Peas, Glorious Peas

Spring is moving toward summer. I have iris's blooming, birds singing, and peas a growing. Fresh sugar snaps are hard to beat..unless it is fresh from the garden tomatoes.

One of my favorite childhood memories is sitting on the porch steps eating fresh picked perfectly ripe tomatoes with salt. All the juices running down chins, hands and arms, making little pools between our feet. Now that was like eating a little piece of heaven.

over Memorial day weekend I had some company- Dad and M came to see Sirs "graduate" from Mary's school, and it was Zigs first birthday. Sister number #1 had his party at home in Todd. The look on his face when he saw the cake was classic. MINE! That kid loves to eat. He is getting so mobile, soon he will be running everywhere.

Dad and M cut down a tree (sister #1's OM helped) that had broken a couple of weeks ago during one of our wind storms. It is so nice to look out and see that tree gone!

I also got to go to P&M's in Todd for a cookout on Sunday. They have a pond stocked with trout. Yuuuummy! There is a fish in this picture, but it is a Bass. I also had one of the best peach daiquiris ever- I think it had something to do with the GA shine in it. Needless to say a good time was had by all!

Rain and shine

The weather has been so mixed the last couple of days. Rain, sunshine, rain, sunshine, wind. I know that my little garden is enjoying the rain and the sunshine but the wind...enough already. The wind broke 2 of my iris's the other day. I can't really complain because I just brought them in and have had a wonderful time watching them open.

I have been mulching my plants recently with some great compost from friends but I have decided that I need to put down some actual mulch. I put down a ton of pine mulch last year and have heard that you need to change each time you do this. Well, now of course I can't find where I read this to find out what I should use next. (Maybe I just had a delusional gardening moment. ) I might go with crypress, but I might be able to get some free wood chips. I'm just not sure if you should put down "green" wood chips - last thing I want is to bring in bugs. I know we have a master gardener hotline up here, as soon as I find the number I will call.

Of course, I will just have to sit back, and wait for the weather to figure out what it is doing. This is really not such a bad thing. Really.

May

"'Tis like the birthday of the world,

When earth was born in bloom;

The light is made of many dyes,

The air is all perfume: There's crimson buds, and white and blue,

The very rainbow showers Have turned to blossoms where they fell,

And sown the earth with flowers."

- Thomas Hood

On a Sunday afternoon...

This has been one of the best weekends I have had in a long time..first the Herb Fest then a beautiful Sunday. I can tell when it is really feels like spring to me...the yard art comes out. I get the gnomes and shrooms out, hang the wind chimes and geraniums, and put out my very home made bird bath. Indy and Fiona took up residence under the bird bath, just waiting. I can hear their little kitty mantra..They do not see us, be one with the bird bath, they will not see us, be one with the bird bath...

I do not put out all the gnomes that I have - my neighbors would think I might be a bit off. I save most of them for when lovely sister #2 comes to visit. It drives her nuts to see the gnomes in the yard.

I also hung my hummingbird feeder and had my first visitor within minutes! One of the pretty green ones, also had a black and white later. They are so much fun to watch. I would have had several others (or the same one several times) but I was putting poly on my new address sign on a table under the feeder. Once I quit and moved away I heard several but did not get over there fast enough to see them.

Next week I will be planting all the veggies I got in Asheville along with the seedlings I grew. Yeah!!

Asheville Herb Festival

If anyone wants to know how to make me smile just take me to a nursery and let me drool over the plants. Yesterday, I went with Moms, MS & PS to the Asheville Herb Festival. Oh.My.Gawd. I was in heaven. There were vendors from all over the state there with everything you can think of - including gensing! I took one large basket thinking that when it was full I would be done. Nope that did not happen. I filled up the basket and two bags! I came home with a couple of herbs that I have been looking for forever - wormwood and southerwood, I also have 3 kinds of basil, a really nice rosemary (in a kool biodegradable pot that is actually hard), lime thyme, and OK, so I did get some tomatoes and hot peppers for the garden and some fresh veggies for me.

As an added bonus I got to meet another Blogger - Faerie Made. Her Soaps and lotions are incredible!! If you are anywhere near Asheville you should try to stop by! The Asheville Herb Festival is May 2-4,2008

State troopers stop using their dogs.

I just found this story on the Charlotte Observer site. Patrol stops using its dogs
Official: K-9 training program to be reviewed. Reading that "troopers in the canine program said dogs have been shocked with a stun gun, kicked and suspended until they are nearly unconscious." I am appalled! These are NC State Highway Patrol. They are suppost to uphold the law. To me this is animal cruelty not the way you train an expensive dog.

Further on it says "an international consulting firm hired to conduct an in-depth review of the N.C. Highway Patrol said the agency needs to improve its management -- particularly in ethical training.." Well no shit.

I am now ashamed of my state.