Winter Hibernation

Fall is definitely here, not so much the weather (it's been sunny and 60 all week!), but in the pattern of our days. I got a rather frantic email from a dear friend wondering if I was okay, as no one has heard from me in awhile. I had to chuckle, because after 20 years of being friends, she ought to know by now-it's hibernation time for me. Many people dread the onset of winter-for me it is a time of great joy. For the past six months, home has been nothing more than a place to sleep and eat. We head outdoors shortly after sunrise, and don't come back in until dark. Now, the garden is put to rest, the bicycles safely stored in the barn, and our evening walks will soon be coming to an end also. It is time to get reaquainted with "Snuggy House".

Books are getting dusted off, the keyboard is again plugged in and ready for endless repetitions of chords (I'm teaching myself, and oh, the horrible sounds!), the sewing machine is pulled out of the cabinet,and best of all , the soup pot regains it's rightful place on the stove.........in other words, it is ME time. And I LOVE it!

So, aside from a few spotty posts, this is it for this blog. I do have an upcoming trip for Josh's graduation from boot camp, the kids are coming up for Christmas (I'm decorating the house for the first time in YEARS!) and a few other minor things that I'll post for, but other than that, I've got nothing but days of cooking,reading,sewing,snowmobiling and skiing ahead and so I feel it's best to sign off. My other blog will still have a weekly post, and of course you KNOW I will still be reading all of YOUR adventures.

I hope you guys have a great winter. I'll see you in the spring in time for planting!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to all. The weather here is sooooooo dreary and wet. I'm hoping the kiddies can get out and go trick or treating.........the weather is truly "frightful"!

We're back at home after a wonderful time visiting with friends in IL and the U.P. of Michigan.
We had a great time, and I've had my girly-friend fixes for the winter. I've got a fresh supply of books, some wonderful chocolates (who are we kidding here- a STACK of boxes!!!) from Chocolate Temptations in Monroe, WI and even a new houseplant from my peanutbutter and jelly friend in Illinois. And I STILL can't convince her to move up here. Chicken!! Bawk Bawk!!
:D

Anyways, hope you are all having a great weekend so far. Anyone have ANY sunshine?????

On the Road Again

Barn near Aura, Michigan

Abandoned home off the Skanee Road, L'Anse,MI

Rainbow over the hills by Bruce Crossing, MI

Tamarack sporting its fall color in a swamp on Forest Road 16, near Mass City, MI

My favorite swamp in the whole U.P.----near Mass City, MI

Cattails-probably one of the best parts of swamps!!

Scaly rock at Bob Lake, between Kenton and Mass City, MI

A couple of shots of the recently drained Prickett Dam Lake.....

The water was really moving by Big Erics Bridge-NE of L'Anse, MI

There's still quite a bit of fall color in Hancock, MI. This is the Quincy Mine.

The Portage Lift Bridge in Houghton, MI

Beautiful Golden Glow in the woods near Freda, MI


Taking a break at peaceful , secluded, utterly silent Bob Lake.

Hope you've all had a wonderful week!!

Garden Notes-October 14,2009

Fall cleanup is in full swing around here. Nights have been in the 20's, and daytime temps struggle to stay in the 40's. All the flowers have turned to blackened sticks, and that means it's time for the fake mums and pumpkins to put in their annual appearance.

The garden looked like this after vacation. Ugh.

And after lots of wheelbarrows to the compost heap, it's shaping up nicely.

My compost bin over-floweth!!

The housesitter said the cherry tomatoes kept producing, despite the frost in August, and try as they might, they just couldn't keep up with them. Nothing a quick clean-up couldn't cure. I divided the chives while I was at it, and put the most recent crop of rocks to good use. One thing about Michigan---you never run out of rocks for projects!

Ah-that's better!

The beds are cleaned up, fresh compost added, and then a THICK layer of leaves/grass clippings keep my worms well fed, and tucked in for the winter!

Don continues his own battle of the rocks where the new septic went in..............

Those buggers just keep coming up. He's hoping to have grass next spring. Ha.

And the leaves continue their color change. It's not nearly as pretty as last year, but we've had endless rain/snow flurries/gloom for the past week.

Hope you're all enjoying the fall.....won't be long now until the snow flies for us. We're taking the snowmobiles in for their annual checkup soon and then we'll be hitting the trails.

Have a great week!

Autumn In Manton----a post for Susan V.

Autumn is, without a doubt, my favorite season. In Michigan, there is a very brief period in the beginning of the season where RED is the dominant color, staying just a week, before being replaced by the yellows and oranges more predominant in the area. My wonderful friend Susan has to work this week, and will miss this spectacular color, so this post is for her, so that she, too, can enjoy the shade of red found in abundance only in the most northern states.

