I forgot! I missed 'talking' to you guys too, but we had a great time at the beach. We have a timeshare (yeah, I know) and some points had to be used before they expired.
The weather was excellent and since kids are still in school, it was not crowded.

Glad you had a good holiday, Loretta. :o)
Jay and Loretta - will you share your heat with us? It's still much too cold up here!

We have been having terrible wind. I was going to go out for a walk after dinner and noticed there was NO WIND!! Woo Hoo I jumped on the four wheeler and started spraying the place. We have a pump sprayer on the back. I used up 20 gallons of mixed spray. Should have a good start on knocking down the weeds around here. This place was big time nasty weeds when we bought it and some of the good?? dirt we brought in was full of noxious weeds. Thistles white top morning glory the wild version. Tomorrow through Wednesday is supposed to be more wind so I totally lucked out.

I really hate to have to spray but my hands are too bad off to pull weeds now. Hopefully after this year we will not have to spray nearly as much.

Happy Spring. I am starting to get some flowers. Will try for pictures soon.

Chris

Chris, Love the curtains--what a lot of work! I'd like to see a pick from the outside of the porch.

idie, Welcome back!

It's been interesting to read about the variety of weather conditions everyone has been experiencing. In the last week we've had near 80's, hard frosts, thunderstorms, and last night, a flash-flood. Woke up this morning to a shining clean world and a new leak in the laundry room. :(

Oh, geez--I meant pic, picture, photograph!!

*sigh - snowing here again this evening. *grumble grumble*

"I'll bet Trance is having great Fall weather!"

you got that right Loretta, the A/C is *OFF* woohoo and we can finally open up the doors and windows and let some fresh air into the house. we have low 80s forecast all week :)

We have had so much wind the last few days I have not been able to get a picture. 50 MPH yesterday/ EEEKKKKK If it slows down this evening. I will give it a try. WE had company again last night. I have 5 panels done so far. 7 more to go. With work not sure when I will get to it.

Spring is finally happening here and all the perennials are up and filling out :-) Several open houses/showings later, STILL HAVEN'T sold the house, tho a couple of buyers are interested but have to sell first, waiting for another price drop, etc., pick your option!! We are going to make some minor repairs and improvements which probably should have been done long ago, but with DH health and surgical saga, it just wasn't an option.

Chris - did you ever get the last of the kitchen drawers back???

The bullfrogs are singing (bellowing?)! Our hummingbird is back, and I saw barn swallows today. They follow me when I mow, and swoop after bugs that I disturb with the mower.

And I found this fellow:

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:2069230}}

im really enjoying seeing everyone's spring pics.

It's been over 6 weeks since we had that hail storm and finally the insurance assessor came out to look at the damage. I wonder how long it will take for them to get a builder out to repair everything? :^/

The rangehood we installed 6 months ago has also broken down and the repairer is waiting on a new motor to "come from the east" *sigh*

I feel like it's one step forward, three steps back at them moment with this house. Maybe the house is trying to tell me it doesn't want to be fixed up and it likes being old and decrepid....

Gads Mama_goose sorry about your leak. Bummer especially at this time of year with spring rains.

Missy we had snow hail and rain here yesterday and even a tiny bit of sun in the morning. No clue what will happen today. No matter I will be in the office most of the day.

Trance so glad the insurance company finally showed up. Hope they will take care of the damage properly with out harassing you too much.

Wanttoretire. NO drawer yet. He did not show up and this week I have been too busy to even try to deal with calling him. I am in and out of here like a fly. Next week I will try again. This is not really fair we held up our end of the deal. Sigh

Cute bee Mama_goose.

Added two more progress pictures. Glass on the window and the porch curtains from the outside. Excuse the ladder laying down. Was the morning after the winds.

OK I am gone.

Chris

Here is a link that might be useful: Glass on window progress

shades, I sent you an email...
The window is looking great--and I noticed your unique satellite dish--perfect!

trancegemini, Take heart, maybe your house is like some crotchety old people, it wants the attention but wants to be talked into it. I'll probably be like that myself some day. :o

Hiya,

Trance - here we often have to wait for things to be shipped 'from the east' too! It doesn't usually take that long though.

wantoretire, so sorry you are having trouble selling your house. It seems to be an epidemic right now.

