I've sat down to blog for the last 5-6 days trying catch up on my blog but haven't completed one yet because the computer has been running so slowly that I get up, walk away before I  take a hammer to it.  Then my brain gets all scattered.  I loose focus and tackle another project, like go to the garden and pull weeds, do a fish emulsion fertilizing, pick more spinach, lettuce, and now Swiss chard, stand and plan where I can squeeze in some more seeds, and sometimes stand and just admire the towering sunflowers and yarrow.  Love these cool mountain mornings.   Chilly enough to run the heat when we first get up until the sun warms the house.  The past several mornings have been around 36 degrees with temperatures topping off around 70 by late afternoon.   I didn't set up at the market Saturday because winds gust of 20-30 mph were predicted and my aprons would have become colorful kites. 

Latest harvest from my morning walk to the garden.
Lettuce Merlot, Russian Red kale, and rhubarb.

                                    Lettuce and arugula.
 All the lettuces will be harvested this week.  They're about done.  Multiple bags of lettuce, spinach, and now  Swiss chard have taken over the fridge.  We eat a large salad at lunch and steamed or sauteed spinach with the evening meal.  Made a spinach quiche one night and Swiss chard, onion, spinach and cheese frittata last night.  Local strawberries are coming in to our fresh stands and farmers markets.  Bought two large baskets this week to make a strawberry/rhubarb dessert and cleaned, trimmed, and froze some for later eating and shakes.  Tonight I'll make New Bedford Portuguese kale soup.  Cliff needs some meat added to his garden greens before he starts hopping and twitching his nose. 

We've actually seen three hummingbirds at the same time.  I think we have two females and one male.  When I'm in the kitchen chopping rhubarb at the sink in view of the window feeder and Cliff is in his recliner watching the back porch feeder, we report to each other our sightings.  Isn't retirement wonderful!!!  It allows you to be an epicurean of life's pleasures.  The other day we talked about working part-time so we could have more spending money.  That fleeting idea was gone in an instant.
                                           from the kitchen window

Springtime decorates the countryside with tiny yellow buttercups, delicate ferns, wild daisies, and other eye-appealing "weeds" provided by Mother Nature.  Our subdivision blooms with these delightful wild flowers.  No need to cut them and bring them into the house because the delicate wild daisies, wild violets, and an assortment of other wild flora are in my view from the kitchen window.  Or so I thought.  Yesterday every wild flower, every blade of grass, up and down our country road was scalped down to the clay.  Dirt and dead leaves flew everywhere like a category one hurricane.  Luckily, I was able to sprint out with my scissors in hand and a vase to save the clump across the road. 

I just don't get the reason for destroying nature's beauty. 

Comments

Karen Swain said…
We hung two hummingbird feeders from each end of our awning. Have seen a male and a female frequently at the front feeder but they just flit by the back one. That one has bee guards and I don't think they care for it. We have seen oriole feeders for sale at various stores. Something I have never seen. You fill them with some kind of jelly-like substance. The other day I was watching our hummer feeders and an oriole checked out both of them. Think I might buy an oriole feeder!
Betsy said…
I've seen the Oriole feeders and often wondered if the ants take over. My other HB feeders have the bee guards and the hummingbirds aren't bothered by them. Ants will get in the guards so I clean the guards often. Having HBs keep you busy. We've been thinking about you and Bob. Hope your job is going well.

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