tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69348888243101322462024-02-07T22:15:14.259-06:00The View Out My WindowThe adventures of my life in the middle of corn fields.Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-73517284449336202902016-05-26T09:19:00.001-05:002016-05-26T09:19:25.546-05:00Spring Flowers<span style="color: #38761d;">I think it has been a busy May, but I'm just not sure where the days have gone. That is one of the banes of retirement. Days slip by. I know I went to Rapid City to visit the folks, we have had a few doctor appointments and I took Wayne fishing. But we have done little to no gardening. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">And despite our ignoring it, the yard is in almost full splendor. That is one of the advantages of having all perennials in the yard. The only annuals I plant anymore go in pots sitting among the bushes and on the porch. And of course the vegetable garden. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">So today, I thought I would show you a few of the flowers blooming. In the next month, you will be barraged with pictures of the peonies as they open. Right now, I only have a few of them, but other things are blooming. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaq3KNGtIQVuh4d917L6Ca1wGpSssEK8IwRtrjjLriHyZOx35b0_1z7Msu70uVS1_O-F0jm0xt-AZTL772chj_DTj86a6rlyq5u0OyZYx_X0ylCcnOYs71XE8Cda_-a1-Tssic2EoZUaxU/s1600/Laura+Dessert+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaq3KNGtIQVuh4d917L6Ca1wGpSssEK8IwRtrjjLriHyZOx35b0_1z7Msu70uVS1_O-F0jm0xt-AZTL772chj_DTj86a6rlyq5u0OyZYx_X0ylCcnOYs71XE8Cda_-a1-Tssic2EoZUaxU/s320/Laura+Dessert+2016.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"> Laura Dessert</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ4Uwbqe1mDgeXp-Ak5Ad3Vba5mEuS5dN7exo80czDEegX2_SUeF-jvnr1sI4IhNVZ07U-xKgsYKWDOs8R6sYdzX4IywTBiCQFp_KxA0lOX7QJfukJnM7rNujgowwHdTx8Sfow9fK6UYjS/s1600/124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ4Uwbqe1mDgeXp-Ak5Ad3Vba5mEuS5dN7exo80czDEegX2_SUeF-jvnr1sI4IhNVZ07U-xKgsYKWDOs8R6sYdzX4IywTBiCQFp_KxA0lOX7QJfukJnM7rNujgowwHdTx8Sfow9fK6UYjS/s640/124.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Tree Peony</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61lFOFvHq4I2Pb7GrMgeZJ4ySaii1SLXYDYpl6qiV-4cy3O2HQvNc0jDvt_8oZaOvZw8Dc7qpPAr3nkMcGgr9tBOyt_mnj7H7NSsMdqbJiCn0oxW8WS7JnPOP9uKXL-oznR0K8kOhr8Z1/s1600/DSCN3827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61lFOFvHq4I2Pb7GrMgeZJ4ySaii1SLXYDYpl6qiV-4cy3O2HQvNc0jDvt_8oZaOvZw8Dc7qpPAr3nkMcGgr9tBOyt_mnj7H7NSsMdqbJiCn0oxW8WS7JnPOP9uKXL-oznR0K8kOhr8Z1/s320/DSCN3827.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-small;"> Flowering Crab</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSUMbPpNWZCwe_qIMnmfewaehzuNbe8THRktfz9fV-KUZ6j1MzFDmLngpXDD9nL8GLazlzvGjG_PYuxUYUpnS6TffYTcsbOwGyNxAwfsqTx-B729ZbmjkMNbojq-83Hh0UF0ReEDOyHaP/s1600/DSCN3838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSUMbPpNWZCwe_qIMnmfewaehzuNbe8THRktfz9fV-KUZ6j1MzFDmLngpXDD9nL8GLazlzvGjG_PYuxUYUpnS6TffYTcsbOwGyNxAwfsqTx-B729ZbmjkMNbojq-83Hh0UF0ReEDOyHaP/s640/DSCN3838.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-small;"> Lilac</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvToXCkuvKu3p4fjc6XfNncNGHcFHNmAeukBdWJqYLxnjE_d_z5a1WHU_J8TfUGXYvyj3w3gnIRAPZdyd_JTb5uRtTt0gjnPYJWwqAwOUD5m_MuhBSLc2AMnpufzUctDapdEz1PM_OdeX5/s1600/DSCN3849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvToXCkuvKu3p4fjc6XfNncNGHcFHNmAeukBdWJqYLxnjE_d_z5a1WHU_J8TfUGXYvyj3w3gnIRAPZdyd_JTb5uRtTt0gjnPYJWwqAwOUD5m_MuhBSLc2AMnpufzUctDapdEz1PM_OdeX5/s320/DSCN3849.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-small;"> Flowering Almond Bush</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1RzKoYf2GnQox9NGXfxfdwJoA73T9oClStFk4mextDMnp-6erT7T3bwCAA7BcZpsC1GL_LRlXM1ZJX9_1ZqeReuNx3b_gE5_I0MreIZXAFgFBwl0RXaloY7dJGU5CpIq_JfStq2-BCvR/s1600/DSCN3853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1RzKoYf2GnQox9NGXfxfdwJoA73T9oClStFk4mextDMnp-6erT7T3bwCAA7BcZpsC1GL_LRlXM1ZJX9_1ZqeReuNx3b_gE5_I0MreIZXAFgFBwl0RXaloY7dJGU5CpIq_JfStq2-BCvR/s320/DSCN3853.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-small;"> Bleeding Heart</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-oDoWxm5T-xYiLY6l_u2FEtLIdKmnZF_6pLEXO695_2MrUD-kZCNQBRTUoPG5_VksyyDSHxbECKSAHTu57DIPWKwtQzQoyKF9EkZUT17IG3TEbmNXgJWFU8427mYADJH55PTxzFwwQ6Z/s1600/DSCN3874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-oDoWxm5T-xYiLY6l_u2FEtLIdKmnZF_6pLEXO695_2MrUD-kZCNQBRTUoPG5_VksyyDSHxbECKSAHTu57DIPWKwtQzQoyKF9EkZUT17IG3TEbmNXgJWFU8427mYADJH55PTxzFwwQ6Z/s640/DSCN3874.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-small;"> Apple Tree</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDu2UbnECxGesBrFncgU8ezLDeMRQ_P50ft3yohZAL1sI9-nv6gUGOdSojl-MU-KOJ3x5EbKzD_lS5sf50PzlBgiXYX4B2y3VI4TkrKQQjTtJtMQ1Vqcs9ZjJfUd46dztCiWft9AiW-f0x/s1600/175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDu2UbnECxGesBrFncgU8ezLDeMRQ_P50ft3yohZAL1sI9-nv6gUGOdSojl-MU-KOJ3x5EbKzD_lS5sf50PzlBgiXYX4B2y3VI4TkrKQQjTtJtMQ1Vqcs9ZjJfUd46dztCiWft9AiW-f0x/s640/175.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-small;">Iris Bed</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">As you can see, the yard is alive with bloom. This is what I have been working to get for the last 10 years. Yes, 10 years this June. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Now I just have to find someone to do the weeding. </span></div>
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<br />Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-74110243747278382232016-05-09T06:56:00.000-05:002016-05-09T06:56:58.036-05:00Heading OutSister Connie and I are heading out for our annual Mother's Day week with our Mother. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRoak4xiiWsXjaXNu-Ot7HuNQwYqllXX0EE6cN0lyi98l57NrEcy_8cdE3oK6ut1hXe-ywLpWOcIKxTssuFz2NG-bODofMJR9Y6M4iDMj7sedSEujacuJQDgyg-2syzWwH8eES8qHwqd-/s1600/72April8Childs+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRoak4xiiWsXjaXNu-Ot7HuNQwYqllXX0EE6cN0lyi98l57NrEcy_8cdE3oK6ut1hXe-ywLpWOcIKxTssuFz2NG-bODofMJR9Y6M4iDMj7sedSEujacuJQDgyg-2syzWwH8eES8qHwqd-/s320/72April8Childs+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Mother and Dad taken by friend Josephine this year.</div>
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Of course, as normal, the weather is not the best. Cloudy, possible rain, and very windy. I can count on one hand the number of trips I have made across South Dakota without fighting the winds. So, since I do most of the driving, I'll be tired and have sore wrists when I get there. But it is worth it to see the folks, have a mini vacation and see other friends.<br />
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I lost my closest friend over a year ago, but made other new ones. So dinner out with friends is on the agenda. Along with a trip to my favorite greenhouse for annuals and possibly another bonsai. And this year, I have gotten to see my trees bloom before we go. And the lilacs are in full bloom. So I am taking some to Mother, since Rapid's are already spent. It will be a fragrant trip with them in the car. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCYaqDUYtX_BYJso00JYGSiwntfbARH3uXTqyGQ7R468CoUgeuip48Hmb6jK5eU55w9Czwg5c-vs-jLo-cQG1_yL1M4Y9KDcCuOFgkB1zZ2SA20IWt3VmbkvhKyvTMmd2AJlZDY7R6Luh/s1600/DSCN3838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCYaqDUYtX_BYJso00JYGSiwntfbARH3uXTqyGQ7R468CoUgeuip48Hmb6jK5eU55w9Czwg5c-vs-jLo-cQG1_yL1M4Y9KDcCuOFgkB1zZ2SA20IWt3VmbkvhKyvTMmd2AJlZDY7R6Luh/s320/DSCN3838.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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My lilacs in bloom.</div>
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<br />Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-60577492614015493772016-05-05T07:01:00.000-05:002016-05-05T07:01:09.651-05:00I'm Back!After 2 weeks of trying all my old emails and passwords, I have finally gotten back on my blog. Since I closed my Facebook account, I will be doing all my musings and pictures on here. <br />
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I'M BACK!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXoUbU4GN8cfwWoatZllF4YRGJ67xpct9MJ3DwoFOpZADmXpJ8PfZ_JfUf3XY5GkCtSNoIkTeEIW7QgGPRrw3p9EVW88PfMAvaVGy_iPk8J6TrSJ5eZ4iLLKcTn79aoanYvqtfJ-QWOGys/s1600/10291726_750685344952056_5712681712856376563_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXoUbU4GN8cfwWoatZllF4YRGJ67xpct9MJ3DwoFOpZADmXpJ8PfZ_JfUf3XY5GkCtSNoIkTeEIW7QgGPRrw3p9EVW88PfMAvaVGy_iPk8J6TrSJ5eZ4iLLKcTn79aoanYvqtfJ-QWOGys/s320/10291726_750685344952056_5712681712856376563_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-67358974834268377252011-10-06T09:59:00.000-05:002011-10-06T09:59:09.864-05:00Busy Fall<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia;">It's been real busy and will be more so until next week. I just got home from a beautiful wedding and now Hubby and I head to Marshall for his surgery. But I got a few minutes yesterday to take photos of our grove this fall. Some of the leaves are already brown because of our "mild" drought. But some, like the mulberries are really spectacular. So I thought I would share a few. I'll talk to you later.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/October%202011/?action=view&current=134.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/October%202011/134.jpg" border="0" alt="Red Twig Dogwood in October"></a>"></a><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/October%202011/?action=view&current=134.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Red Twig Dogwood in October" border="0" height="320" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/October%202011/134.jpg" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Red Twig Dogwood.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/October%202011/?action=view&current=123.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/October%202011/123.jpg" border="0" alt="Fall Mulberry Leaves"></a>"></a><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/October%202011/?action=view&current=123.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Fall Mulberry Leaves" border="0" height="320" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/October%202011/123.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"> Fall Mulberry Leaves.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/October%202011/?action=view&current=110.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/October%202011/110.jpg" border="0" alt="Fall Wood Vine"></a>"></a><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/October%202011/?action=view&current=110.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Fall Wood Vine" border="0" height="240" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/October%202011/110.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Wood Vine.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/October%202011/?action=view&current=082.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/October%202011/082.jpg" border="0" alt="Fall Buckthorn"></a>"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></a><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/October%202011/?action=view&current=082.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Fall Buckthorn" border="0" height="240" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/October%202011/082.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Baby Buckthorn.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/October%202011/?action=view&current=072.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/October%202011/072.jpg" border="0" alt="Ready for Harvest"></a>"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></a><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/October%202011/?action=view&current=072.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Ready for Harvest" border="0" height="240" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/October%202011/072.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Corn Ready for Harvest.</span> </span><br />
