A Really Nice Busy Week

Roscoe had a cyst removed from the top of his head early Tuesday morning. He had to stay until 5:00 before Renea could pick him up.  He is doing fine. They need to keep an eye on him for a few days to be sure he doesn’t try to “scratch” the stitches out.  He will go back a week from Friday to have the vet remove them.

 

Now I know you are tired of hearing about all of my yard work, but I’m going to tell you about it anyway.  I have finished weeding the rock garden.  As an FYI – the reason I pull the weeds is because I have plants in the ground and I don’t want to kill them.  Also, I have a lot of birds and I don’t want to harm them either.

 

All of the azalea plants are weeded, the dead leaves are cleaned out and they have been fed. I also fed the hydrangeas, rhododendron and a few other flowering perennials.  Of course, now they are predicting that the temperature is going down in the 20’s two nights this week.

 

I finished weedeating around the weeping cherry tree, both rock gardens, the front entry way, in front of the new addition, the north side of the house and the south side of the house. 

 

On Thursday I spent 2 ½ hours cutting Kevin and Renea’s front grass.  Got it finished.  Cut a section of my backyard grass – closest to my house.  Found all kinds of pieces of wood, concrete and a small level.  Cleaning up the back of my house is next on my list.  When I checked my “trees” that were growing in pots it looks like only the two crabapple trees survived.  I will be planting them in my back yard to give me some shade back there.  Of course, I probably won’t live long enough to see them get that big even though they are fast growers J  I also plan on putting my new birdfeeder between the two of them so I can see it from my back window.

 

Saturday I put out the hummingbird feeders with a small amount of feed in them in case they are starting to move in. I know last year I started seeing them by the first of April. I have also noticed that I have purple martins in house now. They have been busy building news nests.  It’s been fun watching them. I have about 10 male cardinals eating at my feeders in the front yard along with a lot of other birds.  I am sure there are females there also just can’t get close enough to see.  Also have a lot of finches coming to the finch feeder.

 

Speaking of watching birds, I accidentally found a website for Berry College in Georgia which has a webcam looking at an eagle’s nest.  One egg has hatched (I missed that because the egg had hatched by the time I found the site).  Anyway, I have been watching the eaglet grow. I check in a couple of times a day and have seen the adults feeding the eaglet.  I have seen one of the adults fly in with a fish which it proceeded to feed the baby.  Another time one of the adults was feeding it something but I couldn’t tell what it was.  Sure is interesting.

 

Last year I bought a carpenter bee trap because I was having such a problem with them.  After setting it up I not only caught carpenter bees, but I caught wasps and flies.  So far this year I have caught three carpenter bees.  There is another one flying around, just haven’t caught it yet.

 

Sunday was a lazy day.  Went to church, watched the NASCAR race and had dinner with Kevin and Renea. 

Glad It Wasn't Snow!

Kevin and Renea went to El Paso, TX, to visit Rick and Beth for a week.  So, I spent the week dog sitting Roscoe and Lola.  Not a tough job.  I would spend the night at Kevin and Renea’s house, feed the dogs in the morning then put them outside.  After supper I would go over and feed the dogs their supper then spend the evening.  Of course, I went over several times a day to check on them and give them a treat.  Needless to say, they were always glad to see me.

 

We had a real mix of weather last week.  A couple of really nice days, a couple of really cold days and several days of a lot of rain.  We even had frost two mornings.  On the cold and/or rainy days the dogs spent most of their time in the house.  Not sure how much rain we had because my rain gauge has a crack.  Need to get a new one.  The television station said we had over three inches, and I believe it.

 

I did get a little more yard work done.  I finished cutting my front grass, started weeding the other rock garden (it’s about 40% finished), and cut back all the lantanas.  I also weeded one of the azaleas.  I hoping to finish weeding the rock garden this week and feed my plants that need feeding.  I also have a lot of weedeating to do.  And…..it’s time to check the weeds around the birdfeeder, the other rock garden and all the trees.  It has been raining the past couple of days.  However, that should be over by now.

 

It’s almost a full time job keeping the birdfeeders filled.  In the morning and evening I have about a dozen male cardinals coming to the feeders.  I should also include the females, but they just don’t stand out as much.

 

Finished up a few things on the inside also including my taxes.  Now I just need to get them in the mail.  I’m procrastinating because I owe.

 

Kevin and Renea arrived home on Sunday.

 

P.S.  Mom is doing somewhat better.

GUESS WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING

Yep, I started cutting grass.  Cut the “circle” where the bird feeders, bird bath and a few trees are located.  Also weed eated around the bird bath, the Dawn Redwood, Bradford Pears and the bird feeder.  That area is really looking good now.

 

After that I pulled all the dead flowers in the flower pots on my deck.  None of them were perennials, and I wanted to get them ready for the annuals (petunias, etc.), except for the clematis that Kevin and Renea gave me for Mother’s Day last year.  Didn’t have to do much to the clematis because there is new growth and I didn’t want to disturb it.