Of course, the weather never did cooperate. Gloomy gloomy skies. And yet, that RED just blazed through anyway!

And finally, Susan-the tree in your yard at the cabin. Spectacular!! We were driving by to go leaf-peeping and WOW-this stopped us cold in our tracks.

Hope you enjoyed! We'll see you NEXT weekend!

Home At Last!

It's hard to imagine that we've been on the road for a month. The time has just flown by. We arrived home yesterday to rain, but despite the gloom, the fall foliage on the trip through the top of Michigan was spectacular! I would have loved to snap a few quick pics, but hubby was on a mission to get home and I wasn't going to even try to beg another stop. Let's just say it's been a rough four weeks and home was the light at the end of a very LONG tunnel!

My old computer died at the end of the first week of vacation-taking ALL my photos with it. I'm hoping that "Computer Tech" can retrieve them-----I don't care about most of what's on my computer but the pics of the new grandbaby---and some of my garden and vacation pictures would be nice.

A bout with the flu was next up on the agenda. Getting sick is bad enough when you're home...on the road it's a nightmare. Hotel desk clerks are hesitant to let you have a room when you look like walking death.

We came home last night to the furnace not working........tried to get the repairman, but that was a no go. He'll be here sometime this week. I certainly hope we can fend off frostbite till then!

Decided to start some of the gobs of laundry we've accumulated over 4 weeks.....and discovered the dryer didn't want to work properly. It's one of those with the electronic touch panels---and it's only a year old. The repair people aren't sure if its covered or not. Or, when they can get here. Sigh.

Anyway, enough whining. I will post the pictures from the trip that I DO have from my camera on my other blog as time permits. I'm facing a HUGE pile of mail I gotta get through and of course-- everyones blogs. It's been HELL without a computer for this long. I've missed my morning reading and catching up with all of you is a top priority.

Also, a HUGE thank you to Angie of http://goodtobeaqueen.blogspot.com/ for the gift card. I know this is really really late, but I had a good excuse, didn't I?????

:D

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Boyce Thompson Arboretum and Apache Trail

Sunday, we took Josh and Brandy on a long drive and their first break from the baby. Our first stop was Boyce Thompson Arboretum east of Mesa. What a nice surprise...it was an oasis of green surrounded by tall cliffs. What a setting!

After touring the grounds, we drove further east on Hwy 60 towards Globe, where we would pick up HWY188 towards Tonto National Forest and Roosevelt Lake and Dam. Beautiful!This trip even included some ruins! I think even Josh was impressed (That's hard to do!)

We then continued the Apache Trail following Rt 88 and 22 miles of washboardy, one lane gravel roads that gripped the sides of some very steep mountains. I was really working the imaginary brake!!

Lets just say the trip was memorable. I'm not a fan of heights, and the lack of guardrails at some of the highest points was sure to get the blood racing. Oddly enough- I loved it!!!!!!!! Nothing like a good scare to let you know you're alive. I would definately recommend this route for some truly spectacular scenery!

It was an all day outing, and I must say, I'm impressed with how well Brandy handled being away from baby Jared. We rushed back to get him and spent a few hours smooching fat baby cheeks. He's a doll. It's going to tear me up leaving on Monday.
Josh is heading into the army in a week, and we are hoping that when he is done with basic training, he can get stationed somewhere closer to Michigan. Being a long-distance grandma is the pits. Thank goodness for internet and video.

And sorry about the mess in our hotel room!! We sorta tossed everything off the bed---

Saguaro Nat. Park, Biosphere 2, and BABY!!

Friday Morning, we went to Saguaro National Park outside of Tucson . Wow-nice. Did a little hiking, although not as much as we would have liked. It was a balmy (haha)106 degrees out. Too hot for us, but not for the hordes of bicyclists that seem to enjoy this place.

One of THREE pictures in existance of me. I look like I could be a bouncer. Must put "diet" on my to-do list.

On Friday afternoon, we went near Oracle, AZ to see Biosphere 2. I've wanted to see this place as long as I can remember. Basically, they were trying to make another Earth, and see if it could be self-sustaining. Eight people locked themselves in this for 2 years. Though it initially didn't work as intended, it is an excellent source for research and is managed by the University of Arizona.

The desert area of Biosphere. Gee. They could've stepped outside for that! :D

The rainforest area-so misty and humid! And GREEN! Wow, I could fill this with flowers.

The ocean area-complete with "wave" simulator (and beach!)

