daily yarns 'n more

they don't last long, so i just had to bring them in

So, instead of having to keep going outside to enjoy their scent and loveliness.  I brought them inside to enjoy.

happy monday

I hope you all have been doing good.  I walked around the yard this weekend and took a few shots.

My hyacinths in bloom.

We had company over the weekend and did a lot of fun things.  One thing we did was go to the Kohl Children's Museum. 

Olisa and her dad having a tea party.

I shared this on Facebook and thought I would share it here.

This granddaughter asked me, "Don't you love big girls that are three?"

You all have a happy Monday!

let's take a walk around my yard

...isn't it neat when you look everywhere after a snowfall and everything has what looks like a hat on it's head.

 

 

 

Just thought I would share some snowy tops.

fall colors around the yard

On Monday I babysat our Grandson while his mom and dad took his sister to the doctors.  He loves to go outside and see the chickens and roosters.

 

As we were walking around the yard I took some photos of the changing leaves.

 

 

 

Of course I had to take a picture of Beverly, she has quite a bit of color as well.

How are the colors in your area?  Are they still changing or are they all done?  I just love this time of year.  A few years back I took some horticulture classes at the local college.  I actually have one more class to go and I will have my floral design certificate...anyway...The floral class that I was taking, the instructor owned a floral shop.  She told a story about how a customer wanted a fall floral bouquet.  So, she made one and had the colors of yellow, orange and red.  Do you know that the customer brought it back and demanded that she do it over again.  My instructor asked what the problem was, and was told that she wanted the "red" flowers taken out, that red did not represent FALL.

I don't know about you but this looks red to me.

things are happening around the homestead

This apron went to Zaroga.  She sent me some really nice books so I gave her an apron in exchange for them....kind of like bartering.  I do have about 4 more aprons that I need to make and give away.  I just need to buckle down and make them.

I have been in summer vacation mode lately.  I think it must be the  fresh summer air.  We planted an apple tree over the weekend.  I was too pumped to find a Honeycrisp apple tree.  The first time I ever had a bite out of a Honeycrisp apple was in Minnesota at my daughter Carri's house.  Since then I have found them at the grocery store.  Now I can have my own Honeycrisp apple.

Thank you Rose for the tip on thinning the apples.  That explains why we always get small apples.

We made a compost bin over the weekend.  We have been reading up on how to make one.  We are thinking about putting in another one next to it so that when we can turn the compost into the empty bin...and just keep turning the compost back and forth.

We are already starting to fill it up.  The neighbors with the horses have manure that we can take.  So we took a couple of wheelbarrow trips to get some.  Sitting in the backyard you think we live on a farm.  I just hope our neighbors to the back of us don't get too upset by the aroma.

If anyone has any other tips on composting I would love to hear about them.

We have been wanting to get Asparagus plants and managed to find some on line.  I can't wait to get them and we also are planning to put in a few more trees and some grapes.  If not this year, then next year for sure.

I hope all is well with you.  Our weather is starting to finally warm up...I thought summer would never get here.

You all have a wonderful day today.

the calendar says june

But it sure doesn't feel like it.  The garden is slowly growing.  The weather has been pretty cool and wet.  We did plant some strawberry plants over the weekend.  We found some even tho it was pretty late in the season for them.  The plants we bought had 2 plants in each pot so we separated them and got double the plants.

 

We discovered that birds were eating our newly planted plants and the new tender plants that were popping up...Not the cute little bunnies.  These pie pans on the string seem to be doing the trick, so we have them strung up in all the gardens.

The apple tree has a bounty of fruit this year.  It seems like every other year it's like this.

I've been really enjoying my clematis.  I haven't ever had this many blooms on it before.  It's still small yet but it's growing.  It's been a struggle but I think I've got it established.

My wild rose bush is doing great, lots of rose buds on it.  I did transplant some shoots this spring and they are taking off.  In the fall I'm going to transplant some more.  This bush spreads and it's getting a bit too big.

I am finally recovered from the weekend.  I did some sewing this week and I have a few more things that need to get done.  I also finally found a dress for our son Dan's wedding, which is June 27th.  I know, nothing like waiting until the last minute.

You all have a super day today!

i have been sleeping like a baby

All because I'm outside everyday and the fresh air is knocking me out. 

It was a beautiful day to work in the yard on Saturday.  We had a fire going most of the afternoon to burn all the brush that we cut down.  We can still trim more of the trees they have grown in so much.  Usually we do it every other year.

