Garden – Page 2 – This Old House 2

Seaside Gardening

Last year was *renovation year *for Stella – we had a lot of work to do, the smaller details had to wait. Because the entire 300 acre parcel of land that these cottages sit on used to be home to many cows, still is on a portion inland, the soil is rich. Many of the cottages on island have little gardens, right now the daffodils planted along the little roads and in cottage gardens are in full bloom, some tulips too.

Stella’s street side…

This year I want to concentrate a little more on the garden spots around our cottage. The past few days have been in the 80’s – wow! .. and that allowed me to get some serious gardening done. I went to a nearby garden center and picked up a flat of hot pink geraniums for the pots around the place.

Those two chubby toads came with the place..

I didn’t have it in me to kick them out.

On the street side, I planted a few varieties of Iris and purple balloon flower to blend with the Astilbe, hosta, hydrangea and something with a name I can’t remember but given to me by our dear friend, BJ, just down the road. I also bought a bird bath which Momma Robin up in the porch has been using frequently. She’s not happy we’ve returned.

There’s a perfectly good and quite charming birdhouse installed just 15 feet away in the large oak tree. For whatever the reason, the birds ignore it completely, go figure.

Below is Stella’s waterfront, as seen from our neighbor’s yard.

We’ve got a grub situation, so the Type A husband who likes the perfect

lawn is a bit frustrated with the patchy look.

I say life’s too short to care about perfect lawn.

He’s having none of it and is down there

this morning tackling the grubs.
May the force be with him.

In the firepit garden I have planted some Speedwell and

Red Jewel to blend with the daisies I took from This Old House

and Alium and native cranberry bushes.

Within a few years this should all fill in nicely, with something

always in bloom throughout the summer.

Sage and Lavender grow in a little patch on the other side

of the patio.

I also spent the last few days washing down surfaces, mopping floors,

running throw rugs and towels etc. through the washer,

making beds and dusting furniture.

We’re still waiting for the new couch and recliner to be delivered –

And the refrigerator is stocked with water, gatorade, coke, dove ice cream bars, hotdogs, hamburgers, cheddar, condiments and beer, just the bare necessities to get the season started. We also have enough toilet paper and paper towels for the next generation of inhabitants. Notice a globe missing from the light in the ceiling. Yep, sometimes, you think you’re doing a good thing, and then you drop the globe in the sink just to add some excitement. Fingers crossed they still make replacement globes for what I call the spider light.

Sharing a few summer recipes I am going to serve

on Stella’s deck this summer

– found them on pinterest

(not my photos or recipes!)

We’re all trying to make healthier food choices –

these fit the bill and are refreshing on hot summer days.

Summer Corn Avocado Black Bean Dip

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Watermelon Spa Smoothie

Found on Pinterest

Ingredients

- 1 cup chopped watermelon
- ½ cup chopped peeled cucumber
- 6 ice cubes
- Squeeze of lime juice
- 2 teaspoons agave nectar (optional)
- 1 tablespoon mint leaves for garnish

Directions

1Combine watermelon, cucumber, ice cubes, lime juice and agave (if using) in a blender. Puree until smooth. Garnish with mint, if desired.

Cottage Days

Yesterday was glorious – the sun shown bright and it’s warmth on our skin was a much needed reprieve from what has been a very long, cold winter into spring.

M and I went down to Stella and cleaned out the rest of the little perennial beds and raked the lawn yesterday. What’s truly awesome about a little place like this is, it takes very little time to winterize, and open her up for the season. Little accents like fresh annuals in the pots, now refurbished with new soil, and a few more perennials to fill out the beds will come around Mother’s Day – the usual ‘safe date’ for spring planting in New England. Come Mother’s Day, the garden centers around here are bustling with people itching to get out in the garden and add some color to the ‘scape.

The forsythia is finally blooming, daylilies making their way up….

And the hosta is returning, having multiplied some.

We have a Catbird nest and so far, one egg on Stella’s porch…

I am so happy to see how very clear the water has been this year in our cove, therefore the Sound and out to the Atlantic. The Save The Sound efforts of the last 20 or so years have been successful. Any improvements in our environment are something huge to celebrate.

