Finally caved in

Summer's almost officially here, and my personal goal was to make it until June to turn on the air conditioner. Almost made it. This picture is close to where I caved-in. It was 86 degrees in the house yesterday. The air HAD to come on. The cats were panting, spread-eagle on the kitchen floor. I got the hint.

We worked outside all day yesterday. I went with Bill to help powerwash a house clean. I was the official gopher and ladder-holder. Whatever helps. Then we got some topsoil on the way home to level-up the pool area. Got all that shoveled around, sand back over it, and ready to clean it. Borrowed mom's powerwasher. It didn't want to work right - clogged. So the machine gets turned off and Bill's pulling the nozzle off the wand. When all of a sudden - POP! The nozzle goes flying off 100 feet into the bean field. We both just stood there with our mouths open, wide-eyed.

Then I busted out laughing simply because I didn't know what else to do. But then we immediately thought of how close he came to busting his eye out. So after the initial shock wore off, I had to go find the nozzle. That includes crawling under the neighbors fence to get to the bean field. Little did I know - it was electrified. Only a small zap on the tush, but still.

So I finally found the nozzle, thank goodness the beans are only 6 inches tall right now and the nozzle was bright orange. When I had to crawl back under the fence to get out, Bill was standing over me "cheering" me on...as if I was a marine. I did it though - all those military movies paid off. I knew how to do "the crawl" and avoided getting my butt zapped.

We both decided that was a sign to stop for the night. We got back at it this morning, and water is now flowing into the pool! Should be swimming by the weekend!

Bird Turf War

Apparently I have bully situation in my yard. You see, there's this mockingbird...
And he has taken a real liking to my yard. So much so that he has laid claim to all the feeders. All five of them. Hummingbird feeders included. If another bird even tries to come close to them, he chases them off, comes back to perch on top of the feeder, and puffs himself out to three times his size. My biggest problem with this is that he doesn't even eat from the feeders! He's just being a bully.

The hummingbirds are too quick for him, so they can still get their food. Having two feeders, they just zip back and forth giving the mockingbird a headache from spinning in circles.

I've seen a few collisions with robins that are hunting for worms - mockingbirds like those too and apparently feel that EVERYTHING in the yard, including the worms, is his. But today teh little bully finally met his match. Enter into the ring - The Red-Breasted Woodpecker!

This beautiful gal LOVES the feeders. I have a couple of suet cake feeders, but she prefers to peck at the plaster column that has the regular feeder on it. She shares her space. She doesn't bother the doves or sparrows or finches or any other visitor. She takes up more space, but she doesn't chase off. Well, she works her way around the column to the feeder and low-and-behold who should appear? Right, resident bully. She doesn't move but continues to eat. He even attacks her while she's eating! She politely lands on the stone ground, puffs up and begins to peck at his head! Needless to say, the mockingbird took off and left her alone. She went back to eating. And other birds started showing up again.

Now, the mockingbird is still around, but I'm hoping that he learned his lesson. Just like I can learn from the red-breasted. Share and don't be afraid to stand up for myself as well as others.

Fragmented Life!

} Still busy. But I have a strategic summer plan now. May is my "Motion" month, June "Momentum," and July "Maintain." I will be focusing heavily on my life coach/freelancing business in June. I'm finishing work with the auction company this month. Turns out that I have been spending over 20 hours per week BEFORE an auction on auction work. And no, it's not the kind of money to be an actual income.

} And in May there are some projects I want ot get done so I can enjoy the summer: pool, retreat area, some sewing projects, and some inside projects. Like my computer table. My office is a hodge-podge of different furniture of different colors. It works though. However, my computer table used to be an outside patio table. I had painted it with outdoor paint and stenciled butterflies and dragonflies on it - in pretty colors. But this has totally clashed with by blue & red office. So I FINALLY got it outside, sanded it down, and repainted it a chiffon color (white w/touch of yellow). Very grown-up looking now. I should add the golden lasso maybe to match the room now. Don't really NEED to grow up in every area.

} Still helping out at the greenhouse. Love it - wish I had my own small greenhouse to at least start my plants every spring as well as grow all kinds of fancy stuff! This cactus is housed at the greenhouse. Not sure which cactus it is - but these blooms are fantastic. They only last a couple of days though. So glad I got this shot.







} My own yard is a late bloomer. Always has been. But I love it. I planted a couple of poppies last year and prayed they wouldn't get weedeated. Whaddya' know - they made it! And they're gorgeous.

} Then there was a couple other yard projects - the walkway and mailbox areas. My walkway has grown into a mismash of different hosta varieties and boxwoods. And it's not symmetrical - not pretty. So I moved a bunch of it around and invested in a couple varieties of columbine. Beautiful dainty bloomed shade plant. Then moved some hostas to the mailbox area. I have 10 varieties of hostas in my yard. Each one blooms differently. Talk about God's creativity. It's in action all over the place. I'll have enough hosta growth to separate and share next year!

} And then there's the KIA room. I'll have to get pictures of the latest. Next month I want it to be even cooler. Although, having it look like Hawaii in there makes me want to get my pool open even faster.

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Garden Goddess

This is Zoe, the new addition to the greenhouse family and who I've affectionately dubbed, Garden Goddess.
She just showed up at the greenhouse one day so the guys adopted her. Even took her to the vet to get "fixed" and a check-up. She's such a friendly girl, although not a huge fan of the dog, Barney, who is very jealous of any attention Zoe gets.

Zoe is a natural hunter. Before the arbor grew and started blooming out, Zoe found her way up there to lay in wait for the sparrows. She did great getting up there, not so hot getting down. She's shown her love for the greenhouse owners by bringing them dead things already. I found a mouse one day, then a mole another. When I discovered that, Steve and I hi-fived! She's a moler! That's an asset!

On the flip side is my boy...he's border-line special needs. Either that, or a pacifist. He's "caught" a mouse three times now. And each time he just plays with them and let's them go. Bugs? He'll kill and eat those. But how can you resist this face when he's looking to be loved-on?