Some More Random Bits

Some weeks ago, I wrote about this book: 

I received it from a drawing on Ink Dots, written by Dorothy Adamek, and the book itself was from author Rita Gerlach, who writes historical fiction. 

I enjoyed this book very much... it took me a while to get through it because I would read just before falling asleep.  I finally sat down and finished it in one fell swoop.  I enjoy historical fiction greatly, and Rita seems to really know her stuff.  This romance was set in Revolutionary War times, in the US and in England.  

Rita has written other books, and I am trying to get several on inter library loans.  

I recommend her, and Rita... thanks for the inscribed copy, I so appreciate it! 

One thing that Dorothy does on Ink Dots is to publicize writers... I think she does a great service to us all by doing this.  Thanks, Dorothy! 

As you see, the overgrown north perennial bed marches on.  I am going to be in there this afternoon or tomorrow after church, I hope... cutting out little trees, several of which you can see in this picture.  The pink monarda is blooming, and the white lillies. 

You can see some of the lillies here.  Some are literally buried under sage and monarda. 

The huge buddleia has not started blooming, but one I (butchered) pruned hard has huge panicles on it as of yesterday. 

You can just barely see them here. 

Keith's parents will be stopping by on Tuesday as they pss through the city on their way to Denver, to see Ralph's sister.  I hope to have things tidied up and all the grass in yard and pasture cut by the time they get here, so will be working on this today.  This bed is going to take a mighty effort this fall to remove the huge overgrown plants, and rebed it.  I'll be giving away lots of perennials. 

The Master Gardener's gardens at the farmstead yesterday were very inspiring, and probably my favorite part of our day, besides the wagon ride. 

Herb Garden. 

I want one.  (kidding, honey) 

Rose covered arches... love them! 

I would have to have an army of assistants to do all this. 

Ah, well... we can dream! 

Jax helped me take this picture yesterday... he held the flashlight, brave little boy: 

For the first time in years, we did not even have ONE egg laid in the big henhouse yesterday.  This guy and his friends are the reason, I'm sure.  He's been hiding in this nest box almost all week. 

I had 8 dozen eggs to donate this morning, and a scant ten or so to keep for us to use, almost all bantam eggs.  I do have some duck eggs that are so big they can't fit in cartons.  I use them for cooking and baking. 

I found an intact snake skin on Thursday, and saved it for Jax... he took it home last night.  How I wish my mom could have seen this place... she was afraid of a lot of things in nature, but she loved to hear about them. 

I enrolled in Bloglovin' this morning just to be SURE and hedge my bets about Google reader going away.  I don't think it will bother our blogs any... but I don't trust them.  Thanks to Donna at Our Forest Haven for patiently walking me through the steps! 

Fabulous Friday!

At least I don't think it's Saturday already, like last week! 

66 degrees out at 1:24 PM, in Leavenworth County, Kansas. 

Sunny, but not horribly so.  

We are supposed to get rain for four days next week, and how I will welcome it.  The earth is still dry and there are still cracks in the yard, but not as bad as before.  I want to see the ponds here fill right up, and all my seeds get soaked in. 

I watered last night! 

More gardening this morning, are you sick of it yet? 

I can only hoist 1 cubic foot of dirt in a bag, and my dirt of choice is Miracle Gro Garden Soil, but I did use some Vigoro that Keith got me, and liked it.  There is Grass Pad soil on most of his potato bed. 

It's on sale this week at Home Depot, so last night, Keith made a run and got me 20 bags of soil.  I have already used them, and realize that I need probably 100 to do the job right. 

I'm taking some money out of savings, and just going back and forth tomorrow until I'm stocked up. 

Picturesque picture of the henspa last night when I sat down for a moment at sunset. 

This pretty girl joined me... she is very afraid of gunshots, though half Brittany and half Golden Retriever, and all Brave Dog.  Someone down the road appeared to be doing target practice, and she came over to join me for some comfort. 

Here is another of my "make-arounds".  The bag of Baccto peat moss is VERY heavy, and hard for Keith to move.. we usually just shove them off the back of the truck.  I scoop it out into a bucket, and pour it on the garden from there. 

Creeping Charlie is blooming this week, with tiny little blue flowers.  I don't mind it in the yard, we lost so much grass last year that anything green is pleasing to me. 

My senior assistants looked for some shade to wait in. 

 While the junior assistant was doing some exploring under the deck. 

I was being chattered at constantly by the red-winged blackbirds. 

There's my crocheted dishcloth made by my sister, still hanging in the tree.  We are clueless as to how it got there! 

Here is where I interject that the red-wings are pushing me beyond patience.  They do not eat chicken feed like the starlings, but instead, are inhaling my expensive back yard blend like candy.  They descend on the feeder in hundreds... and then fly off when you lean out the door to say "Blackbirds!".  They hover nearby, to come back again.  The thing is, the other smaller birds are not getting much, except those that venture onto the deck to eat out of the feeder I still have there. 

It's still early days of spring, and all the animals need help. 

Here's Command Central this morning, with it's lineup of empty sacks, half used bale of Baccto, the trusty yard cart, my Homer Bucket, and tools you can only see handles of.  My obelisk is there too, I'm moving it to the other bed and growing something up it this season. 

 This is the bed upon which I worked.  The half in the front is full of tiny perennials coming up, so once they are up and doing okay, I'll fill in with fresh peat moss and dirt around them, scratching it in  

I used the last of the cottonseed in this bed. 

And this, my friends, is a book I received in a drawing at Dorothy Adamek's blog 

Ink Dots 

Dorothy lives in Australia, where they are just headed into fall... but oh, my, she is so worth reading. 

I have had some emails back and forth with Rita Gerlach, the author of this book, who lives in Maryland. 

She wrote me that she loves to write historical fiction about the places around where she lives, because there is so much history there, so I can't wait to delve into this book.  With four days of rain next week, I'll surely have some time to sit down and sink my teeth in it. 

Thanks Dorothy, and many thanks, Rita! 

Tomorrow morning, I'll be here: 

Oooops  Sorry, Paiton's head was cut off by her dad when he snapped this picture.  The two little grands have their first soccer game tomorrow, and it should be fun.  Then 12 year old grandson Jacob has his first game of the season at noon, just after them, so I'll be soccer-grandmom for a while.  

Tonight, Keith and I are going to dinner in celebration of ten years of wedded bliss today! 

We were married in Arlington, Texas, while Keith was still on active duty...and now ten years later, here we are "back to the land".  

What a ride! 

I'm a lucky girl, and we are so blessed to have each other. 

That's it from the tired gardener at Calamity Acres.