After this winter’s ice storms, we need to repair our cement “deck” down at the waterfront. The ice broke it up pretty good – those repairs will happen soon and a hand rail will be installed so swimming and kayak launching will be a little easier. The water was so clean and the temps warm enough to tempt me to test the waters, so to speak.

These were Happy Feet –

for about 30 seconds.

We came home to find our son out in the garden, planting the artichokes he had begun from seed. Kale already growing in two rows. I joined him, soaked some Dragon tongue beans in water while I sowed two rows – and planted those seeds as well. Are we a bit hasty? I hope not. As you can see, the leaves aren’t even out on the trees yet – just the red haze of buds that are a promise.

This morning, rain again.

Frasier, Sally and Bailey have the right idea, I think.

I’m going to try like hell to resist

the urge to bake something.

Because the eating of it would come next.

Will power of a flea, truth.

I’m also trying to ignore the urge to rant about
that egomaniac who can’t shut his own mouth
long enough to pay decent tribute to Olympic athletes
without insulting them.
*hard to watch ….
actually, my description for this entire 45 Presidency
can be described with those three little words.

Have a good day, All – thanks for stopping by.

Here Comes the Sun

Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It’s all right

Star magnolia tree in our side yard,

a mother’s day gift from my daughter

a few years back 💗

We are rejoicing in the reappearance of the sun. Temps are still on the chilly side.. but we have green. We have warmth, we have that golden glow in the sky. Amen.

The chickens are sun and dust bathing again…

The horses grazing…

We have a little side deck off the kitchen sliders – the wood heats up when the sun is out and ooh, does it feel good to lay out there, back pressed to the wood, soaking up the rays – which we did quite a bit of yesterday, me and the dogs, and for ten mintues, even the husband.

The grass is greening up, the horses are shedding their winter coats and birds are nest building with some of that horse hair. Egg laying has commenced.

Purple finch eggs behind our porch lantern

The forsythia is just beginning to bloom, weeks late, ever so hesitantly – and daffodils that are not planted in the shade are blooming. The others still need convincing. The seeds my guys planted are out in the little greenhouse sprouting away, too soon to safely live out in the garden plot, so we wait. These below are purple peppers I ordered from Bakers Heirloom Seed Co. I look forward to tasting this new-to-me variety come summer.

I was never overly fond of the Bush Family, but I have certainly admired Barbara Bush for her strength and tenacity, dedication to literacy of our children, her devotion to her family and to the grace and dignity she brought to her position over the years. May she rest in peace –

Let me tell ya – we can laugh about the following little ditty… but it’s absolutely true up here in this house.

Sharing this Good-For-You meal found in Family Circle, perfect for Spring and Summer –

Zucchini Noodles with Asparagus, Peas and Bacon

1/2 pound asparagus

1 yellow pepper, seeded

8 ounces bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 pounds spiralized zucchini

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

2 large cloves garlic, grated

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/4 cup basil, very thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1Trim woody ends from asparagus and peel bottom 2 inches if needed; slice on the bias into 1/4-inch-thick pieces, leaving tips intact. Cut pepper lengthwise into 8 pieces, then slice crosswise into 1/4-inch strips.

2Heat a large stainless skillet over medium. Add bacon and cook until crispy, 8 to 9 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off bacon fat, then return 2 tbsp fat to skillet.

3Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium and cook zucchini and 1/4 tsp salt, covered, until crisp-tender, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain zucchini.

4Add yellow pepper to bacon fat; cook 1 minute. Add asparagus; cook 1 minute more. Sprinkle vegetables with flour and cook 30 seconds, stirring well.

5Stir in milk and garlic. Add peas and half each of the bacon and basil. Cook until sauce thickens, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

6Add zucchini, 1/4 tsp salt and the black pepper, and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with remaining basil and bacon. Serve immediately.

Have a good day, all – and thank you for stopping by.

Rambling Rose

Because sometimes a post title just doesn’t come to ya.

Happy 22nd Birthday to my boy, who I adore more than it seems possible. We’re so proud of the kind, responsible, hard working young man he’s become. I’m one of those ridiculous moms who’s children are literally my everything. My children are truly my greatest accomplishment in life. Is it ridiculous? I don’t know, I bet most of you moms feel the same way most of the time. ( we all have those “other” moments) My life is busy with my editing work, farm chores, volunteer activities, my hobbies and family life – but “family life” is on the top of my importance list, always. 💗

Since being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia last year, I’ve been struggling with the diagnosis, which is a tricky thing because after all the tests and all is said and done, they can’t tell you why you’re experiencing so much pain and inflammation everywhere – it just is. What??…. that’s frustrating.

