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An outing for fur kid and I

Deciding to take my dog and buddy Jasper for a walk in the forest and around the farm today. It really was a great experience. I found loads of great asparagus and picked some early berries.

In the forest we walked and explored. Jasper loved flushing out all kinds of little critters, and had a good time just barking at them a couple of times. He’d never ever run them down or harming them. Just a flush out and a couple barks is enough for him.

I packed a light lunch that we shared. My fur kid enjoys the same odd sandwiches I eat and also raw veggies and fruit, so he and I both ate, then I had to feed the hogs and steer. Jasper wasn’t into that and decided to look at all the new kittens we have in the barn. It was a really peaceful and calm day. I love nature. The weather was perfect and I indeed had the best companion ever with me.

 

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Kill then shop

Today I played the Terminator in the back yard. The patio is all old brick, which was literally covered in heavy weeds. I used a great weed killer last year, that killed the weeds within an hour, but at the first sign of Spring, up came the weeds again, though the weed killer people promised a full year of no weed infestation.

The whole chore took a lot less time than I thought it would and I was rewarded with dying ( I thought I heard them screaming) weeds at a very rapid pace, and also a great start on my tan.

Tomorrow I go shopping for some top soil for the beds I dug up, and also I’d like to pick out some tomato plants and I saw an ad that there were garden hand tools of a good brand on sale at the tractor supply store that I go to. I’m sure I’ll find seeds and other plants I want though.

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Mother’s Day flower boxes

The kids made me shut my eyes as they led me outside to reveal my Mother’s Day present, which were a set of flower boxes. I loved them right away! I’ve been wanting regular flower boxes for a long time, as I have a sort of project in mind,, using them and some other garden items, in the front yard, and now I can at least start on this project. The lovely flowers of all sort that apparently my kids bought and transplanted into the box, were the finishing touch on my present.

I love window boxes also. When we bought the house, there were some on the house, but they were in sad state of repair. I finally got them down and they literally were falling apart in places because of wood rot, and the fact that they were super old.

A window box in each of the front windows, as there are two of them, would look really pretty. It’s on my list of things I get while saving up my pennies. OR, I could save money and try to make my own.

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The Bunk Bed has arrived

For a long time, I waited patiently to find just the right Bunk Bed for my two son’s who share a room. There is a five year difference in ages, but they are really close and call one another best friends. Now that they both have to share a room, it means organization and also planning for storage space, going on in that said room. So far there hasn’t been any big arguments, but I expect to hear some in the future. They do get on one another’s nerves every now and then. It’s bound to happen in a room that size.

To make matters a bit more cramped, they have moved in a full drum set. This, along with all the other musical instruments and such, takes up a great deal of space. My guys decided that they wanted a new set of bunk beds, since the one they had was rather bulky and took up a lot of wall and floor space that they need.

I told my guys that I wanted to get them beds with enough room left over for their desks and computer things. Then I began some looking for what I thought would be a serviceable piece of furniture and not just a bed. I found is called the Empire Loft, and it will be perfect in the room. With both in the room, they both will have their own space while doing work and homework.

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Outdoor patio heaters are awesome

When my sister got married, she and her husband wanted to have the wedding outside, with tents set up for the guests and food, but they also wanted to get outdoor patio heaters, which to me are awesome to have. My sister wanted to buy them so they could sit out on the patio in evenings that got a bit chilly. She figured also that since our family are always celebrating one event or another, we actually all wanted to go in together to get these heaters, since we no doubt would be borrowing them if needed for a big get together.

I have liked these patio heaters because though I don’t know too much about them, I do know that when we built our deck/patio, I wanted to get a small heater right away. We did a lot of shopping, and comparing prices. We changed our minds at least twenty times also. Not to mention the fact that I would like one kind and my husband wanted another. Personally, just to be fair, I don’t care really what make it is, as long as I am warmed by the machine, it isn’t too pricy and it lasts.

I’m thinking that by buying a couple of the outdoor patio heaters, we’re going to be happy with them, especially after night time swimming. Even in the summer, for the most part the evenings and into the night time, it gets a bit chilly now and then.

 

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Home energy audit to save money

Because of this past winter, and the amount that our energy bills were, we have decided to have a home energy audit. I know that this house is old and drafty, but it also can be fixed up to be a warm and cozy place, with the right assistance to show and tell us how we can save money on our energy bills.

