IT RAINED!!!! Not very much but it RAINED!!
Nor a drop for almost 3 weeks. Everything is brown and crunchy.
A lot of trees will probably not make it. Three years in a row of low rainfall and everything is dying.
I keep waiting for our well to go dry. It can't keep pumping much longer.

We lost about 50 HUGE Oaks this spring from high winds because the roots were so shallow from no rain. It breaks my heart to loose them. They have been around a long time.

Hay is scarce and corn crops are stunted. Food will be going way up again. This is happening all over the country. Everybody will be paying more for what does make it to our shelves.

With our little shower the temperature went down over 20 degrees in 10 minutes. WOW! High today 102.

I will never complain about winter again!!!!

Sugar Sweet Cherry Tomato

 The garden is still growing but gets drier every day. Watering is not the same as "mother nature" or as time efficient. It is very discouraging to put the time and work into getting a garden out and then the weather takes over.
But that is what you endure to grow your own food.
I shudder to think what our grandparents had to put with.

Right now, we are fighting a ghost pest. It is targeting our green tomatoes. We find 3 or 4 laying on the ground every day with little bite marks or holes in them. We thought it might be deer because you can see in the dirt around the garden where they had their square dance the night before. But we also have lots of wild turkeys that stroll by the garden every day.

Then there are turtles, rabbits, ground hogs and squirrels. But I never thought anything would eat a "green" tomato. They haven't touched the ripe ones yet. Now that I've said that, they will probably start in on the red ones!!

Crab Apples

Yellow Squash

Grape Tomato

Green Tomatoes

Black Raspberries

The raspberry plant are new this year. I am trying to grow food of any kind. Raspberries are high in vitamins and fiber so we will give them a try.

Tomato patch

Muscadines

Hemlock

March 13

 Before and after of back yard

April 13

March 13

April 16

Before and after of front yard

Spring Favorites

Tennessee Iris

Fresh Strawberries

OK
It went from fall to summer. Everything is blooming and the sneezing has begun.
BUT, I love it.
Onions are planted, lettuce and mustard is in the ground and everything wild is doing its "thang"!

Bleeding Hearts

Bluebells

Blueberry blooming

Crab Apple

Lemon Balm

Pansy

Strawberries

February 26, 2012.
Who would think it would be 60 degrees at this time of year?
Not me! I just keep waiting for "winter' to fall all over us. This is not the typical winter
in Tennessee.

I'm not complaining, mind you. I love to get outside anytime possible. I just keep waiting........

The trees are blooming, Forsythia is smiling, of course Buttercups are yelling "hello", Hyacinths peeking and  the birds are singing so beautifully. Who wouldn't love this?

It makes me feel hopeful for the world. New beginnings for all. Life renewed.

Now, if I could just get into the garden............

OK. It has been like late Spring and then it goes "frigid" for 2 days. The animals and plants have NO idea what is going on. I am confused myself. This just ain't right. 

Snowing right now. Then it warms back up to the 50's the rest of the week. This ain't right. 

What is going on?

O.K it is cold as a "mother-in-laws" heart. 19  degrees is COLD!!!
Spring, where are you?!

WOW! It is 3 days until 2012 begins. Time sure does fly. I have been gone from here way too long. I hope your Christmas was good and that your New Year will be calmer, more peaceful and Happier. 

For my household we have been good. Gotten fatter(OMG) older and lazier (not good).
I guess my first resolution should be get up and moving. Yeah, right. Easier said than done. Always  getting in the way of that. I promise to try harder. I HAVE to if I want to be around another year.

We or I should say "I" rescued another sweet dog from our shelter. He was found wandering the streets and brought to the shelter. Lucky for me and him. He is a Yorkie but I think he may have a little Corgi in him. He is the sweetest thing. He loves to be touched and held. Loves to give kisses.
Loves every other animal on our place. He is so sassy I could just hug him to death. Thank you Lord.

Weather is trying to get into the "winter" stage. I really don't like the cold but I know we need it to help kill a lot of pests. I wish the fleas would disappear from the earth. I have yet to understand the reason for them and mosquitoes. They contribute NOTHING. I guess they are our trials here on earth. WHEW!

Cherry

An Angel went home on July 20th. 

Her name was Cherry. She humbled me every day of my life.

I used to complain about the least little thing. Then I met Cherry. 
She  fought breast cancer and liver cancer for the last 6 years. 
She made it her job to make everyone in the Oncology ward, smile at least once while she was there.
She took care of all who entered. No one was left alone. Whether you wanted it or not, you became HER patient. Some days she could barely function but no one knew that. She smiled, laughed and talked your head off. I think she was trying to get it all said before she went HOME. 

You became her friend from the get go. Birthdays could not be hidden from her. She sent cards and thank yous for EVERYTHING. Even for phone calls. Cherry was thankful for every minute she had on this Earth. She, unlike  most of us knew her time here was limited. She made the most of every second.

She had pain that we can only pray, we never experience. But she never let you see it. If  you went to see her, she would fix lunch or take you out to eat. Sometimes she would wear ME out.

God was with her always. He was her strength. She was a friend to all. 


Her funeral was standing room only. She planned every thing. But I don't think she expected as 
many to miss her that did and still does. Her preacher told of how the nurses and aides sat on her bed
and wept and kissed her as she shed her tired and broken body.

That is LOVE. That is Cherry.
I miss her and thank her for being my Friend. 
There is only one Cherry in each of our lives. Be watchful, or you will miss seeing the face of God.

I love you, Cherry.