A bit of the week

This has been a week.

One of the scrapper dudes showed up without calling. The 'security' cameras alerted me while I was making coffee.

Generally the dogs hear anything coming or going in the driveway. They missed Jim's quiet old truck.

I went out and talked with him for a bit and asked that I get notified before anyone shows up please.

Jim is super nice and quiet mannered [not at all like his fast talking brother]. He worked in the crushed garage seen in the shot below. He neatly stacked a bunch of fencing supplies in some bins and placed them outside by the driveway while he sorted items to take.

Below... frontal shot of the crushed garage. 
Soon to be torn down finally!

He then asked if he could pick up the aluminum cans that were piled next to the little shed. 

[Note: Rich piled them there years ago with the intent that he...and only HE could take them to be recycled! 
I picked my battles with him over the years and his 'stuff' was hands off otherwise there was a war.]

Jim picked up ALL of the cans by hand. He worked quietly. I don't mind him being around really. 

Here is a screen shot of Jim leaving with his goodies. I'm quite grateful for his persistence in a really grubby job.

We had some amazing skies this past week, we've had 3 nights of frost. I had to cover my petunias on the porch and some of the young plants that had reseeded themselves. 

Hurray hurray hurray! 

The hummingbirds showed up on April 30th. That seems early to me, but I could be wrong.

The Orioles made their appearance May 8th. Which is interesting in itself. Last year, they were here on May 5th.


 

Below is a one of my all time favorite shots of Mayapples. I need to get back out and check out their flowers which should be open by now.

I did a thing yesterday!  I want to put it down in writing and remind myself of how I am slowly adjusting to be an independent old cuss.

My garden cart that I pull behind the 4 wheeler had a tire that came apart. The tube was intact but the tire was ripping apart. My neighbor fixed the flat last year.

I am a determined person. [No pictures]
I took the tire off [something I had to figure out-->it was pretty simple]. I recalled Jim putting an old tire out in front of the crushed garage. I took the wrecked tire over and ... holy cow! They were the same!

I filled the old tire with air and it held just fine. I changed the tire and figured out how to do the cotter pin thingy.

My hands were greasy and black and I sat in the dirt pleased as punch. I felt like I'd won the lottery by solving the issue myself.

I'm slowly trying to organize things that are left in the shed. I found these instructions for the ancient drill press.

I told my Lego workers to figure out how to work it. I'm sure I'll never use it.

This weekend is going to be filled with at home work. Pretty boring stuff.

Gathering rocks for a fire pit, garden work, mowing [I got the rider back!].

Work never ends around here it seems.

Dreaming about

I am....
Dreaming of my vacation place.

It is among trees,

far from any roads,

far from any lights,

and far from the internet

and cell service.

Imagine a spot with so much beauty.
A place where Fireflies dance the 
night away.

A place with
glorious sunrises.

Steps away from this dream vacation spot are 

morning views that would make one 

sigh.

The night sky is more amazing than any television show
and it feels like the stars are performing just for you.

My goal for this summer was to do some travelling and camping at various State Parks.

I wanted to go to places I've never visited, the waterfalls of northern WI. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan. State Parks in Iowa that have interesting rock formations.

I wanted to take the dogs camping with me in a tent and see how we got along. 

But then this economical thing happened. With a fairly strict budget, with the thought of the cost of gas cutting into my budget for a long drive is becoming less and less appealing.

I'm going to still try and do some day trips to some other areas. But the thought of driving far distances with the pups and I to camp? Hmmm.

I want peace. I want quiet. I want no one else to listen to while in my camping spot. I want clear views of the night skies and the morning sunrises.

I want the dogs to feel free to run out of the tent with me in the morning and pee where ever they wish. 

Maybe I'll have a spot to cook a simple supper or have a little campfire.

And after all of those points I wish to have. 

BAM

I realized I have it right here without leaving home.

Well, for at least now. I will learn how to camp with my dogs and figure out what I need for that time I DO take a long trip and explore other places.

Hannah is standing in the area where I will be putting down some stall mats so that the vacation spot will have a 'floor' for a table and a couple of old chairs.

A fire ring of native rocks will grace the site along with a spot for a tent.

Facing the other way I can see an open meadow just footsteps away. A place I can watch the night sky and see the stars and the Milky Way.

Soon, the fireflies will begin to appear here and there across the meadow and in the forest. Night life will be amazing. 

So for now,

why dream about the perfect place to camp, when it is on my own land.

Exploring may have to wait. But I am patient.

Yard work...uffdah

Here is an update on the shed! 

Getting there!

I'm going to toss some good dirt down in the spot below as soon as they pick up those last pieces. Then I'll add some wild flower seeds to the soil. It will be interesting to see what pops up.

I can't mow that spot anyway and I hate week whacking.

