I woke up early this morning. I guess it was about 5:30, but I stayed in bed until after 6am hoping to get just a little more rest. I go to bed early, like around 9-9:30m usually, but I try to sleep or rest until closer to 8am. Yes, I realize that is like 11 hours, but rest is one of the things that I can do. I am not a napper, if I sleep during the day more often then not, I can't sleep at night. And I have to tell you, that even with 9 - 11 hours of sleep each night, I am still tired. But this morning, I could just not sleep anymore so I got up and came out and started wrapping birthday presents and getting ready to ship photos from the wedding out. I sat this morning at my kitchen/dining room table. A drop leaf that I bought myself for my birthday in 2007. I love this table and right now I have a white table cloth that has blue flowers on it. It is a little small for the table, even with one side down, but I love it. A cup of tea, some fruit salad with yogurt and homemade yogurt. And soon I will be making my own yogurt also. Just a quiet morning. Bug gets up early so it wasn't that long before he was up making coffee. I had a lot of errands to run and got out to them early. It took most of the morning to get the boxes filled, packed and addressed and taken to the post office.
I had planned on raking leaves and putting the final mulch on the veggie garden, let alone the rest of the flower gardens. But it was already in the 90s and I was already sore and tired so instead I sewed the last three pillows for the back of the couch. Then I worked on the boxes stacked in the barn. I managed to empty half dozen boxes dividing up what I want to keep, go to the thrift store and what to give to others. Bug and I both worked and worked. He spent time on the boat as well as the barn. It is, hot but not as hot in the barn, so we can still get things done.
It has rained most days lately. It is the rainy season. Bug said he doesn't remember it raining this much last year. I laugh and said it didn't, that is why we struggled with drought. It is supposed to rain each afternoon. But this is not the rain of my childhood. When I was a kid it used to rain almost every afternoon between 2 - 4pm. Maybe just half an hour, maybe a couple of hours, but you could set your watch by it. But this year we might have half an hour rain, but it is torrential, and normally by the time the dark, thick clouds overloaded with moisture drop their load it is all night. Global Climate change. Yep, it is different these days. Unpredictable, unless you have the weather channel on your cell phone. Then you can watch as the storms build and move.
My pink and green day lily bloomed. Half the leaves are mostly pink and the other three are mostly all green. It is bizarre, and the flowers are huge. I am the type of gardener that appreciates any flowers, and it has been a wonderful year.
Still waiting on the landscape designer, another couple of weeks before I expect to hear from him.
Here are some photos of my garden:
I thought that I had lost my Panama Pacific water lily. I had this plant on Pine Island in the claw footed tub that Sioux had given it to me. It must have been at least 10 years old. But this spring it did not come back. I was so disappointed, but when Bug and I were visiting Spat at his house we dug up a native white water lily. I was pretty thrilled to get the new one, but it could not replace my Panama Pacific. I used the soil mixed with some fresh compost into a bird bath that I am growing impatiens in. It holds water and we have had a lot of rain this year. But I started with large healthy impatiens and a very chunky soil that has lots of gravel it in. I don't know why, but this combination seems to work for me. Anyway, I was checking on the impatiens and what should I see coming up in the soil? My Panama Pacific. Oh Joy! I was so happy. I immediately transplanted it into the brown water garden. I was getting ready to pour the water out and grow flowers in it. But instead not only do I have one happy growing Panama Pacific, but now I have about half a dozen. From one to many and now I have some to share. I even saw one today growing out the edge of the white lily. And the water lilies aren't the only excellent news. But the tads are growing and growing. We have tadpoles in the horse water bucket next to the lotus pond. Now we have tadpoles in the brown pond. I can't help it, I feed them. Not much, just a little tiny bit of gold fish flakes twice a day. I do not think I know better then Mother Nature. Oh no, I am quite aware of my bleeding heart tree hugging softy side. No, I can't stand watching the bigger tads eat the smaller tads. I grow so attached to these little creatures and to look down on my babies and see them chewing on one of their smaller siblings, nope, just can't stomach it. So I feed them just enough so they do not cannibalize in front of me. We do not seem to be over run by frogs or toads, so it must be rough making it from tad to adult.
