The Yard Looks Bad...

Even tho' I'm in the midst of writing other stuffsus, Cappy wanted me to interject a small post about how our Spring garden is growing. To tell you the truth, I'm embarrassed to point out how nice the gardens look when the yard is a total mess. While we did want to let the clovers grow to see if we couldn't encourage a few honey bees to come by, in doing so we also encouraged a ton of weeds to join the clover in their frolic in the yard. Our regular lawn maintenance kiddo is hard at work in school and sports...and as good-looking as he is, probably busy fending off the girls, as well. So we think we'll give him a break, since this is his senior year, after all, and try to find somebody else, who is willing to put up with us and our crazy planting patterns. It's hard work in 90 - 100 degree heat of Summer to weed-wack all around the little fruit trees, and raised beds, then try to ride a lawn mower in and out between them. To make it fair, we'd probably have to pay anybody twice what he was getting for that rough job.

Presently, I've got our lawn mower trying to take a charge, but after such a long time between uses, the darned thing is most likely just plain, out-and-out dead. It's still got gas in the tank, but boy, it looks strange. After I give up on messing with the battery, I might try weed wacking a few of the most outlandish, prickery-looking lawn invaders. It's only 71 degrees out right now, but I'm telling you, this danged Yankee does NOT like going outside in the summer for any reason, except to get into the air-conditioned SUV and go shopping. Soooo, that being said, I'm going to have to find some poor sap to do what I don'twannado this Summer.

Oh wait. Now, wasn't this supposed to be a small post about the herb garden, etc.? YeahYeahYeah, they are doin' just great. The oregano survived the winter and finds it's way into my salads and sauces often. Looks like the dill is going to beat the cucumbers again, then go to seed before we get to pickle 'em together. The parsley is also going great guns, but the best part of this herb garden is our friend Sam's onions. I don't know how many times we've planted and planted and planted green onions and winded up with a hatful of dreams for our thanks. Sam came over, bringing a dozen or so of his, cut off the tops, which are now in our kitchen freezer ending up in and making for some of the most scrumptious dishes....but he replanted these bottoms and they are reachin' for the sky!!! Finally...BAW! We gonna have onions and onion greens...sob, sniffle. I don't know what we did to have such a great friend and his wife, but we thank God constantly for both of them. The next picture is of the asparagus! I ate three of them for lunch. Oh My goodness! I've never had fresh out of the ground asparagus.

They were so tender and crunchy and almost have a peanutbutter off-to-the-side taste to them. (?) They were WONDERFUL. Now I'm not sure if any of them will ever see the inside of our freezer, seeing as how only about three will appear each day...around lunch time.

The harsh frosts this winter took a lot of our strawberry plants, especially while I was up in western NY and couldn't be here to cover them. Still, we have a few plants left, sparse as they may be, but they have green strawberries on them. I wish I had a nickle for every time Cappy asks over the phone how the strawberries look today. I just know that since the lemon jelly was such a success, and that strawberry jam is his favorite, where his drooling thoughts lie.

Speaking of lemon jelly, the lemon tree is loaded with buds this year.

I see that the little "Yum Yum" nectarine tree has some flower buds and leaves on it already! Now all we need is bees!!! Please, Lord, bees.

There are a lot of birds around, which is wonderful for Spring. And SparkyBear found him a critter to try to intimidate, like he does every year. I dunno, I guess we'll call this one Lizzy, too, like we do all the lizards who set up shop by our back door scrounging around for mosquitoes.

Now, wait a minute...what is that, that I hear??? It's a lawn mower in our yard!!! I ran outside and what to my wondering eyes did appear??? It's our Matt...back to do the yard for the Spring, he said! Yow, I guess a young man's fancy doesn't always turn to thoughts of yardwork, but I'm glad they did today and that he hasn't forgotten about us. ( How could he really, LOL...we live kitty-corner across the street from him) And in the time I've taken to finish writing all this, he's about done with his job...so I now can say, "The yard looks great!"