fawn~

fawn at Staci's

Staci's fawn 5/30/11

So cute!!

 A newborn whitetail deer fawn laying amongst the underbrush on the edge of the lawn.  Thank you to my daughter Staci for sharing these photos:) 

She also had some other photos that were interesting.  Such as seeing some rainbow trout swimming by Coolidge Springs ~

coolidge springs ~ rainbow trout

marsh marigolds / cowslips

tree frog on strawberry leaf

Not much going on around here.  The guys (hubby and son) are busy cutting pulp wood during the hours when they aren't at work.  It's hard work; but then again... I have a hard working men around here... no room for whimps.  I've been puttering around in the flower beds when I'm not at doctor appointments ... which seem like a lot of those are taking place once again.  It's just nice to finally have some decent weather ~ although a little on the wet side; but I'm not complaining:)  Hopefully, it'll dry up enough so I can get into the garden. 

I'm bored.  Can you believe that?  I have a ton of things that need to be done; yet I just can't get motivated into the right state of mind to do it.

Until next time...

So it goes in my neck of the woods.

~mel

on the cooling rack~

sugar free rhubarb custard pie

My domestic diva unleashed this morning and I baked!  I haven't done that for several weeks now and Dear Hubby was complaining.  He took me to town this morning for breakfast ~ I think he was buttering me up ... 'cuz on the way home he said it sure would be nice to have something sweet to eat again in the house besides Jello. LOL  What! Who doesn't like Jello?  I always have a variety of sugar free flavors made up in the frig.

So ... good wifey that I am I baked some pie.  Not just one... but two.  I'm calling them "his" and "hers". Slim must have REALLY wanted some pie because he already had the rhubarb cleaned and cut up this morning before I even got out of bed.  Talk about a hint!

Then ~ I caved in some more and whipped out five loaves of rye bread.  That ought to calm the big boy down for a bit.  (no...the loaf on the right isn't burnt ... just a shadow on the picture)

~~

Last evening I visited my daughter Staci and she was out putzing around in her garden.  She gave me the nicest surprise ... a big handful of asparagus.  I just had to lay the tape measure down beside it to show how long it was ... and it's tender tender tender all the way through.  No having to cut off anymore of it before cooking.

Now I'm debating whether or not to eat is just parboiled with butter or to make up a kettle of cream of asparagus soup.  There's enough there ~ maybe both:)

I got my little sign I painted back out beside the door. 

Don't you just hate it when someone ever so lightly tap tap taps on a door?

This sign really is for Slim's benefit; but I think it'll help me too:)

We really should invest in a doorbell.

Brandy has been busy squirrel hunting ~ let me rephrase ... ripping up a stump in the yard ...

The squirrels really have nothing to fear ~  she only last about 10 minutes per mission ... then needs her nap.

and it's free eating once again on the feeder that is about 5 feet away from her rug on the deck ~

Yeah ... it's a fearful place around here for the squirrels ~  and they know it!

Even the hummingbirds are getting in on the act ~ sitting on the deck rail, and plant stand watching the dog sleep.

Brandy ~ doing what she does best! Keeping the squirrels off the deck.

Until next time ...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

friday~

brrr... it was a cold one last night.  Our temperature got down below freezing, as predicted ... around 25 degrees.  I took the time before going to bed last night to tuck in my plants under some tarps, sheets, and paper bags.  Everything looks okay today. 

 

A comment was made to me once about us northerners and our flowers ... how we get so protective of them and "braggy" about them.  I guess some of us are ... but I know some people in the southern states who are too:)  

 

I guess it's because we have such a short growing season in our area ... and we REALLY love seeing something grow ~ besides the height of the snowbanks all year... AND when things start greening up we hate to see a killing frost come along and "deadicate" them (one of my Daddy's words, lol).

 

Another week yet and then I'll be concentrating a little more on the vegetable garden.  I'm not putting in a huge garden this year like we have in the past ... just a few green beans, beets, turnips, kohlrabi, tomatoes(for eating fresh), dill and cucumbers. I plan on purchasing from our Amish and Mennonite friends the squash and tomatoes for canning.  I also plan on buying direct from farmers market my carrots, potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli.  I just don't have enough "umph" left in me to do it all on my own anymore.  But I'm not giving up my canning, or my berry picking and jelly making.