And, of course, the BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my, he is certainly a wonderful baby-not the least bit fussy. Brandy and Josh-good job! We love you and are proud of what a great job you're doing.

Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona

Entered Arizona yesterday morning around 10:00-the transformation of the landscape was almost immediate. To say it was lovely is an understatement. The pictures do not do it justice.

I want to thank Gina of http://cauldronridge.blogspot.com/ for the travel tip of going into Arizona on Interstate 10.....it was indeed beautiful. Thank you Gina!!!

Our "jaunt" for the day was to Chiricahua National Monument off Hwy 186 in S.E. Arizona.

On our way out, we were fortunate to see a momma deer and fawn......they are VERY small here.

The weather was beautiful all day-until we were heading out....heck, even THAT was pretty!

I would really love to thank you all for your comments. I'm so sorry I'm not getting to respond to them as I usually do----I'm actually SLEEPING for a change.....and I've fallen behind. Hope you all understand.

Take care and have a great weekend!

White Sands National Monument

I chuckled here-they plow this stuff like snow. Ah, it's like being home in Michigan!!

Still hurrying along to see that wonderful grandbaby. No pics from Illinois(I'm trying to forget!). Missouri was gorgeous-the camera sat in its bag on the back floorboard. Oklahoma-nada.

Texas-well, that's a WHOLE OTHER POST, which is for when I get home. New Mexico is very hot. I have NO CLUE why people live here. Please, enlighten me if you do. You spend the day in air conditioning.....you drive in air conditioning. What is the purpose??? To look out the window and see sand? Gravel?

Thank goodness I snapped a couple pics of home as we were leaving.

Ah ---greenery!

End Of The Season. Reason? Freezin!

Well, that and it's time to go! I've spent the past week making preparations for our trip out west and everything is done. The housesitter is ready and so are we!

We had our first frost August 31, which gave us a growing season of just 85 days this year. Wow. That's bad. I know so many have struggled this year with record cold, and I feel your pain. We ended up with just TWO measly small Early Girl Tomatoes, which , despite the name, was anything BUT early. Though the tag said 60 days, with the cold temps, took a full 83 days to ripen. Two days after that picking, the frost struck. But, we did manage a BLT and so I'm satisfied. No Brandywines again this year. I think I am giving up on them. The anticipation and then subsequent disappointment is just too hard......
I'm saving the fall clean-up until we are back. I like to put the vegetable beds to rest after the bugs have died off, so that none overwinter in the thick layer of mulch I cover them with. Though we've had frost, there are plenty of warm days ahead, so the garden (and bugs!)can wait.
I'll be posting my travel photos frequently. It's not meant to bore you.....it's a record for my own sake....and to let the people in my life know where I'm at. I will try to check in with your blogs as often as I can.......I doubt that being on the road will change my 3:00 a.m. wake up time (nutty internal clock!!). I'll be reading, but comments will depend on how far from the bed the desk is placed in the hotel room. Nothing like the tap tap tap of the keys at that crazy hour to drive a husband insane! Gosh he puts up with a lot!
:D
Hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend! I'll see you in a month!

Out and About in the Yard

What a lazy day I had today.....didn't get a thing done on my to-do list, though I did manage to get the old point and shoot out and snap a few pictures. It was a cloudy and quite cool day. I think autumn is almost here. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

Garden Notes-August 23,2009

We've had almost 2 1/2 inches of rain this week-not much by most people's standards, but a LOT for our area, and more than we've had for the whole month of July, or June. Things are growing like crazy-weeds included, and I counted myself lucky to get out for awhile and take a few photos.

The Cosmos Sonata is the best thing growing out in the octogon bed. It's pretty pest free, except for the occasional deer.

The Morning Glories have FINALLY reached the arbor above the garage doors. I need something a little faster growing .........something perennial, but not sure what. I love Clematis, but have never had any luck with them. Honeysuckle would be beautiful, but a little too strong of a grower.

I had a bright idea in the garden a few days ago for a trellis system for some pole beans that I will try next year. We had some extra hog panels --16 foot long. Don and I just arched one over between two of the raised beds. Should make it easy to pick, and neat to walk under. I'm hoping the vines won't be too heavy. We'll see, I guess.

The new blueberry bushes are doing really well. I experimented with planting alyssum at the base of the bushes in one row to see if that would help hold in moisture and keep down weeds-that idea worked great and next year I'll plant them at the base of all fifteen of the bushes.

The onions are just starting to flop over. This is great timing....as we are running out of time before vacation. I hope the weather clears now so I have time to pull and dry them before storing.

