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| Raining to the south |
The
cooler wet weather enticed us to stay in town last week, but knowing that the
lawn would need mowing, we took a chance that Friday would be a break in the
rain cycle and headed to the farm. To ensure that the trip wouldn’t be a total loss,
we carried our considerable amount of recyclables to the transfer station. We also took our accumulated groceries and provisions.
We arrived at the farmhouse about 11:00. It was obvious there had been a storm – perhaps more than
one – but it wasn’t so wet that Mike couldn’t mow. He started immediately.
I
checked the raised beds. The strawberries, looking strong and healthy, are
blooming. The peas and spinach are sprouting, but there’s no sign of the summer
squash.
I
have not seen the bunnies that live under the barn this year, but Mike found a
baby bunny while mowing. In fact, he got fairly close to it before it ran. This
may not be good news for my vegetable gardens. He found just a little gopher
activity. I found the hole(s) and took care of it.
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| Rhubarb & lilacs -- so "spring!" |
We
have always had red-winged blackbirds at the pond, and this year is no
exception. I always took them for granted, thinking they were quite common, but
I read recently that nationwide, their numbers are down because of vanishing
habitat. They put up quite a fuss when I tour the area, and they don’t like
Bess, especially when they have young in the nest. The ducks, the geese, and the American Coot appear to have moved on, and I'm concerned about the hummingbirds because I didn't see any. I find that if I
don’t feed them, they don’t stay.
Some
of the apple trees and the black hawthorn are in bloom. One old apple tree near
the pond showed me her beautiful blooms. The early lilacs are in bloom. They
delight my heart. |
| Apple & hawthorn trees in bloom |
While
Mike mowed and trimmed, I put our provisions away. I treated myself to a new
clothespin bag and some metal clothes pins. If I don’t use them to hang
clothes, I figure they would work well for affixing the dog food bags to the
fencing on the raised beds. Wooden clothespins left in the weather deteriorate
rapidly. I also baked a batch of cookies.
Before
we left, we planted five spruce trees near the pond. That leaves five more to
plant. Frankly, we aren’t hopeful that they will thrive, but the Arbor Day
Foundation provides them when you donate. Well, it’s better than a calendar.
We
were back at the town house in time for supper, and I was grateful for that left-over
spinach lasagna. KW
7 comments:
One small correction:the coot is still on the pond.
I did not see the coot, or any water fowl, on the pond. Perhaps he was hiding. Can't help but wonder if Mrs. Coot is tending to young hidden in the cattails.
Bunnies and lilacs! We have an abundance of bunnies this spring, and that leads me to believe we'll have even more shortly if their lively courting routines are any indication. The trees across the way seem to be "lover's hide-a-way" as they scurry, nay, race in and then out. And then much of our lane is bordered in lilacs. They alternate white and purple so some early resident/s must have carefully planted to create the lovely wall of them as we drive our way up. They are a delight.
What kind of spruce trees are they? Maybe you'd like some watering bags to help them along?
Chris, I know the drive to your house is lovely right now. And obviously it's "Lovers' Lane" for the bunnies. Do they eat your garden?
I suppose there's more than one species of spruce tree. I can't answer your questions right now since I left all the info at the farm. Thanks for the reminder about the watering bags.
I love the smell of lilacs. My earliest memory of them was on my grandfather's farm in Southern Idaho. I picked lilac color for my bridesmaids dresses. I still love that color.
Hi Joanne!
I didn't know you were so fond of lilacs. Thanks for your comment.
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