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</span>Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-19243279082419087512011-09-19T14:18:00.000-05:002011-09-19T14:18:27.834-05:00Hubby's New Toy<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">You know how everything changes in the blink of an eye?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well it has happened again here at Anniversary Grove.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We just got back from the foot doctor and Hubby has to have surgery on October sixth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some ways that is good news, and of course there is always a down side. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The good news is his foot pain will be gone, and after 6-8 weeks of idleness, he will be able to do all the winter work around here…foot pain free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The down side: because he is on pain pills every day for a variety of problems, and because he will have to get off them 7 days prior to surgery….he will not be able to go to Rapid City for my best friend’s wedding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He cannot travel very long, nor can he sit very long without pain pills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be a very hard week for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">But Hubby has a new toy that will keep him occupied for the long recovery time and for a very long time to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps 15-18 years?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/?action=view&current=026.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/026.jpg" border="0" alt="Sleepy"></a>"></a><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/?action=view&current=026.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Sleepy" border="0" height="300" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/026.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Meet Guy, a pug cross puppy.</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/?action=view&current=027.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Watching football" border="0" height="300" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/027.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Watching football together?</span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The boys will be able to watch football, tell guy jokes and generally hang out together during recuperation.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have always thought that what is meant to happen, does; and little life experiences lead you to where you should be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So because Hubby went to the store with me when he usually doesn’t; because Hubby read ads on the bulletin board that he never looks at;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>because Hubby has been especially missing little Cricket that we lost last year….we now have a new puppy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hubby’s best girl, Ren, is getting old and he wanted someone around to learn from her while she is still able to help train.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/?action=view&current=Ren2007.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/Ren2007.jpg" border="0" alt="Ren"></a>"></a><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/?action=view&current=Ren2007.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Ren" border="0" height="300" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/Ren2007.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Beautiful Ren</span>. <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">As most of you know, I am a sucker for animals; especially dogs and cats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I would never say no to another pet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And I miss Cricket too.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-57375264587328308642011-09-16T20:29:00.000-05:002011-09-16T20:29:56.224-05:00Fall is Coming<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As much as I hate to admit it, I have been very distracted for the past few months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And now I am paying for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Summer has passed me by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Granted, we had months of cold and snow, months of flooding and rain, a whole month of sweltering heat and days upon days of biting bugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that is no excuse for me to hide in the house and watch my gardens get choked by weeds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well…I think they are good excuses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My poor plants don’t agree.</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">But with all my neglect, most of my plants have survived and even thrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I attribute that to my hubby and the type of plants I have; hostas, peonies, lilies and iris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of them are very hardy perennials; lucky for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The vegetable garden is a different matter. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of the heavy moisture with cool weather, then the oppressive heat….our garden and many others are not producing well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we have had to resort to buying produce to can and freeze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank goodness some of the farmers around here have had good luck in their gardens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our beans are just now starting to produce, and not many at that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we bought enough green beans to put up 24 ½ pints.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got some great sweet corn and froze 24 cups, enough for Hubby to have this winter while I am gone. The cucumbers are hit and miss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some have ripened, some just hang on the vine and rot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there not even enough to share, so no pickles this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have harvested some tomatoes, enough to put up 12 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>half pints of salsa (I had to buy the green peppers).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have bunches of green tomatoes on the vine, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but they are not turning red very fast. And I am not sure the weather will hold long enough for them to ripen. We are going to get very chilly soon. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only produce doing well this year are the Fairy Tale eggplants and our raspberries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the berries got started, they went crazy and I can’t keep up with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the birds are getting a good treat this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have already shared bunches, eaten bowls full and frozen 3 gallons for winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they are still going strong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank goodness they freeze well.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/?action=view&current=061.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/061.jpg" border="0" alt="Arkansas Traveler and Pittman Valley"></a>"></a><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/?action=view&current=061.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Arkansas Traveler and Pittman Valley" border="0" height="300" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/061.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Arkansas Travelers and Pittman Valley</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/?action=view&current=063.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/063.jpg" border="0" alt="Fairy Tale Eggplant"></a>"></a><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/?action=view&current=063.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Fairy Tale Eggplant" border="0" height="300" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/063.jpg" width="400" /></a></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia;">Fairy Tale eggplants</span><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/?action=view&current=016.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/016.jpg" border="0" alt="Mandolin and corn"></a>"></a><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/?action=view&current=016.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Mandolin and corn" border="0" height="300" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/016.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hubby using the mandolin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">So the canning season is here, although not as productive as we wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And fall is coming, sooner than we would hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do I know?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because they are gone…left without so much as a goodbye or thank you yesterday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And now you ask “Who”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Our hummingbirds are gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a month of scrambling daily to keep 6 feeders full (they are in a feeding frenzy before they migrate), being buzzed by up to 6 per feeder and watching them fight for control of the food….they are gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we won’t see them again until somewhere around the second week of May. </span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We’ll miss the little darlings. </span></div><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">PS…I wrote this yesterday, then last night we got a freeze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cukes, beans, squash and eggplant are gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We covered the tomatoes and they still look good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I need a couple more weeks of warmth to get them off the vine. </span></div>Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-56123914738021738802011-09-07T17:50:00.000-05:002011-09-07T17:50:39.211-05:00Do You See What I See?<a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/?action=view&current=020.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Round circle" border="0" height="300" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/020.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/?action=view&current=020.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/020.jpg" border="0" alt="Round circle"></a>"></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I know, it just looks like dying grass doesn’t it? Look again.</span></div><br />