I got all three beds of potatoes dug and stored now. I ended up with about 100 pounds-hopefully that will last us through the better part of winter. Very few had any flaws-it was a picture perfect year to grow them. I'm happy, because last year they all rotted due to so much rain early in the season.

A nice surprise-one of our canteloupes survived the LATE freeze (June 4)....and hopefully this little guy will hurry up so we can enjoy him before the trip.


This is an EARLY GIRL tomato-which is 13 days over its 60 day maturity date. It has been a cold summer. I'm very happy to have this one, and if we really slice it thin , it will be enough for a BLT for both Don and myself. Sweet Joy!


I have green beans coming out of the woodwork. I'm tired of blanching and freezing , but keep on going through gritted teeth, because I know in February , this will be heaven on a plate! I'm up to 22 quarts frozen so far. I have pulled all the plants except the last row. That will have one more picking before that gets yanked as well.

Elsewhere in the garden, getting around 2 kohlrabi a day. Don is starting to dread my treks out to the garden. He loves them, but after awhile, it gets a bit much.

I've sown kohlrabi (gosh I'm mean), and LOTS of carrots this past week, that will hopefully be around to greet us when we get home. Right before we leave, I'm planting lettuce, radish, and spinach also. Hopefully they will all survive the cold nights that are coming up really soon.

Well, back to blanching beans. Sigh.

Am I Blue??

No, I'm not blue-but the new roof sure is!
Wow-this will take some getting used to!!! I like it-its just so different though, that every time I look at the house, I get a little jolt. I'll get used to it eventually.(hopefully). We have met even MORE neighbors since this project started (I thought we knew EVERYONE here but it appears they are coming out of the woods for this one!) The initial reaction is always "Blue???" And I say yes, blue. It was the LAST color we would have ever chosen. We thought slate, or brown, or even gray. But when we held up that color sample next to the stone, this blue just "popped" and that was that! Oh well, if anything, we've met some wonderful people because of it. And the best part-the rain held off until the evening of the day we were done-Don and I ran upstairs (as fast as our ol' legs could go!) just to listen to it on the roof. Sheer heaven!

Our other big project-the septic is complete now too, and lets just say-what a job. These guys were fantastic, and we were never without "necessary" plumbing while they were doing it. They merely hooked into the line with the new one at the right moment, and wa-la! New plumbing! Yea! The tank is much bigger to satisfy the new codes, and will hopefully be the last time we have to see this mess.

In other news, the garden has been keeping me busy. The green beans are coming in fast and furious and that has meant a lot of mornings hovering in the kitchen, blanching and freezing. I hate it now, but know that , come winter, I'll be glad I did it. The freezer is filling fast.

And talk about taters...goodness, its been a fantastic year for those. I've only dug 2 out of the 3 beds, but the mudroom is brimming with them. Now if the basement would cool down for storing them , I'd be a happy camper!

AND------LOOKY!!!!!!! There, on the counter---can you see?

Hey-don't laugh. I KNOW they're only cherry tomatoes, but as cold as it's been, I'm THRILLED!

Party time. Hubby and I are going to relish each and every bite(nibble) of these babies.

And, speaking of babies(!!), my grandson is 1 month old now. And I'm counting down the days till we see him. I'm so grateful to his sweet momma for keeping my inbox filled with pictures. She's a sweet gal, and my son better be grateful he found such a wonderful gal!

And now, I have a favor to ask of the fine folks who live in the western half of the U.S.

As you know, we will be heading out west shortly. I'm a weirdo, in as that we always have a "theme" for our trips (one year it was rocks, one year waterfalls, and so on!), well this years theme is Dots-as in following the dots in the atlas that indicate BEAUTIFUL scenery. And, sooooo, I'm looking for YOUR favorite "out for a drive" roads...the ones that knock your socks off. You know the road-the one you never tire of driving on, the one where you're always ooohing and ah-ing on. THAT ROAD. I don't care HOW BACKWOODS it is. We're on vacation, durn it, and we'll head anywhere there is an AWESOME scenery road. So, if you live in Arizone, Nevada, Utah, California (northern half) Oregon, Washington, Montana, Wyoming-I would LOVE LOVE LOVE you to death if you would send me your favorite Sunday Drive road! And because I'm a pain-please no interstates. We like sssssslllllooooowwwww roads!

Email your favorite cruising road to suemar63@aol.com. Really, I appreciate it!!!!! And you easterly, midwesterly, or southerly fine folks, don't worry. Eventually , we'll get out your way.