If you suffer the same affliction, I can tell you this. Diet helps. Cut out the crap, literally. Sugar and Gluten are not your friend if you suffer from fibro. Too much dairy consumption also isn’t great. I’ve cut down big time on all three things (didn’t totally eliminate) and it has helped. Also… exercise. That’s a big one. It’s real hard to make yourself work out, go for long walks, run on a treadmill, insert whatever form of exercise you prefer… when your body is telling you OW THAT HURTS..with every move you make. But.. it’s important to do so if you want to keep moving, and even feel better.

A wonderful physical therapist I was sent to this fall has taught me some very valuable tools. He said…. “Those who improve from this condition do the hard work – they keep moving, keep exercising, and work on their diet continuously. Those who give in to the pain and don’t do the hard work, don’t improve, they get worse. Also, when you’re exercising, tell yourself that nothing is actually broken, even though your body is sending you pain signals. Work through the pain, and it will gradually decrease.” He was so right. I have now been in a steady work out routine here at home for a few months and I am feeling better. Not awesome, not perfect, not pain free – but better. Amen.

What I currently do is watch my diet (but I do slip up here and there – not much willpower, I love food!), I’m using the WW app to track my food intake, and I’m light weight training in the gym at least five days a week, have even increased the weight, three sets of 12 reps of a variety of lifts I was taught by a good friend (Joey), and I either take the dogs on a long hike or sprint/jog/walk on the treadmill on crappy weather days (MANY LATELY!!).

What can I say about the current state of political affairs here in our country… Holy cow, what an absolutely bizarre point in our American History we have reached, on so many fronts.

For those who still embrace the 45 Cult, man, I give you credit for standing by your man. Sorta like Melania… can you imagine what their cosy evenings at home must look like now? And I’m not making fun of her, she didn’t ask for the three ring circus she now lives in. Truly feels like he’s just throwing all the sh*t against the wall and hey, let’s see what’ll stick.

The thing about 45 is, I don’t totally disagree with some of the things on his “list to fix”. He just can’t get past his giant ego and his sordid past to lead this country in any sort of respectable, commendable, responsible, honest way. Sad thing. He is truly his own worst enemy. That he knowingly had that past history, and didn’t figure out that it would ALL come home to roost for him if he won the presidency, is remarkable. People in Cult 45 still clamor for 2020, but I bet 45 wants nothing to do with it, now that he sees what this position he holds has done to his and more importantly, his family’s formerly fabulous unfettered life. He and they are now in the fishbowl and who knows what price they have yet to pay. What he did to Obama and others is now being done to him, tenfold. And he keeps asking for more. Strange times.

33 degrees here in Connecticut today – I donned hat and gloves yet again, mid April! to do barn chores this morning. Our friends in Canada and Vermont still have snow! We planted seeds, which are now in their containers in the greenhouse – growing, growing, with nowhere to go until we see REAL spring temps. The forsythia is trying to bloom.. weeks late… but the attempt is half-hearted.

Come on, Spring.. the world NEEDS you!

Till soon, friends…

What a difference a day makes

We had a lovely weekend – light jacket or no jacket weather. The Mr. and I did some Spring clean up at the cottage, raking the little lawn, clearing out the remains of last year’s perennial foliage…

and I am happy to report all the stuff we planted last year is making a comeback. Our dear friend, BJ, gave me some perennials from her garden just down the lane and I see the daylilies have already doubled as they come through the soil now.

We’ve noticed just how clear the water is in the cove – a sign that the Sound reaching out into the Atlantic is in relative good health –

My guys planted seeds for the garden, which reside in my living room until

the temps warm a bit…

… and we had a lovely small Easter Gathering ’round my kitchen table, where I used up much of my extra Weight Watchers points for the week eating ham, scalloped potatoes, string beans, and that orange cake I did make.. and I’m here to tell you – the frosting was delicious!!… and the cake very dense. Tasty but a tad dry. I’m wondering if because I used regular milk instead of butter milk (the store was out) that was the reason. The recipe I shared makes for one layer – if you want a two layer cake, double the recipe. We were a small group watching our weight, so I didn’t double it.

