Category: The Seasons

Thursday found us having an incredible storm move through our area. We had 48 mile an hour winds, and when Hubby and I looked out our front window we saw the the biggest down draft I have ever witnessed push down on our lake. The sky was black and the trees were blowing so much that I feared that they would be pulled out of the ground and thrown up in the air!

Our power flickered off and on, and so we decided to unplug the TV and the laptops , although we left the router on so we could stay on top of the weather reports and radar.

It felt like the storm lasted a long, long, time, but it actually was only about half an hour. The rest of the evening, the lights flickered, but we never did lose power. Many of the surrounding towns were not so lucky.

Some towns had to close their schools due to the trees down and the lack of electricity. When I arrived at work, we had no Internet, as the router had been fried. At least the computer there was fine.

As customers came in, they told their tales of the storm. One man had his roof shingles ripped right off his house and several large trees snapped in half.

Even my sister, down in Connecticut had damage at her house. Here is a tree that came down in her yard.

Friday was sunny, bright and cooler. Interestingly, during the storm yesterday our temperatures went from 92 degrees (f) to 68 (f) in half an hour! Yes, it was a rather crazy, wild ride.

This week I have been busy planting my summer vegetable garden. Here are thirteen things you might like to know about my garden.

1. Hubby fertilized the soil in the garden and turned it a few weeks ago to prepare it for my seedlings.
2. I started those seedlings at the very end of April and it is amazing how fast they grew!
3. We’ve been waiting until we had a day that was both dry, and past the chance of us having another frost.
4. Hopefully that is today.
5. I asked Hubby to rake the hills for me in the garden to help set out the plants. Happy Greta, also helped!



6. Although I love to garden, my vision is such that I need his help setting up the lines.
7. I got to “play” in the dirt, planting my garden for three hours.
8. Hubby helped me to put the tomato cages out.
9. We also put up tin pie plates to make noise and scare off the critters.
10. I planted, Japanese eggplants, zucchini, yellow squash (summer squash), butternut squash (winter squash), pickling cucumbers, slicing cucumbers, seedless cucumbers, green peppers and 7 more tomato plants.
11. Hubby then set about watering each of the plants. He is so helpful!
12. I came in and drank three glasses of water!
13. Thank goodness I made a cabbage casserole. I don’t have to make any dinner. It’s cooking in the oven all by itself!

Friday was such a lovely spring day. We got the garden fenced, and watched as the fruit trees began to come alive!

The dogs ran and the black flies burst forth, driving me crazy. Hubby claims that there are no bugs, but they just do not like him. Me, they love!

When we were putting the fence up for the garden, we had just Fritz and Greta outside. Greta has graduated to being a stay with you, kinda gal.

It was really hilarious to watch her, because we have this chipmunk that lives in our stone wall, and today he was really screeching at Greta as she sat there. She jumped up on the wall and tried to find the little rodent! Next time I simply must take my camera out, because she was truly acting like the Mighty Hunter!

She was very good and came to me when I called to her and at one point I asked Hubby, “Where is Greta”, and she came and lay down in front of me and rolled up on her back for a belly rub!

So the garden is fenced in (although nothing is planted yet due to the fact that we could still have a frost), and Hubby turned the soil and fertilized. I am so excited about this years garden. Just look at all of these wonderful plants!

The bees were working on the fruit trees. Here is a bumbler, working on our Mount Royal Plum tree. The thing about the Mount Royal Plums…they are the best eating plums I have ever had! Oh, total yumminess!!

The small blossoms do not show from a long way off. I’ve taken many macro shots so that you can enjoy the wonder of spring in my back yard!

I hope that you have a beautiful springtime, wherever you are. It’s my second favorite time of the year!

Wednesday the day started, gray, cold and damp. I was off to the local hospital for blood work, and I had an early morning appointment. I was to be there by 7 o’clock to have the blood drawn shortly after. My only problem was I slept in! I woke at 6:35 and like a person discovering a fire on their stove (thinking back to Easter!) I jumped up and raced to my bathroom. I was happy that I had laid out my clothes, my brush and tooth brush and toothpaste the night before, as I simply leapt into my clothes and brushed my teeth before grabbing my jacket and racing out the door.

I drove a normal speed to the hospital, all the while watching the clock, and managed to arrive right on time. I got out of the car and headed to the front door of the hospital, when I saw a man staring at me. His eyes were filled with laughter. I checked to see if my zipper was open or something, and saw that my jacket was inside out!

I stopped to correct my jacket and mumbled something about it being early, before I escaped into the hospital. I had my blood test and then headed over to my Weight Watchers class, but today there was no one there. I was quite surprised. Three other people arrived and we all asked each other the same question. “Is this Wednesday?” Of course it was, and after another half an hour, a substitute woman arrived. She had no keys, no idea what to do to set up and really was not reassuring at all.

We all did our Post-Easter weigh in (we will not ask!) and then about 45 minutes later the class began. I love our teacher, Pam. She is just marvelous! We had our class and then I said good-bye to my friends.

I called Hubby to ask about getting our mail or not, and he told me the doctor had already called with my blood test results. Now that was a surprise! Doctors never call with the results that quickly, but he did, and told me that I needed to adjust my medications.

You know it made me feel good that when I mentioned to my doctor that I wasn’t feeling well, that he’d actually listened to me.

Wednesday afternoon, SPRING arrived at my house with 75 degree (F) temperatures! My little flowers started to bloom

Even the Spygold Apple buds are pushing!

and I swear the grass started to green up! Hubby and I are in a beautiful bright spot on a hill and so when the temperatures outside go up, the air conditioners go into the windows! Wednesday we did our bedroom and the family room.

Viva Spring! I’m ready for you now!!!

Monday morning found us waking to gray, foggy skies, and rain. The morning slowly went by and we could hear rumbles of thunder in the distance.  For us, this is the first thunder storm of the season.

The skies darkened even more, there was an actual flash of lightning, and then the tell tale sound of hail hitting the roof and patio outside!

We actually got up to look at the dime size hail on the ground! Amazing!

After the rain stopped Hubby went out for a walk with Fritz and Greta. Fritz does fine. He just gets his feet a little muddy, but Greta, well, the girl has like two inch legs, so she is that low to the ground, and by the time she came back home, she was covered with dirt!

I bathed her in a bucket of warm water, all the while she growled her displeasure! Then I toweled her off and allowed her into the house.

As Hubby came in I grimaced and told him how unhappy I was. While he’d been out with the dogs, I’d actually washed the floor! Oh well, that is just the way it goes!

So much for clean floors!