Taking a Break

I'm going to be very busy in the next few weeks and will be taking a break from blogging to catch up on things around here. We have the septic contractors showing up today for the week, roofers coming in August and a million tasks that have to be completed before vacation. I hope to keep up with all your blogs, but comments will be few and far between. Thanks for stopping by to visit all these months. I really appreciated it and all the wonderful comments. Hope to be back soon.
Sue

Playing Catch-UP

It's been a busy week around here. I have been away from the computer for the past week and am now so backed up on my bloggie reads I don't know how I will ever catch up. I'll need a good rainy day (which we are supposed to have!) and a whole lotta coffee. Fear not, I have too many opinions to keep them to myself......if you haven't had a comment from me in a bit-YOU WILL! I'm threatening all of you-LOL!! : D

The garden , while a disaster in some areas (notably the warm-weather lovers like tomatoes and peppers) has been producing a lot of lettuce, kohlrabi, radishes,spinach, carrots, broccoli, and amazingly-sugar snap peas!! I only had 5 plants survive, but they are producing a handful of peas daily, and a few of them even make it into the kitchen. I am still thinning the onions but have to be a bit more ruthless next year when they are small. Thinning has always been a hard thing for me to do, but it's so necessary, and a whole lot easier when the stuff is small!

The sidewalk border is filling out great, and I have purple and white coneflowers, daisies, yarrow, and of course the Salvia in full bloom, and the Rudbeckia should be opening in the next few days.

I am clearing the next 6 by 12 foot area and setting that up for planting. It's a really tough job, as there was so much grass and weeds in the area, mixed in with a lot of really agressive groundcovers. It's a slow and tedious process, made all the more difficult when my pal-Mr. DEERFLY- discovers I am out and about and decides it's time to circle my head at Mach 3. I am trying to salvage the few perennials that are mixed in this mess, but at times find it easier to throw a clump away if the grass has gotten too tangled in the roots. I don't want to have to deal with THIS again!

Well, this is all fine and dandy, but surely this is not all I've been doing all week. Well, no it isn't. I lied.......I HAVE been at the computer........but, not to read, but to just stare in amazement....at the picture of my grandson, born July 15. He is 2000 miles away, and I can't believe I have to miss out on this most amazing time. We are going to see him soon, but obviously not soon enough for this first-time grandma. I guess it's best, because at this point, I am so in love with this child I might have to steal him, and I'm quite sure the parents wouldn't like this very much.

Those of you fortunate enough to live close to family are so lucky, and I hope you remember that there are some who would give the world to be in your shoes. So, enough about me. Go hug your kids and grandkids.....I have to get back to staring at that picture!!

Jared Allen -born July 15,2009. Congratulations Josh and Brandy! You did a fine job of "cooking" this one up! See you in September!!

Too Funny!

I don't know HOW I stumbled across this site, but I found a brand new blog that has the potential to be very funny if the gal gets a lot of photos sent in to her. Now, I'm not saying I could do this to sweet sweet Don, BUT if he EVER has a day where he is running power yard equipment for EIGHT STRAIGHT HOURS again, I just might send her a photo.
Check it out

http://mysleepinghusband.blogspot.com/

Garden Notes-July 17,2009

Sorry-this is not a post for YOU, but a post for ME........I need to make notes from time to time on the garden's progress, and this is it. Go read someone else's post today. Go on.......
Seriously.....this is boring stuff. GO.

Carrots-Mokum-holy smokes these are sweet! Love em! Will repeat next year. Harvested gobs of em yesterday, planted another row.

Carrots-Little Finger-blech! Don't like em at all. Not at all sweet-DO NOT REPEAT this mistake!

Lettuce-Red Sails-Still producing like crazy, never turned bitter, GOOD STUFF!

Radish-Cherry Belle-Still my favorite.
Radish-French Breakfast-don't like-too leafy (?) But the slugs or the bugs sure love em. Good for them! At least someone liked em.

Tomatoes-Cherry tomatoes flowering like crazy-might get some of those before it frosts, but not looking good for all varieties of regular toms. Must admit defeat on growing regulars, especially my favorite Brandywine.

Onions-doing great, but next year-THIN THEM!!!!!!!!! Too hard to pull em when they're bigger(guilt guilt guilt!)

Yukons- potatoe beetles showed up the second week in July (!!!) Think I've got em all, we'll see.

Are you still here??? I told you to go to someone else's blog. Now git!

Strawberries-Great harvest this year (2nd year for Honey-o)...started getting them late June-just picked last quart July 15. Got ~ 4 quarts total from one bed. Great strawberry taste at first, but smaller ones, though ripe, were kinda "tart". Nothing a little sugar didn't help-great in a pie!

Spinach-great-but getting holey from some bug/slug/?