As for Weight Watchers – just five days in and I LOVE it. The points system is so easy to use, and I’m finding the 0 points foods you can reach for when you get hungry and need a little snack make it very do-able. I’m a grazer, so I need to be able to do that. I have not stepped on a scale yet, I know there isn’t enough difference to satisfy what I want to see on the scale, but I already feel less bloated. It helps that I really like fruits and vegetables. The phone App is awesome. I’m doing the very basic plan, I have a page online and an app on my phone – that’s what I use for the most part. I’m not interested in going to meetings (and there are meetings down near our cottage) … I’m doing this primarily by myself.. with a little help from my friend, Hilary (Crazy as a Loom). She’s given me some great tips.

Also this weekend, while my girl is visiting Florida with her BF and his family, I’ve been taking care of her beloved Rex… who is missing his beloved Mom, terribly. Oh, the WOE in his little fluffy face every time he hears the key in the door, only to find me on the other side of it. He’ll be happy to see his mom once again today when she arrives home.

So we’ve enjoyed the arrival of crocus in the last few days… and it was beginning to feel like the Spring that it actually is. Isn’t she a beauty? When the crocus arrive on the lawn, I say hello to Elizabeth, the woman who lived here for over 40 years until she died at the age of 90-something. She planted these crocus, as well as the ancient lilacs by the shed, the old pear tree in the horse paddock and all the pines and cedars on either side of This Old House.

This morning, however… we awoke to this…

As soon as I publish this post, I’ll pull out my snow pants and jacket, hat, scarf, glove, and boots and I’ll trudge up to the barn and over to the coop for morning feed rounds – I knew I should wait to wash them all and store them away. But I didn’t… Murphy’s Law and all that.

Till soon, friends..

It’s in the air!

Spring! That glorious thing!…. seriously… yesterday? 68 degrees. I mucked stalls in a long sleeve Tee, no jacket required… and mud boots. The horse pastures are soggy, the paddocks muddy, the dirt roads around this little farm have little rivers running through. The horses were blanketless and rolled in the mud because it felt so good to be naked. I let the chickens loose out into the yard so they could stretch their legs and wings and forage for worms and bugs.. because the bugs were indeed out and about…. How does that happen with just a two day stretch of warm?

I looked up as I was walking out to feed horses in the evening and the moon was so beautiful and bright I ran back inside to grab the tripod and long lens, sharing that sight here with you.

I’ve been browsing the seed catalogs, looking forward to digging into the dirt in our two raised beds in the backyard again…. we learned something from one of you readers, can’t remember which one, I apologize. Our tomatoes didn’t do so great last year, kinda wishy washy, despite our best efforts. We have always used the same raised bed for the tomatoes, did not know you should rotate their home year to year. We’re aware of crop rotation, makes perfect sense. We will fortify the soil with aged horse and rabbit manure again this year, too…and indeed.. ROTATE.

I love these particular seed catalogs, the photography is beautiful and they sell some interesting exotics and heirloom varieties.

Look at this beautiful glass gem corn…..

The description..

Amazing color! Indescribably beautiful flint or popcorn comes in an endless range of colors. Translucent kernels really do shine brilliantly like glass—on the cob they resemble strands of glass beads! The 3-8” ears are consummately decorative, but edible and delicious as well.

I usually pick one or two new things to try – sometimes it’s a success, sometimes not so much. Melons have never been happy in our garden patch, we’re assuming the soil isn’t sandy enough and we have tried the tips and tricks, including added sand to the soil, placing the plants on mounds well spaced, etc. Same for carrots, and that’s a bummer as we have people, horses and a rabbit who would love the home grown variety. Last year I tried growing two rows of purple carrots – we had a stunted lot, but even those were a delicious sweet carrot taste. I believe I planted them too close together and the soil wasn’t soft far enough down in the beds for them to reach and grow. Strawberries are always eaten by rabbits and birds before we get to enjoy many of them so we gave that up. Corn has been a learning experience, to say the least.

The Mr. loves his beans and peas – the standard variety. I’d like to give these a try this year – tender and superbly delicious sounds good to me! .. and they’re beautiful.