<a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/?action=view&current=025.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Hidden cement" border="0" height="300" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/025.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/?action=view&current=025.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/025.jpg" border="0" alt="Hidden cement"></a>"></a><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I’m not sure, yet….but it has the distinct shape of a circle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it has pieces of cement hidden under the grass going around in that circle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I'm not quite sure.....I think I know, I hope I know....I will know soon.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Most of you know that the home site we purchased here in SW Minnesota has a house built in 1910.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This house was a step above the ordinary farm houses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has an entryway closed off by double doors, a beautiful newel post on the staircase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had a separate pantry and a small alcove separated from the living room by posts and railings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The woodwork is elaborate and it had a beautiful front porch with gingerbread trim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rumor has it that the house also had a cement pond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I think we have found it.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">The people we purchased our home from are the children of the farmers that bought this place in 1950.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were told that the wife didn’t like the pond and filled it in with dirt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have secretly been looking for it ever since I’d heard the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I want to find it and preserve it as much as possible. </span>And oh I do love ponds.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You are probably wondering why I care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most people wouldn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I have a love of history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love antiques.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I spent 10 years working with South Dakota’s archaeologists; 8 of those were as the assistant to the curator of all of South Dakota’s archaeological collections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned to dig, and learned to identify, catalog and curate artifacts of all ages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved my work and especially the historical (instead of the prehistoric) artifacts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My passion is of course the textiles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But to actually find the pond would be wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then there is that one memory….</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">When I was in about the 6<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> grade I went with my parents to visit my mother’s cousin Ester that lived in Big Stone, SD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She still lived in the family home amongst all the family heirlooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember her taking me outside and showing me the cement pond that had been in the yard for years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had lily pads and koi or goldfish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent hours sitting by the pond watching the fish swim around in the lilypads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was in the fall and Ester asked me to help take the lily pads and fish into the basement for the winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She kept them in some sort of tank and would put them out again in the spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have always remembered that pond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I have always one of my own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finally got my wish around the year 2000 when garden ponds again came into vogue and were easily obtainable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hubby built me a pond and my own secret garden with a cedar moon fence and deck surrounded by hostas. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And again, here at Anniversary Grove, he has put in pond for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Oh, look…..now I have another one. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ATfHA_8pONVGkmhcSdZX5y165SkM67og4LbcO1x6KgwrJdf3PR90CbiIQR1EwFPJKHem6SdjHyFNOOY-aqX2gPFXOLq-hhV7SaCQdm011GFqP-1ZZlpJlrQnREzr8xoVIU_WqwqQ_6Ty/s1600/051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ATfHA_8pONVGkmhcSdZX5y165SkM67og4LbcO1x6KgwrJdf3PR90CbiIQR1EwFPJKHem6SdjHyFNOOY-aqX2gPFXOLq-hhV7SaCQdm011GFqP-1ZZlpJlrQnREzr8xoVIU_WqwqQ_6Ty/s400/051.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ATfHA_8pONVGkmhcSdZX5y165SkM67og4LbcO1x6KgwrJdf3PR90CbiIQR1EwFPJKHem6SdjHyFNOOY-aqX2gPFXOLq-hhV7SaCQdm011GFqP-1ZZlpJlrQnREzr8xoVIU_WqwqQ_6Ty/s1600/051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div style="text-align: left;" unselectable="on"></div></a><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We found it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I will have more pictures for you when it is completely dug out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am so excited.</span>Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-18533454307769791072011-09-02T15:11:00.003-05:002011-09-02T16:56:02.659-05:00Small Changes<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Well, we have downsized to two vehicles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hubby lovingly sold his PT Cruiser to our daughter Brook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has always felt bad that we could not get her a car when she was younger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is now a single mother raising a teenager, going to school and working.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, like many others these days, she has no expendable income.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NONE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as her old car was slowly dying, Brook was slowly panicking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hubby sold his car for the price of “you’d be a fool to pass up this deal”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And trust me; we did not raise a fool.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><br />
<a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/?action=view&current=IMG_3145a.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="F150" border="0" height="271" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202011/IMG_3145a.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Hubby's F150.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So Brook is happy with her new car, Hubby is happy with just his pickup and I am happy that our daughter is safer and that our insurance rates will now go down. It has been a good day.</span> Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-34915905534252416002011-08-08T08:22:00.002-05:002011-08-08T08:24:33.466-05:00New Bloggers<span style="color: #38761d;">Just a quick note to let you know I'm still alive and busier than ever. But I wanted you all to meet the new bloggers. </span><a href="http://harleystwo.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #741b47;">Larry and Kathy</span></a><span style="color: #38761d;"> have been our friends for around 30 years. They live in Oklahoma and travel around about half the year in their fifth wheel with the cat Allie. I have been helping them start up a new blog. Give them a few days to get use to it and then go over to meet them. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Here are some of photos to share with you. What to do on a swealtering summer day.....</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmN51LEWuccQr_2L-liheKqY2qe1yaztOSAapb5JUldPIRmMCL09RAVDmjHj9Ggye9RskWY5WJDlwP0SejdxwecqhQrNcKX969h2Wk2dEADodm-uxSblaahnxSxqcmD1rsYX7I9s90RIJx/s1600/088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmN51LEWuccQr_2L-liheKqY2qe1yaztOSAapb5JUldPIRmMCL09RAVDmjHj9Ggye9RskWY5WJDlwP0SejdxwecqhQrNcKX969h2Wk2dEADodm-uxSblaahnxSxqcmD1rsYX7I9s90RIJx/s400/088.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="left"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Sleepy Time</span></div></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFx-54IBa7dm3VRMmaGOJKthvlS_0qcl_OdhE1dUBSg7tTIh5EFrW-pJGefWkyR1W4d5xA9U2uuTRhIrGxrA05ldOwALnqwgH-vhdgC-tuGXeThJzRO-zUoiONw_j-5XrafxK9N4WmUP7/s1600/079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFx-54IBa7dm3VRMmaGOJKthvlS_0qcl_OdhE1dUBSg7tTIh5EFrW-pJGefWkyR1W4d5xA9U2uuTRhIrGxrA05ldOwALnqwgH-vhdgC-tuGXeThJzRO-zUoiONw_j-5XrafxK9N4WmUP7/s400/079.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="left"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Dreaming</span></div></td></tr>
