Seeding Frenzy

It is time for the annual planting frenzy.

This is part of the porch edge.

To those who like things in an orderly way, my gardening skills will offend.

The Ajuga aka Bugleweed, once covered most of this area. However, a winter with hardly any snow a couple of years ago demolished most of them. The rabbits, moles, and voles didn't help either. Last year I planted Nasturtiums in the bare spots.

The Nasturtiums are going to be back this year on the edges while  Forget Me Nots will be in the bare spots right next to the porch.

The Forget Me Nots aren't tall and won't overshadow the Ajuga allowing them to once again fill in the bare areas.

This is were the oriole and the hummingbird feeders are. We can eat our meals and watch the antics right outside the window.
Nasturtiums will come up through the mulch under the feeders to add color.

Hubby asked me why I didn't make straight borders. I replied
"Nature doesn't make her borders straight."

I may expand this a little next year depending on my moods...

I had to put up a temporary 'fence' made out of baling twine and spikes to keep Charlie out of the bare spots. He loves laying in the dirt in between plants.

He is staying out of the area now that I added mulch.

When he wants to stay outside and just observe the yard, he is attached to a boat anchor by a long light cable.

He can lay in the sunlight or chose to be on the bench in the porch. That is his outdoor furry pad. He dragged his blanket out on the porch so I tossed it on the bench.

This area is his preferred way of spending the warm months.

The east side is waiting patiently for the zinnias and 4 o'clock seeds to be dropped into the soil.

The west side where the pallet garden was last year, will get a mix of all sorts of seeds. We'll see what happens there. I had to wait until after the mini split is installed to do any more work.

I have a couple of other spots that I'm going to put wildflowers and other seeds in. This year, I will have to be patient for the annuals to color the area. I'm good with that.

Sunflowers, cosmos, and even [fingers crossed] some morning glories.

In the mule paddock near the house, I'm going to experiment with some sweet corn and squash. When the plants are done, I'll take down the single hot wire and let the critters clean 'the garden'. I don't know if it will work out well, but I am willing to try.

I've transplanted bee balm into three different places. I hope all the spots bring in the birds and hummingbird moths.

For giggles, I even planted sunflowers in one of the old cattle feeders. That should be interesting to say the least.

I only have to grab a couple of tomato plants to put in my rather unusual 'found' planters. More about them at another time.

Seed On!

And enjoy...

Flutter by ... Butterfly

I went to pick the peppers and tomatoes for processing Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday.
The forecasters in our area have called for heavy rain, flash flooding, a brief tornado, and generally some really crappy weather for later this week.

In fact they are predicting several rounds of thunderstorms which will produce flooding again.
Oh.

So I decided I best save what I can from the garden and get it put on the porch out of the weather.

However I didn't plan on seeing all of this beautiful insect activity.

So I ran back to the house and grabbed a camera.

The macro camera was a poor choice as I soon found that the Monarch's would startle if I got close to them. I pulled out my old zoom lens.

Everywhere I turned there was activity going on.

And then the flight of Monarch Butterflies, dozens of them everywhere! Swirling and dancing.

Not a great shot, but I was trying to follow it. This lens is a kit zoom and it doesn't focus as quickly as the pro lenses.

But, I did get some nice shots never the less.

After about 45 minutes the sky darkened and it threatened to rain. I watched as all the insects except the squash bugs seemed to disappear.

I was so delighted to have seen dozens of Monarchs.
I think it made my whole day.

Color me happy with flutter...byes..

Time Off

Well I'm not really going to complain about my work schedule.  I am a part time employee that just happens to be filling in a lot.  My days off seem to be pretty rare and the schedule for me is a bit brutal.  Too much swapping from day work to overnight work for my tastes.

Anyway, yesterday I woke up at 5am and literally bounced out of bed.  It was my day off for the week and I wasn't going to waste a moment of it.

I made some coffee and looked out the window to see the sky.  It was overcast and glum looking.  I waited for my coffee to brew and then on a whim grabbed my camera bag and headed for the ridgetop.

At first it didn't look like it was going to be very interesting, but I thought I'd have my coffee and enjoy the solitude and the sky anyway.

As the sun began to rise, it did get more beautiful.

The colors became brilliant and the fog started to creep across the low lying areas.

After I got home from the short lived but rather stunning sunrise, a light rain moved in.

We really need rain badly, the pastures are beginning to show stress along with the corn.  

We experienced a few brief showers and during one of them I went to the garden and picked some summer squash and zucchini along with some green beans.

For some reason the garden that my neighbors planted is doing wonderfully.  The squash has taken over and it looks like a bumper crop!

Squash soup, squash pie, squash, squash....!

And then I took a shot of the climbing beans that were planted.  They are literally climbing anything they can wrap around.  The blossoms are pretty but what I found while zooming in was more interesting.

Some sort of spider.

After I took this, I heard thunder close by and headed back indoors.

I took my garden goodies and made up a batch of cooked zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, green beans, onions, a bit of dill, and carrots.  It was sort of a sauteed veggie delight.  
Very delicious too.

Today we go to Madison for hubby's two month check up.  Then tomorrow it is back at the strange and convoluted hours that I have been working.

I have been assured that my hours will decrease by the end of the month.  I am looking forward to that.

I want to have some time this fall to ride Siera, hike, and enjoy a bit of the fall.

Morris says he'd like it if I had some more time to spend at home also.