Broccoli-starting to form heads, whether I can get em this year before they flower is another story-check DAILY!

Kolhrabi-harvesting kinda small so they haven't been woody.


Rain-Only 2 inches in June, and 1/4 Inch in the first 17 days of July. Mulch , mulch , mulch all flower beds after spring rains next year. Hauling 200 feet of hose is NOT FUN.

Zinnias-Love em, but they do not work! Caterpillars ate down to nothing, now bunnies love em.
Cosmos-Great success-start a bit earlier next spring for bigger transplants.
Planter Barrels by road-best combo I've ever done-they look fantastic. I mulched heavily with long-fiber sphagnum moss-politically incorrect-depleting the peat bogs and all-but wow-the barrels stay moist for 3 days between waterings and the flowers are spectacular!

Look-I told you this was going to be dull-now go someplace else! There's a whole list of great blogs off on the sidebar-go!

Blackberries-planted July 16-added peat, and donkeydoo/shredded leaves to amend sand, mulched heavily to retain moisture.

Blueberries along fence from 2008-actually have blueberries on them! Yea!

Weather-crazy! Still wearing flannel shirts and jeans in the mornings! Have had a week in the upper 30's at night. Days are wonderfully cool-good for Sue, not good for peppers,tomatoes.
No rain to speak of. Soil (sand) is powdery dry like dust. Makes the weeding of the aisles easy though. "Always look at the bright side of life......"

Wordless Wednesday

Barn Again

The first step in the barn renovation was to jack her up and dig a completely new foundation. Within hours of arriving on site, our Amish crew had a trench two foot deep and eighteen inches wide hand dug around the perimeter.
I got a kick out of the cement trucks bumper-a sense of humor-I love it!

New beams were installed, the roof was straightened with cables, and reinforced where needed.

Of course, what job could go smoothly without supervision. Dear hubby and half the neighborhoood turned out to make sure the Amish had opinions (varied) on how to do things.

Now, this is a picture from this spring-note the ocean wavy roof, the saggy doors, oh, and my wonderful husband mowing!!

Ready??????

Ta-da!!

We are so pleased with the job and are amazed they did all this in 8 days. I was in awe at how hard they worked, as well as how much care they took with our old gal. And the best part? It came in UNDER BUDGET! Which is a good thing, because we got our permits for the septic replacement. Ugh. But, that's for next week. Until then, hope you're all having a wonderful weekend.

Sue

I'm TRYING a Wordless Wednesday

Down to her "Skiv-eys"!!

This is the south side of the barn....as seen in my previous posts' second picture.

The Old Barn

This is our barn. She's old and sagging and has certainly seen better days. We weren't sure she was going to last through the heavy snows of last winter, but spring arrived and she still stood. Her boards are weatherbeaten, the roof sags. Too unstable to actually store things in, she stood unused. We debated about what to do......maybe a nice NEW building, with better storage , smoothly operating doors, a nice concrete floor, heck-even a roof that didn't wave like the ocean.

NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That seriously was not an option for us-not that the wide open spaces of a pole building wouldn't be kind of nice. Don and I LOVE old barns, and the thought of another one being knocked down and gone forever was too much to bear.
We are fortunate to live in an area with a large Amish population, and last year began the search for a crew to restore the barn for us. We got the call last week that we were on the schedule. Yea!!

She's weathered many a storm, and deserves a fix up. Though I am not able to photograph them at work, I will post the progress next week. Wish us luck!

Now, go out and plant some joy!

Have a great weekend!!

Sue

"Am I Not Turtle-y Enough for You?"

The Mister and I headed out early Sunday for a bike ride. We had gotten a tiny bit of rain Saturday night, and the air was cool and smelled so fresh. It was a perfect morning for a bike ride. On our way home, he spotted the tiniest little turtle on the road, so we stopped so he could move him (no turtle pancakes in OUR neighborhood!). Oh, what a little doll- he scrunched his tiny head in, but you can still make out the little face. Don put him in the weeds by the side of the road-hope that's where he was heading. We got back on the bikes, and hadn't gone more than a mile further, and lo-ANOTHER turtle on the road.

This one was MUCH larger

He had the brightest yellow color on his throat. Must have been good turtle weather- I know WE certainly enjoyed the day.

Hope you all have had a wonderful weekend.

Sue

The Good, The Bad , and the UGLY!

The Good

Outside the back door, the herbs are thriving.

The Salvia is putting on quite a show-the color is amazing!

The yellow Achillea is really pretty too-as soon as it's big enough, I'm going to divide it and put some in the center bed.

In the vegetable garden , the potatoes are really taking off now, though they still haven't flowered.