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Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-76237245686491153892011-06-28T16:22:00.000-05:002011-06-28T16:22:09.979-05:00Hello Again<span style="color: #006600; font-family: georgia;">I have had a lot of complaints because I haven’t been writing in my blog lately. Can you believe it? Complaints. I didn’t even realize that people looked forward to reading about my life in the cornfields. So I am going to try to update you on everything that has happened since February 3.</span><div><span style="color: #006600; font-family: georgia;"><br />
February? Oh my, it has been a long time.</span><br />
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So should I give you all of it, the good and the bad? No…not today. Today I’ll give you highlights of the good. It is too beautiful a morning to talk about bad. And I’ll start there…..It is a BEAUTIFUL morning. The wind is not blowing at gale force, it is not raining buckets and there is a strange yellow ball in the sky that we haven’t seen for SOOOO long. I couldn’t sleep in today because the sunrise woke me up. Yep, we had a sunrise. It was a glorifying site. With the heavy mist in the creek bed, the land around us looks like what I imagine an English countryside to be. And it is mornings like this one that justifies to me moving out to the country. Quiet, peaceful, green….everything I was looking for.</span><br />
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<a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/June%202011/?action=view&current=June282011015.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Summer sunrise 2011" border="0" height="417" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/June%202011/June282011015.jpg" style="height: 342px; width: 448px;" width="521" /></a><br />
<em>This morning’s sunrise.</em></span><br />
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It has been so long since I’ve written that I am apt to forget a lot that has happened. I should have kept a log. Let’s see….<br />
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Work went well in Marshall this winter. I finally got home April 19th. Because of all the bad weather and snow…Oh, right. No bad news in today’s blog. Work went well.<br />
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Hubby got to see something I have longed to see since I was in high school. A whooping crane. So it was exciting and wonderful news, even though it was second hand for me. It was migrating north from the Wisconsin flock of whoopers. Hubby saw it resting by the creek a mile away from our place and as he drove by, it flew up and headed out. To be able to see one of less than 400 wild whoopers was so special for him, and by proxy, for me. We find ourselves looking at the same spot every time we drive by, in hopes of seeing it again and probably will for years.<br />
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The garden is finally in and growing. I hope the fall frost holds off as long as spring did, so we can get a good harvest. This year we have the ever present onions, tomatoes, pole beans and yellow squash. We have shifted a few things around and are not doing bush beans this year. They take up too much room for so little result. We have added more cukes and broccoli; we double the amount of peppers, both green and frying varieties. And this year we are trying small eggplant and some of my favorite herbs.<br />
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My peonies were glorious this year, if only for a short time. The high winds managed to shorten the bloom time, but since all are finally staked, I didn’t lose any plants. And I got enough blooms on most to finally identify them. Of my mother’s plants I have a Festiva Maxima, Monsieur Jules Elie, Myrtle Gentry and two I can’t identify. Of the homestead rescue plants I have a Memorial Day, Laura Dessert, Felix Crousse, Sarah Bernhart, and Shirley Temple (I think). Of the rescues there are some I haven’t been able to identify and some more that are not blooming yet. Then I have purchased a Chocolate Soldier in memory of my brother, a Philippe Rivoire and a Raspberry Sundae to replace those left behind in Piedmont and a Duchesse de Nemours because I wanted a pure white. This sounds like a lot of peonies and it is. Between what I brought from my parents house, saved from the old fence line here and purchased I have about 27 plants. Some of the rescues will be duplicates, because I dig up all the little shoots that come up in the yard and replant. After a couple years, they are full grown plants and blooming. <em>I hope I have them all now, because I am running out of room in the sunshine.</em> Don’t tell Hubby I said that.</span><br />
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<a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/June%202011/?action=view&current=SarahBernhart5.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Sarah Bernhart" border="0" height="575" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/June%202011/SarahBernhart5.jpg" style="height: 320px; width: 444px;" width="749" /></a></span></div><div><span style="color: #006600; font-family: georgia;"><em>Rescued Sarah Bernhart.</em><br />
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We finally have outside work done enough that we can go fishing. Hubby got a new (very used) little boat for lake fishing and I have my entire fly fishing gear ready. We just need a good day. Today would be perfect……</span><br />
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Daughter and granddaughter both have very good grades in school. Brook has figured out her majors and is focusing on Psychology. Along with work and raising a teenager, she is busy studying hard and hopes to be finished in a couple of years. I am proud of them both.<br />
We have had some medical scares in the family, most have turned out well. But I think I’ll leave that for another day.<br />
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This blog is starting to sound like a Christmas letter, all the year laid out in little paragraphs. And as much as I like to know what is going on in someone’s life, 365 days is a lot to put in one letter. Or in my case, 145 days. So I am going to finish up and try to get this posted.<br />
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It’s good to be back. Hope to talk to you soon.<br />
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</span></div><span style="color: #006600; font-family: georgia;"></span>Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-87696653764491537382011-02-03T08:14:00.003-06:002011-02-03T08:23:25.305-06:00Surprise<a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/January%202011/?action=view&current=IMG_3797.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color:#009900;"><img style="WIDTH: 448px; HEIGHT: 336px" border="0" alt="New Hair" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/January%202011/IMG_3797.jpg" width="614" height="453" /></span></a><span style="color:#009900;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Yep, it’s all gone.</span> </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#009900;">I got tired of my long hair always in my face or pulled back. I will probably grow it back just because I am not too fond of beauty shops. But for now I love it. Easy to wash and go.</span><br /><span style="color:#009900;"><br /></span><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/January%202011/?action=view&current=IMG_3798.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color:#009900;"><img style="WIDTH: 448px; HEIGHT: 349px" border="0" alt="It's Short" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/January%202011/IMG_3798.jpg" width="588" height="506" /></span></a><span style="color:#009900;"><br /></span><span style="color:#009900;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Hey, you can see my earrings!</span> </span>Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-48507735484535212642011-01-01T13:03:00.004-06:002011-01-01T13:19:37.910-06:00Hello Again<span style="color:#006600;">Happy New Year to everyone. I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday. I have been so neglect lately and haven’t even been reading my favorite blogs. But I did get goodies baked for Christmas, a trip back to Rapid City and a safe trip home in the time I have ignored my computer.<br /><br />And now I am packed and ready to head up to Marshall to work the tax season. I was going to leave today, but the storm yesterday and the bitter high winds with ground blizzards today have kept me home. I hope to go tomorrow when the plows have been out to clear the roads. Once I get there and set up, I am going to try to get reconnected with my blogger friends. I know there is a lot of reading for me to do. And I’ll strive to even do a little more writing.<br /><br />In the mean time, I’ll leave you with a few photos. </span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><br /><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/January%202011/?action=view&current=IMG_3791.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 447px; HEIGHT: 433px" border="0" alt="The Storm" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/January%202011/IMG_3791.jpg" width="688" height="539" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;color:#006600;">Yesterday’s storm with HUGH snowflakes. </span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><br /><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/January%202011/?action=view&current=IMG_3795.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 447px; HEIGHT: 429px" border="0" alt="Grove Snowstorm" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/January%202011/IMG_3795.jpg" width="794" height="508" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">The grove during the storm. Somewhere in there are a lot of deer.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/January%202011/?action=view&current=IMG_3787.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 448px; HEIGHT: 435px" border="0" alt="Hunting Squirrels" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/January%202011/IMG_3787.jpg" width="607" height="735" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">And last, Obie and Gandalf squirrel hunting. A constant pastime.</span><br /></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;">PS. My brioche did not turn out a pretty as the earlier photo, but it was very tasty. And after 3 trys, I had good enough loaves to give some away. <br /><br /></span><span style="color:#006600;"></span>Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-45660925610069981302010-11-23T08:58:00.003-06:002010-11-23T09:03:58.005-06:00Wow<span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;">Look what we have. It was 7 degrees this morning with a -6 degree wind chill. And we still have sheet ice on the ground. But the sun is shinning. So it’s gonna be a good day. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/November%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3684.