Note: Look how you can't see the clothesline pole with the birdhouse on top in the photo above and you can in the photo below.

We still have lots of trimming around the yard to do and that can be for another day.  I just love how I have more of my yard back again.  The wild plum trees really can take over a yard if you let them.

Moving what was left of the woodpile we found some leftover shells from an animal who had lived under the woodpile last winter.  I think it was a chipmunk.  All winter long I would see one running along our split rail fence and after all the brush was gone and the wood stacked neatly (at least what was left of it).  The chipmunk came back, I'm sure looking for it's home.  Sorry Chippy, you'll have to find a new home.

I did manage to bake a rhubarb pie after dinner.  I used a different crust recipe called Butter Cookie Pie Crust, and I didn't care for it.  Jim and Lauren liked it okay, but I like my regular pie crust better.

Before the work outside began I quickly finished the baby quilt.

Now I have to finish up the other quilt yet.  I need that one done by next week.

I think I can, I think I can I think I can......

some color in the garden

My petunia basket is doing great and the chives are blooming.  I just love my chives.  They are the only herbs that I have at the moment.  I especially love them added to cottage cheese.

I talked to my neighbor yesterday and they are getting chickens...12 of them actually.  I will be able to help take care of them as they live about a half hour away from here, and I can have eggs.  I'm so excited.  We have been busy around the homestead here this weekend but I will post about that later.

I hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day.

i'm sore, i'm tired...but i feel good

Yesterday I made an attempt to get Sadie to the vets for her shots and flea & tick treatment for the season.  After filling out the paper work and after looking at the long line I decided to leave.  Our vets is a first come first served basis and there were around 12-15 animals in the waiting room that would be getting in before Sadie.  That means a minimum of a half hour for each animal.  So, I left.  I had too much to do at home that needed to be done, so I will try and make another attempt today to get her there.

Now why am I sore, tired and feeling good?  I worked out in the yard most of the day.  I dug up part of our vegetable garden by hand.  I know there are machines that are called rototillers that can do the work much quicker and easier.  But, since I'm in need of exercise, I don't mind the back breaking work.  In fact I really enjoy it.  Especially if I take it a little at a time.

Then Jim came out and helped to till it up some more.  We then planted red, yellow and white onions in the freshly tilled patch.

We moved the blocks and prepared the ground to make another garden.  Wednesday we'll go get some black dirt to fill it in.

While Jim mowed the grass, I moved all the branch cuttings that he cut off our Cardinal Autumn Olive trees over to our fire pit where we will burn them.  Some of the branches actually broke from that last snow storm we had.  The snow was so heavy the branches just broke under the weight.  Now we just wait until they are dried out enough to burn.

We have noticed that our momma robin hasn't been around for awhile.  We think she has abandoned her nest.  The funny thing is when I first checked her nest there were only 2 eggs.  Then a few days later I checked again and there were 4 eggs, and now she is gone.  I feel really sad about this.  I wonder if the the first two eggs died and she knew that, so she laid 2 more and those died too.  I don't know enough about robins or birds in general as to what happened here.

Since yesterday was such a physical day, I think today I'm going to work on my quilt.

You all have a wonderful day today.

it's just too nice outside to be indoors

Yesterday was a beautiful day to hang clothes on the line.  I worked outside most of the day and got the garden ready to till up.  The only thing about having a garden is trying to keep up with the weeds.  I wasn't looking forward to that part of gardening.  That is, until I saw this post over at Randi's blog.  Now all I need to do is find some carpet remnants.

I've been keeping watch on the robins nest that is on our front porch.  The momma robin is getting pretty used to us going in and out the front door, because whenever I go out now she doesn't fly away the minute the door opens. 

When I take pictures of the eggs I'm shooting blindly.  I have no idea if my lens is focused or not.  So usually I just snap away and hope for a good shot.

 

The yard is so fragrant right now and my front yard smells heavenly, because my Royalty Crabapple tree is in full bloom.  We planted this tree the first full summer that we were in our home, 22 years ago.  It was about a 2 year old tree when we bought it.  I can't believe it's been that long.

 

I always enjoy spending time outside working in the yard.  I can't explain it...but this spring I have been really enjoying it more than I ever have.  I'll take each day as it comes and when I can get outside I will.  I had hoped to sew a bit in the afternoon but didn't.  It's supposed to rain, so that will force me to stay indoors and then I can get some sewing done.  I'm getting excited with what I have been working on and I can't wait to show you.