Chris, we've had record-breaking winds here the last few days, too. It's been quite incredible. We've had SNOW too!! I am sooooooo ready for spring!!! Your window is coming along very nicely, and your curtains are so 'breezy' looking! Good job. :o)

Here are a couple of pics I took this morning. My poor flowers!!

Sorry, I missed you mama_goose - your bee picture is great. :o) Your flowers look much happier than mine! lol

Oh, prairie, those poor little poppies! I want to give them (((hugs)))! With the recent warm temps and torrential rains everything is going crazy around here. I've been pulling poison ivy seedlings from my mulch, courtesy of the birds. I'll send 'warm' thoughts your way.

Yikes! Poison ivy seedlings? I am breaking out just reading about them growing anywhere.

DH asked if I've seen any poison ivy in our "back 40", the 25x100' strip of land we purchased from our back yard neighbor on next street over. So far, nothing. We really have no time to clear it of brush now, with all the house projects going on. It is already too hot to cover up totally as I would need to do for such a job. And I cannot find my friend who does the heavier yard jobs for us. Maybe he decided to go back to a real job after a year off?

I did some planting of roses last week, and did about half the weeding and mulching for the front yard. It is looking much better, with plants going crazy to catch up after a really hard winter.

{{gwi:358903}}

Star jasmine (called Confederate jasmine here) planted here 2 years ago on this fence, after we saw it used as a hedge to cover chainlink fences in Italy. It blooms in late April/May/June, stays green all year, solid plant from base to top, unlike the Carolina Jessamine, which creates a leafless bottom and a heavy high canopy.

this plant is about 4 years old, see what I mean about staying solid?
{{gwi:39159}}

And here is DH with his Silver Queen corn taken last weekend. So much for the saying "knee high by 4th July."
He won't let me put flowers in his veggie patch. But he is becoming fond of herbs of late.

wow shades, that window looks amazing! I love your shadecloth curtains too, they look great. you've been busy!

"maybe your house is like some crotchety old people, it wants the attention but wants to be talked into it."

that made me laugh mamagoose :) yes I think I have a crotchety old house! lol

"Trance - here we often have to wait for things to be shipped 'from the east' too! It doesn't usually take that long though. "

so far it's 3 weeks and counting, I want to use my rangehood dagnammit lol. your poor little flowers missy, do you usually get snow this time of year?

ML your garden is looking great. my star jasmine is a pathetic looking little thing that I imagined would look like yours when I planted it :) I need to water mine more I think and get it going. Love the pic of DH with his vegie patch. that's something I'd like to focus on when I have more time. I got as far as building the beds but there's not much growing going on lol

'Yikes! Poison ivy seedlings? I am breaking out just reading about them growing anywhere.'

We live in an area where poison ivy will cover every fence-post and tree. Fortunately, I'm not too allergic. *Knocking wood*

ML, your roses are gorgeous, and even the word 'jasmine' evokes a sweet scent on a hot summer night...

Mama-Googse got it and back at you.Thank you!!

OH Burrr Missy. We did have hail and some snow but it did not build up at all. Flowers look pretty in the snow.

ML you really have a nice yard too. I keep plugging away at this yard. Sigh Hope to get some pictures soon. The tulips are just about ready to open.

ML I am going to buy a package of corn seed and plant a few corn clumps in front of the porch just for fun.The soil is good there in that little flower bed. Going to move the old sinks somewhere else. I want to make a change. Need help to move them. Soon.

Chris

OK I finally took some spring pictures. The flowers are just starting to come on. I need to get out and clean up the flower beds. Soon I keep telling myself. So here are pictures and I am off to sew.

Chris

Here is a link that might be useful: Spring Flowers

After having the yard dug up when I had the driveway widened, it is still not where I want it to be. It is amazing how much effort it was to remove the dirt, roots and debris!
My dogs used to have the run of the side yard, so needless to say there is no grass in there. But I planted some grass a month ago. Hopefully it will fill in soon. I just lay down some topsoil and grass seed in the front, but I don't have high hopes for it. The Crepe Myrtle shades the front and the grass has gotten thinner and thinner each year.
I also had my son remove some shrubs so that I could plant an Alberta Spruce (yes, Chris, I decided to take a chance with it). I decided not to plant anything around it this year to give it the best chance of living. I'll lay down some straw later.

Here is my new "Christmas Tree".

