The Mountain Thymes

This time of year I struggle with leaving my garden to go into the house. I'm surrounded by fresh new greening trees, flowering dogwoods, wild azaleas, and layers of pollen thick enough to write my grocery list. This morning when I figured out where the tomatoes should go in May and June, I transplanted the borage plants in the same area.  During the winter I placed three borage seeds in recycled fruit clam-shell containers and placed them on the porch through the cold and rain.  I was amazed to see that they actually sprouted in winter in their little "green houses".  Next year I'll do six plants. Mature tomato plants attract the most disgustingly hideous huge green hornworms that decimate the tomatoes and the leaves.  The beautiful borage plants deter them and are bee friendly. This is obviously not my garden...................yet. I also set about a dozen onions bulbs and will do more next trip to the garden.  I'm typing this at 9 pm and so far I'm n...

"The earth laughs in flowers."   ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson April 15 Wild and windy today and yesterday!  Gusts to 20+mph.  Brought all the porch and hanging plants in last night.  My little sprouting greens begged to be back in the house for a few days until this last cold front passes.  I guess this one is called the dogwood winter as the locals say the dogwoods are in bloom. Many of the yellow finches have molted their drab winter feathers for their new brilliant yellow garb.  I wonder if the molting process is uncomfortable making the finches grouchy.  We have one that is between old and new feathers and is always in a foul mood striking out at other birds when they try to get seeds at the feeders.  Maybe he's just ornery. April 19 In the past 24 hours we've had 3.5+ inches of rain, a little reprieve this afternoon with sun trying to make an appearance.  Yesterday Cliff fired up the old Toyota and gassed the vole holes after I discove...

Our first ruby-throated hummingbird arrived yesterday at 5:35 pm.  We were moving around in the kitchen putting  place mats and soup bowls on the island for supper when I saw a small dark streak shoot across the window from the feeder.  A little later I saw him cautiously perch on the opposite side so he wouldn't be noticed.  Believe it or not, these little creatures have personalities.  This one is new to our area.  He's small and darts away when a bird flies over.  We get to know their little quirks.  Barb and I compare HB stories.  She and Mike name theirs according to their behaviors and sometimes their variant colors.  Anyway, I filled the rest of the feeders and they are hung in the same places as previous years.  Cliff has been purchasing a few needed tools and saws to make his woodworking projects successful. In two days he made my garden storage shelves for the porch.  I stained it the same as the house. ...

Last Thursday we headed to the Florida panhandle and spent two days with Bill, Boni, and Emma, Boni's 98 year old mother.  Emma has slowed down a little!  Actually, I think she was doing better some days than Boni and I were.  Weather this time of year is still pleasant, not too humid.   We walked in the mornings before the sun got too hot, visited St. George Island, and ate delicious fresh-caught shrimp in the evening.  Also, caught up with Ginger and Larry, more retired teachers from Florida, one evening.  Cliff and I haven't seen them in years so we really enjoyed our visit.   On the way down Cliff and I saw the remnants of hurricane Erma and Michael , blue tarps and downed trees.  We understand the despair.  Boni is still doing her artwork, selling in art shows.  Emma tags along with her to the shows.   Some of Boni's cut-glass flowers that she sells in art shows.  Bill is always building something.  If...