Reach For the Sun!

And we're off...

I planted two packages of Sunflower seeds this past Sunday - Pike's Peak and Incredible, both supposed to grow over 15' tall!

I certainly don't need 32+ sunflower plants (if all actually grow) but let's see what takes and what makes it.

The one's that grow, once big enough, I'll transplant outside in the garden.  They make a great backdrop to the garden, bees love them and so do the Gold Finches, come fall.

Plastic Bad

This is why we must do away with plastic!

Seems that this plastic market bag, ironically, blew into and blocked the opening to one of our bird houses and completely block the hole.  Unfortunately, the House Sparrows that had taken up residence, unwantedly and who refused to take the hint, are the ones who lost.

On a happier note, our other similar bird house along the same fence line is home to a thriving Bluebird family again this spring!

Pink Blossoms

Another early bloomer is our peach tree, always beautiful!

Sadly, there isn't too much of this tree left.  I've had to prune dead and infect limbs each year now.  However, it proudly blossoms each spring and continues to produce fruit, although smaller and fewer.

A Welcoming Spring Sign

One of our Spring early bloomers, Grape Hyacinth!

A 90s Throw Back of Goats Licking Cars

Here's a through back picture from the 90s

My farmer friend used to raise goats and always had a dozen or more.  They would roam free and always stay close to home.  During the winter and spring months when I would visit the goats would spend an hour or more licking the road salt from my Explorer, as you can see one pictured above.  

I always left with a uniquely custom (licked) designed vehicle.

Vegetable Garden Prep

Pulled up the old boot straps and tackled the garden last weekend!

Removed (6) 5-gallon buckets of bedding from the chicken coop and (5) more from the compost bin and spread on top of the garden.  Then it was time to grab the shovel and hand turned the compost into the soil, giving it some much needed nutrients!

During this tilling process I caught over 30 grubs, which I collected then feed to the chickens who absolutely devoured them!

I've decided on what I plan on planting in this garden and where each will go - 1 row sunflower, 1 row corn, 2 rows potatoes and 1 row tomatoes, in that order from top to bottom.

I planted (40) sunflower seeds indoors, two different types, yesterday and picked up two 5lb bags of Yukon Gold potatoes from our local Agway.

Exposed!

Similar to a strip dance where the cloths come off, our chicken coop is slowly taking her winter protection off too, hubba-hubba!

The door plastic was the first to be removed about 5-6 weeks ago.  Last weekend I removed the rest of the protection along the lower section, as you can see in the photo above.  

The girls seem to be happier since they can now all see out without jockeying for a spot at the door and there's fresh air blowing in.  I'll remove the the remaining protections in the coming weeks.

One of the downsides to exposing the girls is they're now also easily seen by predators.  We had a big beautiful fox out there yesterday morning, excitedly running back and forth along the front of the coop.  Foxes won't typically try to get in, as they get too excited, rather seems they try to scare them out.  Either way chickens aren't the brightest and are easily spooked, so needless to say they were squawking and running and flying with each lung from the fox; feathers everywhere.

The Kindness Rock Project

I guess it's a thing, even Google know about it.

Here is a picture of spot along my walk that has been deemed a Kindness Rock project spot, which seems to be monitored and refilled from time to time when running low.  

I've often seen these rocks hidden alone the way too, so they're not always found in one location.

In the end, if kindness fails you always have a pretty weapon at your disposal...

Deck Vacancies

We have Robin that has made a nest under our deck, again.  It was made in just a couple days too!  Seems like the word is out that this is an idle place, however, they soon learn that although protected nicely from the elements the disruptions are constant, especially on the weekends. Our trash and recycle barrels are under the deck too, so we're constantly in and out to toss one thing or another.  The back door to the pool area is right there too, so the numerous treks out to the chickens has the mom flying off and on, off and on and we haven't opened the pool yet.

Once Upon A Time...

We were living large back in 1968 with this black and white console television!

Years later the TV and all components were removed from this unit making for a place for storage really but at one point I believe it served as a liquor cabinet.

Ah, the good old days!

TGIF!

Friday afternoon was just to awesome to not sit outside in the sun with a frosty, cold beer...

Spring Love

Hard to make out with my watermark in the way but this Downey woodpecker red head feathers were in the shape of a heart ❤

MUCH To My Surprise!

I took and emailed the before pic below to the Franklin DPW, to give them a heads up of an issue that's actually dangerous and just waiting for someone to get hurt in.

It's about a 20' section of sidewalk that is being undermined and washing away.

Very much to my surprise I received a reply thanking me for brining this to their attention and was told they would be sending a crew out to inspect, WOW!

The after picture below show's what they've done to A-acknowledge the issue and B-bring to everyone's attention the potential hazard.  Hopefully, this isn't their permanent solution and they'll get something scheduled to address, sooner rather than later.

Before -

After -

You Know What They Say...

The early (Blue)bird gets the (Army) worm...

Here's the proof

<drops mic>

It's difficult to tell but my guess is he's enjoying some type of army worm, which pleases me.

Shhhh, Sleeping Dog

A dogs life...

This is what my work companion does while I slave away at my computer.

All day every day.

This particular day was chilly so I covered her, where she contently stayed for over an hour.

Cristos Anesti!

Ironic how the design of our pool cover looks just like a bunny today and here it is Easter Sunday!

Happy Easter everyone!