Poison?

 My initial plan for this afternoon was to get to sleep as early as possible after work.  That didn't happen.  Well, I might have drifted off to sleep for a few minutes when I was stretching out my back after work, but that doesn't count.  Instead I mentioned that the Zed's car needs to get inspected and the next thing I know we are driving to drop it off.  Yay proactivity?!  Other happy things for today:

• While mowing this afternoon I saw a praying mantis in the area that used to be a garden and I hope will be again some day.
• The car has working headlights again.
• We stopped at Dairy Queen and they have pumpkin pie blizzards for the fall.  I had them add extra flavor.  It was yummy.  I have no idea if there is any real pumpkin in it or just flavor.
• According to Lens, I have belladonna or nightshade in the sheep manure compost pile.  I'm happy that I am able to identify it.

Black nightshade...

• 
  

  

  Storms comin'.

  
  

☮

Currently reading: Backpacking: A Hedonist’s Guide, by Rick Greenspan and Hal Kahn.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Heat is On

 Writing is hard.  Some days words flow from my fingers and others they do not.  With my new work schedule all my routines are strange.  So strange that it is 2:20 in the afternoon, I am writing before I go to sleep, and I feel like only half a day has gone by.  Things have happened though and I am happy to have these happy things to write about:

• Since I have not been able to completely close up the garden yet, I put a few of the plants into larger pots for now, rather than the ground.  They are also still inside the house, albeit the porch, so much closer to the elements.  I'm not sure when I will get to work on the fence again, things are rather busy right now.  Yay!  Some of the plants have more room to grow.  I also remembered to fertilize some of the plants.

Pumpkin.

• The area is under a heat advisory now.  Instead of meeting at a park, my friend, Amy, and I went to the mall to get in some solid stepping.  My step goal was reached, great conversation, and Amy reminded me of some very important SCA things that are coming up.
• With the heat advisory and sleep during the day, the portable AC is now in my room.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Thanks for reading.  Stay safe.

Happy Sunday!

 There were two super things about the rain today.  The first is that when it rained, it didn't last long so there was still plenty of time to do things outside.  The second is that the temperature dropped to something that I would call comfortable.  Other things that I am happy about today:

• It is May.  Every year some of the family get together to plant flowers on family graves at cemeteries before Memorial Day.  This year I tried to grow the geraniums myself so we wouldn't need to spend so much money buying them.  If you read my blog, you know that the seeds were delayed and I didn't get them planted as early as I had hoped.  Eventually I got the seeds and planted them and they sprouted.  They are larger now, but they aren't big enough and have no buds at this point.  So I have an AWESOME headstart on the geraniums for next year (if I am able to keep them alive).  This morning Keziah and I went out and bought the geraniums to plant in the cemeteries for this year.  Wednesday we will meet with some family and make a day of planting the geraniums.

Pretty colors!

• Third day in a row... but rhododendrons!

• Keziah did more shopping today and brought home the El Gato Fish Tacos truck.  Nanni started exploring it before it was completely assembled.

'Hey, what's this?'

Winston heard something happening and had to investigate.
Winston: 'Can I fit too?'

Nanni seems to be the driver.

• A few weeks ago I planted some pumpkin seeds.  I had six left over from last year and they were old then, but I planted them any way.  One came up and I already repotted it into a larger pot.

Pumpkin plant.

Today I noticed that two more of the seeds are starting to sprout!

Breaking through!

• We built Zed's not permanent shed thing today.  With four of us standing and assembling it a bird came down, landed, got the food they wanted and left.  I was only able to get a quick picture.

Where's the bird?

I cropped it.
I think it might be a grey catbird?

• The shed thing got built!  Team work!

Wind blew!  Time to batten down the hatches.

☮

Currently reading: The Burgess Book of Nature Lore, by Thornton W. Burgess.

Stay safe.