The ten laws of gardening.

THE TEN LAWS OF GARDENING!
1. Nothing ever looks like it does on the seed packet.
2. Your lawn is always slightly bigger than your desire to mow it.
3. Whichever garden tool you want is always at the back of the shed.
4. The only way to ensure rain, is to give the garden a good soaking.
5. Weeds grow at precisely the rate you pull them out.
6. Autumn follows summer, winter follows autumn, drought follows planting.
7. Evergreens go a funny shade of brown in the winter.
8. The only way to guarantee some colour all year round is to buy a garden gnome.
9. However bare the lawn, grass will appear in the cracks between the patio paving stones.
10. "Annuals" mean disappointment once a year.

Ah yes...it is so true.
I found these at http://www.organicdownunder.com/tenlaws.htm which means that it is true on both hemispheres.

Cat nip dealer

I felt a bit like a drug dealer over the weekend. It is time to harvest the cat nip (mint) in moms yard, which I did on Friday by literally pulling up the whole plant and depositing it dirt and all in the back of my car. I thought it made the car smell nice (kinda sweet and earthly). Sir did not agree with me - with no uncertainty she said it was icky. By the time I got home on Friday I was not in the mood to deal with it so I left it in the car..Saturday I went to the farmers market, then ran around in town for awhile with these large plants in the back. Each time I saw a cop I just had to smile.

When I did get home I pulled the plants out of the car and set them on the kitchen floor on newspaper ( in an attempt to contain the dirt). It took only about 7 min for Indy, Moragan and Fiona to settle in for a good munch. If you have ever seen cats high on cat nip you know that they like to munch out then run around like crazy - or in Indy's case, roll around on the tan carpet leaving bits of black fur- then they sleep. Hummm. This somehow vaguely reminds me of ... things best left in the past.

Wonder if they cats were seeing the world this way...Yes,I did take it and no, it is not photoshoped at all. I will admit that I'm not sure what I did -I pointed the camera at a wooded lot (yes it was facing into the sun) and this is what I ended up with. Very Psychedelic.

Laborless day

We had great weather for Labor Day, which is also Sir's birthday this year. You only get to turn 4 once and she made the most of it! All the kids played in the creek, slid down the water slide and played pin the tail on the donkey. (Flopsy the goat is just glad they did not want to pin the tail on the goat!)

I know that we are still in a drought so I should feel guilty about watering my garden but I just can't seem to help myself. Each evening I go out, talk to the still green maters, and turn the water on. Now I don't water if we have had an afternoon shower (cross fingers and knock on wood) but I do go out to see if there is even a hint of red on the maters. I will give them another week or so then if they have not turned they will be fried.

On another note: Indy did something unusual for him- he brought in a chipmunk. Bringing in a chipmunk is not so unusual, what was is that it was still alive. Needless to say it got lose in the house and all 6 of my 4 legged companions felt the need to "help" get it out of the house. I decided to go out and weed while this was going on...All I could hear was an occasional squeal and bark. 10 min later out came Indy with his prize, who stalked off into the lower part of the yard to enjoy his meal in peace.

Happy Cats

I can hardly believe that it is Wednesday already! Where does the time go? Last Sunday I went to A and T's in Wilkes county for a cookout. A must have some kind of internal radar because each time she plans a cookout it rains!! And yes this time it stared raining as I was heading down the mountain. Now we don't let that stop us from having fun we just give the weather the required 10-15 minuets for it to change and we carry on.

This may look like just a bunch of weeds to the human eye, but to a cat it is heaven! We planted cat mint in the yard a couple of years ago and now find it popping up everywhere. I like to pull the whole plant up, dry it, and store it for over the winter. Then in January or so when the cats are getting a little house crazy I just rub some onto there cat scratch and watch them go nuts.

Michael Vick takes plea

I don't know whether to do a happy dance or scream with pain...Michael Vick is taking a plea.
That man- no strike that- that morally debased ass should be tied to a tree and beaten around the head, shoulders and groin with a baseball bat, then staked to the ground, his mouth stuffed with salt and covered in honey and stinging ants... All of this is still way to good for that SOB.

Summer shots

On my way to work this morning it was only 71! Whahoo! We did have a bit of a storm come through yesterday and what a difference it has made. The lower humidity is a welcome relief to all of us including my four legged friends - All three of the dogs at work are going nuts! Chasing each other round and round the house.

I have been a bit of a shutterbug this week and have gotten a couple of great summer shots. The one above was taken on the ridge above the holler on my way home last night.

I found this little gold finch at the edge of Moms garden having a blast with the thistle. I tried to get a little closer and of course that last step was one two many and he flew away.

OK, So I just can't help but add this photo of Fiona sleeping..I guess the light was just too bright!


There is a "chance" of scattered thunderstorms this weekend but you know how it is..it may rain in Boone but not on my side of the mountain. I do have a new way of getting it to rain at my house that is even better then washing the car...I hang out laundry.

I did not get all of my planting done last weekend so I will finish that on saturday, after I go to the farmers market..and my maters have fallen down..that is my fault, I did not put cages around all of them. When I finish all of that I am going to sit in my big orange chair with a mint spritzer and watch for my resident bat to make his/her nightly apparence.

All the chicks in a row

Ah... Monday, Monday...Another week begins and all I am thinking about are the projects left unfinished at home. I have to remind myself that they will all get done in time.

I took this photo a couple of days ago out in Bethel. That rooster looked so sure of himself as he herded all his "ladies" out of the barn. I know several folks (including myself) who would be happy if the people in their lives would/could be maneuvered, coerced, or gently dircted so easily into going in the direction that we deem correct..at least some of the time. Perhaps we are using the wrong reward...bugs and grubs seemed to work for this rooster.