This week the bear seems to have found a cool spot to relax in, and some cool peeps to relax with.
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Where's the Bear? #30
This week the bear seems to have found a cool spot to relax in, and some cool peeps to relax with.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Where's the Bear? #29
The girls are always complaining that there are no good "climbing trees" on Poplar Ridge.
The bear seems to have found one.
Can you believe that J planted this little Silver Maple 5 years ago?
The bear seems to have found one.
Can you believe that J planted this little Silver Maple 5 years ago?
Monday, June 8, 2015
Ack!
I was just in the Chick-bit house, battening down the hatches in preparation for "severe thunderstorms with damaging hail" that are forecast for this evening. I spied this little guy out there.
Before I could catch him, he slithered through the chicken wire and burrowed under the litter in there. I dug around with a stick for a bit, but couldn't find him.
He is a Ringneck snake, and while Wikipedia states that they are "slightly venomous", it appears that they rarely bite, and the saliva contains a toxin that can cause a superficial skin reaction.
He doesn't appear to be any danger to my pullets, hens, their eggs, or J's rabbit. I still don't like the idea of him burrowing in there...out of sight!
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| You can see how tiny he is - maybe 10 inches long. |
He is a Ringneck snake, and while Wikipedia states that they are "slightly venomous", it appears that they rarely bite, and the saliva contains a toxin that can cause a superficial skin reaction.
He doesn't appear to be any danger to my pullets, hens, their eggs, or J's rabbit. I still don't like the idea of him burrowing in there...out of sight!
Pop!
This is the newest addition to my flower garden, a bright yellow Arctic Poppy. Doesn't it look cheerful?
This morning, I mowed the garden and picked strawberries, while L spent her time cleaning the tree house from top to bottom.
When we were both finished, I made chai lattes. We drank them and ate chocolate covered "biscuits" in the tree house while I read to the girls from "The Phantom Tollbooth", by Norton Juster.
Almost as soon as we came inside, the sky broke open with thunder and rain. Whew!
No big plans today...kinda nice for a change!
This morning, I mowed the garden and picked strawberries, while L spent her time cleaning the tree house from top to bottom.
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| I am standing at the top, in the blueberry bushes to take this pic, there are beds of potatoes and beans in front that are not visible, and 8 beds below strawberries + asparagus bed!! |
Almost as soon as we came inside, the sky broke open with thunder and rain. Whew!
No big plans today...kinda nice for a change!
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Sunday Hike
It has been a very productive weekend!
While JP did his 4-6 hours of mowing on Saturday, the girls and I worked in the garden. I had been out several times during the week, and got all of the raised beds worked and ready to plant...even got the second bed of potatoes planted and mulched. On Saturday, we were able to plant 2 beds of beans, 2 1/2 beds of corn, and some baby broccoli, tomatoes and basil. Everything that can be planted, is now planted...hooray!
We also worked together to move the fence around the chicken run in order to mow, and sectioned off an area for the pullets. My Dad cut a door on the other side of the Chick-bit house for the pullets, and we let them out of door for the first time yesterday afternoon. They are pretty skittish, and never get too far away from the door yet, but seem to enjoy pecking, scratching and stretching their wings.
While cleaning out the garage, JP discovered this bin of potatoes that I obviously forgot about over the winter.
Today we decided that we needed a day to play to make up for the all the hard work yesterday! First we took a hike around the property on all of the paths that JP mowed. Then we played 4 Square for awhile.
Jumping in the pool was so refreshing both yesterday and today when we were hot and tired!
How was your weekend?
While JP did his 4-6 hours of mowing on Saturday, the girls and I worked in the garden. I had been out several times during the week, and got all of the raised beds worked and ready to plant...even got the second bed of potatoes planted and mulched. On Saturday, we were able to plant 2 beds of beans, 2 1/2 beds of corn, and some baby broccoli, tomatoes and basil. Everything that can be planted, is now planted...hooray!
