Happy Rain Day

 Last year, our first in this home, the deer, other animals, and insects consumed more of the garden than the humans.  Today we began the process of putting up a deer net around the garden.  I had visions of getting some pretty wood posts to attach the netting.  The price of an eight to ten foot pole, plus the labor to place it, meant that wasn't going to happen this year.  We used metal conduit pipes that we already had to get almost half the garden enclosed.  We need more conduit, but they are way cheaper than wooden posts.  So it is a bit of a hack job, but I think it will work.  

Zed and I, putting up the netting.
Photo courtesy of Keziah.

The netting is really hard to see.

• Within minutes of us walking away from the garden, birds flew in.  They didn't get caught, but they were mad that the netting was there.  The happy part of this is that they seemed to learn that it was an obstacle and flew around it fairly quickly.  Later, I tied some ribbons randomly to the net, hopefully that will help them see it.
• Keziah and Zed had chiropractor appointments this afternoon and their second vaccine this evening so Gideon and I got to spend time together.  In the afternoon I wanted to go to the bank so we stopped at a park nearby to play Pokemon Go.  It was raining so that seemed like a good plan.  Unfortunately Gideon couldn't get the game to work on his iPad.  Instead, we walked around the playground.  I think that was more fun.

• In the evening Gideon was playing on the computer.  I was playing with the cats and had a Disney song stuck in my head.  Instead of stumbling over the words I found the movie, Sleeping Beauty, and put it on.  So I danced to the songs while playing with the cats.  
• After feeding the cats I sat down to watch the movie.  With no prompting, Gideon joined me on the couch and we snuggled and watched the rest of it.  

It was a lovely rainy day.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.
    And suddenly I am at the chapter on growing grains and now I want to grow grains.  🤣😜🚜 Who even am I??

Stay safe.

Other happy things for today:

And Then the Rain Came

 Somehow, I slept in today.  Just after nine this morning I woke up hearing Gideon talking excitedly with his dad.  I was not awake enough to remember what caused the excitement, probably just morning.  When I finally got outside I worked first for a short time on the triangle part of the driveway.  I only weeded out a small area there today before I started to weed out the area where the strawberries are.  When I came in for lunch I started looking at some of the Google Map and Google Earth views of the house.  I was hoping to find some clues as to what the property looked like over the years.  There used to be a way to search the history, but that is only using the Google Earth Pro version, so I had no luck there.  All I found was a very unkempt property with the images from 2019.  Eventually, perhaps the images from Google will start to look a little better.  Getting outside and working on the yard is a happy thing for me today.  Why?  Well, all the little happy parts that include:

•   The feeling of accomplishment I am getting as things start to look neater and grow.  There are things that I planted-like the tulips in the front; and things that are just growing-like the bluets in the back; and things planted years ago-like the daffodils, roses, and fruit trees that will hopefully benefit with less competition for resources.

Varigated tupip.

Pink tulip.

Someday there will be a tulip.

• When I came in for lunch I learned that Keziah and Gideon were planning out a playground for the property near where the pool used to be.  The pool has been gone since before we moved here, but the deck for it is still there.  They have some fun ideas and I look forward to seeing them work on this over the summer.
• After lunch I put the SD card back into the wildlife camera.  I doubt I will get out to check it again for a few days.  I did notice that even more bluets seem to be popping up.  One set in particular though looked more blue than others nearby.  I wonder what causes that?  A nutrient, DNA, or maybe just the lighting?

So many bluets!

These looked bluer in person.

This patch was maybe one foot away from the patch above.
The blue is far less striking.

• Oddly enough, I feel like the blue on the bluejays is more vibrant this year too.  I also saw sparrows, robins, mockingbirds, and a goldfinch.
• While digging up weeds near the strawberries I found more rocks.  I vaguely remember coming across them briefly last year.  This year I decided to investigate closer.  

The rocks were under a layer of dirt and grass.
They seem to have been placed there...
I pulled them out.

Other things I found along with the rocks
include a hinge and perhaps a gate latch?
There is also some glass, brick pieces, and
maybe a piece of porcelain.

Digging the weeds up turned into a minor archaeology dig.  I like rocks and these will probably end up on top of the dirt when I am able to get back to this area.  And then it started to rain.