And look at this “Violet Sparkle” Pepper….

I’m giving this a go as well.

Staples in our little garden are peppers, tomatoes, parsley, onions, basil, peas, cucumbers, eggplant, yellow squash and a few rows of corn out beyond the fence that are always iffy because we have yet to master happy corn growing. When we drive by fields and fields and fields full of healthy, happy corn, we say.. surely we can get this right for our little patch. Jeez! The secret is somewhere in the amount of corn you grow – they love proper pollination and mass production. They are clearly not happy planted in little patches without the proper space between and plenty of friends for cross pollination. The corn we’ve managed to grow looks stunted more often than not. We might try again, hopefully with better results this year and a better game plan.

Looking out the kitchen porch sliders, here’s the current view of our garden… 32 degrees, back to the norms for late February, rain-snow-rain in the forecast. We live about 4 miles in from the coast, a slow rise that reaches our hill at about 400 feet above sea level. The scent of the sea is in the air this morning. T find it refreshing, invigorates the soul. My husband teases me often about this – he says “You have a differently look in your eyes when we’re down by the water or the seamist reaches the farm. ”

I know it’s origin…. It’s called Peace.

If you haven’t tried gardening in the past and have a bit of the winter blues, start planning for your little patch of garden space, give it a go. Apartment or condo dweller? Not a problem – roof tops, window sills, little terraces, decks and even fire escapes can hold a few pots of something to grow. It feels good to nurture something that will in turn nurture you.

My gardening friends – any tips you want to share? I’m all ears – not of corn, though.. apparently.

For the love of the Tree

** I am receiving your messages that you are not able to leave comments on this blog.. I don’t know why, but I’ve done a few things to hopefully make the issue go away. If you’re one of those, please try again under this post and lets see if the situation is resolved. Comments are now pop-up instead of embedded.

My childhood home was a Staten Island 1800’s farmhouse that ended up smack in the middle of development. I loved that little house, with it’s slanted but beautiful wood floors, steps up and steps down in almost every room, even the creepy stone foundation basement that had a huge hole in the side wall I was sure was either Jimmy Hoffa’s final resting place or the Grinch’s hibernation headquarters. Either way, nothing good was coming out of that hole in the wall. But a lot of good came out of being raised in that house – including the huge old oaks that surrounded it, close up.

At night I’d gaze out my little bedroom window at the big old outstretched branches. With a summer breeze, their rustle would lull me to sleep. I’d listen to the birds chirp and watch them flitter among the leaves in the early morning light. Our yard had an abundance of trees and we collected “itchy balls”, helicopters, and even fluffy mimosa tree blooms until those trees were removed due to disease. I imagined the big old oaks, in particular, standing as sentinels, guarding our family and pets. To this day it’s a sad thought that they were all removed when the house was eventually sold to developers – and develop, they did.

Here on this 1800’s farm – there are also an abundance of trees which we cherish. On either side of the house are tree groves – one is a pine grove and the other is mostly cedar with some others mixed in. We weren’t sure of the age of these groves until recently our 95 year old neighbor Margaret’s son told me he planted all those trees as seedlings about 45 years ago with the previous owner. He was paid .10 cents a tree and he was ten years old at the time.

The pine grove is my favorite – always fragrant with the scent of pine, soft needles on the ground. Pine roots grow shallow, and we have lost at least 10 trees in storms as the torrential rains and wind take them down. We’ve been planting new ones to replace what is lost.

The picture below is the same pine grove from the field behind it.

And the same grove in winter

On the other side of the house is the cedar grove with the horse barn and grazing fields behind it…

And.. behind those grazing fields is a new Christmas Tree grove the men of this family planted last week. We’ve toyed with the idea for years and my only issue is… once you’ve spent seven years growing those beautiful trees, I think it would be a little heartbreaking to chop them down. For that reason, I didn’t encourage it.

Nevertheless… the men persisted… and so, we now have a 125 saplings in the field behind the horses. In seven years they will be ready to adorn family christmas tree traditions for local people. They are douglas fir, and we have heard that’s a favorite of the deer around here. SO, up went the cedar poles found lying dead in the back woods, and deer fence will be installed around the little tender trees.

If you squint real hard and lean in, you might see all the little babies….. and our house down by the road in the background.