{{gwi:2069254}}

Chris, your spring flowers are beautiful, especially the daffs. We have such soggy clay soil that my tulips have all disappeared. I love the color of the Johnny-jump-ups.

idie, the dwarf Alberta spruce is my favorite shrub. Unless my computer is distorting the depth, you might want to consider moving it out a little. Since it's newly planted I'm sure it wouldn't cause damage.

I'm linking a pic of one in our yard--the maroon sphere is a bowling ball, for perspective on size. ML, you asked about the size at maturity, so this is for you, too.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:2069233}}

oh wow idie, the front of your house has changed so much, I love what you've done with the new garden space. The new porch and steps has really made such a big change to the front of your house. I just love little corners like that because they create such interesting little garden spots. your xmas tree looks great in that area (I love it against the colour of the bricks)

Mama, it is 3 feet from each side of the walls. Do you think I need to move it farther out? Your tree is a perfect picture of how I want mine to look.

Trance, when I look at the pics of these garden divas, it makes me wish I still had the desire to work the yard. They are beautiful to look at though!

Oh, idie, it must have been just the picture that makes it look as if your shrub is about 18" from the wall. My largest and oldest is over 5' in diameter at the base, so three feet should be fine. The one in the link that I posted has had some die-back from thrips in the very top, but the shrubs usually recover quickly, and keep the cone shape.

LOL, did you mean the pics or the garden divas are beautiful to look at? :0)

Oh Loretta your new porch and planting looks so nice. Do you find yourself leaving the door open to the living room now? I do not think I would ever shut . Love the little Alberta Spruce.

Mama, I haven't seen all of the divas, but I'm sure you all are just as lovely as your gardens!

Thank you, but right now my garden is rather care-worn and weedy, so in my case, you are absolutely correct! (That's why most of my spring flower pics are close-ups, BTW.) ;^)

Finally getting to the close up hanger pictures for the porch shades. Hubby dreamed up this idea and they really work and dirt cheep.

Here is a link that might be useful: This picture and previous one.

Well I finally finished sewing and hanging the porch curtains.

I tidied up the porch some. Now I need to sew cushions for the glider and the little bench that does not show and the chairs for the table. I priced them to buy and they were too expensive. I will buy cheep bed pillows for the stuffing and make my own cushions. In my sewing room. Hehehehe This is going to be fun as I have lots of fabric and can make a couple of sets.

I moved the stove to the other side of the porch and like it better. Maybe changing my mind on moving the large table out to the porch. There is no hurry to do this so will see how the porch works as it is.

Here is a link that might be useful: Porch Curtains

Chris it's looking fantastic! A front porch is something that I've always thought looked so welcoming and 'homey'. They aren't very common up here. I guess our long winters don't encourage sitting on the porch visiting with the neighbors much.

Loretta, your place looks sooooo cute! When you see your tree, think of me. :o) It's kinda funny - I never knew there was a special spruce from the same place as me.

Trance, do you have trees there that change colour in the fall, or maybe you don't get frosts that cause that to happen?

So nice to see everyone's flowers etc. :o) Mine are much happier than the last time I posted. The beds are still in terrible shape as I've been so busy with the house. I love hardy flowers that thrive in spite of me!

shades, Your porch looks amazing!!! Seeing it from the inside, with the curtains drawn, it looks so cool and inviting. Your hubby had a great idea for the brackets for the curtain rods.

And your picture is lovely. :oP

Oh Missy they are so pretty. Loving the Johnny Jump Ups/ Violas. I hope to have them spread all over this place. Some think they are so invasive. Well they can invade me any time. Blooming from first spring until snow.

Still sitting out on the porch enjoying. IN THE DARK!!! I need to make a small lamp out here for the table. Too bright for the porch light. Do not want to deal with a candle but maybe I will.

Chris

Thank you mama_goose. I need to get new picture with my hair cut off. Will do that soon.

your flowers are looking so happy in the sunshine prairie, is all your snow gone? we dont get a fall where the leaves drop and it's not cold enough for the trees to change colour. There are a few places in oz that can grow them but they don't work here it's just too warm but I adore seeing trees like that in movies etc, what a gorgeous sight. Our autumn is just part summer and part spring in reverse

Oops, prairie, I didn't refresh before posting that last comment. Your poppies sure look happier than in the first pic you posted. I love the combination of vibrant oranges and blues.