My garden is bringing me more joy and happiness then I can ever express. I can barely stand myself as I walk around the yard. I am forever amazed at how plants grow. I do not grow them. They grow all on their own. I just learn from them what makes them happiest and most healthy and productive. Healthy first, productive after. I am more interested in my chickens as pets, entertainment, manure and health then how many eggs they lay. I am thrilled when the yard grows and changes each day with blooms and butterflies, dragon flies, magic. That is the best I can say. My garden is magical to me. I am sure other gardeners could walk through my yard and see a flower here and a few more over there. See the weeds and how the chickens have helped me by scratching through the gardens and moving plants. Tall plants in the front, shade plants in the sun, bulbs and tubers that were on the east side of the garden are now 5 feet further away then last year. Those wicked chickens. They aerate the soil and scratch up weed seeds and insects, but they also have no sense of height from a human's perspective. Silly chickens. I am moving plants and digging up some that need to be split. They should have been split last fall but we were crossing the country on the Harley. I guess that is why I am amazed at how clever plants are. I am not even here when they need me, and they get keep growing and thriving and providing me greenery and flowers Sigh, I love learning from these gentle intelligent beings. Plants work on a completely different intelligence then we do. They do not appear to have free will. They are driven by survival of the fittest, but how they respond to the world around them is nothing less then intelligence. I love to watch my animals. The dogs, Bob and Edna. Each so different from the other, and yet, they love each other like close young human siblings. The cats, chickens, Big Bunny, the Bubba's (gold fish in the lotus pond) the tads, the wild birds and squirrels, together all of us live on this one piece of property. I am continually learning from the plants and animals in my life how to live easier, more comfortably, happier and just fit in better in this piece of land. And now Bug is here and he brings so much to all of us. Each being living together, working together as they are able. After all, only two of us have thumbs.
I am able to talk on the phone more and to sometimes even call people, okay, I still need to try and become more comfortable at that again. Anyway, I am happy, seeing results, maybe not much of my part can take credit for the results, but I am here to see them. Tomorrow I hope to finish mulching the veggie garden, do a light liquid fertilization and finish the last cushion so I can do the finish work on the couch to get it in the house. It is looking great.
It is late, almost 11 tonight. Still no rain today. I am exhausted, maybe I can sleep now. Sleep on our comfortable huge bed. With a soft mint green color you can feel in the thread count Egyptian Cotton sheets. They were one of my few wild splurges, and I have no regrets! None. Ah to sleep and dream
I had planned on raking leaves and putting the final mulch on the veggie garden, let alone the rest of the flower gardens. But it was already in the 90s and I was already sore and tired so instead I sewed the last three pillows for the back of the couch. Then I worked on the boxes stacked in the barn. I managed to empty half dozen boxes dividing up what I want to keep, go to the thrift store and what to give to others. Bug and I both worked and worked. He spent time on the boat as well as the barn. It is, hot but not as hot in the barn, so we can still get things done.
It has rained most days lately. It is the rainy season. Bug said he doesn't remember it raining this much last year. I laugh and said it didn't, that is why we struggled with drought. It is supposed to rain each afternoon. But this is not the rain of my childhood. When I was a kid it used to rain almost every afternoon between 2 - 4pm. Maybe just half an hour, maybe a couple of hours, but you could set your watch by it. But this year we might have half an hour rain, but it is torrential, and normally by the time the dark, thick clouds overloaded with moisture drop their load it is all night. Global Climate change. Yep, it is different these days. Unpredictable, unless you have the weather channel on your cell phone. Then you can watch as the storms build and move.
My pink and green day lily bloomed. Half the leaves are mostly pink and the other three are mostly all green. It is bizarre, and the flowers are huge. I am the type of gardener that appreciates any flowers, and it has been a wonderful year.
Still waiting on the landscape designer, another couple of weeks before I expect to hear from him.
