Can You Handle Anymore Flowers???

Won't you join me for a little break in my backyard,

but remember you can't be a fraidy-cat!
With all this blooming going on the bee activity is at a high pitch.
I've always claimed to have nice bees in my yard and tell the grands to do no harm.
I even rescue bees from the pool.

That white, empty-looking pot is full of seedlings from Jody's snapdragon seeds I brought back from Oregon last summer. Just ignore that mess you see in the background. Front empty-looking pot has the basil seedlings.

I live in 1980 "tract" housing and my neighbors are right on top of me.
I'm grateful that we have neighbors we've always gotten along with.

The red geranium in the yellow pot was Dori's that she gave me when I went to Utah for Thanksgiving. I keep her posted on how happy "she" is in Arizona. The little Margarita daisy next to it is a volunteer. Just love those sturdy volunteers.
My desk and computer is right behind those "Arcadia" doors and I look out at the back side of this view with gratitude daily.

And of course you remember the self-seeding African daisies. They are taking over the whole place and that's just fine and dandy with me. They are also in full bloom in the front and what a punch of color they are.

This could just be the saddest looking tomato plant ever. It wintered over and keeps hanging on. I'm even getting good tomatoes off of it. There's a lesson here about not judging by looks but by their fruits!!!

The bees are JUST WILD for the lavender and it's self-seeding too.
I've got little starts all over. It is so delicious smelling.

I don't usually get coral colored geraniums but am loving these.

This is Skippie's gardenia that has been "mine" for the last two years. No blossoms....yet.

More nasturtium love.

No close ups of the lemon trees but yummy blossoms on them too...just heavenly fragrance.

Now, I really wish we could spend time together back here. We'd just chat, and laugh and have a good-old-gal time together. I might have to move into the shade if it gets too warm though.How about some lemonade?

How Did You Spend . . .

. . . your last day of March 2011? The local grands came over for a chilly (water) swim. At least chilly to me. They braved the first dive in and then they said it was great.

This pool is my "grands magnet".

Oh no, don't look, Grammy's taking our picture.

They were back today for another swim, this time all 4 of them. I treated them to a Wen*dy's lunch on a picnic blanket under a shady tree as today we are really, really WARM. I think 78* is the norm this time of year and we are in the upper 90's.

I know...you see I keep a thermometer so I can know. I'm a bit of a weather freak.

The mounted cabinets are all painted by it will be well into the latter part of next week for all the doors and drawers to be finished and installed.

Patience is a virtue.

This week was friend KMS's birthday. She's celebrating it in Hawaii. Rough. I text her a b.d. greeting and she said Big J had just gotten her a birthday lei. Way to go Big J.

Wishing you a mighty fine weekend. I'll be watching General Conference addresses broadcast from Salt Lake City, Utah. A joy. When conference isn't on I'll be putting down shelving paper and restocking the cupboards.

I'll be singing with (okay, along with) the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

They make me sound sooo good.

Click here if you want to know more about Conference
Happy day, msk

Springing

Is there anyone who doesn't love spring?

Here's my first spring tomato and it tasted

soooo good on my salad.

The sun is shining.

Flowers are just about in full, radiant bloom. Just the lobelia

is behind schedule and that's due

to it's late planting...I couldn't find any, any 6 packs or

single pots and I wasn't going to

buy a half flat.

I just planted some lobelia a couple of weeks ago

and their vibrant purplish hue is just showing itself

to my delight.

The bird songs are as glorious as can be.

Thanks to Trevlyn I've learned to identify many bird species

and their songs which make it even more enjoyable.

Thanks Mary Trevlyn.

And this weekend SLK and I transplanted

one of my potted lemons, the Lisbon lemon.

It was really hard work and just about put SLK out of commission.

Lemon blossoms slightly scenting

if you get your nose up close.

Soon the neighbor's big citrus trees will perfume the air

and make me giddy with aromatic delight.

You will find me standing in the backyard

doing my deep breathing...usually in the evening.

Also this weekend I planted

4 more tomato plants,

4 zucchini plants,

7 foot long row of sunflower seeds that grow

to a height of 6 feet-seeds from friend Michelle A. thanks,

3 dahlias,

5 feet of poppy seeds I brought home from Jody's

garden last summer

and lettuce and spinach seeds.

Wish me luck. I'm hopeful and will

keep you posted. I know, you didn't ask to be

kept posted but I just assume you do

since you're here reading.

Okay, anyone here reading???

The bumbly bees seem to single out my pot of

French lavender, so much so that I am thinking

about moving it away from the Arcadia door (okay...sliding

glass door. Soon I will not have to tell you, right?)

And a very, very familiar but unusual spring sound

is still the constant neighborhood re-roofing noise.

I'm grateful for my new roof.

I'm grateful for my home.

I'm praying for all the people in Japan and especially those

who have been impacted by the earthquake and tsunami.

Let us not under estimate the power of prayer.

Wishing you a day of gratitude...