Thanks mama_goose. :o) The poppies and violas just grow where they will. I regularly pull out poppies as I have another area just for them, but I can't bear to 'weed' out the violas.
Trance, our snow is long gone - we've had temps up to 28 C the last little while. We're on a down turn again though and they're saying it may snow this weekend. Snow this time of year is quite unusual for here, but not surprising. We're pretty close to the mtns and I've seen snow in every month. During the months of may - sept it doesn't usually stick to the ground and it certainly doesn't last long.
Chris, you might want to think about a kerosene lantern for outside. I always think it adds to the ambiance to have the kerosene smell and flicker of the flame. :)

Hi, I haven't posted in a long time, but have been enjoying the photos and newsy updates. glad you all are doing so well. We have had a super hot spring here in Michigan, 80's and 90's off and on since March, so we have our gardens in early and a lot of trees and shrubs planted.

Chris, glad that your leg is finally doing better.

ronbre, we've had lots of rain in So.OH, and our garden is has water standing in it. :( Oh, well, I usually plant pumpkins there, so I have a few weeks for it to dry out.

shades, I wish I could find a way for everyone to get a whiff of my 'sign of spring'. The Japanese honeysuckle is blooming and the air is SATURATED with the scent. Every time I step out the door I'm enveloped in that wonderful smell. Wasn't I recently whining that honeysuckle vines are invasive, and cover every fencepost? LOL, I take it back.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:2069235}}

Ahh, there you are Trance! Missed you.
You say, "your flowers are looking so happy in the sunshine prairie, is all your snow gone? we dont get a fall where the leaves drop and it's not cold enough for the trees to change colour. There are a few places in oz that can grow them but they don't work here it's just too warm but I adore seeing trees like that in movies etc, what a gorgeous sight. Our autumn is just part summer and part spring in reverse"

The way they describe our seasons in south Alabama is almost summer, summer, fall, then almost summer again.
Our leaves turn brown and drop, or else when it begins warming up, the big oaks put out catkins and the new leaves push the old ones off the trees. So we have lots of brown leaves and brown catkins to sweep up at the same time.
We do have some early blooming flowers, such as the azaleas, spirea/bridal wreath, dogwood, but tulips and daffodils require a cold spell and do not show like they do with a colder winter.

This year, it is sort of upside down weather when it is hotter in Massachusetts than it is in south Alabama. Our climate is similar to that of Orvieto, Italy, except we are not mountainous, and we are very high humidity. Only a few hostas can stand it here. That's why I enjoyed gardening up in Massachusetts.

Mama, soon I'll be driving up to Muscatine Iowa to deliver a parrot. That should not be too awfully far from where you live, but I won't at that time be going east to MA. Instead I'll just turn around and return to Alabama. It is only 900 something miles one way there. I enjoy driving long distances

LOL, ML, according to google-maps it's 574 miles from my house to Muscatine, IA, only 9 hours and 44 minutes. But if you ever get closer to my neighborhood, come on over!

trancegemini, when we lived in Colorado, I really missed the wonderful fall displays we have in So.OH--sugar maples, sweet gums, sourwood, etc., in every shade of red, yellow, and orange. The aspen and cottonwoods out west just turned yellow.

OH Mama_goose. I just bought a really nice honeysuckle to plant where I lost one in front of the porch. Did not want to loose the pattern of three so had to buy one. I have not put it in the ground yet. So much to do all at once. Yard house and work. I love the sweet smell of them. The other two are doing well.

LOL Just for fun I also planted corn and sun flowers across the front of the porch. Working on planting the garden but the tomatoes got frosted. Sigh.Glad I was slow to plant the squash and cukes. It is supposed to pour down rain tomorrow so I will work and hope Fri or Sat to plant the rest of the garden.

Making progress on this yard finally.We really are having odd weather. With cold and wet and wind. I really hope it does not suddenly turn scorching hot.

Chris

this spring I dug quackgrass out of an old abandoned garden area that was 40 x 60 feet..I had started last year on reclaiming it for a food forest garden and got going gung ho on it with our hot early spring (until I hurt my back from too much throwing quackgrass sod with a pitchfork for 9 hours at a time for 4 weeks).

anyway, i had already had a start of 3 walnut, 4 wild plum, 6 hazelnut, 2 chestnut, one ornamental cherry, some asparagus, herbs,horseradish, rhubarb and other herbs, and a hedge of blueberry, raspberry and blackberry bushes..but the quackgrass was everywhere and had to be removed.

well now i have a lot of the quackgrass weeded out..have planted out about 60 seed packets of vegetables and herbs and a few flowers (i'll have morning glories this year shades of idaho, they are already up).