Here is a shot of the old wash tub I saved from the crushed garage. It was NOT crushed! The scrap dudes got it out for me. That was the only thing I wanted from the garage.

I put this tub on the area I have to dig up every three years for a septic inspection.

I'll put showy begonias in the tub for some early bright colors.
 

One of the shops that sells, liquor, vape stuff, tobacco, fireworks, tools, clothes, and other odds and ends put up a little greenhouse this year.

I like their little store. I can get soil, mulch, and most of my garden needs within 3 miles from home. Their prices beat everyone else.

In our area, there seems to be an Amish greenhouse or a pop up greenhouse all over the countryside.

Forgive the shot of the crushed garage in the background. But it is THERE! My hopes are to have it demolished and graded out before spring is done! It will improve the view out my back door and bedroom 100%. 

With Hannah as the new helper extra-ordinaire, I have ended up needing to fence off the little gardens. 

She thinks they are great places to do her business or to dig for moles and voles.

I have light fencing that I cut up with wire cutters and surrounded the area. It does the job for now. 

I ordered some pretty fence pieces to put around the gardens to remind Miss Hannah to stay out of those areas.

I stopped in to check on the Country Clipper to see what the hold up was and...whoopsie! The guys hadn't done it yet. Mark looked shocked and his co-manager found the mower and came back saying somehow they never made up a work ticket. 

Well, I've done business with these guys for 30 years, so I just shrugged. Mark said I must be cussing them out when I mowed with the little mower.  I'm sure they have many customers that get all "Karen" on them. I'm not one of those. They'll have to me shortly.

After all, I did the mowing now twice with the little mower. I go at it for two to three hours at a time in the afternoon. I get it done and it looks nice. I think it takes about the same amount of gas to do it with either mower. 

However...

Gas prices jumped 20 cents over night here. I wonder if I will end up fencing off the yard in sections for some rotational grazing. Then I'd just mow the weeds they don't eat. Work less, mow less.

I hesitate to see what the gas without ethanol is going for. Last I got any, it was 5 1/2 bucks. 

I am planting mostly seeds this year. I'm trying to keep the costs for gardening down. 

After a long day working, I dragged out the camp cot and invited the 'kids' to chill out with me.

We ended up sleeping on the porch to test out how warm the sleeping bag would do for a chilly night. 

It did great along with two canine heaters.

Next week I'm going to try putting up the tent and maybe we'll try that out!

Spring days and the groove

Finally. Getting back into the groove of things.

I walked the dogs just after dawn and then took a walk without them into the land east of us.

First I looked for flowering trees and searched to see if I could hear the Cat Bird yet. The wrens were singing along with Cardinals, Blue Jays, Brown Thrasher, and Morning Doves. [I heard others but couldn't ID them]

The shot below is of one of the wild apple trees before the sun lit it up.

When the sun touched other trees in the Meadow, I was stunned. The morning light adds so much warmth to the colors. 

Midday washes colors out, but evening also ads color.

Here is the lowly and unloved Box Elder Tree with its seeds ready to spread in the wind.

My all time favorite tree has nasty thorns, but I think is beautiful, is the Hawthorn Tree.

There is a small patch of them just outside of the Meadow.

Thankfully, the loggers didn't find them worthy of their chainsaws.

They will blossom any time now. 

In the fall their leaves turn brilliant and their flowers turn to red berries.

I had some friends in my pocket, so I couldn't resist.

My Pink Titan 13 had to smell the wild apple blossoms. 

Wall-E and Eve came along. Under the tree they found a quiet moment for love.  💖

These turned out much nicer than my efforts the other day. I can say that I am pleased with them.

The white and purple violets are for Sandra from This and That!

My yard is full of them. I am mowing around them!

Yellow Wood Violets!

Enjoy your spring day. Hopefully it is a good one. With the longer days, I feel like I am getting more things done.

Sunrises

Sunsets

May the 4th Be with you...

 Some of my favorite Star Wars
May the 4th shots....

Enjoy

My name is NO, no, no by Hannah

 I think...

NO, no no no no...or Icky icky icy might be good names 'cuz that is what SHE always says. I like to bite things with my amazing sharp teeth. When I do that, she shoves a toy in my face. 

Then I bite that instead of her hands.

I like picking up treats in the yard that the pony leaves. Then she calls me Icky icky icky. Sometimes she calls me Leave it, Leave it, Leave it! 

She only says Hannah once in a while, so that must not be important.

Charlie says that Hannah is my name and the other words are just what she says when she is not happy. 

I get so confused. I just wish she'd settle on one name. 

No no no no is fine. Hannah? Icky? Leave it? 

Other times she just laughs and laughs at me. I think I like that much better than NO, no no no.

She says I am

cute when I am

sleeping.

Yesterday I learned a new trick with no No's!! She just watched!

I gotta go. She asked if we want to go outside. And she picked up her keys so that means an adventure for Charlie and me. No, no, no?