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 448px; HEIGHT: 358px" border="0" alt="Blue Sky in the Morning" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/November%202010/IMG_3684.jpg" width="794" height="640" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Look at all that blue sky.<br /></span><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/November%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3685.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 448px; HEIGHT: 348px" border="0" alt="November Sunrise" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/November%202010/IMG_3685.jpg" width="739" height="596" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">I love sunrises.</span> </span>Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-51584465770199388002010-11-19T11:01:00.004-06:002010-11-19T11:09:18.901-06:00I Am So Ashamed<span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;">Did you know that November 17 is National Home Made Bread Day? No one told me. So I was out shopping instead of observing the day. It doesn’t matter that I had no idea I should have been celebrating. I had already made plans when I heard the news. So I messed up and take full responsibility.<br /><br />But I will make up for it today. Today I will bake that bread, feed a bird bread crumbs and maybe even try <a href="http://familycrafts.about.com/od/creativesnacks/r/paintbrrecipe.htm"><span style="color:#6600cc;">Bread Painting</span></a>. </span><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;">I will make my wheat/rye bread and try Brioche again.<br /><br />And it looks like it is not just a US holiday. As far as I can tell at least the<span style="color:#6600cc;"> </span><a href="http://www.recipes4us.co.uk/Homemade%20Bread%20Day.htm"><span style="color:#6600cc;">UK</span></a> and <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/World-Homemade-Bread-Day-on-Tuesday/articleshow/5233509.cms"><span style="color:#6600cc;">India</span> </a>also celebrate the day.<br /><br />So let’s all get our yeast and flour out and go make bread. A day late is not necessarily a loaf short. </span><br /><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/November%202010/?action=view&current=BriocheTOTM94.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><img style="WIDTH: 447px; HEIGHT: 389px" border="0" alt="Food.com brioche" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/November%202010/BriocheTOTM94.jpg" width="489" height="465" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:85%;color:#006600;">Brioche. Photo borrowed from Food.com.<br /></span>Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-68678247916329767532010-11-13T13:03:00.008-06:002010-11-13T14:39:24.272-06:00Just Some Rambling to Pass the Time<span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">I’d thought I’d just talk about a few things on my mind and give you some pictures of our first “real” snow while I gab away. </span><br /></span><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/November%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3679.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><img style="WIDTH: 447px; HEIGHT: 327px" border="0" alt="Minnesota,snow,winter,grove,trees" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/November%202010/IMG_3679.jpg" width="837" height="675" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Window from the grove looking south.<br /></span><br />Definition of PROCRASTINATE: <em>to put off intentionally and habitually</em>. This is according the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. I was glad to read the correct definition for this word. Now no one, me included, can say I am a procrastinator. Everything that I have <em>put off</em>, that I have meant to do lately, was not <em>put off intentionally or habitually</em>. I just haven’t gotten around to it. I do not <em>habitually</em> (I really like that word) stop writing my blog. I definitely do not <em>habitually</em> stop reading my favorite blogs. But I have <strong>unintentionally</strong> done both. And although not writing for a while has hurt nothing, the not reading everyone’s blogs has kept me out of the loop and uninformed on my friends’ activities. That being bad enough, my <strong>unintentional</strong> neglect has left me hours of reading to catch up on. That means hours of sitting at the computer and going through over 2 months of postings for over 19 blogs. That’s a lot of reading. And I have no excuses and no one to blame but myself.<br /></span></span><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/November%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3681.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><img style="WIDTH: 446px; HEIGHT: 314px" border="0" alt="Minnesota,snow,winter,grove,trees" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/November%202010/IMG_3681.jpg" width="801" height="479" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The opening of the grove on the southeast.<br /></span><br />I often marvel at the scope of the World Wide Web and how people from around the world can connect almost instantaneously. Take our blogs, for instance. They are out there for anyone to see, and sometimes we are lucky enough to find out who is reading them. I was excited to have a comment from John, a man from Wales on one of my posts this summer. I found his blog, read it and then added it to my favorites (<a href="http://disasterfilm.blogspot.com/"><span style="color:#6600cc;">Going Gently</span></a>). John is a wonderful writer and posts almost daily. So I have enjoyed reading about his life on a “farm” in Wales. But I had no idea that he still reads my blog and was even more excited to hear from him again. So….Thanks John, for the nice thought. Your blog is one I am looking forward to catching up on. I’m sorry you had so much damage from the storm.<br /></span></span><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/November%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3675.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><img style="WIDTH: 447px; HEIGHT: 319px" border="0" alt="Minnesota,snow,winter,grove,trees" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/November%202010/IMG_3675.jpg" width="766" height="611" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><br /></span><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">One of our wonderful trails in the grove, heading west.<br /></span><br />I had thought I’d told all of you about Bob. But people in the know say I never did. Bob is no longer with us. Remember the poor dropped off cat that showed up last winter. Even after all the medical attention and food, he stayed rather frail. He never got over his intestinal problems, and then he started fighting with Pickles again. Unfortunately, none of the rescues around here would take him. There are just too many stray cats in the world. So we sadly put him down. It’s probably needless to say, but I will say it anyway. I was devastated. Poor Bob, the only one that loved him was me, and I couldn’t save him. So I lost my brother, Edith, Bob and Cricket this summer. Maybe that’s what’s wrong with me…. </span><br /></span><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/November%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3678.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><img style="WIDTH: 448px; HEIGHT: 322px" border="0" alt="Minnesota,snow,winter,grove,trees" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/November%202010/IMG_3678.jpg" width="759" height="546" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Another opening out of the grove. However, it was blowing, so you can’t see the field.<br /></span><br />I love to bake. And on snowy days like today, there is a certain peacefulness for me when I make bread. But I just made bread the other day. So today, I think I’ll make a cake. I am a King Arthur flour fan, and unless there is none available, I only use their flour. I even buy it in large 25 pound bags and pay for the extra shipping because it is not available in our stores here. So I was very excited to recently purchase their Original King Arthur Flour Cookbook Commemorative Edition. It’s more of a bakebook really with lots of recipes for breads, cakes, pies, muffins….just about anything that you can make with flour. And a lot of history and hints mixed in. I love it. Hubby has been grumbling about cupcakes lately. So the cake I decide to make will be put into cupcakes. Later. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color:#006600;">I just have too many types to choose from….. Maybe I need to look at some more recipes.<br /><br />Remember, I’m not a procrastinator. </span></span>Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-5655343633675854682010-11-11T12:26:00.003-06:002010-11-11T12:29:08.015-06:00Sorry, No Pictures. It Was Dark!<span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color:#006600;">So instead, I’ll tell you a story.<br /><br />I’ll start with the characters. The main character: a woman too old to be young and too young to be old….a middle aged, overweight, out of shape ex-hippie. We’ll call her Candy.<br />Candy’s pets: Ren, a 10 year old, 30 pound Blue Heeler cross; Obie, a 10 month old, 9 pound Papillion; Gracie, a 2 year old silver tabby barn cat. And the last player in the story: Big Buck, a large, large, very large male deer, age and weight unknown with protruding horns on his head and eyes that shoot fire.<br /><br />It was a morning much like today. Dark and still. The recent rains had left the dawn damp with dew. The dogs, in their persistent way, woke up Candy and demanded to go outside. No amount of shushing would settle them down. These dogs were use to going out at 5 am. In the dark and early hours, Candy grumbled, put on her glasses and stumbled down the stairs.<br /><br />Living in the country with no houses in sight, she was use to letting the dogs out the door, putting on a light jacket, and joining them to enjoy the morning. This morning started out like all the rest, with Gracie joining the group and the dogs doing their business and sniffing the clear, quiet air. But today, Obie and then Ren, started barking and growling towards the Cat House. And little Gracie went into a cat alert mode, slinking down and hiding behind Candy’s feet.<br /><br />To give you some idea of the lay of the land, the Cat House is an old one car garage, converted into a shelter for the barn cats. The yard light is on the north side of it and the main house lies southwest. The bright light casts a large shadow to the front and west of the Cat House, but its east side is well lit.