Speaking of trees – Do you put up a tree? A real one or fake? and when? Ours is done – and it’s fake. Not because I don’t love a real tree, but because we poisoned one of our dogs once – he drank the tree water in the stand and almost died. The $2000 bill to save him wasn’t fun either. SO… it’s a fake tree for us, and a warning for you – most of those tree farms use pesticides and fertilizers to keep those trees looking christmas tree ready. Be aware that that stuff runs down into the tree water in the stand and can poison your pets.

Because trees are my favorite decorative accent, I’ve got them all over the house… Aunt Virginia’s ceramic tree, that just about everyone who has ever done ceramics, especially in the 70’s and 80’s has made or was given as a gift from a relative who made it, …. well that tree goes in the man cave where the guy and I spend cold winter evenings doing a fairly decent job of ignoring each other’s politics.

In the kitchen I have a collection of bottle brush trees on the window sill.

Over the fireplace in the kitchen… with two wreaths my kids made many years ago with my mom, the retired teacher/crafter extraordinaire.

Found this pillow at Homegoods for $25 and it’s a big pillow…. love it! Oh, those trees…

And on my dining room table… these paper trees I found a lovely local shop, The Rustic Barn.

Back to Margaret, my 95 year old neighbor… She loves Christmas trees too and her son still puts one up for her every year. It needs to be a real one, and it needs to be put up on Christmas Eve, not before. That’s about the only thing Margaret and I don’t agree on – seems to me the season for THE TREE starts right after Thanksgiving and is over shortly after Christmas. By New Years I’m chomping at the bit to get that thing down and put away if I haven’t already. I do know my own grandmother followed the same tradition as Margaret . My mother’s childhood tree went up Christmas Eve and was decorated while the children slept. They woke up to a Christmas House on Christmas morning. There is something lovely about that, too.

Margaret actually had her 95th birthday yesterday. For years we haven’t lit up the tree out front because it got so big we couldn’t reach anywhere near the top with our tractor, the way we used to. Then we hired a company and oh-boy-too-expensive. So it sat without lights for a few years. This year the boyz discovered a lift we could rent from the local hardware store and so we lit it up again, called Margaret and told her to look out her window, which is directly across the street.

So there it is, for the love of the tree. I hope this holiday season bring you joy and peace and shared good times with those you love.

Till soon, friends –

The K List

First – my thoughts and prayers are with all those dealing with the flood devastation in Texas. In this day and age, with all the forecasting we’re able to do, how is it we still can’t evacuate people out of a very dangerous hurricane or tornado zone before it actually hits? I’m seeing images of elderly folk trapped in three feet of water in nursing homes, families still trapped in their flooded houses, animals drowned, electrocuted or sitting on top of kennel houses in pounds… How are we not able to secure the people and animals of an area before the disaster hits when we have the forewarning.

What we have here in New England right now is a down-right chilly end-of-August. It was 58 degrees as I fed the horses this morning. There were even a few fall leaves on the stone walls. I love fall, but NOT YET!!….

I actually made (Brenda’s) Taco Soup for dinner last night and an old Banana Bread recipe this morning to help cut through the chill. The BB recipe is as follows – real simple, never fails. Important not to over-bake it, as you want it really moist.

4 very ripe bananas (that’s important)

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

t tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 1 loaf pan. Throw all ingredients in mixing bowl and mix well. Poor into pan and bake for approx. 45 minutes to an hour, depending on oven. I start checking after 40 minutes. When toothpick comes out clean, it’s done.

Sharing some pictures I took in our late summer garden

yesterday as I clipped back what was growing a little too wild

I found this perfect little two inch mushroom ….

and went back out there this morning

because.. this...

Till soon, friends –

And the rain came…

I cannot remember the last time we had so many days of dreary drizzly grey weather all strung together. It’s downright depressing. The gardens are drenched and although very green, also very near drowning. My tomato plants are on the verge of needing replacement and I just spoke with one of my farm market vendors and they’re having a horrible spring growing season.

About the only thing in my gardens that are happy are the perennials.

The paddocks are mucky, the chicken coop murky… the horses don’t mind the light rain because it keeps the bugs away, but the mucking, quite frankly, sucks.

