A Homebody! :)

If you didn't know by now, I am a homebody!! :) I'd rather be at home than anywhere else on earth!! :)
I've heard some women say they get bored if they're home day after day, and seek activity outside the home.
I have So Much on my endless to do list, that there's no way I can ever see myself getting bored at home! :) If I EVER get all the house and yard work done, AND get all the stuff we have Sorted Through, ... MAYBE I'd be able to have time to do the other activities ( reading; putting puzzles together; doing crafts; getting to that geneology; doing more temple work; offering more of my time to help others with their yards; etc. ... ) that I never seem to have time for!! :)
In fact, this time of year, when there's as much to do outside as there is to do in, just doing the house and yard & garden work turns my life into a juggling act!! :)
If I spend too much inside, the outside suffers, and if I spend too much time outside, the inside suffers!! :) I think if there were 10 of me, I'd have it all just right!! :)
Don't missunderstand and think I'm complaining, however, as that couldn't be further from the truth!! :) I love my life!! :) I love that I'm able to be a fulltime homebody, and that I get to spend my days doing the things I love, beautifying my home and garden!! :)

Today I weeded the strawberry row, and now I'm excited to have the garden all planted and pristine! :) It's so nice to know that from here on out, it's just a matter of maintaining it! :) It's a good feeling, especially when I think back to last year's crazy, snowy, freezing weather! I didn't even get to start planting the garden untill June!! It really makes me appreciate normal years like this, when the garden is all in, in May! :)

These strawberry plants look like first year plants, but actually they were new last year! The deer attacked them so hard that they never got to grow! Every time new leaves came on, they came, like theives in the night, and ate them, - even during hunting season! I'm determined that this year they will grow and flourish! :) I'm pleased to see they are already putting on berries! We will hopefully get to taste them, for the first time, this year! :) We are trying out a motion-detecter water jet and hoping to keep critters and pest out! Wish us luck! If that doesn't work, we will have to resort to building a tall fence! :)

Blueberry Bouquet! :)

I wish I'd have taken some photos of the blueberry bushes when they were in full bloom! :) The hummingbirds were busily zipping to and from the blossoms, making sure we have fruit this year! :)

What amazes me is that even after they've dropped their blossoms, they still are beautiful! :)

I love the texture of the leaves, all shiny in the sun, against the orbs of the forming fruit! To me it looks like a blueberry bouquet! :)

The Garden Seeds Are Finally All Planted! :)

When you look at this photo, you're looking at proof of a gardener desperate to plant more than she has room to grow! :) I decided to use this narrow strip of soil, that was going to be a foot path, as a smorgasbord of small veggies and herbs that I could find no room for! :) As a result, nine packets of seeds made it into the garden that wouldn't have otherwise! :)

I finally have all the seeds in the ground that I've chosen to grow this year! :) It feels so good to be at this point with the garden! :) I also have the entire garden hoed with the exception of the strawberry row! I will get to that soon! :)

While I worked I was accompanied by Buddyman, our faithful canine companion, and the birds! I enjoy hearing the bird's cheerful singing and munching sounds as they eat seed and suet! :)

I especially enjoy the happy chortling sounds of a tree swallow that often perches itself atop of the smoke stack of the sauna, near the garden! :) Such a cheerful serenade to work by! :)

I so love this time of year with living acitivity all around us! The temperatures are perfect for working outside, which makes us active too! :) I'd love another 100 days just like today! I would get so much done!! :) ...

I hope you're all enjoying this time of year too! :)

Growing Up! :) ... Not Me, - the Garden! :)

Rud and I have an agreement that he 'tills the garden, every year, and I grow it! :) Since I'm the one doing all the planning, planting, weeding, and harvesting, ... I need to be realistic about how large a garden spot I can single-handedly keep up! :)If you want a weed free garden, it requires alot of time and calorie burning work! :) I want to grow just about everything, so I have to keep my appetite for gardening under controle! :)

In order to squeeze in as much as possible in a small space, the answer is to grow UP!! :) This year, as usual, every nook and cranny of the garden space is being used, and I still wish I could plant more! :) I'm using trellises, cages, and bean poles to fit in what I have!! :) I'm curious how it's all going to look once everything is growing, and if I'll have planned foot paths well enough? Time will tell! :)

This One's For Sheana! :)

This time of year, when the ornamental cherry tree is beginning to drop it's blooms, I think of Sheana! :) We have a picture of her on our 'fridge kneeling with the dogs in the pink carpet of fallen petals, that she loves! :)

There's something refreshing and yummy about looking up into the canopy of petals overhead!:)

No picture of this tree would be complete without a canine member of our family being included! I love how Buddyman's pink tongue matches the petals! :) ... Thinking of you, Sheana! :) XO

Shades of Green! :)

Living here in the Great North West, I've often marveled at the many shades of green! :)

I especially love the light green shade of fresh young plants, like these ferns! :)

This Japanese Maple Tree has leaves that are a joy to me every year! They come on green, and as they mature they show more shades of white and pink! :)

Is it even possible to count all of the shades of green in this photo? :)

There can be such beauty in the shades of green found in a single plant! :)

The birds even seem to like different shades of green! :)