We also worked together to move the fence around the chicken run in order to mow, and sectioned off an area for the pullets. My Dad cut a door on the other side of the Chick-bit house for the pullets, and we let them out of door for the first time yesterday afternoon. They are pretty skittish, and never get too far away from the door yet, but seem to enjoy pecking, scratching and stretching their wings.
Today we decided that we needed a day to play to make up for the all the hard work yesterday! First we took a hike around the property on all of the paths that JP mowed. Then we played 4 Square for awhile.
Jumping in the pool was so refreshing both yesterday and today when we were hot and tired!
How was your weekend?
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Where's the Bear? #28
I caught J pushing the bear on the horse swing, "Liberty", this afternoon.
I think he's enjoying himself!
I think he's enjoying himself!
Monday, June 1, 2015
This Summer's Gonna Hurt Like a...What?
We have a free trial of Sirius satellite radio in the Subaru for 2 weeks. J's favorite station is the pop hits. I am continually amazed by the profanity and inanity of song lyrics these days...such as the Maroon 5 one that I used in the title of this blog. There's another one that says "Let's Marvin Gaye and get it on", another that goes "Talking body, you got a perfect one so put it on me." And this is the stuff your kids are listening to, people!
I prefer the "80's on 8" channel myself. Do I sound like an Old Fart? Well I feel like one these days. Apparently my summer's gonna hurt like an old person's back and arthritic hand. Sigh.
It is the first day of June, so I really need to finish getting my garden planted. It is such slow going because of my hand. I feel a bit better tonight, having gotten quite a few beds worked up in the garden over the past couple of days, all ready to plant!
This weekend, JP and I planted 5 tiny sugar maple trees around the ridge as well.
The Dog Warden was up this afternoon, and removed the little brown dog, who had taken up residence on our veranda over the weekend. He howled at the back door last night, wanting to get in! The kitties, who also reside on our veranda, are glad he's gone. I'm happy to say that he went quite willingly, bribed by bits of Beggin' Strips.
J and I have just returned from 4H, where she has FINALLY started to learn about how to show her rabbit at the Fair. It reminds me of when I was in PA school, practicing physical exams on my colleagues...doing and saying every single stinking thing that I could (or should) be looking for or at. That's what it's like. Unreal.
Just like this post, this summer vacation has started out as a jumbled up patchwork of strangeness. J and I have a Junior High Soccer meeting tomorrow night, and I have a follow up appointment with my hand surgeon the next day, then...I think...we should be good to go. All summer, all the time. No worries, Mate.
I prefer the "80's on 8" channel myself. Do I sound like an Old Fart? Well I feel like one these days. Apparently my summer's gonna hurt like an old person's back and arthritic hand. Sigh.
It is the first day of June, so I really need to finish getting my garden planted. It is such slow going because of my hand. I feel a bit better tonight, having gotten quite a few beds worked up in the garden over the past couple of days, all ready to plant!
This weekend, JP and I planted 5 tiny sugar maple trees around the ridge as well.
The Dog Warden was up this afternoon, and removed the little brown dog, who had taken up residence on our veranda over the weekend. He howled at the back door last night, wanting to get in! The kitties, who also reside on our veranda, are glad he's gone. I'm happy to say that he went quite willingly, bribed by bits of Beggin' Strips.
J and I have just returned from 4H, where she has FINALLY started to learn about how to show her rabbit at the Fair. It reminds me of when I was in PA school, practicing physical exams on my colleagues...doing and saying every single stinking thing that I could (or should) be looking for or at. That's what it's like. Unreal.
Just like this post, this summer vacation has started out as a jumbled up patchwork of strangeness. J and I have a Junior High Soccer meeting tomorrow night, and I have a follow up appointment with my hand surgeon the next day, then...I think...we should be good to go. All summer, all the time. No worries, Mate.
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| My flower garden is looking like a patchwork as well. Isn't your rose lovely, K? |
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