And the onions.....I better get thinning them, but its hard to do-they look fantastic.

The Bad

What the caterpillars didn't finish off in the side beds, the chipmunks have. ALL my zinnias are missing. I planted two full flats down this bed and they are all gone. The don't seem to like cosmos though!

My blueberries are doing okay now that the caterpillars are gone, but its a daily chore to haul water to them. Its been too dry. I can't mulch till we've had a couple good days of rain.


As you can see, the weeds are taking back over. C'mon rain!!!!!!!! I need to mulch.


My circle bed of annuals are not filling in very well this year. They really need a good rain.

The front bed is filling in okay, but it does look "ratty.

The UGLY! Some odd rock pile/scum pond I have been trying to ignore since we got here. Note the dug up spot beyond it. That is our septic.

This is the other side of the back door. I DID have a nice topiary tree there. And flowers too.

And this is the main line of our septic. Do you know where this is headed?????

Yup. Our septic failed. Completely. We need a new drainfield, new line from the house to the tank, and yes, even a new tank. The old one is not up to code.

I'm trying to look at the bright side of this.........at least I'll be dealing with that scum pond. Finally.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Don't forget to plant some joy!

One of These Just Ain't Like the Other Ones

Things don't always register quickly with me, and today was no exception.

It's hot outside so hubby and I were sitting at the computers catching up on blogs, and games. I happened to glance out the window and saw the usual group of wild turkeys out there, picking up fallen seed from the bird feeders. It took a minute to register..........hey, that ONE is DIFFERENT! It was a peacock.......roaming with the wild turkeys. A few phone calls and we found out one of the neighbors had lost one a long time ago. I think it's kind of neat that it is hanging out with the wild boys. He came down to try and catch her, but it was a no-go. I think she's kind of enjoying her freedom.

Um, Hello!

We visited a nearby Alpaca Farm this past week. The lady that runs it was very kind and took a lot of time explaining everything about raising them. There is a lot involved, and it's quite an expensive hobby. It was quite apparent that she really loved her animals and that they were very well taken care of (spoiled!) They are very curious and swarmed us as we entered the area. All we could think of was "Oh, how friendly"!

Of course, once they discovered we had no treats, well, off to other things. Hmph-snubbed by an alpaca!



While we were in the barn looking at some others, the boys kept peeking in the windows. It was hilarious. Talk about having to know EVERYTHING going on! They should all be paparazzi!

Meet "Handy"

Handy at the Redwoods-Fall 2008



Handy in Monument Valley-Arizona , March 2007

Handy in the Cascade Mountains of Washington, summer of 2006

Handy at the Gooseberry Formations by Worland, WY in June 2006


Yes, we are nutty. We named our truck Handy. The name says it all. In the three years we have owned her, she has been from one side of the country to the other (several times!). She has hauled our possessions from IL to the U.P. and now to downstate Michigan. She knows all the antique shops , grocery stores , garden centers, and lumber yards within a hundred miles of us well. She is a real workhorse. We bought her new when my husband retired in spring of 2006. She has a 131,000 miles on her now, and she runs as smoothly as the day we bought her. So, it was hard to come to the point where we feel we have to trade her in. We love this truck, but we also are not ready to give up travelling, and with this many miles on her, well, let's just say we are a little concerned we'll end up stranded one day on some lonely stretch of road. We are leaving this fall for more adventures and hope to replace her by then. This is the THIRD Sport Trac we have owned, but sadly, we will not be buying another. Ford saw fit to make the latest models bigger, and we don't want bigger. We loved her just the way she was. So, we are considering either the Ford Escape, or Toyota RAV. If anyone out there has an opinion on either of these models, I'd LOVE to hear from you. I will miss our Handy a lot. If only I could turn back the miles.................

Garden Update-June 15

Time for an update on what's growing (and not!).....
Nightime temps are still just barely above freezing. Some things like it-some do not.
The deck planters are sloooowly beginning to fill in. It smells wonderful on the deck-those blue petunias are heavenly!

The herb garden (in pots) by the back door is coming along, though I'm sure most of them would love some warm weather. I got smart this year and put the herbs by the back door. It was my real "doh!" moment-here I was, up to my elbows in some sauce or other kitchen concoction and the herbs were in the garden 300 feet from the house. Real smart, huh? Worse yet is sending sweet hubby out there to snip a bit of this or that, poor dear-because he doesn't know a cilantro from a rosemary. So, now he can relax (a bit)-and I can get my own just steps from the kitchen.

The perennials are beginning to fill in nicely. Another year, and this should be packed with blooms.