Not only do plants come in all different shades of green, but they also come in all different shapes and sizes!! :)

.... And textures! :)

Some even have edible parts, like the stems of this rhubarb! :)

For a gardener, green plants can be a lovely setting for placing little surprises like this cupid bird feeder, in the background! :)

There's something soothing about the color green! :)

Sometimes green can taste good!! :)

And often shades of green mean there is an ample amount of water in the area! :) Even though alot of people would dissagree, ... I've always loved the refreshing amount of free rainfall here in the North West! :) To me it's the Magic that keeps everything Clean and Green!! :)

My Brief Encounter With A Super Hero! :)

Today I had a brief, but heartily satisfying, encounter with a super hero!! :) I was at Walmart, of all places, when I saw him! :) I had just emptied the last item from my grocery cart into the back of my hatchback when he passed by! :) He slowed his step for only a heartbeat, reaching out, offering his help, as he took the empty cart, pulling it behind him, continuing to push his filled cart on down to his vehicle and the awaiting cart holder! :) ...
He seemed So Familiar to me during that brief exchange of warm smiles, and I'll tell you why! :) Other than his hair being slightly darker, he looked Just Like Peter! :) You know, ... SPIDER MAN!! :) Even his voice had that soft, silky, sincere quality to it, like Spider Man's!! :)
Okay, ... I KNOW Spider Man isn't REAL, but this young man, his name remains a mystery, is a REAL Hero to me!! :) ... We live in a "ME" time, where people are conditioned to focus more on themselves than those around them! To be Unspoiled by what's become a standard way of behaving, is indeed Heroic!! :)
This hero proved to me, once again, that Chivalry Is Not Dead!! :)
Like The Lone Ranger, he barely gave me time to thank him before he was off and away, doing his good deeds!! :)
Keep you eyes open, everyone! :) Heroes are out there!! :) Chances are you will meet one too! :)

Welcome To Our Home! :) Don't You Love Spring?! :)

It's occurred to me that there are many friends and loved ones who don't get to come and visit us due to miles, illness, or lack of time to make the journey! Why not use our blog to make this visit possible?! :) And what better time to come see the yard than Spring!! :)

Here's Buddyman!! :) He will be our guide!! :)

Rud works hard at keeping the lawn mowed! :) Cal takes over when his dad is away! :)

Looks like we're off to the back yard! :)

Right now you can see the hillside beyond the trees! You should come back in the summer and see it when the leaves are grown and the backdrop is all filled in! :)

Here's our garden spot!! :) I've planted new strawberries and raspberries, and have a tayberry still to put in! :) To the other side ( sorry I didn't get it all in this photo ), we have our blueberry bushes that are in bloom, and you can see the rhubarb over by the new composter! :) I've planted yellow yukon potatoes and onions! Soon I will be planting the rest of the veggies, and maybe even some annual flowers, if there's room! :)

This is an area of our property that's not always seen by visiters, as it's behind one of our tall hedges, but we enjoy the beauty of these trees! We put them in as seedlings ( little twigs ), and just look at them now! :)

Between the hedge and the everygreen trees is our small orchard! :) We have apples, pears, cherries, and a plum tree! :) I've been toying with the ideah of trying to squeeze in a couple more fruit trees, if I can just figure out where to put them! :) grin

I kept this visit short, as I know how precious time is! :) I hope you enjoyed your time here! :) My love to you all! :) Hugs!! :)

Close Ups! :)

I've been trying for the longest time to get a decent close-up of the flowering quince! Finally I think I've done it! :)

I don't know why but I find a pure beauty in this raspberry vine! Since it's just a baby, we won't expect fruit from it until next year! :)

I finally treated myself to this Montana Rueben Clematis! :) Not only is it pretty, but it has a soft vanilla fragrance that I just love! :)

It's these delicate new leaves that made this tulip tree irresistible to me!! :) I didn't realize when I bought it how Huge this tree will one day grow to be, or I may have changed my mind! It's way over our heads, and is still an infant! :) I'm waiting eagerly for it to reach a state of maturity that will allow it to produce it's yellow, tulip shaped, blooms that gives it it's name! Maybe This will be the year it blooms?! :)

If you click on this hot-pink flower, ( I just forgot it's name! Is it English Daisy? I hate when that happens! grin ), you may see the pollen displaced on it's petals! :)

I wouldn't think this candy tuft would have so many layers if not seen in photo, up close and personal! :)

Do you see the white spider trying to blend in on this Angelic Tulip?! :) I love this photo! :)

Okay, this isn't exactly a close up, but I couldn't resist adding another photo of these tulips! :)

Here's another clematis I had to buy this year! :) It's called Early Sensation!! :)

This is the story of my life! :)

I know, this one is not a true close-up either, but I had to add it just the same! :) It makes my heart sing! :)

The New ComposTumbler2 ! :)

Rud not only pulled out my old wire compost cage ( that didn't work ), but he layed stone for a platform to put the new composter on! :) I've planted some creeping mint to grow between the cracks! Eventually it should look pretty! :)

Well here it is, my birthday pressent that I've wanted for years, all put together and ready to go! I can hardly wait to make that first batch of black gold!! :) Hoo-rah!! :)