EASTER AT RUSTYNAIL GARDEN

Easter Blessings To Everyone.

Everyone enjoys a little feast on Easter Sunday, including these hungry squirrels in our front yard this morning.  I took this picture from inside my house, behind squirrel proof glass.  They were eating oiled sunflower seeds.

Then these little critters began to move, and climb, and scatter, and chatter!
Ready, set, ACTION!

 

Ah Ha!  This is the intruder upsetting their Easter Dinner.

Hey, Mr. Groundhog, where have you been since February 2nd?

I have not seen you around these cold, snowy, cloudy, wintery parts.

Didn't Elvis sing a song about you?  You ain't nothing but a groundhog!

This is a shot of our sweet bunny, Buckaroo, as he got a massage before Easter Dinner.

What a face. 

 

For our Easter centerpiece, Mother Nature gave us our first flowers of the year.

 

Everything is coming to life.  What a glorious time in our garden.

Do you have flowers popping up in your garden yet?

Please comment below.

Walking In The Snow

I love to be the first to make footprints in newly fallen snow.  Today I went for a walk in the timber with my camera.  I know the video is a little shaky.  That's because the ground was a little rough, and uneven, and I'm uneven, and I'm also shaky.  Otherwise, it would have been a great movie.  You can hear my size 8 boots crunching in the snow too! I just hope you don't hear me burp or anything like that. 

 

If you want to walk with me on the way back home click the next video.  I hope you don't get as tired as I did.

Well Hello There

 

This week we had several inches of rain with spring temperatures in the high thirties.

I inspected the early plants to see if any had awakened and popped their "widdle" heads from under their winter blanket of leaves.

 

 This Dianthus woke up!  It is becoming a darker color than it was over the winter.

 

 

 

Is there a deer under those antlers?  This is my dear Norway Spruce.
These are about 6 years old.  These candles are the new growth for this year.
Each spring the trees grow about a foot in the spring.   (Yes, I know I have to saw the post tops....thanks for reminding me.)

 

 

 

 

Our beloved, beautiful, abundant, botanical, bojangled, biodegradable, blue Iris are growing a few green leaves already.

 

 

 

.....dis is one ov my vlue vots dat ve turned over vuring da vinter

so it vould not vreeze.

 

                                                                   and anodder von

 

and anodder two

                                         This is Mother-in-law tongue.............get the idea?

 

 

 

Hm, should I pick these and put them in salad?

Should I pull them off and drown them?

Should I plant them?

Should I leave them alone?  Yes

 

I don't know what they are but there are a ton of them on the

Harvey Walker Walking Stick Tree.  Maybe they are little walking canes.

 

 

 

 

 

Buds that wintered on my brother's Magnolia tree.

It will be beautiful soon.

Sorry this is fuzzy, but actually they "are" fuzzy.  So you should really thank me
for showing them fuzzy.  If you begin to feel fuzzy lay down and take a nap.
I think I will.  Dig it.

 

.......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

 

 

 

The "Shnow Snovel"

.....my little snow shovel story.

Some garden tools are seasonal.  I use the hoe in summer, the rake in the fall, and the snow shovel in winter.  After the season ends, each are hung in the shed to "hang out" and rest.

When the temperature outside is really cold and my teeth are chattering, I can't even say the words snow shovel correctly.  It comes out "shnow snovel" every time. When it is really cold outside, I keep the snovel in the house where the handle can stay warm.  I just do not like to grab a cold "snovel."  (or a cold man) I like a warm one.  I also like warm hugs and kisses but I can't talk about that right now.  I'm trying to write......
  
However, I have never gone to the extremes of wrapping a neck scarf around my snovel or put a hat on top to keep it warm.  Perhaps I should be more considerate of my "snovel" beginning today.

I prefer the metal scooped shovel over plastic any day.  I feel like I'm working harder if
I use a metal tool that makes scraping noises.  No need for ergonomic designs, or rubber grips, just give me the stick with a scoop at the bottom.

The art of snoveling is quite intricate.  Is it better to push long strips of snow or short ones?
Does one throw the snow over the shoulder for good luck?
 

                                         Do you count how many times you lift and throw?
                                         Are you a left handed shoveler or right?

                                                   Someone just took a break.........me!

                                Do you swear you are going to buy a snow blower next year?
                                Do you swear in other ways?  (I do)


            How many times do you fall down and break your crown?  What is a crown anyway?
            See what I mean?  There are so many unanswered questions in order to just move a few bazillion snowflakes.

And why are such tiny snowflakes so darn heavy?  I just do not know the answers.