I’ve always lived in older homes that were cold and drafty while I was in my 20’s. I loved each house, and it seemed rather “quaint” to have to use lap robes and haul in wood for the fire place, that wasn’t for ambiance, but for real heat. Now that I am older and know more about ways to save money in the long run with the heating bills, I want to hire a home insulation contractor, since I found out we have very little insulation in this house.

I’ve read that there are federal grants for home improvement, and that would help a great deal with the financial aspect of getting my home insulated and perhaps do even more improvement of the house, as I’m super tired of waiting for the money that I save, to be enough for these improvements. It would add to my peace of mind if I knew I could be able to fix this home up.

 

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Envy Zinnias

Last summer I saved the zinnia seeds that are now three generations strong. 🙂 I planted green zinnias, that some seed company’s call “Envy” and others don’t even carry. Around here, or at least in the garden departments of the stores around here, the stores don’t carry them, that I have ever seen.

My seeds came from a friend who first found them in Ohio. I’m sure that there are places that readers will be able to go out right now and find, but to me, it’s all in the “seed seeking” and finding of these little green gems. I always dead head my zinnias and save the seeds, but I put the each color and size of the seeds into packets (easy to make one’s self and a great gardening tool) and mark them, so I know which I’m going to be growing, or relatively close to growing,what I marked on the package, since one never really knows for sure. To me, the seeds are more organized and I’m somewhat prepared. I think I’m going to be pretty sure what color and seed are going where. The green zinnias make an lovely contrast, also a great conversation piece in the gardens.

 

 

 

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Sad and long day

It’s been a long and rather sad day. My daughter found out one of the family dogs has cancer, and it’s hitting home pretty hard, as I had the daughter of this dog and she died last fall of the same type of cancer. The vet said that they are going to make China, my daughters dog, comfortable and give her something for infection.

This day seemed to drag on and on while waiting for news from my daughter about her pet, which actually along with her other dogs, is a family member. I know how it feels, since I have lost quite a few of my beloved fur friends in my time, and also the pets the kids all grew up with.

China and her mate Tyson, have been in the family for nearly 14 years, so the vet figured their age in dog years is about 100. She’s led a really good and fun filled life. I am so used to dog and house sitting for my daughter when they go on vacations or leave with the kids for the weekends, so I’m going to miss  China when she passes on. Tyson will be lost also. It’s sad, but a fact of life, and all I can do is be there for them all after their pet is gone, like I always have been.

 

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Barstools for gifts

One of the home furnishings that my aunt needs is to find a bar stool like the other three she already has. I love going to her house, since it almost looks like it could be a place that was built for the tropics. She has loads of hanging and potted ferns and plants in all of her ceiling to floor windows. What she calls the breakfast room, has a great bar type island and there are supposed to be two rattan and wicker bar stools on each side of it.

I’ve wanted to replace the stool for her for about three years now, and she also has wanted to replace it, but we haven’t found anything that looks like her other three. I know that the set was expensive, and looking for one bar stool to match has been so unsuccessful that she’s decided to spend the money and get the four of them that look similar, but also have more of a soft seat and a higher back to them.

She looked online and found a great set that she can also pick the type of fabric for the seat that will match her breakfast room. I love the ones she showed me, since they are even named Hospitality Key West. I think they will look very tropical in her beautiful room. Bless my Aunt, as she said to save my money for more plants, since she wants these and they are way over my budget, but not hers.

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An over abundance of chives

Looking out at my garden, I have noticed that I have a big time over abundance of chives. I must have at least 12 patches of them that I have counted just now, as it’s a far as I can see out the front door. I’m going to have to dig up clumps and give a lot away. I’ll also be saving space for other compatible plants.

I know that one of my long time friends is going to take some this weekend, and bring me some of her geraniums in exchange, but I have plenty more to share. I do plan on drying a lot of them, and lately my son likes his (as I do) mixed in with his mashed potatoes, so he’ll grab some and chop them up.

After the chives, I have to definitely thin out all of my various mints and cooking herbs. A great deal of them are all volunteer plants. Maybe I’ll just start another few gardens in the back yard. It’s closer to the kitchen and would be much handier.