A day in the life...

It is nice to have a 3-day weekend. I have kept very busy watching birds, planting the garden, weeding the flower beds, and just puttering around.

A chickadee drinking from a little cup.  

For the second year in a row I have a handful of cedar waxwings.  I wondered what they ate in the spring, then I see them munching on apple blossoms.  Not sure how I feel about that.

My hummingbird returned yesterday. I am so appreciative.  I a feeling it was time for her to show up, and had nectar cooling when she arrived.

My daffodils and primroses are putting on a show.

It's been dark and cloudy all weekend. No real rain to speak of, but at least it isn't snow.  (So far)

I'm still working on the porch. Every year I tried to figure out where I'm putting the house plants and the flowers.  I found the prettiest violas and right now they really make the porch pop.

I got my outside garden planted. Beans, cucumbers, corn, pumpkins, melons, turnips, and radishes are all in the ground.

It is amazing how good tools make things go smoother. I love the bread box my cousin, Phyllis, gave me to hold my seeds.   The stamps I made for square foot planting are invaluable.

Everything is in the ground, except for the second planting of corn and beans so everything doesn't ripen at the same time. I'm getting smarter in my old age.

I used up all of last year's compost. There is a new batch brewing. When you don't have cattle or chickens it is good to have a compost pile.  I mixed 3 wheelbarrows full into the vegetable garden this year.

My husband is always taking pictures of me on the sly. It makes me laugh.  Yes, dad, I am still wearing my rabbit fur hat.  It is so warm and ten times better than a coat.

I'm afraid that's all I got. I hope all of you are enjoying the nice long peaceful weekend.  I've waited all winter for life on the porch. You couldn't pry me away if you tried. What do you look forward to most about spring and summer?

The weather outside is frightful...

We have had a glut of squirrels lately.  Ella tries to scare them away, but as you can see she isn't always successful.

I got a few flowers for my planters.  These violas looks so cheerful.

 I needed something cheerful, as snow was around the corner.  Temperatures dipped below freezing and we got about an inch of snow.  

The Tomato Taj Mahal kept the seedlings safe.  In fact, I think my lettuce grew.

I actually didn't mind the weather as it forced me to finish my nephew's quilt.  It turned out ok, but I really need to come up with a better system when I don't follow a pattern.  Going rouge is difficult.  The blocks didn't work out size wise.

I'm happy to have it done.  I hope he likes it.  

Did anyone else get snow this weekend?  Any projects finished? I'm hoping that was the end of snow for the year.  

Bird is the word...

Today was birdwatching bliss.  I had several visitors beyond the normal chickadees and nuthatches.  

A spotted towhee scratching his way through the understory.

The blue jay seems to know when I fill the feeders. 

This crow has been hanging out for a month. I call him Berserker, as he is very gruff.

I am intrigued with the eye color of the towhee.

This black headed grosbeak comes back every year with his mate.

Juncos are here year around, but it was a pretty picture and I wanted to share it.

The turkeys enjoy cleaning up dropped seeds.  Unfortunately, they also enjoy snapping the heads off of my tulips.

One of my favorite birds is the chipping sparrow.  They are always so chipper.

This isn't the best photo of a house finch, but I had to fit him in as he wandered by.

Everyone working to clean up the seeds under the feeder.  

A cowbird couple always swing by in the spring.  Here is the female.  I have yet to see the male. 

 That was my evening of birdwatching.  It is always interesting in the sprig to see who swings by.  

Gardening finally...

 What a beautiful day today.  I was able to clean out the rose bed and plant the greenhouse.

My lettuce grew by leaps and bounds now that the weather is warmer.

My basil and tomatoes are in.  I didn't have great luck starting peppers, but my melons, pumpkins, and squash are anxious to go outside.  It is still too cold for that.

I finally have a few flowers.

How are your vegetable gardens?  What do you have blooming?

Let's talk turkey...

 It is that time of the year.  I just sit on the porch and watch the show.

Coppers, blues, and greens iridescent against the morning sun.  The gobbling was in stereo.  I am blessed to live where I can look out my window and watch nature in action.

What can you see out your window?

Tired...

 I have one word for this weekend...

Tired.

We lost power several times this weekend.  The wind was strong and incessant.  It blew a tree down on our power lines also making the road impassible. I'm not sure how much we ended up with.  We had grass showing in some area and many 3-4 foot drifts.  We probably got about 1 1/2 feet.  It was 60 degrees the day before.

On the bright side, I was able to made an elk pot pie and a cream pie before we lost power.

Grandma's Cream Pie

3/4 c. Sugar

3 1/2 T. Cornstarch

1/2 t. Salt

2 1/2 c. Milk 

2 eggs 

1 t. Vanilla

Dash of Nutmeg (that addition came from my great grandma, Mammie.)

Combine all ingredients, except the vanilla and nutmeg, in a sauce pan.  Stir over low heat until thick, remove from heat, add vanilla and nutmeg.  Pour into a graham cracker or baked pie crust.  Refrigerate until cool and enjoy.  Also excellent with cut up bananas on top.

Even with the power out, we have a gas stove and I was able to make some lotion bars.  I finally figured out how to make my gigantic chunk of beeswax more manageable.  I grated it.  Since there was no power, my husband even got in on the fun.

I am trying rice water for my hair.  I read that it is supposed to help with growth and shine.  Just let 1/2 c. white rice sit in 2 c. water overnight.  Strain and spray in hair.  I don't have the recipe for the lotion bars.  The sugar scrub is 1 c. sugar, 2 T. olive oil, 2 T. lemon juice, 4 drops of lemon grass oil, and 2 drops of eucalyptus oil.  Sprinkle in some lemon rind.  This is great rubbed on in the shower.  Be careful as it can make the shower floor slippery.  It does moisturize dry winter skin.

After a long weekend of snow, wind, shoveling, cutting up downed trees, cleaning, baking, I needed a spa day.  Thankfully the electricity came back on and I could do just that.

I did take a photo of my crocuses before they were crushed by the snow.

As I always say, "hope springs eternal.". Maybe next weekend will be nicer.  How was your weekend?  Any snow?  How about the wind?  Hope you were able to enjoy.