Dark cloud rolling in.

• There were also strawberry blossoms on two of the plants and some of the peas are starting to sprout.

Strawberry blossom.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Wash your hands.

Deer

 Yesterday I walked for over fifteen miles.  Yesterday I remembered to stretch.  Today I only have minor aches from yesterday's escapade.  I went for a short (about 2 miles) walk today in the neighborhood and on the property.  For this I am happy.  

This is a garden row I prepared last week.
It should not look quite so crooked.
I didn't see footprints,
so I guess the wind moved the hay.

Peach blossoms and leaves opening
now on Marjorie.

Cherry blossoms and leaves
are now opening on Tucker.

Other happy things from today include:

• Keziah and I got more yard work done today before a company came and sprayed for ticks.  That was all the yard work today because the yard was sprayed for ticks.
• The burlap I ordered for the garden arrived today.  If it isn't raining tomorrow I hope to start using it.  There are a few more things I think I can plant and not have to worry about a frost now that I have the burlap.  Average last frost in my area is June.  
• I planted some more seeds today, in the house.  
• A few days ago I attached the wildlife camera to a tree on the property.  Zed and I checked for pictures this afternoon.  I learned that I need to check the settings.  The placement seems alright, there is a setting that should allow for video too, and apparently I didn't choose that one.  The SD card will go back in tomorrow and I'll try to figure that out.  The pictures either have no noticeable animal or have deer.  I've picked two of the better ones.  Someday, maybe this area will be cleaned up.

Day picture with two deer.

Night picture with a deer.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Stay safe.

No Tales.

 The wind was fierce, I occasionally had to fight it to keep going.  Perhaps that is just because I was so tired.  It took about six hours and fifteen miles, but I walked to Canterbury, NH.  That is my happy thing for today.   There were splendid views, wind, and more wind.  I gave up early on on trying to keep the rim of my hat from standing up straight in the wind.  I cut the walk about a mile shorter than I originally planned, but still about 2.5 miles into Canterbury.  I hope, reader, that you enjoy the pictures.  They are also happy things for today.

Water.

Moving water.

The only historical marker I saw along the way.

My finger and a flowering tree.

The sidewalk ended.

Beautiful homes with beautiful views.

Instead of my finger in the way,
I thought part of my face, hat and shoulder could block the view instead.  
🤣

Water down a hill.

Town line!

I enjoyed the streams I crossed.

Mary & Quentin Hutchins Forest.
This is one of a few different places I might like to
drive to and then hike another time.

My feet hurt...

Getting in the car for the ride home.
This was near Kimball Pond.

Perhaps tonight I will sleep well.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

I was hoping to listen to The Canterbury Tales as I walked today but the wind was too loud.

Stay safe.

Bonus!  Full moon.

Rest Day

 This is the second day in a row that I attempted, and failed, to sleep in.  I woke up with a fair amount of muscle and bone ache.  Thankfully it was supposed to rain so I did not feel impelled to go outside and do more work in the yard.  The last two days much was accomplished.  After moving around the house a little and some minor stretching the aches and pains mostly subsided.  For this I am happy.  Other things I am happy for today:

• In SCA news- there is a piece of weaving that I have been working on for a while and finished a few weeks ago.  The next step with this was to sew it onto a favor.  After that I had to sew the favor itself back together.  Today I completed that last step.  The only thing left to do is to put it into the mail with a little note of thanks for the person.  This is for a person who did great things at a remote event last year.  

I did the weaving, someone else the embroidery.

• There are a bunch of tabs open on my browser.  Sometime tomorrow or Tuesday I hope to apply for some of the jobs that are waiting on those tabs.  
• Before dinner I remembered to set up the wildlife camera out back.  This is the first time, so I may have messed it up.  I'm looking forward to seeing some of the critters that visit our little brook.

☮

Currently listening to: Too Like the Lightning, by Ada Palmer.

Stay safe.