 

Now for the big job.  I needed to weed both the “rock” gardens.  I started with the one on the northeast side of the deck (which would be to the right of the entrance).  The first thing I did was clean out the iris box of all the dead leaves.  They are really looking good.  In fact, I have a purple iris bud already.  I also cleaned the dead leaves out of the rhododendron plant and both hydrangea bushes.  All of those also have new growth. There is also new growth on the star jasmine plant.  It is a climbing plant and I have been training it to grow up the deck rails. I pulled the dead plants out of the pots and boxes in the “rock” garden and they are now ready for the annuals.  I even made a list of what annuals I plan to buy.  I have certain favorites. And, yes, I have finished weeding the “rock” garden.  Now it’s time to start on the other one.

 

Today (Wednesday) it is raining so I am doing laundry and getting some indoor chores caught up.  Hopefully, I can get back outside tomorrow.

 

Received several phone calls from Jana, and it seems Mom is not doing well.  She is keeping me informed.  Sounds like I may have to make a trip to Ohio soon.  Please keep her in your prayers.

 

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN ALABAMA

I’ve been back a week now, and have accomplished a lot.  First, let me say that my room looks great!  While I was gone Kevin and Renea finished my new room.  I now have a black railing between my old room and the new room.  The molding has been put up between the two rooms and has been painted.  My clock has been hung above the window where I wanted it, and it looks as good as I thought it would.  The only thing I didn’t consider is I cannot reach it without a ladder.  Since it’s the weekend to “spring ahead” I will have to ask Kevin to change it for me.  Meanwhile it will be an hour behind. 

 

Ricky, the guy next door, put up my new storm door.  He also built the door on the south side of the house.  It really looks great.  When the guys built the concrete block stabilizer under the house they left space for the door – just in case anyone needs to get under the house.

 

Things are in pretty good shape now.  Still need to do a little touch up painting in the new room.  I also need to wash the windows inside and outside.  I bought new curtains for the old room and I will hang them soon.

 

Today I am working outside.  The sun is shining and it is in the 70’s.  The bird feeders have been filled.  I weeded the area around the bird bath.  I cleaned the bird bath.  The birds are enjoying both the food and the water.  I really enjoy watching them.  Sitting here at my computer, I am watching birds go in and out of the purple martin house.  I can’t see what kind of birds they are, but they sure are busy.

 

The trees are looking good.  The Bradford pears have buds on them, the weeping willow is actually green, the weeping cherry tree has buds, the oak tree has buds and the dawn redwood has buds.  It looks like they survived the winter.

 

Today I am checking plants and flower pots.  I have some perennials so I hope they survived also. 

 

Break time is over and it’s back to work.  Later J

 

SWEET HOME ALABAMA

Yes, I am finally back home in Alabama.  However, it sure was a hectic couple of months in Ohio.  First of all, Jana had her eye surgery in January.  Each eye was done separately two weeks apart.  All went well. 

 

Right before Jana’s second surgery mom got really sick and had to go to the hospital.  Among other problems she had pneumonia.  For about two weeks we didn’t think she would make it.  She has bounced back – sort of.  She is back in the nursing home, has had some rehab and is doing better.  She is “frail” but doing okay.  Doesn’t eat well.  She has started going to bingo again so we figure that is a good sign.

 

About the time we decided I could come back home Jana twisted her knee.  We had to call the life squad and had her taken to the ER.  She was in a leg brace for a couple of weeks.  She could not drive nor could she go up and down steps.  Made a trip to the orthopedic doctor.  Nothing was broken.  She used a walker for a while, then moved on to a cane and now is doing fine.  The doctor said that eventually she will need knee replacement.

 

Meanwhile, David is David.  For those who don’t know, he has dementia.  He is healthy otherwise, but needs a lot of care.

 

During all of this time it was COLD!!!!!  We also had a lot of ice and snow.  We didn’t go out in the ice and snow J

 

I didn’t get to visit with any friends this trip.  I did talk to a few on the phone.  I also spent a couple of days with Rita and Bob, and really had a great time.  I was supposed to spend some time with Brian and his family, but we couldn’t work it out.  They are busier than me!  I did visit with Brian, Tracy, Steven and Samantha on the Monday after I arrived in Ohio.  They came to Jana’s and spent the evening with us and Kevin and Renea who were also visiting.  Brian stopped one day after work and visited.  We fed him supper.  He asked that I fix chili and I did.  We also talked on the phone a lot.

 

Since everything was settling down it was decided that Brian would bring me back to Alabama and he would visit for the weekend.  Of course, this is the weekend they were predicting ice storms and snow.  So, we left early Friday afternoon.  It took us 13 hours to get here because of traffic.  It was stop and go so much it was frustrating.  However, we arrived safe and sound.  Because of the weather Brian decided not to spend the weekend.  He slept for a few hours and then left on Saturday morning and headed home.  Again it took him almost 13 hours because of traffic.  He did beat the storm though!

 

Now I’m home and it’s back to cutting grass and all that good stuff.  More later.  I think I need a nap just thinking about all of this!