Go ahead and rest, I'm sure you are exhausted now.  Enjoy this poem while you rest.  It explains a few things we just discussed (hint: crown).

Jack and Jill went up the hill

To fetch a pail of water. (Or snow.)

Jack fell down and broke his crown, ( A crown is your head!)

And Jill came tumbling after.  (Naughty Jill pushed Jack.)

Up Jack got, and home did trot,

As fast as he could caper;

To old Dame Dob, who patched his nob  (Who is this chick?)

With vinegar and brown paper.

When Jill came in how she did grin

To see Jack's paper plaster;

Mother vexed did whip her next

For causing Jack's disaster.

Let it snow!

Frozen Tundra

 

 

February 28, 2013

 

The midwest was blanketed with a beautiful snowfall this week.

I know  many people suffered worse than we did with power outages, etc. but we lucked out here at Rusty Nail Garden.

 

This old wicker chair is inviting to some staggered paw prints.

I think there was a cat walking through there previously, followed by a curious, sniffing, snorting, hunting dalmatian.

 

 

Ah, a dalmation that looks sorta like this one!  There she is hiding in the prairie grass ..........be very quiet.  She is ready to pounce!

The artistic creations of a few snow flakes on bushes is indescribable, delectable, goosebumpable, and shazamable.  Don't you agree?

Thanks for checking in today. 

UGLY MUDLY ......MUD

Illinois is well known for weather fluctuations.  Sunday we had a strong, cold wind but the ground was mushy, swampy, ishy, squishy, slippery.  I love adgetives.  Dennis and I were hauling a dog kennel and the trailer was sliding the 'wrong way' in the mud.  We had to wiggle it, scoot it, lift it and grunt to get it past the telephone pole.  He grunts much better than I do.

I got in the truck with mud up to my buttox and said,  "I'm calling tomorrow for a load of gravel."  It arrived at 8:00 a.m.  As you can see the telephone pole is still standing, the dog kennel is by the shed, the loyal truck waits on the sideline, and tonight I get to play with the tractor and spread gravel.  Life is good, great, fantastic and not muddy.

LOCAL FARMER'S MARKET

HERITAGE FARMER’S MARKET an old fashioned gathering place.

January 23, 2012

Our weekly treat is to have lunch down the road at the local Farmer’s Market.  Our friends, Doug and Donna run the farm to fork market and restaurant.  Doug raises the beef and pork.  Donna is a veterinarian skilled in monitoring the animal’s health (including Doug’s health).  Chef Wanda prepares the best au gratin potatoes this side of Heaven.

Cheryl raises hundreds of chickens and turkeys; the juiciest, most flavorful, this side of Mars.  (I couldn’t use Heaven twice.)  The grocery shelves are filled with local milk, honey, jams, homemade bread from The Abbey, all the best this side of Pluto.  (I couldn’t help it).

This is The Heritage Farmer's Market, Rt. 9, Pekin, Illinois.  Try shopping here for your fresh groceries.

Everyone is greeted with a “How you doin’ ” or “Hey, nice to see you.” Barn siding lines the walls, an antique ice box and round oak tables decorate the eating area. Pictures of Doug’s cattle are displayed on the walls. My favorite room is the bathroom! Its all countrified with toy tractors and a pair of red long johns hanging on a hook. Take your camera!

Doug visits with customers sharing stories about his week of feeding cattle, driving tractors, hauling hay, and of course the weather. Bankers, moms and kids enjoy his stories about a life I have missed for many years.

This week, Doug told about a momma cow that came charging toward him in the pasture. She stopped, looked back over her shoulder, and trotted back to where she came from. Doug and his dog, Breaker, followed her. She led them to a steep ditch and he saw a newborn calf at the bottom with its front leg stuck in the ice. Doug crawled down the bank, lifted the calf up, and carried it to its momma. Be aware this scenario was very dangerous. The cow could have charged him at any time. Doug called this his “Lassie moment.” The cow was grateful for his help and since then she has been friendly in the pasture.

Living life at “ground zero” so to speak, one on one with the elements of nature, keeps a person real. Going to The Heritage Farmer’s Market is my church of choice. People share a respect for each other and help one another. This is how I was raised. I feel nourished physically and spiritually at Doug and Donna’s Heritage Farmer’s Market, Pekin, Illinois.

                           http://www.heritagefarmersmarket.com

Below is a photo of the Kilgus Farmstead milkcows eating lush green grass.  Love the chocolate cows...........and their chocolate milk!




Mooooooo!