I also have put in this spring already 3 pears, 3 apples, 3 sour cherries, 5 grapes and 4 climbing roses (there are also 2 lilacs and some flowers from last year).

I have on order 3 mulberries that should arrive today, and 4 goumi, 2 service berry, 2 elderberry, a hawthorne, buffalo berry, and a few other shrubs, that will go in this food forest garden as well. Hopefully they'll come this week. In Michigan we have been in the 90's with very little rain, but we did get a light rain last night that helped some.

Hi, shades, we've missed you, but I assumed it was business keeping you busy. We planted tomatoes last evening, and have a few peppers and marigolds to put out tomorrow--I forgot about them today.

ronbre, you are so much more ambitious than I. And, if your quackgrass is the same thing that we call quackgrass, good luck! Ours has knotty roots that can grow through other plants root systems, even piercing and growing right through daffodil bulbs. It's almost impossible to eradicate--every small piece of root can sprout again. Hate that stuff.

Hi back again. We had to go to town today. Friendly neighbor suggested junipers for the back bank. She liked the Blue Rug Juniper and I do too but also found a Buffalo juniper and I ended up buying a dozen of them to plant. They get a little taller which will make it so I do not have to perfectly smooth out that bank that is 64 foot long and about 8 foot high and steep. I think I need to measure to be sure. For now the placement will be in triangles and lots of mulch between them. I can get all the free mulch I can haul from across the street.

So they are bought. My back got worked on this morning and it was strongly suggested, who listens, I even put the trip to town off and just lay a bed today. But tomorrow would be a worse day to travel . Joe drove and I did not do any lifting and sat squarely in my seat. Will go down to bed shortly. Just had to catch up on you all. I can get them planted in a few days and then start in on hauling the mulch.

Chris

"The way they describe our seasons in south Alabama is almost summer, summer, fall, then almost summer again."

LOL ML, yep, the classic four seasons just dont fit in climates like ours do they. Here in the more tropical areas of oz they often just call it the dry season or the wet season since there arent really any seasons apart from being dry or rainy.

"trancegemini, when we lived in Colorado, I really missed the wonderful fall displays we have in So.OH--sugar maples, sweet gums, sourwood, etc., in every shade of red, yellow, and orange. The aspen and cottonwoods out west just turned yellow."

oh those are the sort of trees I would love to grow mamagoose with those amazing colour changes like fiery reds and yellows, so interesting to look at! and who would need autumn flowers? :)

shades I forgot to say how great your shadecloth curtains look! it looks more like an outdoor room than a porch now

We usually have the four seasons here. This year we are having a VERY LONG spring. Gads. Tomatoes froze the other morning so will have to start over. The rest is still ok because it is safe up on the porch.

Thanks on the compliment Trance. We are enjoying the curtains. Kitties are too. They feel safe but still can see out. Still a bit cold to be out there but I am sure it will warm up soon.

Chris

Well today was many different forms of spring. I would go out and plant between rain showers so that is a good thing. Easier on the little plants.

I planted the raspberries and forsythia and honeysuckle and rhubarb. The other day I planted a dozen Buffalo Junipers on the back bank.

I also hauled a couple loads of mulch. I am supposed to be careful of my back right now. Ya think three days was careful enough??

As I finished planting the berries it was just turning dark and starting to rain. All is good. Supposed to rain for the next three days. Hoping I can get out and get the last of the veggies planted some time between showers.

Sure is some strange weather this year.

Watching hoarders too. Makes me want to tear this house apart and toss everything. EEEEKKKKK SCREAM

Chris

Hi, Chris, we had a mega-thunderstorm in the middle of the night (Monday 2:30AM). Luckily, I had just staked the hollyhocks, which are now blooming. The rain was so heavy it flattened a moonflower that was almost ready to bloom. I had cleaned and hosed down the porch on Sunday, but didn't get to the curtains. I'm glad now, since the rain was so heavy, they would have been drenched.

You've been busy--enjoy your rest while it rains.