It pays to go walking early before the yard waste guys come calling. I spied some spent Marigolds and Celosia at the top of the yard waste can and I grabbed them and carried them all the way home in my hand sans glove.
I didn't get frostbite, but it was sure cold with those wet flowers in my hand. They are dried out and I harvested the seed. Was that a find or what?
Peace & Plenty.
Yesterday was a relax and reflect day. I went for my walk early and guess who I happened upon. It was my friend and her big German Shepherd dog. "P" is the one who gave me the clumping bamboo and that was the first time I had seen them walking in that area. We had a nice chat and I invited her to come to our house and bring her dog again. I had invited her to come before Christmas, but she had previous plans and she is a very busy woman. Still working! Gosh, I wish I could work.
When I got home I went straight to the kitchen and made coleslaw to go with lunch and dinner. Then I went outside and trimmed and examined and preened and tidied up. Then I had a brainstorm. I cut some Asparagus Fern from my garden, some Azalea, Kalanchoe, and Red Tip Photinia from the neighbor's yard and made her a beautiful bouquet of them. The Azalea was blooming because of the very hot weather we've had and it's a gorgeous magenta color. They were gone walking their dog so I just put it on the front porch. When she got back she came down and asked if I had left it and she hugged me. Such a small token, but it meant so much to her. She came in and we talked for quite awhile. DH and I offered to help them move into their new home in March.
I also transplanted about 20 Vinca seedlings to my other neighbor's yard. I am keeping the strawberries and Pink Baby's Breath plot watered at her house. We did get a few minutes of rain last night and I'm thankful for that.
Have a wonderful Monday! Peace & Plenty.
OMG! I am so totally bored.
Winter is more like spring every day now. The temps have been hovering around 80 and I want to get out there, but there is not much to do except for picking up leaves. I want to plow some dirt and plant rows of something, anything. I want to see the green of willow trees along the creek bank. I want to hear the sound of frogs croaking in the pond. I want to see birds coming to the birdbath and fighting for their turn to delight in a bath or keeping watch while their mate takes a much needed respite. I would love to see crocus, daffs, grape hyacinths, and tulips by the hundreds and catch that heady scent on the breeze. I want to smell the smoke of people burning off their gardens and getting ready to work the earth for another growing season. I am missing home.
We have new neighbors and the lady said she can't believe how quiet it is. I've heard others say the same thing.
My very sweet neighbor lady who bought us the Keurig told me she had something for me yesterday evening. It's the little pods and filters for the Keurig so you can use your own brand of coffee. She is a Saint. We are kind of addicted to Maxwell House or Folgers and DH bought up a bunch of the MH when Save A Lot closed in November. That was so precious of her. I'm going to organize and clean her garage for her kindness.
Well, it's like summer here almost. I'm still bored, but I'm going to have a new walking partner starting next week. Yep, the new neighbor is game. I look forward to having someone to chat with on my morning walks.
Peace & Plenty.
Well, the Farmer's Almanac did say we would have a mix of weather. Now it feels like spring. We are supposed to get rain tomorrow.
I went next door and trimmed the palm trees for my neighbor. We are going to a new trash and yard waste system in January and I want to have everything cleaned up before it starts. I need to vigorously trim our Live Oak as well. I compost our grass clippings and our leaves always so that won't be an issue. They tell us not to put loose leaves in the yard waste receptacle, but to buy biodegradable bags to put them in. Seriously? I would never buy those bags even if I did throw away leaves, but try telling these 70's, 80's, & 90's folks to start spending their hard-earned money on such things and you are going to get some negative feed-back.
I cannot believe how many plants reseeded in the garden. I counted 30 Four O' Clocks in one area. The Nigella Damascena is coming up all over too. Even the Sweet Alyssum! By far the Red Fountain Grass and the Kalanchoe has it beat.
I spied one little Morning Glory in bloom today. Precious!
Peace & Plenty.
The weather has been just gorgeous here and I am seeing signs of growth everywhere. My bougainvillea is still blooming and had dropped it's leaves, but now it has all new leaves. Huh! I have so many Red Fountain Grass coming up all over. I will def be giving away more plants this year.
I gave away the excess furniture on the Lanai and it's so much better. Less is more to me. We still have 2 Wicker chairs, a Wicker coffee table, 2 fold up chairs, and 2 plastic chairs that are lightweight and can be taken in and out easily. Sometimes I just like to sit out back and get the breeze. I even gave away the big workbench with all the cubbies, but he hasn't gotten it yet. He is busy remodeling their home and will turn it into a computer desk. I'm so glad to give all that stuff away. It was getting really crowded out there. I gave them 2 tables, 4 chairs, a lamp, and a Christmas tree besides the workbench.
It's dry and I've had to turn the irrigation back on. Our last water bill was only $43. Phenomenal!
I took all of my seeds, gloves, tools, cannisters of garden related things and all the stuff that was in the cubbies to our garage and organized it. My plan is to get some kind of bureau to put on the Lanai to hold it all, but it's not prime that I get it immediately. I want to scrub the floor and restain the concrete.
My neighbor called me in a panic this morning for help. A rabbit had gotten into her dog lot and she needed me to get it out so she could let her dogs out. That bunny must have been pregnant because I had a difficult time shooing her away and she was carrying straw in her mouth. She was getting through the gate because there was a big gap where it closes. I put some pvc pipe in the ground and made it so she couldn't get in again.
Peace & Plenty.
