Morning Visitors

We had some unexpected company this morning. There were three actually, but only two came out of the back forest.





They grazed for a bit and then headed back up the trail.



That was a nice surprise.

Planting, Weeding and Seeding

Yesterday was a busy day.

I planted some sunflowers,


morning glories,


sweet williams,


and phlox in the beds and planters around the yard. One of the cats knocked over my planter of moss rose last week, so I reseeded it with phlox this time. That's going to be pretty.

I transplanted last year's potted blue delphinium into the front garden, and gave a lilac bush more breathing room by pulling grass further away from it and loosening the soil a bit.

I also have three hills of summer squash planted too. Still more to plant so I best be at it.

The Perks Of Being 50+

A friend sent me this in an email awhile back. I thought it was so funny, you'd enjoy it too.

The Perks Of Being 50+

1. Kidnappers are not very interested in you.
2. In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.
3. No one expects you to run - anywhere.
4. People call at 9 P.M. & ask "Did I wake you?"
5. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.
6. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.
7. Things you buy now won't wear out.
8. You can eat dinner at 4 P.M.
9. You enjoy hearing about other peoples' operations.
10. You get into heated arguments about pension plans
11. You have a party & the neighbors don't even realize it.
12. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.
13. You quit trying to hold your stomach in, no matter who walks into the room.
14. You sing along with elevator music.
15. Your eyes won't get much worse
16. Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to payoff.
17. Your joints are more accurate than the weatherman.

Elder Wisdom

We've had the last of the frosty mornings according to the "old-timers". Here's what they had to say, "When you hear the peepers twice and they're froze back, the third time, spring will be here to stay." According to my calculations, the frost threats are now over.

The strawberry plants are full of blooms. We covered them and thankfully, they weren't hurt. Sometime this week, I'm gonna start planting the flower and vegetable seeds.

Ray took these pics yesterday evening. He certainly has an eye for photography.



According to old-timers, how did a crescent moon predict the weather?

Back in the "good old days", rain or drought during spring or summer could be predicted by looking to the crescent moon. I remember grandma telling me that a tilted crescent moon with a faint circle around it meant rain. "A moon with a circle brings water in its beak," the old saying went. A crescent moon lying on its back was a sign of dry weather.



The red bud and dogwood trees are growing wild in the back woods. Their colors compliment each other nicely I think. The honeysuckle always draws loads of hummingbirds too. It's time to get that feeder full and hung on the porch.

A Relaxing Day

It's been a quiet and relaxing day here in Hitchins.



Mister is taking advantage of a nice spring afternoon with a good nap. He and Gracie just finished a nice lunch of roast chicken. I had a salad in front of the TV watching my favorite old movie of all time, "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir". The one with Gene Tierney & Rex Harrison is my favorite. I'm going to try and paint Captain Gregg's portrait from the movie. It's going to be a challenge figuring out the colors from a black and white photo of it, but I'll do my best. I'll post pics of it when it's finished.

I cleaned out a few more flower beds yesterday evening. The hostas are now popping out of the ground a few inches and the peonies are almost a foot tall. Some perennials from last year are growing fast in the front garden too. I'm going to be adding some nasturtiums, zinnias and sunflowers to the front garden again this year as well. I'll start planting seeds next week.

Lovely Weather

We're enjoying this delightful spring weather. Yesterday was spent with Ray mowing the lawn and my job was preparing planting beds for seeding in a few more weeks. We have one more freeze possible before it will be safe to plant the gardens.

I have managed to get a head start on some lettuce and radishes. The yarn fence is working nicely in keeping the cats out of the planters this year.



The strawberries are already full of blooms too. This is their second year, so we should see some for shortcakes in the coming months.



Mister and Sarah decided to rest on the slope for a few minutes after following me around the yard this evening.



The Sweet Williams are blooming too. I'm going to use black mulch in the gardens this year. It makes for a striking contrast against the blooming plants.


This is going to be an extremely fertile year.

This & That

I am hearing a soft rain outside, mingled with the pleasant songs of various birds. Including this little fellow.



It's supposed to cool off this evening and we may have a frost tonight. I've put away all the plants and trees we've placed in planters, in the shed for the time being. It's going to warm back up within the next few days and hopefully I can get the rest planted.

I am thinking that after I write this post, I'm going to start cutting some 6 1/2" blocks for the next rag quilt. I've chosen some gingham checks with calicos in the same colors. It will make a pretty quilt when it's finished.

I am wearing a red and white gingham lounge dress today. It's long, loose and flowing. I have to be careful around the kittens though. They enjoy a swat at it as I walk by.

The red male kitten is going to his new home this weekend.



One of Ray's co-workers is getting him for her sister. She had a red tabby male that passed away not long ago. She'd had him all his long life. I hear she's already named him Raymond and has bought all new supplies. I'm not going to worry about that one. He's loved already.

We've planted several forsythia bushes, a red maple tree, a pink dogwood tree, and a raspberry bush so far this spring. After this threat of frost, we're adding a few more lavender plants and a couple of chokeberry bushes to the yard. Here's what they look like in the fall.

Black Chokeberry Bush



They grow five to seven feet tall and about 5 feet wide once they're mature. They're going to make alot of birds around here happy. I'm adding several sunflowers to the gardens this year too. The goldfinches love them.



I best get busy working on those quilt blocks.

Have a pleasant day!

Good News!

The doctor's office called this morning with the test results. Thankfully, it was only scar tissue. No cancer. Whew!

Thanks for your prayers and support. They do make a difference.

I'm Still Around

I'm sorry I haven't written anything in awhile. I've been pretty sick for several weeks, but now on the mend. It seems that my thyroid became underactive and thus was part of my weight gain. I've been on medication for almost two weeks now and my energy level has improved alot.

I'm still waiting for the results of a CAT scan I had a week ago. A chest x-ray showed a couple of nodules on my lungs. The doctor said he didn't think it was anything to worry about, but he wanted to be sure. Waiting for those results has been stressful. I'll post news of my test when I get them.

Wednesday the kittens will be 6 weeks old and soon ready for their new home. Sarah's weaning them slowly but surely. She has a date with the vet for a spay next week. I'll be glad when that's over.