REDNECK CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

 

I might be a Redneck....my Christmas lights were still up until this week.

I'm not really sure if winter has ended.  Until a few weeks ago it was still cold here.

I just could not force myself to go out in the cold.

 

I nicked a few strands when I was weed wacking so I forced myself to take the lights down.

I'm not sure if I would have taken them down if not for cutting a few wires

 

 

 

Here are my neat little piles. 

Here is Jessie wondering why I am playing with Christmas lights on a 90 degree day.
She is in the air conditioning.

 

 

For some reason I am not even ashamed. 

 

 

 

 

ROBBIN'S NEST WITH A SURPRISE INSIDE

 

 

I was planting tomato plants in front of this row of trees last night.

I looked up at our dog, Jessie, who was standing on her tip toes trying to see inside this evergreen.

 

 

 

I did not see anything.

 

 

 

But Jessie smelled something deep inside the tree.

 

 

 

Take a deep sniff............can you smell it?

 

 

Look closer, can you see it?

 

 

 

Do you see two blue eggs and two bald birdies?

 

 

 I doubt if they are 24 hours old, maybe 23 hours.

 

 

 

 

I bumped the tree and now they think I am going to feed them!

 

Their mother was in the tree above me, watching.

I quietly planted the last tomato and left.

 

 

Tonight, 24 hours later, there was one egg that had not hatched.  Three baby birds are huddled together.  Maybe tomorrow it will hatch.

 

 

Isn't Mother Nature miraculous! 

 

This is Momma Robin high up in the tree.  She is scolding me with every four letter chirp she knows.

 

 

I better go now.

 

REJUVENATION AT RUSTY NAIL GARDEN

Our spring ritual is to visit Hornbaker Gardens in Princeton.

As you can see this tree has a sold sign on it.  I phoned ahead and reserved a Tri Colored Beach.  It is now outside my back door.

In spring, the pond needs to be refilled with clean water.  We run the hose an hour at a time so we do not drain the well.

 

 

 The pond grasses are coming to life now that the days are warmer.

Baby Hyacinth.

New growth on the Norway Spruce.

 

 Tulips hugging.

 

Many of our flowering trees had difficulty blooming this year.

This Oak is doing just fine.  It is 3 years old now.

 A one year old Crabapple.

 

Dennis decided to get come cobble stones when they were on sale at Menards.

Here we picked them up and hauled them home.

 Display sample.

Luckily they had more than just this pallet.

 

Fill her up!

 97, 98, 99 or was that 95, 96, 97?

 
I also had a little rejuvenation.  This is low lights in the back of my hair. 

 

I hope you are experiencing spring in your heart and garden, and hair!

WINDOWS THAT REALLY OPEN AND CLOSE

This Rustynail House was a fixer upper when I bought it.

The windows were very loose, but I had to make other improvements first.

Replacing them has been on my to do list for 8 years.

Now they are on my "done" list.

 

This glass was missing in the living room.

                                             This screen had been soaped one Halloween.

This is the spirit of Kitty Cat.  During a full moon she would appear in the window and yowl.

 

 

Anyone could break into this house with their fingernails.  Wiggle, shake, pop, open!

My kitty pushed the screen out several times and went for a stroll.

There she is again.  Yee-owl owl growl.

Then one day, as I wandered the aisle at Menards, I found them.
An end of the season close out sale plus an 11% rebate.  I decided to buy two trying to be frugal.
Then I figured I'll never see them this price again so I got one more.  Then my honey said you might as well get one more and the house will be done in front.  I love that guy.  He brought home #4.

                                        They sat in the living room a month, while it snowed.

                                                           I had to dust around them. 
                           Sometimes I set them in front of the window to see how they would look.

 

One night I ran into my neighbor at the mail box.  This is a great place to catch up on news.

I asked if he had time to put in the windows.  He agreed. 

I took down the pictures and the curtains.  Then covered the furniture.

Off came the shutters. 

Pulling out the bedroom window.  Ouch, those are rose bushes!

Half way there.

 

The new living room windows.  Happy Happy Me.

 

 

The view from inside.  They are clean!  No Halloween soap!

 

Popping in the bedroom window.  Ron had to frame the window smaller and he made a nice sill inside for the cats to perch.

(looks like this one I found on Google)

 

Tacking the siding on.

 

Next he put on the shutters.  They hid the darker siding.

Ron, can we replace the siding next year?

The tools and garbage.

 

I have not shut the windows since I got them.

What kind of shades or curtains will be best?

For now, I hung the sheers up again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ORDERING TREES

I want to start gardening so badly that I have to do something to kick start the season.  I want to feel like I'm getting back into the gardening groove. 

 

Dennis is starting some seeds indoors, under the grow lights, and planning his raised bed garden.  My thing is trees.  I put together an order of a few seedling trees from the Peoria County Soil & Water Conservation.  I have been buying from them for years.  Our beautiful Norway Spruce are 6 ft. tall now.  The Red Twig Dogwood really took off the first year.  I am very happy with everything I have purchased from them. 

 

I want some Red Bud trees to stick along the edge of the timber for color.  They sell 10 inch trees for $2.00 each. I can always find room for a couple more, and I need something red.  I picked out a 12" Red Maple for $2.00. 

 

 

The form is complete, the check is made out and ready to mail.  On April 11th I can pick up my trees at Exposition Gardens in Peoria. 

 

I feel much better. 

MISSING BIRD FEEDER

The snow is melting, and the past few nights have been rather pleasant.  People are not held hostage in their homes any longer because of wicked weather.  The car windows are not as frosty as they were.  The grass and is visible in some areas of the yard where the wind has blown the snow away.

One more thing.  The raccoons are very active at night.  About ten o'clock at night I can hear them ravaging the bird feeders outside my window. They squeak and chatter and try to climb the Shepard hooks.  Seeds fall to the ground.  The dogs bark and we all run to the window and tap the glass to shoo the racoons away.  They look at me through the glass, annoyed.  Then turn and follow their worn path back to the timber.

Every morning I refill the feeders.  Today one was missing.  It was not on the hook, or on the ground, or over there, or under that.  It was gone.  Those blasted raccoons ran off with the entire bird feeder.

If you see a raccoon dragging a wooden box, it could be my bird feeder.