Even though the ruby-throated hummingbird isn't expected in Missouri till mid-April at the earliest, I went ahead and put a hummingbird feeder out. Everything else has been early this year, why not the little hummers? Who ever heard of harvesting morel mushrooms in March? Of course I realize mushrooms don't look at the calendar: they only heed ground temperature. I also put the Baltimore Oriole feeder out ahead of time, with grape jelly on it. I only got well acquainted with them last year. I hope they return. They don't hang around long, but they sure brighten up the yard while they're here. The goldfinches are a bright yellow now, and they are always around.
This iris has been threatening to bloom for a week, but so far nothing. I lecture it every time I walk past.
The dwarf lilac has almost opened up its blooms. The giant lilac bushes around here are all in full bloom, but not this baby. There is a slight chance of a frost tonight. Most of the vegetables in my garden that are up won't be harmed by a frost. I do have a row of green beans I planted from last year's seed, but rather than try to cover them for protection, I think I would just replant. There is one tomato plant set out so far; I will cover it if the threat of frost continues.
When we moved back here into the trailer house, Cliff's sister moved into our old house. One of the first things she had Cliff do after she moved here was to put up a clothes line. There had been a clothes line in times past, but when I was working full-time I didn't use it much, and Cliff got tired of mowing around it; so I told him to take out the poles if he wanted to. Well, obviously I don't have a job now, and since there was a clothesline in Rena's yard, I decided to make use of it. It's quite a trek over there if you are carrying a basket of wet clothes, but I put the basket in a little red wagon and hauled the clothes that way. I never complained about this. I was just glad to be able to save a little on electricity. Oh, every once in awhile I would lose some underwear from the top of a basket of dry clothes, but somebody always noticed it and retrieved it. I guess Cliff felt sorry for me having to take my laundry all that distance, because last week he put up a clothesline in our back yard.
I told him it wasn't necessary, but I have to admit it's nice to just step right out my own back door and hang up my laundry. If you wonder what that green object in the foreground is, it's an inflatable ball that Iris killed; the grandson and Heather brought it out for Titan to play with, and it didn't last ten minutes. You can't even turn my dog loose with a football. She will chew and chew until she finally gets a hole in the thing and then do her best to destroy it. I must go make a pumpkin pie. Actually it'll be a squash pie, because that's what I have in the freezer. Last time I made a squash pie, picky granddaughter Amber ate a piece and said, "Now THAT'S what pumpkin pie should taste like!" Someone informed her it was squash, and I thought there for a minute she was going to puke. After pronouncing it perfect, she was aghast that she had been tricked.
Spring will not be denied, in spite of unexpected snowstorms like the one we had Saturday. Actually, out here in the boonies, it was a snow/sleet/rainstorm. I wondered since some of the tulips were so close to blooming, if this would mess up my plans for seeing colorful flowers soon.
Obviously not. I'm really just learning about tulips.
I have been anxious to see if the bushes I put out last July would live through the winter.
There's the healthy lilac bush....
and the burning bush is leafing out nicely.
Now, I know pansies are very hardy, and I didn't expect to lose the little plants. I did, however, expect the hard freeze and ice to destroy the existing blooms.
Not so!
Judging by all these, I'd guess that the local peach orchard wasn't harmed by the cold, either.
In the garden, everything that was up and growing is still as good as ever. I notice the few peas I planted came up rather sparsely, so I may decide to either replant them or just forget about them and plant something else. We'll see.
It was a wonderful hot-tub morning. This winter has taught me to get out there on the chilly, or even very cold, mornings. Once it's above 60, all it does is overheat me! I expect to turn the temperature down quite a bit, come summer.
The sky is clear and blue, and it isn't so windy today.
