A VISIT TO THE DEAR OLD PLACE

Crop coming up in north field

We're still having summer-like temps in the valley. Only the breeze says, "Spring. Enjoy!" 

Mike and I spent Tuesday morning running errands and in the afternoon, he made sure the 4-wheeler and the lawnmower were operable and loaded them for return to the farm. The 4-wheeler went onto the bed of the pick-up while the lawnmower rode on the trailer. The trip went well, and I was relieved.

Once at the farm, Mike worked hard. Mike always works hard. We made two trips to the burn pile with branches from the maple tree, and I cleared the grove of pinecones and pine tree debris. After lunch, Mike mowed, and I thought he had the yard looking good. He always wishes for a better lawn, but it can hardly be done when your yard sits in the middle of plowed fields.

I also poisoned the gopher holes. In the past we’ve had mounds. Now we have holes. Holes are easier to spot and bait. As for mice in the house, we only had one in trap, and it was in the closet under the stairs. We don’t know how they get in there. It’s obvious there’s a small opening somewhere.

I took the camera, but it wasn’t photo-ready, so I used my phone to take these pictures. If you’re following crop development, the pictures will show you that they’re coming along, but we did observe that it’s already dry. While some regions anticipate flooding, the upper country could use a good rain.

It's just a lovely time of year. The daffodils are in various stages of bloom. The lilacs, now in full bloom in town, won’t blossom at altitude for a while yet. I was surprised that both rhubarb plants were developed enough to pull some stalks. I'm going to try a recipe for rhubarb brownies. 

As we sat on the porch for our break, we said how good it felt to be there. It was 81 in the afternoon. Back in town at 5:30, it was still 90.

Jeff the Plumber has scheduled us for next Thursday, May 11. We’re looking forward to it. Meanwhile, we expect some cooler days – in the 60s. We’ll see if it happens. KW