The other day, Sara came over and pointed out an advertisement in the paper ~ someone was giving away some big goldfish for a pond.  HELLO... I need goldfish!  The ad was a few days old already, what were my chances?

 

Now the black lagoon is home to six fish once again.  Thank you Jack (the guy with the fish).

If you're wondering what the black lagoon is ~ that's the rubbermaid tub that's sunk in the ground at the bottom of my waterfall on my little hill between the flower bed and the driveway.

Here's a pic of the start of that project in 2007

What a difference some rocks, ferns and sweat can make:

my hillside garden in 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the potato patch of 2009

the old garden

Now our garden is an eighth of the that size ... which is just right.

mom and her hollyhocks

We'll be vegetable gardening this year over by my Mom's place ... just across 40 acres from us.  It's all fenced in from the deer, and has beautiful yellow hollyhock flowers that bloom around it's edges.  These photos are from 2009.  We've tried putting a garden in by our house; but it wasn't very good here.  It's too shady in the woods.  Veggies like the open spaces and sun!

Yeah... we work hard around here to make a living off the land as much we can ... and to enjoy the blessing of nature that the Good Lord has provided.  HE has given us this earth as our temporary home to live on ... and it's up to us to take care of it. 

Enjoy your day!  See the beauty that is all around you ~ you only need to open your eyes.

Even an old pair of boots can be beautiful.

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

frost to freeze~

This is what the National Weather Advisory has for our area:

Park Falls, WI Weather Advisories, Watches & Warnings

FREEZE WATCH
in effect until Friday, May 27, 8:00 AM

...FREEZE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING... ...FROST ADVISORY IS CANCELLED...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DULUTH HAS CANCELLED THE FROST ADVISORY. A FREEZE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.
* TEMPERATURE: TEMPERATURES INLAND FROM LAKE SUPERIOR MAY FALL BELOW FREEZING FOR SEVERAL HOURS TONIGHT. WIDESPREAD FROST IS POSSIBLE.
* IMPACTS: SENSITIVE VEGETATION SHOULD BE COVERED OR BROUGHT INDOORS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A FREEZE WATCH MEANS SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE POSSIBLE. THESE CONDITIONS COULD KILL CROPS AND OTHER SENSITIVE VEGETATION.

~~~~~~~~~

Can you believe it?  Our frost advisory has been cancelled ... oh the nerve of Mother Nature ... now we're back into the freezer!!!  We're suppose to have temperatures in the 20's again! 

I guess it's better to be cold than blowing tornado winds; but geeze louise,  give a guy a break already.  What's with this weather!!

Stay safe out there,
Stay warm.

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

God's Garden~

grandiflora trillium

What seemed like forever ... and the longest winter on record ... we are finally feeling like our weather has done it's duty of catching up.  The woods are once more bursting with new life and it just feels sooooooo good to see it, smell it, touch it.

The trilliums are in full bloom ~

 

as are the many of the other wild flowers ~  it takes a while here in the north woods for it to warm up after our long winters ... but when we do ... we do it fast and everything seems to sprout and grow over night.  I just love it when this section of God's Garden starts blooming again.

 

The wild flowers, the trees, wherever you look ~ everything is bursting with new growth ...  it's a good thing :)

 

Take some time today to enjoy God's Garden.

Until next time...

So it goes in my neck of the woods.

~mel

my kinda day~

Despite a rainy start to the day ~ we had a cookout yesterday.  Brats and hamburgers on the grill, tuna salad, fresh veggies marinated in italian dressing, cheddar chip and sour cream and onion chips, chocolate cake, blueberry pudding cake and banana walnut cake!

Do you think they cut enough wood for the night??

After cooking up on the deck and eating in the house, the rain finally let up and we were able to start the fire in the firepit in the backyard and enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening outside.

 

The guys pulled out the golf ball toss game ... the BIG homemade version

The kids couldn't wait until dark to start in on the s'mores.  Where they had room to eat some more was beyond me.

Even Grandpa Slim had one with his beer ... oh yum... what a flavor combination ~

Yes...
It was a nice way to spend some time ~ sitting around the fire pit ...sharing stories and making memories.  My kinda day:)

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel