Another look at a farm girl's life, one who loves living in the country and everything is has to offer, good or bad, how else do we grow...
Name: Sue Neitzel
I live a simple life in the Ozarks, where my hubby and I tend to 5 acres of country pleasure, from raising animals to gardens, and finding comfort in knowing we are giving back to the land, after all, it's only on loan to us....
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That's how the say
ing goes, but these flowers were for May's birthday, since she turned 5 I thought I'd get her a bouquet of flowers, her first too! These cheery flowers just speak of May all the way, my little flower girl. I love all the bright and happy colors! It has rained here for the last 30 hours, and even though we need it, it was getting cold and keeping us inside way too long. But today the sun is fighting to stay out and hopefully it will win so we can get the fence down that separates the yard from the field. That will open it up so I can have more growing space and just easier access to the barn. It's the last day of April, and I'm telling you, the months just seem to pass faster each time we turn the calendar! The clouds have lifted and it looks like the sun is here to stay awhile so I"m off outside to play for awhile, be sure to enjoy this last day of April, I know I will. See you next month! LOL
That's what the birds were doing in the rain this morning, singing along like it was just another day regardless of the endless rainfall. So, to keep them happy I'm keeping their feeders full so they have plenty to sing about! The yellow finches are so bright and cheerful. So is this money plant to the left, it's a biennial but worth the wait. I planted it last year in a new flower bed, and it's just lovely. I love purple flowers and the seed pods on these plants look like coins to a point, I guess that's why they called it a money plant. I have a friend who found a species of plant on his property, so he is in the works to name it legally, how cool is that! Makes you wonder what you would name a plant if you found one? We've lost alot of outside chore time due to the weather this week, and the weekend looks the same, but it is needed so complaints here, just gives us time to do some inside chores. There's always something to be done, just never enough time or money! But I'm rich in plants and I have the birds singing to me, so hey, life is good!
I just got back my first pictures taken with my new digital camera, most of them are of my grandkids and flowers, two of my favorit
e things, so not to bore you with grand baby pictures, here is a pic of some little white flowers that appeared over night in the yard after it got mowed. I have no clue what they are, they weren't there last year, but they sure are a delight, so petite with a heavenly smell, so much I had to pick these and bring them in the house, so here they sit in my green glass collection that catches the sun light every afternoon. I was afaird out cold spell might zap them so I saved them. Does anyone know what they are? I will look them up for sure, until then I'll treasure my new found flowers and wonder how they got in the middle of the yard? My sweet hubby surprised me with a concrete bird bath that I've been wanting for years. I always buy those plastic ones that never hold up to the storms or rain, even some birds can tip them over so no more of that, I have a real birdbath that will stand for awhile, the birds already love it, and so do I! Got to take care of the wildlife, I feed the birds year round, in return they eat all kinds of bugs so we have fewer each year which is a cheap and chemical free solution for me.
Today is my oldest grand daughters 5th birthday, Mayali Rose, but we call her May. She spent the day with me yesterday a
nd it was sweet, she played waitress with all her stuffed animals here! They grow up SO fast, it's hard to believe she's 5 already and will be starting school in the fall. May is like a little me, she lookes like me when I was a child and she loves gardening mainly planting flowers with me and corn with grandpa! It's so true what they say about grandchildren, it's pure enjoyment and bonding without the everyday stress of raising them, sorta like our reward for raising their parents! I am blessed with three grandkids so far, and they all make my heart smile! Happy birthday sweetie, see you for cake later.....
A duckie update, she's doing much better after a few days off her feet, hardly limbing at all now. I'm so glad, just wouldn't be the same without them around! The weather is perfect for them now, it's raining and a nice way to end down the day. We took a drive up to a near by town, had lunch and took the long way home, through the forest and over the creek. The oldest kids came with us, they too wanted a afternoon off and away from everyday life, in their case, it's unpacking! It was nice, the hill sides are alive in all colors of green and spring. To some it was probably just a waste of gas, esp. with it being $2.63 here, but sometimes you just need to get away if only for a afternoon or so to refresh and take in the wild side of life. I did spot some wild ferns growing, now to just find a way to get to them and snag a few? I also spotted what looked like wild gingsing growing down by the creek, I need to take my book back there with me and identify it to be sure. Puddles are forming and free drinks for the garden, it's a good day!