We have babies everywhere…. baby bunnies under the bushes in the backyard, nests all around the outside of the house – this is the porchlight purple finch nest which once held a cowbird egg but it mysteriously disappeared almost as soon as it appeared. *ahem. Mama bird is happily sitting on these eggs as I type.

Remember the chickadee babes just a week or so ago? …

See how they’ve grown! Almost ready to leave the nest…

Here’s a robin I discovered in a pine tree on the edge of one of the hay fields out back…

Frasier and I have visited the cottage in between the raindrops to get some exercise in – thankfully Stella is less than 15 miles from here and I’m able to get down there easily whenever it behooves me. The island neighborhood is perfect for walking….

By the way, this is not my photo… but it IS our cove – the Thimble Islands are out in the distance, there are over 200 of them, some as small as a very large boulder, some have multiple houses on them. Stella is not visible here, she’s tucked in to the shoreline on the right side mid photo-level.

Below are a few images (not mine) of homes on some of the Thimbles… they range from tiny to huge and each has it’s own charm. Each also has it’s own funky commute – small boat access only! Ugh, think of when you’re baking a cake for company and realize you’ve run out of eggs or milk or toilet paper or garbage bags. On a rainy day.

For that reason, I’m grateful Stella’s “island” isn’t really an island.

→

Here’s a new recipe share – Cheesecake cookies, recipe found HERE

And last but not least…. If we’re friends on FB you’ve noticed I am not spewing quite so much political exasperation lately – there’s just so much of it, all the regurgitating of the offenses is getting really.. really old. It’s still there, the news is reeling…. what news is fake, what news is worthy, … round and round it goes, and when it will stop, nobody knows.

What I do know is… we all need to keep a little sense of humor. Today’s humor served up by none other than the Commander in Chief himself in a late evening sleep-deprived tweet… his new word , of which is already very popular – it’s gonna be great, it’s yuge, believe me!

(Sigh*)…. You can’t make this sh*t up.

Fire and Nice

Jeez, I keep starting out with a nice garden post and just as I’m about to hit publish yet another fire breaks out in the swamp. How’bout that Comey firing!…. this oughta be interesting.

Meanwhile.. back at the ranch….

We’ve had a chilly spring so far in New England – as you drive along the roads and skim the fields and forest, the trees look like they’re afraid to unfurl their leaves. We did manage to plant half of our garden beds a few days ago…praying we don’t get a frost.

Planted on the left, the right still needs weeding and tilling. Someone told us planting rye over the winter is good for vegetable garden beds. I’m thinking not.

In the planted bed we have romaine, eggplant, yellow wax beans, yellow squash and those 500 or so onions. I plant a row of marigolds at the base of the raised bed every year, as they help keep the bugs off the plants. It really does work and by mid summer produces a beautiful show of yellow and orange.

See how anemic the leafery looks just about everywhere? Yet the grass is growing like crazy. We’ve had plenty of rain. My border garden tulips have come up again, good to see the voles have not destroyed them.

On Staten Island back in the day, my grandfather Al had beautiful garden beds. His little house with it’s beautiful tiny lawn and blossoming cherry tree and tulip beds actually graced the cover of Scott’s turf bags and brochures. The Tulips in the spring drew crowds, no kidding. We weren’t allowed to pick them, but I had a favorite teacher, Miss Ferragano, who knew of his gardens and loved them. He would bring me out to the garden bed with snippers in hand and let me choose the ones to snip. I would proudly go to school the next day with a beautiful bouquet for my favorite teacher. To this day a vase full of tulips reminds me of Grandpa Al, a hard working, kind and humorous soul who certainly had his own trials in life, but you’d never know it by his attitude.

My “seaside real estate” garden at the side gate is thriving, the phlox taking over and the new dawn rose climbers have taken over the trellis. It’s called this because having resigned ourselves to the fact that seaside real estate had gotten too expensive to fullfill our dream of owning a little piece of it, I collected rocks and shells from our adventures and deposited them here. Little did we know, the affordable opportunity to buy Stella would become a reality down the road.

The horses are loving their spring pasture grass… and the hay fields are flourishing too.

Speaking of seaside real estate… Now that the renovation work is done at Stella and the grass seed has been sown, the new tender grass shoots are rising.

Have you ever come across “as the crow flies” destination totem poles? I made one for Stella, we’ll “plant” it this weekend.