<br /><br />Now Ren is an old expert on the farm and when she growls, everyone listens. So as the dogs were growling at the Cat House, Candy turned to look and out from the northeast side stepped a deer. A very big deer. We all know that the dark can distort our views, but she swears that deer was as big as….well just BIG. And because Ren has a habit of chasing critters from the yard, Candy grabbed quickly and put her in the house. Little Obie started to run toward the deer, barking and growling, but then stopped and backed up. This deer was not running like most of the deer do. So brave little Obie came running back to Candy, who was yelling and waving her arms, and was put into the house as well.<br /><br />Now Candy has come up against a lot of questionable animals in her middle aged life. She has gone into a pen with an “evil” Saint Bernard and made a friend. She has been cornered by a “killer” toy poodle and won. She has jumped in the middle of dog fights, cat fights and cat and dog fights. She has stood her ground against mad horses, crazy sheep and annoyed chickens. All of those experiences just got her heart pumping faster and her adrenalin flowing.<br /><br />But this was different. This buck, this very big buck, was not running. He was not scared. In fact he was mad. Candy stood at the back door of the house, yelling at the deer to leave, with Gracie still huddled at her feet. And the buck, after staring with angry eyes, and sniffing, wheezing and grunting for what seemed like “forever”, majestically sauntered toward the bean field. Soon he was hidden behind the tree line, but Candy could still hear him, and followed his progress by watching Gracie’s head slowly pan the dark. The last she heard of him were two very loud and angry grunts and then silence. The buck had disappeared into the shadows. And Candy took a deep breath and slunk into the house.<br /><br /></span><em><span style="color:#006600;">We’ve all heard the stories of hunters doing stupid things and getting attacked by bucks. Well, I now believe those stories. Big Buck could easily have attacked instead of walking away. So was I scared? Yes. I am still very leery of wandering outside in the dark and I now always have my heavy duty walking stick with me.<br /><br />But like Hubby says…”you’re gonna need a bigger stick”.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">PS. My apologies to George for always snickering when she worried about her pets being killed by deer. OK George, so maybe you were right!</span></span></em></span>Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-21597850220454071162010-09-03T08:31:00.006-05:002010-09-03T08:50:03.619-05:00Beauty<a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3550.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 448px; HEIGHT: 349px" border="0" alt="Monarch Butterflies" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202010/IMG_3550.jpg" width="727" height="565" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color:#006600;">The beauty you miss if you are always looking down; down at your feet, down in the dumps or down your nose. </span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"></span><br /><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3473.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 449px; HEIGHT: 355px" border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/September%202010/IMG_3473.jpg" width="807" height="596" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;">The beauty you miss closing yourself in; in your house, in your mind, in your heart. </span><br /><p><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;">Wake up, look around you and open your heart. I think it's time I stopped mourning and do just that. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;">What about you? </p></span>Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-4564554411351249172010-08-15T14:07:00.004-05:002010-08-15T14:23:08.878-05:00Not Big Enough<span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color:#006600;">When is a kitchen not big enough? During canning season of course.<br /><br />Our kitchen, recently redone, is more that adequate for most of our culinary adventures. But I don’t care how big a kitchen is, it is never big enough when there are tomatoes to process, beans to freeze, cukes to make into pickles, with squash, elderberries, and raspberries to deal with.<br /><br />Right now I have a pot of tomato sauce on the stove. I have two sinks full of tomatoes to can. I have a dozen jalapeño peppers that we smoked, ready to finish off in the dehydrator. I have more squash that I can use, cucumbers too big to pickle, elderberries that need to be cleaned and frozen and the raspberries are getting ahead of me. WITH NO WHERE TO PUT IT ALL. So the dehydrator will have to go into the dining room. The elderberries will stay in the bucket until the tomatoes are out of the sink. And I finally got a juicer, so I can deal with the squash and extra large cucumbers. But the juicer is big too, so it will go into the dining room too.<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color:#006600;"><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/August%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3354.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 448px; HEIGHT: 361px" border="0" alt="Tomatoes ready" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/August%202010/IMG_3354.jpg" width="727" height="631" /></a><br /></span><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Getting the tomatoes ready to pack. There are tons more in the garden ready pick.<br /><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/August%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3355.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 448px; HEIGHT: 357px" border="0" alt="Elderberries ready" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/August%202010/IMG_3355.jpg" width="576" height="540" /></a><br />The elderberries are ready. Anyone want some?</span><br /><br />That brings up another problem. Do I use our dining room table for processing and not have a table to eat at? Do I bring up another table to use? Or do I take everything down into the basement, use the table down there, and run up and down the stairs multiple times a day to check on everything. All the while I am running up and down, I also have to keep an eye on the sauce on the stove, blanch, cut and pack the tomatoes, and strip and wash the elderberries.<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color:#006600;"><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/August%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3361.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 449px; HEIGHT: 367px" border="0" alt="Smoked jalapenos" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/August%202010/IMG_3361.jpg" width="728" height="522" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Smoked jalapeños. After drying, I’ll grind them for chipotle powder.</span><br /><br />I think <em>the powers that be</em> are having a wonderful time watching all of us that grow our own food this time of year. It’s probably their big joke that all the garden ripens at the same time. No one, and by that I mean no one that I know, can handle all that produce in a sane and timely manner. We will all be exhausted, cranky and crazy when it is done.<br /><br />But we have the winter to recoup and enjoy the “fruit” of our labors. Then by next spring, we will have forgotten it all, plant big gardens and hope for large harvests. And next year I'll have apples too.<br /><br />See, we are crazy.</span></span>Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-76557140048973655392010-07-20T10:20:00.004-05:002010-07-20T10:36:02.932-05:00Good News<span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;">Little “Boy” has a new home. After a week of searching for owners that would not be found, and calling rescues and shelters that had no room, we have found someone willing to take in a homeless Pointer. With help from a local <a href="http://www.laiskennels.com/"><span style="color:#6600cc;">English Pointer kennel</span></a>, a hunter with 2 other pointers took Boy, promising to find him a good hunting home. Shane took him yesterday afternoon and he called this morning. He has already found Boy a home. Boy will be living with a family that has another Pointer and will be out there hunting like he was bred to be. So my faith in the goodness of people was partially restored.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><br /><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/July%202010/?action=view&current=Copy20of20Copy20of20ELHEW_MATADOR.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Pointer on point" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/July%202010/Copy20of20Copy20of20ELHEW_MATADOR.jpg" width="447" height="350" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">An adult English Pointer on point.</span><br /><br />We are sad and happy. We really fell in love with the little guy and wanted to keep him. But we knew that was not feasible. And like Shane said, “Why do people buy a hunting dog if they aren’t going to hunt. Just go to the pound and get a poor dog that needs a home.” Now Boy will get to do what his genes are telling him to do. Life will be good for him.<br /><br />I had gotten so discouraged, first because someone dumped an 8 week old puppy out in the country with no homes for miles around, not caring if he lived or died. Then, there are so many abandoned animals out there that the shelters are full and no one would take him. So even if some sap like me picks up a dumped dog or cat, they are going to be responsible to take care of it, or humanely end its life. All this trouble because of the greedy, selfish, cowardly, despicable jerks out in the big wide world that are too lazy to care for the animals they have.<br /><br />Now to top it off, Hubby has asked that I quit rescuing these poor animals. Rescuing is too costly, too exhausting and too heartbreaking to go through again and again. So when I see a starving animal, or a hurt animal or an abandoned animal left on the side of the road, I am supposed to pass it by. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;">If you think my heart breaks now, wait until I have to ignore a helpless dog or cat.....So now what do I do?</span>Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-84689038667297608132010-07-16T06:26:00.007-05:002010-07-16T06:53:57.659-05:00Our Guest<span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;">Well it happened again: another probable drop off. This one was found by a nurse on her way to work. I just happened to be going to the lab for blood work and ended up bringing “Boy” home. They couldn’t keep him in a medical lab and didn’t know what to do with him. He was very hungry, skinny and VERY young.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/July%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3197.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><img style="WIDTH: 449px; HEIGHT: 356px" border="0" alt="Found" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/July%202010/IMG_3197.jpg" width="651" height="550" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Meet “Boy” who is looking for his owners or a new home.