Things to Burn

 It was another busy people day.  Somehow I was able to ride out the social anxiety of being with people better today.  Perhaps only because I am physically exhausted, although I did run and hide a little, mostly I stuck it out.  Other things I am happy for today:

• I mowed.  Not the lawn, but some areas that last year I just mowed paths, I mowed a big section.  One way to help reduce the amount of ticks is to keep grass from getting too high-at least that is what I read somewhere.
• There is a section of land between the garden and a line of staghorn sumac that I have been trying to clear.  It is done.  

This last section had that pile of brush
as well as the multiple things growing up.

The brush is out, many of the things trying 
to grow are cut, and it is raked.
Now it will just be upkeep.

• Today was a bardic competition and between all the other things we were doing I was only able to catch a little bit.  What I saw was impressive and I hope to watch it later.  Two people I know from the state competed.
• Some of the people that came by today brought their truck and a chainsaw.  The fallen tree that was over part of the trail is mostly cut smaller and some of it removed.  Maybe next week more will get moved.  A dead tree was also cut down.

Dead tree.

Dead tree down.

• The dead tree made for good firewood.  We sat around the fire, some marshmallows were toasted, things almost felt normal.  So very thankful for all the help we got today.

🔥☮🔥

Currently listening to: Too Like the Lightning, by Ada Palmer.

Stay safe.

Blossoms

 With the school's on break in Massachusetts, Gideon was able to have another friend and their family come by today.  I feel like I did a little better with being able to socialize this time.  Just one person visiting is fine, it is the multiples that I am having anxiety with.  When I have a project, that helps.  It also helped when we went on a walk and naturally separated into two groups of two.  Other happy things for today:

• Playing with cats this morning.

Crossing the bridge.

I was able to capture the glow of Nanni's
 eyes a little in this picture.
They are trying to get the toy I've put into one of the holes.

• We did a bunch of work outside today.  Because of this, we ordered pizza and I didn't have to make dinner.  
• One of the things we are finding in the piles of junk are random things that I can use in the flower gardens.  Things like shingles that can go under mulch to keep the weeds away.  Also old borders that seem like they could still be used but were just thrown back there.  
• Some of the buds on Marjorie, the peach tree, are opening.

• Some of the buds on Tucker, the cherry tree, are opening.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, by Ann Larkin Hansen.

Stay Safe.

Happy Earth Day

 For Earth Day Keziah and I set to work outside in the cold and snow flurries (!) and started clearing out the dump part of the property.  Over the years, former residents have pulled things out to a section in the back and left it there.  This weekend we hope to get a bunch of the junk into a Bagster or somewhere to recycle, reuse, or repurpose.  

Keziah took this 'before' picture of the area.

This is after we were done for the day. 
The stuff in the back, we haven't gotten to yet.
The pile toward the front, has been pulled out.

Tents that we pulled out.
Very gross.

More of the pile from above that we pulled out.
There is less undergrowth now.

It is hard to tell, but there is a big pile of leaves that got raked out.
We also took down saplings, multiflora, bittersweet,
and other random invasive type weeds.

I feel like we have maybe pulled stuff out of about one third of the area.  It was probably only about one fourth of the junk though.  I found some good sized pots that I might clean up to plant things in later.  Other happy things for today:

• Next week I am going to try to take a long walk on either Monday or Tuesday.  The walking challenge I am participating in this month is themed around doing a pilgrimage to Canterbury, as in The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.  In New Hampshire there is a town called Canterbury that is about fifteen miles from here.  Ideally I will walk there next week.  Anyhow, I drove there today to get an idea of what the roads will be like.  There didn't seem to be any huge obstacles and only a few miles that were more narrow and winding as the roads got closer to town and away from the city.  I learned some things I will need to do to prepare that I may not have thought of had I not driven it first.  
• Flowers, along with the bluets there are some violets coming up.  

• For Boy Scouts, Gideon is working towards earning a thing for cleaning up trash.  He needs to collect 200 pieces of trash.  Gideon, Zed, and I walked around the property to begin the process of fulfilling this requirement.  Gideon counted 54 pieces before we came in for dinner.   He and Zed have the mechanical grabber things to pick things up with.  Gideon pretended to be a robot or Dalek and had a lot of fun.  

A whole bag!

☮

Currently listening to: Too Like the Lightning, by Ada Palmer.

Stay safe.