Here are some photos of my garden:
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| Our Wicked chickens |
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| The back screened in room |
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| Roma tomatoes in the topsy turvey |
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| A native Florida white water lily in my blue pot |
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| salvias and day lilies take the lead this time of year |
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| the day lilies are really coming on this year |
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| plants waiting for the new garden |
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| begonia, this is for you Ms Moon, come get a start |
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| milk weed growing in the veggie garden. many caterpillars prefer this to my veggies, so I can pick them off before they get to be a big problem. The chickens love them! |
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| hydrangeas |
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| hydrangeas |
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| hydrangeas |
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| hydrangeas |
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| hydrangeas |
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| hydrangeas |
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| hydrangeas |
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| Rudbeckia |
I thought that I had lost my Panama Pacific water lily. I had this plant on Pine Island in the claw footed tub that Sioux had given it to me. It must have been at least 10 years old. But this spring it did not come back. I was so disappointed, but when Bug and I were visiting Spat at his house we dug up a native white water lily. I was pretty thrilled to get the new one, but it could not replace my Panama Pacific. I used the soil mixed with some fresh compost into a bird bath that I am growing impatiens in. It holds water and we have had a lot of rain this year. But I started with large healthy impatiens and a very chunky soil that has lots of gravel it in. I don't know why, but this combination seems to work for me. Anyway, I was checking on the impatiens and what should I see coming up in the soil? My Panama Pacific. Oh Joy! I was so happy. I immediately transplanted it into the brown water garden. I was getting ready to pour the water out and grow flowers in it. But instead not only do I have one happy growing Panama Pacific, but now I have about half a dozen. From one to many and now I have some to share. I even saw one today growing out the edge of the white lily. And the water lilies aren't the only excellent news. But the tads are growing and growing. We have tadpoles in the horse water bucket next to the lotus pond. Now we have tadpoles in the brown pond. I can't help it, I feed them. Not much, just a little tiny bit of gold fish flakes twice a day. I do not think I know better then Mother Nature. Oh no, I am quite aware of my bleeding heart tree hugging softy side. No, I can't stand watching the bigger tads eat the smaller tads. I grow so attached to these little creatures and to look down on my babies and see them chewing on one of their smaller siblings, nope, just can't stomach it. So I feed them just enough so they do not cannibalize in front of me. We do not seem to be over run by frogs or toads, so it must be rough making it from tad to adult.
My garden is bringing me more joy and happiness then I can ever express. I can barely stand myself as I walk around the yard. I am forever amazed at how plants grow. I do not grow them. They grow all on their own. I just learn from them what makes them happiest and most healthy and productive. Healthy first, productive after. I am more interested in my chickens as pets, entertainment, manure and health then how many eggs they lay. I am thrilled when the yard grows and changes each day with blooms and butterflies, dragon flies, magic. That is the best I can say. My garden is magical to me. I am sure other gardeners could walk through my yard and see a flower here and a few more over there. See the weeds and how the chickens have helped me by scratching through the gardens and moving plants. Tall plants in the front, shade plants in the sun, bulbs and tubers that were on the east side of the garden are now 5 feet further away then last year. Those wicked chickens. They aerate the soil and scratch up weed seeds and insects, but they also have no sense of height from a human's perspective. Silly chickens. I am moving plants and digging up some that need to be split. They should have been split last fall but we were crossing the country on the Harley. I guess that is why I am amazed at how clever plants are. I am not even here when they need me, and they get keep growing and thriving and providing me greenery and flowers Sigh, I love learning from these gentle intelligent beings. Plants work on a completely different intelligence then we do. They do not appear to have free will. They are driven by survival of the fittest, but how they respond to the world around them is nothing less then intelligence. I love to watch my animals. The dogs, Bob and Edna. Each so different from the other, and yet, they love each other like close young human siblings. The cats, chickens, Big Bunny, the Bubba's (gold fish in the lotus pond) the tads, the wild birds and squirrels, together all of us live on this one piece of property. I am continually learning from the plants and animals in my life how to live easier, more comfortably, happier and just fit in better in this piece of land. And now Bug is here and he brings so much to all of us. Each being living together, working together as they are able. After all, only two of us have thumbs.
I am able to talk on the phone more and to sometimes even call people, okay, I still need to try and become more comfortable at that again. Anyway, I am happy, seeing results, maybe not much of my part can take credit for the results, but I am here to see them. Tomorrow I hope to finish mulching the veggie garden, do a light liquid fertilization and finish the last cushion so I can do the finish work on the couch to get it in the house. It is looking great.
It is late, almost 11 tonight. Still no rain today. I am exhausted, maybe I can sleep now. Sleep on our comfortable huge bed. With a soft mint green color you can feel in the thread count Egyptian Cotton sheets. They were one of my few wild splurges, and I have no regrets! None. Ah to sleep and dream
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