...regardless of springing or blustering.

Wishing you a day or week of adding to your

food storage and

emergency preparation items.

No matter how small.

Remember:

store what you use.

Finally finished.

Over

and

out.

Happy day, msk

Backyard Farmer

Another toasty AZ day and again I've spent alot of time in the backyard. If you look at these photos of this luscious, organic, flaming red tomato and...

...this shiny, emerald green Bell pep, I think I come off as a real gardener. The truth is...


...I've had a fair amount of frost damage and after cleaning and trimming off the crunchy, dead, brown branches and leaves I'm left with rather spindly plants.

I just can't bring myself to severely cut them back since all the new growth is on the tips. I had to decide if I wanted short, compact, good looking plants in the patio pots that will be slow to produce more "fruit" or forget my pride and embrace the spindliness and have earlier and more tomatoes and Bells. What pride!!!! I'll always go with the produce.

Now my newly planted annuals are another matter. After planting last week I did my usual "dead heading" that sister Cindy taught me back in 1970-71. All the blossoms were pinched back (at least the pansies, viola's, marigold's and petunia's) so strength would go into the plant and I would end up with bushy instead of leggy plants. I go out every day and check on their progress. Yes, they are getting bushy and a lot of buds are forming and this week I'll have a pop of color in the petunia's and pansies. The marigold's are slow going. Now, I hope this hasn't bored you but may be of help to some of you inexperienced gardeners.

After more pruning of the vinca, raking, planting the last 3 lobelia and 1 viola and sweeping I felt not like a House Beautiful gardener but more like a backyard farmer. I'm feeling very Geiss Green Thumbish. Oh that puts a smile on my face.

Wait until tomorrow when you see the calamity in the front yard. Oh my it is bad. Just try to remember how much SLK likes to chop down things.

Views From My Patio

After a little over a week the hummers finally discovered the new feeder I put up. My hope is this year the ants won't find it and invade making me take it down. Didn't you love grand H's April Fools ant prank on Boo!

You know how very much I wish I could share this with you. These blossoms are so heavenly. I finally harvested the Meyer lemons (12) and will juice them today, freeze in the ice cube trays and then pop them into freezer bags. The Lisbon lemons are next. Pretty good count for dwarf trees in pots. I was fortunate to find a good little electric juicer at a garage sale. Score!

No shame or pride at all letting you see this fat, old foot again but the blisters are really so outstanding. I am in no pain as long as nothing touches it and glad to have my aloe vera plant for medicinal comfort.

Ick, that above photo is a little too gross to part on so here's something better, the lemons and juicer. Have you scored any finds at the garage sales or thrift stores lately? Wishing you a happy day.

Springing

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SPRING!!!

I've already heard reports that Parker started her morning with a desire to wear shorts. What a great attitude in her colder location.

I think we can all celebrate spring today regardless of weather. Are you having a WELCOME SPRING PARTY? Good idea don't you think. Kids especially love any reason to have a party and this is a good one.

I remember Mom teaching me about crocus and that they are usually the first signs of spring even coming up through snow.

When we moved to Joseph, I heard a lot about spring lambing. Poor babies born in the snow but it happens.
Okay, this is just a Google search photo of "snowy springs" and when I saw this I thought it looked so much like my big boy. Kirby's never encountered snow. He's a wimpy dog when it comes to swimming and I wonder what snow would do to him.
How do you handle wanting spring, warm weather, outside play and chilly temperatures? I remember many of those types of springs in Oregon and Utah and six kids under the roof. That can make a mom get creative. Does anyone want to share a successful idea.
I'm glad I got to celebrate a spring in Georgia with J&C and family. The Macon Cherry Blossom Festival was especially fun. I do remember wanting to sit in the sunshine though since it was chilly and breezy-that was great for our kite flying in the afternoon.
When we were here it reminded me a bit of a tiny Saturday Market. Oh, I love Portland's Saturday Market. I can hardly wait for a summer day at Saturday Market. WHO'S ON BOARD WITH ME FOR SATURDAY MARKET THIS SUMMER? I know we will be having fun, busy times with Em's wedding but please, just one day.
I love what I perceive as the attitude of this gal. Spring...well let's get out and take a hike, oh and put my puppy in my backpack too. Oh, it's snowy. Okay. I'll put my cute hat on, maybe it would be one of Linny's originals. I would definitely do this!!! Oh dear, I better be careful because this is making me puppy hungry. You know I'm so passed (or is that past) the baby hungry stage of life so I get puppy hungry. I spent too much time online a couple weeks ago searching golden doodle puppies.
Well, I don't have a snowy spring situation so easy for me to talk about attitude. Here is what my surroundings look like now. Some might have a hard time with spring being so warm and prickly. I do not.

Here's a really good way to celebrate spring, enter MT's doll give away contest. Win a free, original doll. Check it out. Celebrate today. Bye, I have to go celebrate by walking outside and inhaling deeply the orange blossoms.