We've begun setting the rocks we collected at a dear friends beach( in the U.P. ) in front of the garden gate. I love them-it will be a daily reminder of a very sweet gal whom I miss very much.

And IN the garden, the taters are doing great-I had only 2 that didn't come up. Pretty good success, compared to last year. I really blew it mulching them too early. Most of them just rotted in the ground. I think I had a whopping 6 plants that survived. See, you can teach an old dog.....

The onions LOVE this cold cold spring. I have never had onions that looked better. Wow!

And yes, we are STILL battling those damn caterpillars. They are munching everything. The newspaper said its a once in a lifetime event-three different kinds of caterpillars are having a record year-oh joy. This is one "once-in-a-lifetime" event I would have loved to miss. How about winning the lottery instead??? :)

My tomatoes HATE this cold, and have been just SITTING THERE, shivering beneath the glass. I doubt I will have any this year. I'm fortunate we have a large Amish population that grow in hoophouses...........but it's still not the same as picking your own, warm from the sun. Sigh.

A dear friend and neighbor gave us this barrel, and hubby rigged it up with a spigot. It has made life SOOOOOOOOOOOO much easier. When your garden is located so far from a pump, this little gem is a lifesaver. Thank you Don!!

Well, hope you all have a wonderful week. Enjoy your warmth if you are lucky enough to have it!

Sue

Award

I have been presented an award by Rae of http://myweathervane.blogspot.com/ , who has a great blog about , well, just about anything that crosses her mind. It makes for a great read with that morning cup of coffee. Thank you so much Rae......I'm honored you read my stuff!

Here are the STEPS of this Award:
(1) Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
(2) Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
(3) Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
(4) Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
(5) Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
(6) Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
(7) Leave a comment on each of the blogs, letting them know they have been nominated.

Now here is the part that stresses ME out......Nominating 7 blogs. How to choose????? I LOVE all the blogs I read. How do you pick JUST SEVEN???????????? Oh Lord.....pressure at 3 a.m.

So, I did it the scientific way-I closed my eyes, and whacked the screen-wherever my pointer finger landed, well, you've been nominated. Cuz, like I said, I can't choose -I love ALL the blogs I read. So, here they are

1. Elaine, at http://akelaine.blogspot.com/ has superb photos of various subjects around her area and yard in Alaska. Its interesting to see the wide variety of flowers, birds, and animals that call her place home.

2. Sandy, at http://wheremyheartlives.blogspot.com/ lives in Washington state, and has miniature horses (and a donkey!) and writes about rural life.

3. Judy, at http://fullfreezer.blogspot.com/ is in the process of moving into the country and writes about her many many projects. She is a human dynamo, and makes a whirlwind look lazy. She motivates me to get off my lazy duff and just DO SOMETHING.

4. Granny of http://annieskitchengarden.blogspot.com/ writes about gardening and misc happenings and has a WICKED sense of humor. She taunts me with pics from her garden while I am still buried in snow.

5. Mona of http://girlinmontana.blogspot.com/ has excellent photos on many subjects on her website. I truly believe she missed her calling as a professional. Her wildlife pictures are amazing!

6. Debbie of http://happydays1948.blogspot.com/ writes interesting tidbits of her life, and also shares wonderful photos. She is a very sweet lady who's writings reflect her joy of life.

7. Gina, of http://cauldronridge.blogspot.com/ writes on various interesting topics related to homesteading and various projects she has going.

Again, if you didn't make this list, its because I didn't blindly hit your name from my list of blogs. I love ALL my bloggy friends, and couldn't start my day without a visit to them all!

Now, onward-

SEVEN THINGS YOU MIGHT FIND INTERESTING ABOUT ME

1. I ALWAYS get up at 3 a.m.-without an alarm clock. This goes back to my days of milking cows and I like getting up at this hour. I need "my space" and with my husband retired, well, this is when I get it!

2. I'm an introvert that LOVES people. Boy, if THAT isn't an oxymoron. That's why blogging is so wonderful for me. I get lots of people-when I'm at my best (3 a.m.!)

3. I'll go crazy trying to save a buck at the grocery store, I'm cheap to a fault when buying clothes, but when it comes to books and travel, look out!!

4. I would rather sit out in nature than in the best seat in the house at a fancy restaurant.

5. I hate to drive.........I would love to give up my license, but realize it's a necessary evil.

6. I don't watch television. Really. I read almost every available moment in my day.

7. When I was growing up, I was going to be the world's greatest architect. My mother had me all lined up to attend Talieson-Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. Obviously, I didn't go. Let's just say it was the stupidest thing I ever did and leave it at that.