Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems. ~Rainer Maria Rilke

Friday, March 26, 2010

Happy Birthday Bambino Bean

The Bean is 5 years old today. This is what he would called a "handsome" day.
This is my oldest Grandson and I love him so much it makes my eyes leak and my nose run.
(He would think this was silly, gross and funny.)
I'm going down to spend the weekend with the Birthday boy and his family.
See you on Monday.
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Thursday, March 25, 2010

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Do You Want to Buy An Easter Basket?

Thank you Monica at Expressly Corgi  for tagging me to become part of the Hershey's Blog Hop to benefit the Children's Miracle Network. Hershey's will donate another $10 to CMN for each blog post -- and they'll keep on donating as long as the blog-hopping continues, up to $5,000 to benefit kids. What a wonderful thing for Hershey's to do for the children! Thank you Hershey's!!!!!
The rules are easy:

HERSHEY’S BETTER BASKET BLOG HOP RULES

~Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.

~Create a blog post giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.

~Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.

~Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.

~Leave your link at BetterBasket.info/BlogHop comment section. You can also find the official rules of this at betterbasket blog hop, and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s there.

~Hershey’s is donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop to Children’s Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written by April 4th, 2010).

~Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.

Now, I need to pass this virtual Easter basket on to others:
I would rather offer this to anyone who reads my blog and say that this is a wonderful cause and a very easy way to make a difference.
Thank you, Farmlady

Wordless Wednesday



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Monday, March 22, 2010

Bless you Firefox; I did it without you


Sometimes I'm a little overwhelmed by friend's thoughtfulness. In the course of their everyday lives, filled with busy living, problems and their own maintaining of some kind of balance; they leave a message and say, "Hey, I'm sending you something I thought you would like."

Jan Ely of Little Pink Houses took a trip back to see her sister in the southern states. She was in Louisiana and New Orleans. While she was there she sent me a baby gourd that rattles. It's the cutest little gourd you ever saw. It's completely dry and has lots of seeds in it. I'm not sure if I will decorate it as is, or make a hole in it and retrieve the seeds so I can try to plant more of these cute little guys. I will do a post on it when I decide what to do. Thanks Jan. With all your coming and going... this was very sweet that you sent me a gourd.
Then I received a package from Helen, the Reddirt Woman from Oklahoma. She sent Guniea Hen feathers for The Bean and I. They are really beautiful. I had no idea what a Guniea Fowl looked like so I "googled" this bird and learned something new. They are meat fowl and provide an excellent income for some breeders. They are plump little birds( I like them already!) and have these amazingly beautiful feathers.

Wait until The Bean (my oldest grandson) sees these. He will probably want to hang them on the wall over his bed or paint with them. He will be 5 yrs. old on Friday. I will take some to him for his birthday. Thank you Helen. You're a sweetie.

My friend "C", who had the knee replacement a few weeks back, is really doing well. In fact she is coming up to see us tomorrow. Her daughter is here again for a while so they are going to drive up and see the beautiful spring foothills..., and the PUPPIES.., and us...., and the PUPPIES. So, to thank me for keeping her company during her recuperation and because we watched a PBS program on Dolly Madison and I said I was sorely lacking in my American history facts, she sent me a wonderful book on called A People's History of the United States..., and a new Aerolatte frother for my lattes. Oh, yes! She had one of these at her house and I went crazy for it. It makes the best foam for lattes ..ever.

The Howard Zinn book is really great. It makes HISTORY very interesting and keeps me turning the pages, which is sometimes hard to do. All of this was not necessary but, gosh darn girl, it sure was nice of you.

Then, as if this giving would never end, I get a package from my Uncle, in Susanville. He sent The Prospector and I some packs of seeds that he dried from last year: Some Zucchini seed that he has dried every year for a very long time. They were growing on the ranch, in Napa, where he and my Mom grew up. Also a package of Roma pole beans from the ranch. Can you imagine?.., propagating seeds for over 70 or 80 years, or more. He also sent instructions and a small packet of sun gold cherry tomatos. Wow! We are set for the summer.
I went up to visit him a few years ago and you should see his garden. It's big and beautiful..., and all natural. He's 85 and he does all the work himself. I think I will see him this summer. My cousin, who lives in the Bay Area, and I are planning a trip up there. I haven't seen him since Mom's funeral and it's time for a visit.
Thanks Uncle Jimmy. See you soon.