<br /></span><br />We think he is a purebred English Pointer. He is about 8 weeks old, very affectionate, very smart and VERY hungry. Hubby already has him sitting on command and sitting when he comes. Of course he is food driven so treats work well. But still, being so young, that’s impressive.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><br /></span><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/July%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3201.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><img style="WIDTH: 448px; HEIGHT: 334px" border="0" alt="Skinny" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/July%202010/IMG_3201.jpg" width="719" height="483" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Skinny, but beautiful.</span><br /><br />We don’t know a thing about him. I have called all the law enforcement, vets and animal shelters in a 100 mile radius. No one has reported him missing. Today I will take him to town to see if he has a chip. I am also in contact with a breeder in the area, and he is helping to look for the owner too. </span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />But if we can’t find the owner, are we keeping him? The answer right now is “NO”. Hubby is very impressed, and would like to keep him. But we are not hunters. We live right “next door” to prime CRP hunting land and have always had trouble keeping our lap and herding dogs away from there. Can you image trying to keep a born and bred bird dog out of the neighbors land? We think it would be next to impossible. And being older, retired and partially disabled, it would be a nightmare. A nightmare that we are not, at this time, willing to live through.<br /><br /></span></span><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/July%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3192.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><img style="WIDTH: 448px; HEIGHT: 356px" border="0" alt="comfortable" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/July%202010/IMG_3192.jpg" width="706" height="486" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">It didn't take him long to get comfortable.<br /></span><br />Then you look at that face, and feel the soft muzzle nuzzling you….. it’s hard to say no. But we are trying. I’ll keep you posted.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><br /></span><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/July%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3198.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><img style="WIDTH: 446px; HEIGHT: 366px" border="0" alt="Look at that Face" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/July%202010/IMG_3198.jpg" width="710" height="477" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:85%;color:#006600;">Who wouldn’t love this face?</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"></span><br /><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;"></span></span></span>Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-46872390926283938132010-07-03T07:15:00.003-05:002010-07-03T07:28:24.201-05:00Tour de Fleece<span style="color:#006600;">Tour de Fleece starts today. This is a spin-a-long from <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/"><span style="color:#993399;">Ravelry</span></a> and each spinner tries to spin a little every day. There are teams to join and prizes at the end. As of this morning there are 2608 spinners that have joined up.<br /></span><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/june%202010/?action=view&current=TourdeFleeceRavelry1.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color:#006600;"><img border="0" alt="Tour de Fleece" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/june%202010/TourdeFleeceRavelry1.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#006600;"><br /><br />I joined three teams this year. Since it is my first year with the Tour de Fleece I joined the Team Rookie. I, of course, also joined Team Majacraft (Belle is a Majacraft Suzie). Then, because I will be leaving tomorrow to go west for Friend Nancy’s surgery, I joined Team Lantern Rouge for people who want to join the Tour, but won’t be able to spin every day. I am taking Belle, and hoping to do some spinning while there, but one never knows.<br /><br />I will start the Tour spinning my brown Finn and Corriedale X wool. I dyed the Corriedale several different values of mauve and sent it to Kelly at <a href="http://dakotacardingandwool.com/"><span style="color:#993399;">Dakota Carding and Wool Company</span></a>. She sent me back a bag of beautiful “Spinners Web” that I call Raspberry Patch. I hope to get most of the bag spun.<br /></span><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/june%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3156.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color:#006600;"><img style="WIDTH: 446px; HEIGHT: 382px" border="0" alt="Raspberry Patch spinners web" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/june%202010/IMG_3156.jpg" width="634" height="569" /></span></a><span style="color:#006600;"><br /></span><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Raspberry Patch with red sparkle.<br /></span><br />Then when I get back home, I will be washing and combing the new black Finn lamb fleece and try to spin up some of that with silk; something new and different for me.<br /><br />Lofty goals, but then if I don’t push myself, I’ll never get anything done. It’s much too easy to sit out here and watch the grass grow.</span>Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-21375237241511882442010-06-28T19:29:00.002-05:002010-06-28T19:34:12.279-05:00Slammed Again<div align="center"><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/june%202010/?action=view&current=Cricket2006.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 477px; HEIGHT: 385px" border="0" alt="Cricket" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/june%202010/Cricket2006.jpg" width="637" height="622" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;">Cricket December 2004-June 2010<br /><br />Goodbye baby girl.</span> </div>Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-46346047854421301172010-06-26T11:56:00.001-05:002010-06-26T12:05:13.616-05:00Grief<span style="font-family:georgia;color:#006600;">I know I haven’t written for a while. I just haven’t had the energy. I have been muddling along for weeks: angry, sad, distracted, lethargic. The grief process makes no sense and works differently for everyone. And every time I think things are getting better: Slam! Something happens again. First Charles, then Edith, now Nancy.<br /><br />I have three very close friends, all who live west in South Dakota; Jeanie, Renee and Nancy. Jeanie has been a dear friend for over 40 years. I married her brother and was part of their family for 10 years. Her mother, Edith, passed away a couple of weeks ago. In fact, right after I got home from my brother’s funeral. Edith was a wonderful woman. A second mother to me and grandmother to my daughter Brook. She, Jeanie and I worked very hard to stay friends after my divorce from her son. We did it originally for Brook, but we also did it for ourselves. And I am so happy to say it worked. I will miss her.<br /><br />Nancy has been a close friend for 17 years. We met through a doctor we were both seeing. She is tall, thin, blonde and at least 15 years younger than I. We look very funny walking down the street together, like a female version of Mutt and Jeff. But we have something special between us that neither can name. It just works. Nancy called the other day…she has breast cancer.<br /><br />Someone asked me “Why is all this happening to you?” And I agreed…why all this Sh….? What did I do to deserve all this pain? And I sulked and felt sorry for myself for days.<br />But it hit me hard yesterday. This isn’t happening to me. It affects me, yes. But I can let it go for minutes, hours, even days at a time now. Others can’t, because the grief affects them all day, every day.<br /><br />Donna lost her husband, the man she had married only 3 months before. My parents lost their only son. Yes, I lost my brother. But we had been living states apart for years. I would see him a couple times a year, and talk to him maybe once a month. I’ll feel the pain when I think “I haven’t talked to Charles for awhile”. But I won’t feel it every day. Donna will. And my parents will.<br /><br />Jeanie lost her mother. Brook lost a grandmother. Edith was a friend, a woman I had known for years. But I hadn’t seen much of her lately. I knew she was sick, from Jeanie and from Brook. They keep me apprised of her health. But I didn’t go see her when we were back for Charles’ funeral. I was too busy and too distraught. Both Jeanie and Brook understood. And they also understood that I didn’t have the strength to go to her funeral. But shame on me. Why didn’t I? A close friend and my daughter needed my support. The pain was happening to them and they will feel it daily. I’ll feel the pain when I think of the kind woman that is gone. And anytime I see a piece of green glass. But I won’t feel it everyday.<br /><br />Nancy is now fighting for her life. I went through this with Renee years ago. So I know how hard it will be for Nancy. The surgery, chemo and radiation take you to death’s door. Then you have to work your way back to life. She’ll have to go through this pain and sickness every day. And once she is healthy again, she’ll have to hold her breath and cross her fingers every morning that she wakes, praying that the cancer stays away. I feel her pain right now. I am scared too. But I don’t think about it every minute of every day. Nancy will.<br /><br />So am I a bad sister and friend? I didn’t think so. But now I wonder. I think part of the reason I don’t have to deal with their grief daily is my distance from them. Distance in miles. And distance in emotion. I can’t do anything about the mileage, except strive to go west when I’m needed. But I can work on the emotion. I guess it comes down to…you can’t distance yourself from life. If you do, you get to miss the grief and pain, but you also miss the fun, the love, and the friendships that last a lifetime. Unfortunately, sometimes you wait too long, and your chance is gone.</span>Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-90796286830385959432010-05-28T18:11:00.007-05:002010-05-29T05:46:59.662-05:00Mother, This One's for You.