Karl then pointed out to me that I was also using my dad's tools- and that made it all the more special.

One of the most important reminders of my father are his tools.  Dad was the quintessential Do- It -Yourselfer.  Before Lowes and Home Depot- there was Ace Harware and Moores.... I can recall many a Saturday he drug us around those stores only to press us into servitude when we got home.  My dad would tackle any project but engine repair.  As much as I HATED being the gopher for his tools, I learned invaluable skills and an appreciation of a good power tool.

So we spent a great evening in the garage, each working on our new projects which were each in their way meaningful to us.

Think about it next time you tend your couch potato garden-  is there something out there you have been meaning to work on?

Hard Headed People Learn Lessons the Hard Way

The busy week and spring planting have not given me time to wax poetic on life at the farm.  However,  I have felt a sense of wonder and gratitude to bide my earthly time in this spot despite being too bone tired to pontificate.   Karl and I have spent a busy week - working until sundown caring for not only the spring chores- but all of the fall work we could not do because of the abundant rainfall.

The Canton Community Garden hosted in our lower field  is now 1/2 tilled and we are thrilled to open two more plots for Meals on Wheels!  A third beehive is down by our little plot in the garden and the bees are working hard harvesting the spring nectar.  More on that project another date.

We communed with neighbors Brenda and Cliff - also both in their yards working hard putting in their gardens.  I miss seeing my neighbors in the winter- but spring brings us all out of doors- sharing advice, planning projects and soaking up the springtime.

In addition to catching up with friends and work this  weekend for me was a lesson in humility.   You know those little labels that come with plants?  Well it helps to read them and before you plant!  I have some MAJOR redo work at hand and regret not informing myself ahead of time when planting certain things.

Hard Truth 1   "Ground cover = INVASIVE"

 

This is the deceptive view of our side hill - from the road it looks awash of spring color.....but lurking behind the tulips and daffodils ----

PERIWINKLE-  it has become my nemesis- invading plantings, mulch, my rock terraces.  My hands are now barely able to type from pulling the stuff.... and I BARELY made a dent.  That jug of Roundup is looking AWFULLY tempting as I nurse a stripe of sunburn on my lower back from bending over pulling the darn stuff. 

Lesson 2-  Snowball bushes get HUGE- so don't plant 2 feet away from your porch!  DUH!

This thing has even been pruned!  And we are looking at taking the tractor and transplanting elsewhere later this spring.

These two bushes were so small and cute when we got them....  now it is going to take some real digging to safely transplant... grab a shovel ya'll.

As much as I reflect upon the disappointments of my ignorant planting errors... we got so much done, edging, mulching, tilling, weeding, planting -  all things where there are tangible results that are pleasing to the eye.  

The dogs look on as we refinish a pathway and spillway leading to dog lot.

Ahhh the smells of spring!  The daffodils, and let's not forget the Thrift.  I have fond memories of mounds of multicolored thrift at my Grandma Pennell's cabin in Moravian Falls, NC.  I have planted it everywhere I have lived - it reminds me of her as she is my genetic link to this crazy gardening obsession.   So as I stand watering my weekends work, the smells of flowers, water and fresh dirt give me a sense of peace and well being that will overcome the agony of sore muscles and raw hands come morning.

Happy Planting!

I got the Keys!

Poor Karl gets pulled in 100 different directions this time of year.  The warm weather this week has seen us coming home from work- scarfing what mom has been kind enough to cook for us - and then venturing outside to attend to the numerous tasks we have to tackle. 

I am working to tidy up long neglected beds and can spread mulch and chips like a banshee- which kept Karl interrupted getting loads of mulch.

FINALLY - with a little refresher lesson, I was able to pry the keys from his hands and use the tractor myself!  While I am not as gifted with the scoop- I am getting by and we are much more productive.

The long neglected rock garden gets a fresh coat of mulch, and the garden bench a fresh coat of bright paint.

Return of the SUGAR ANTS

Why o Why did I not rinse out that wine glass last night!   I found a nice little caravan of black ants this morning in the kitchen- another sign at our home spring is here!

You can be lazy and buy Terro ant bait ( non toxic) or build your own!  I found this on the net awhile back and it works great if you are in the DIY mood.



Sugar Ant Trap


•1 cup borax

•1 cup sugar

water



•4 shallow lidded jars
•4 loose wads of toilet paper

In a bowl, mix the borax and sugar. Place a loose wad of toilet paper into each of four different screw-top jars. Pour a quarter of the sugar and borax mixture into each of the four jars, over the toilet paper. Fill each jar with water to one inch of the top. Screw the lids on the jars, and with a hammer and nail, make four to eight holes in the lid. Place the jars in areas where you have ants (but keep away from pets and children).



This ant trap will catch the workers but not the queen. A more comprehensive solution is to blend 1/4 cup of confectioner’s sugar and one tablespoon of borax and sprinkle it in ant traffic areas. There is not enough borax with this method to kill the worker ants immediately, so they take it back to the nest, ultimately eradicating it. (If the worker ants do die at the powder, cut back on the borax.)



Caution: Keep borax products away from pets and other animals. It is non toxic but an irritant!



There are also a number of herbs such as mint and pennyroyal, and spices such as cayenne pepper, that repel ants.