So you can see why I'm a bit overwhelmed. I just don't get things in the mail a lot but this has been a banner week or two.
The last photo collage was added because these are three things that I'm also thankful for. I not sure who to thank.., Nature? God? Our knowledge of how to live within the constructs of our life here?..., or just the existence of small creatures that do great and wonderful things here on Three Dog Farm. Whomever it is that I should thank... I'm, again, overwhelmed. I am in a constant state of joy for all the good in my life. Whether it's the first Ladybug that has came to eat the aphid on the roses, or the worms that made my household leftovers into "black gold" for our garden, or the sleepy puppy that has found a happy, trusting home with us and will never be hurt again..., I am touched by the caring people in my life and the beauty of my existence.
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Sunday, March 21, 2010

A Good Day for Two Old People


It's garden project time. The first project is to get rid of something that we planted and is, now, taking over our garden. This is a warning to all of you who want to cover a big area of ground fast. DON"T PLANT VINCA MAJOR~!! It's common name is Periwinkle. It really pretty with it's little "lavender-blue dilly, dilly..." pinwheel-shaped flowers and it's "green all summer" leaves but, oh my gosh, this stuff is so invasive. It's coming up everywhere. It is what my cousin, who was a biologist in Oregon, called a "noxious weed". I can remember her talking about people who plant things and let them get out of control. I can hear her voice shouting at me, as I stand and look at this pretty stuff that is taking over my garden..."Didn't I tell you about this? What were you thinking?". I guess I wasn't . I was trying to cover a rocky hillside.  I've seen it growing wild in the creeks around here. Vinca thrives with just a small source of water. It seems to survive our horribly hot summers here without water at all. So we are on a mission to eradicate as much as possible and take back the gravel walk that is in the front garden.
I started Saturday morning, with my two little canine helpers. They don't really work very hard but they come cheap and they give me lots of moral support. I cut down as much Vinca as I could and then I raked and pulled, ripped and tore, trying to get as many roots as possible. The Prospector will use weed killer to get what I didn't. Sorry if I have offended anyone but sometimes you have to use tough love in the garden. It would be worse if this plant got out of control. We will try to be as GREEN as we can be. Then we will cover the whole area with riverbed rock and gravel.

We are also building a inner fence to confine our two little dogs this summer. We only need a short fence for our short dogs and we found this really amazing fencing at LOWES that comes in 3 ft. sections and has a two piece gate in the same design. It went together so easily. It has posts with a spear like attachment that goes into the ground first. Then, you put the post through the extensions on each fence section and hammer the post into the piece that is already in the ground. It's so easy my grandkids could do it. and it worked really well in our rocky soil. We got everything done except the second gate going down to the vegetable garden and when we finish we won't have to worry about the puppies running into any RATTLESNAKES down the hill or behind the house, in the summer. It's doesn't guarantee that a rattletail won't come waltzing into the lawn area but it does improve the odds of an unexpected encounter with one..., and it looks great. I will take some finished pictures tomorrow.

This morning we took a break for a few hours and went down into town. Jackson was having it's big Dandelion Days celebration. It's a street fair. They close down Main St. and all the parking areas, for vendors that sell just about everything and music, singing, rock wall climbing, good food and all sorts of activities.
We left home early and went to the pancake breakfast at the Police station. Filled ourselves with good food and then walked up and down Main St. looking at all the things that were for sale and all the lovely people. People watching is one of my favorite things to do. Someone had a gourd booth with birdhouse gourds and craft/holiday gourds. They were cute and very inexpensive. I bought a pair of gloves, two drill bits for my Dremel, two wire brushes, a charm for a friend in Michigan and two little porcelain dolls (without arms) that will be used for artwork.We had a great time.
Then we headed back home to work on the fence and garden all afternoon. This weather is so wonderful right now. I could do SPRING forever.
Tonight we are two tired, old people. Sore?.., Oh yes. Sleepy?.., absolutely, but feeling a sense of accomplishment. I'm quite sure that neither of us will have trouble sleeping tonight.