<span style="color:#006600;">I have some exciting news to share. Well, exciting to me anyway. It has to do with flowers and my heritage. So if you don’t like flowers, specifically peonies, iris, and old fashioned roses, you can just skip this blog. </span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><br />When I was young, my mother was a very good gardener. And at the house they purchased when I was sixteen she planted a hill full of iris. It was a sight in the spring when they all bloomed. But as the years passed (40+) it got harder for my parents to maintain the hill. And the iris got overgrown with grass and weeds. Every spring there would be a few blooming, but most of them could barely make it through the prairie grass. One of the special irises was an old fashioned lavender one that smelled like grapes. So the second year we were here in Minnesota (2007), I went back for a visit and dug some of her iris to bring to Anniversary Grove. They grew and increased, but never bloomed. Then the year the folks moved out of their house and put it up for sale, I went up on the hill and dug a rhizome from every iris bunch I could find. Look what I got this year!<br /><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/May%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3045.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 449px; HEIGHT: 689px" border="0" alt="Iris Blooms" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/May%202010/IMG_3045.jpg" width="443" height="899" /></a><br /></span><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Just a sample of the gorgeous blooms this spring. And next year will be better.<br /></span></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;">When I lived in Piedmont, SD we were only about ¼ mile from the Black Hills. Up one of the trails into the hills, was the old Piedmont garbage dump that had been put on an old homestead. When they cleaned up the dump and moved it, the area was cleared of trees. The dirt on the hill is very shallow with limestone bedrock only about 1-2 inches below the top soil. When walking there one spring day, I found a bed of iris growing almost out of the rock. These irises were yellow and smelled like lemons. I took one rhizome and planted it in my Piedmont garden. When we moved to Minnesota, I grabbed one of the iris plants in my VERY large iris bed, hoping it was one of the yellows. And I lucked out. But it also had trouble blooming, until this year! </span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/May%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3020.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 448px; HEIGHT: 335px" border="0" alt="Yellow &quot;Lemon&quot; iris" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/May%202010/IMG_3020.jpg" width="751" height="490" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Blown over by the high winds, but still blooming.</span><br /><br />Next to roses, peonies are my favorite flower. I love the look, and the smell of them. At the same time that I took the last batch of iris from my parent’s home, I took some pieces of my mother’s peonies. This is their third year here and the first year to bloom. I took four different plants; one name I know, the other three will have to be researched. Those of you that know peonies know that it will take about 3 years for the bloom to develop into its prime. After that, if taken care of they will bloom for years and years. My mother got her original plants from a friend’s mother sometime in the mid to late 60’s. And that woman had them for years before that. So these 4 peonies should have been hybridized sometime before the 1930s. That means they are a heritage flower. But what means more to me is that they were my mother’s and I will someday give some to my daughter, nieces and granddaughters.<br /></span><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/May%202010/?action=view&current=FestivaMaxima2.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 449px; HEIGHT: 343px" border="0" alt="Festiva Maxima" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/May%202010/FestivaMaxima2.jpg" width="850" height="542" /></a></span></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Festiva Maxima (Miellez, 1851). </span></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/May%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3098.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 450px; HEIGHT: 348px" border="0" alt="Unknown pink" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/May%202010/IMG_3098.jpg" width="556" height="668" /></a><br /></span><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Unknown bloom. The last two are mid to late and haven’t bloomed yet.<br /></span><br />And speaking of peonies, I spent the last two years here rescuing small peony shoots that kept coming up around my trees and in a wood pile east of the house. I have figured out that they were planted along the original fence line. My house was built in 1910 and we bought it from the family that moved here in 1950. Her mother was not a gardener, and never grew peonies. I have a picture of the house taken around 1920 with that same fence line and some small bushes (too fuzzy to tell what kind). So I think my rescue peonies were planted here somewhere around 1920. Because of this rescuing, I have about 23 peony surprises growing. I was told by a peony expert online that given care and years to grow, someday I would get blooms. Well…..after 2 years look what I have now! And there is one more with buds that will bloom next week. The bushes are small yet, but in a few years...what a picture they will be.</span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/May%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3085.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 452px; HEIGHT: 340px" border="0" alt="Laura Dessert" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/May%202010/IMG_3085.jpg" width="712" height="560" /></a><br /></span><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Laura Dessert (Dessert, 1913). </span></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/May%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3052.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 452px; HEIGHT: 345px" border="0" alt="Avant Garde" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/May%202010/IMG_3052.jpg" width="758" height="555" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Possibly Avant Garde (Lemoine, 1907).</span><br /></span><br /><br /><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/May%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3047.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 447px; HEIGHT: 337px" border="0" alt="Mons. Jule Elie" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/May%202010/IMG_3047.jpg" width="867" height="602" /></a><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Probably Mons. Jules Elie (Crousse, 1888).</span><br /></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/May%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_2995.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 448px; HEIGHT: 345px" border="0" alt="Officinalis Rubra Plena" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/May%202010/IMG_2995.jpg" width="660" height="470" /></a></span></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-size:85%;">And finally the Memorial Day Peony that has been around since the middle ages.<br /></span><br />Memorial Day peonies, Officinalis Rubra Plena, were carried across America in covered wagons. It is also called Old Double Crimson. For anyone that wants to research their peonies <a href="http://www.paeon.de/name/index_a.html"><span style="color:#993399;">the Peony Database</span></a> and <a href="http://www.peonies.org/index.shtml"><span style="color:#993399;">the Heartland Peony Society</span></a> are good places to start.<br /><br />And finally Mother….<em><strong>It Made It!</strong></em></span><em><strong><br /></strong></em><span style="color:#006600;"><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/May%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_3095.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 446px; HEIGHT: 354px" border="0" alt="Grandpa's Rose" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/May%202010/IMG_3095.jpg" width="637" height="496" /></a><br /></span><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Grandpa’s White shrub rose.<br /></span><br />This slip of a slip of a slip of a slip is from the old shrub rose that grew at my Great Grandparents homestead in Big Stone, South Dakota. And I don’t know much more of the history of it, except I think it was originally brought from Germany. Mother had a huge one at the house, and when it was taken out, she put a piece up on the hill. This is the first time in all the years I have been gone from home that I have been successful growing this rose. I think it has finally found a new place at Anniversary Grove.</span>Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6934888824310132246.post-8905704498485896862010-05-28T09:17:00.003-05:002010-05-28T19:56:57.255-05:00Hated Telephone<span style="color:#006600;">Right now I can say I am not happy Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. It is amazing that such a little instrument can bring so many emotions to people. Happy, sad, scared, angry. And the caller ID is the worst. You can pick up a phone expecting to hear the voice you know so well and instead hear “Aunt Candy, this is CJ.” and know immediately that something is terribly wrong.<br /><br />Oh how a phone call can change your life. Over eleven years ago, I got one of those calls and it wrecked my world. My sister, Cara, had collapsed and was in a coma. Her heart had quit, but when they revived her, she was brain dead. So the family opted to take her off support and she died peacefully after 3 days. She was 50. And on May 13th of this year, I got another call. My brother, Charles, had a massive heart attack and died on a highway in Oklahoma with his wife of 3 months by his side. He was 64.<br /></span><a href="http://s396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/March%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_2507aa.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color:#006600;"><img style="WIDTH: 448px; HEIGHT: 399px" border="0" alt="Brother" src="http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/rowanfae/March%202010/IMG_2507aa.jpg" width="652" height="700" /></span></a><span style="color:#006600;"><br /></span><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Charles and wife Donna.<br /></span><br />Well, that spoiled this year and shocked me back to life’s realities. I was so happy in my little slice of heaven, thinking life would stay this way forever. But nothing stays the same, does it? His death leaves our family down to 4. Along with my sister Connie, both of my parents are still doing well at 90; as well as you can expect after losing a second child.<br /><br />I sometimes long for the bygone days, when technology wasn’t even a word yet. The days when good or bad news came via telegraphs. At least then you could see the Western Union man coming and have time to prepare.</span>Candy http://www.blogger.com/profile/01852157597174301499noreply@blogger.com1