First and foremost, it's Earth Day!!! A day we all should celebrate, if you think how far our great planet has come over the many years, good and bad, then you'd know it's all worth celebrating and preserving! It does scare me to think ahead to a day when our sweet earth might not be liveable or able to support the over crowding and neglect? But for now, we all can do our part to keep the planet clean and green!! And to me, every day I'm planting something is Earth day!
It's also a birthday weekend in our family, it's our oldest daughter in laws birthday, still a pup only 23 but growing wiser and stronger and a blessing to our family. Then there is May, our oldest grandchild who turns 5 finally on the 25th but we always combine hers and her mom's since it's easier to get our gang together once than twice in a short time. I say finally 5 because she's so mature for her age and smart! And I'm not just being a bragging granny, she amazes us! The gang got together for breakfast and tonight will gather again here for dinner and cake. Her theme this year is Little Princess, her room is being transformed into a little palace fit for our little princess that will someday be queen if she had her way about it!!
Meet duck and duckie, our two remaining ducks, we started out with 6 last spring but something ate pretty good a few nights last summer. They just started laying eggs and duckie comes up from the pond limping, so I'm worried about her, I know sounds silly to worry about a duck, but I love ducks, and they are good company in the garden, they love it when we till up the ground, they are right there looking for worms and bugs. I'm hoping she will mend soon and nothing gets her before she does. The male sticks pretty close to her, but I"m afaird they are too fat to fly anymore, they just waddled to the pond and back. Funny how we get attached to the farm animals. The quail have returned, you can hear them talking to each other from field to field, another summer song I do enjoy.
April has returned, it's cooled off by 20 degrees and we even got some rain so the corn and popcorn should be ok. We water when it gets too dry, but nothing compares to rain water. I went flower crazy today, I visited one of my favorites greenhouses, 6 total all full of every kind of flower you can think of and some that were new to me, so of course I had to try a few. I got a flowering maple, this will be the center piece of the big flower bed up front, should prove to put on a show, I can't wait! And Walmart still had some rhubard plants so I got another package so I will be sure to have plenty. I also got one of my favorite flower, Gerber Daisy, I got two in fact and could of taken home the whole supply. There's something about them that just draws me to them, so pretty and perfect! Go out and get your favorite flower and treat yourself, were all worth it now and then!
When I wake each morning the first thing I do is peek out the window to spy on the new day, it's not light yet, the birds are already singing and dew rests on the grass that needs mowing again! But this morning, I heard sounds of summer, a whipper whill singing his song in the small patch of woods at the back of our property. I love hearing the whipper whill calling out his unusual sounds, we usually hear them in the summer so it's early but with the weather being so warm they are probably confused too! I haven't even seen a humming bird yet, they are due to return next week, guess I better get the feeders up and filled!
It's a hot one today, near 90 and that only means a good chance of storms which are in the forecast for later on, we could use the rain, the garden is thirsty! After today our weather is suspose to return to normal if it hasn't forgotten what normal is! The nurseries are full of blooming flowers and veggies ready to plant, I just love this time of year, so much to look forward too!
In the new issue of Hobby Farms, there's a very interesting little article about how the Swedish are saving seeds in a vault that is being built to withstand even a nuclear war, and each country will be allowed to include their favorites. Why, I must ask myself? Is it in case the world comes to a end and those who survive will have seeds to plant for food? Will the seeds even be plantable after being locked up for how ever long? Things like this get me to thinking and wondering, does an oversea goverment know something we don't? What kind of seeds will be saved? As a gardener, it's always good to save seeds for future use, but many can't produce after the first harvest, mostly hybrids are bred to only produce that one time so saving seeds from those varieties won't do much good but take up space. I plant mainly heirloom veggies, those seeds CAN be saved for future use, over and over. Those old family favorites are not altered and will carry on for the next generation. Plus they just taste better! Since this article on saving seeds caught my attention, think about what you'd save if the world was in danger of no longer being the safe space we live in now? I'd save all my herb and garden books along with a camera to record the disaster! lol
Happ
y Easter!! For some reason or two, it just doesn't seem like Easter? But it is and so we took in a drama at #2 son's church on the meaning of Easter, and it was powerful, very well done too. Then the family gathered at the biggest buffet in town for lunch, it's the first Easter or any holiday really that we've eaten out and not cooked at home. But it was nice to take the day off of those chores, we will all gather again later on for ice cream and passing out Easter goodies to the kids...cameras will be flashing for sure! Regardless of the way you celebrate the day, I hope you time take out to be thankful for your blessings and remember the true meaning of the day and rejoice!
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