Saturday, June 29, 2019

Wild daylilies

Many years ago I dug up some day lilies that were growing wild and planted them in my yard. They spread like wildfire and finally dug many up and put in some raised beds. We had a turnaround area in our yard for our vehicles and there were many planted in that area. I hurriedly dug them up and threw them in the ditch beside our road. Every year Sonny uses the weedeater and mows them down against my objections but this year there were so many that he finally conceded and left them and just cut around them. I am so happy as they look so good this year. 

We also got around to pressure washing our house and porch. We try to do this every 2 years but it had been 4 years instead. It was so needed. Here is a section that is before and after.
After cleaning the porch, I finally got my pillows out. (No picture of pillows.)
This is looking out from the porch. We trimmed up the vine that forms a canopy.
Another shot of the porch
You know my love of fungus and mushrooms. We have a stump at the back of the house and it has many of the shelf fungus.

These look like a fairy land.
*************
Lately I've been picking blueberries and peaches. I am freezing the blueberries and I make peach jam. 


************************
Here are a couple of the baby quilt tops I finished. 



Top one is Mammy's little helper and bottom is Curious George. I made 2 of the Curious George ones. 
*****************

And as always............


Saturday, June 8, 2019

Green green green everywhere

One good thing about all the rain we have been having is that everything is so green. Here are some green shots around our place. 
Our muscadine grapes were pruned back severely and they are already lush again. When they get too thick they won't produce much fruit.
We have another vine that is like a tunnel. It rarely fruits as it is too thick and also too shady. Here is the front going into our porch and the back coming out of our porch.

I promised I would put up photos of my wheel barrow and also my comodes.

************
I can't believe how much Kinzey has settled down. She is about over her ear infection and loves sleeping in my closet at night now. She has gotten where she doesn't get up and follow us to the bathroom at night anymore. At 19 months old she is doing great. She comes to the command of "Come" now and will sit and lay down. We are still struggling with her harness. But that is because she is so big. At right at 80lbs, she is a big one. She is almost twice the size of her litter mate sister our older granddaughter has. O and she has become quite protective.

We will keep her crate in the house as we have to have somewhere to put her when it rains and we have to leave the house. 
*************
Another photo I found on the internet..think this is in England.
************
And as always.....

Friday, June 7, 2019

more baby quilt tops

Things have been wet around here and seems it won't let up. The vines and trees just hang with so much moisture. 
We have begun to get our plums picked. We have to pick every day and get them a little unripe and ripen them on the counter as the squirrels have been awful this year. I think Sonny gets out every day and kills at least 2 per day. I did cook down some of the plums and de-seeded the pulp to put up into jam..or I may make fruit leather too. But I just put it all down in the freezer for later. 
I have managed to get a few photos when the sun has shown up.
This is our front right side of the house with the gazebo over the firepit. I love how green everything is and the clematis is in full bloom on the trellis. 

The spider wort has begun to bloom. I love this wild flower so much so try to keep it around in the yard.
I have a real love for wildflowers and have a few different kinds in my yard. Sometimes it looks like my yard is infested with weeds.
Sonny hates it and mows every time he thinks it needs it.

I have a couple of old washing machine tubs ...you know the insides of the old metal washers..I usually plant them with the faux sweet potatoes as they look so wild and lovely sprawled across the yard. But this year I planted cantaloupes...they really aren't doing that well with all the rain we have had but hopefully they will pull out of their slump.
My old comode planters may have to be redone. One is completely cracked and falling apart so think it is time to be removed. I keep creeping jenny and a hairy looking succulent in them along with my wheel barrow. I'll try to get photos of them to post later. 
****************

On a crafty note....I finished 2 sets of Curious George linework embroidery and have one sewn into a baby quilt top and the other is half sewn. I also am working on the sunflower quilt top for the daughter in law. Lately I've been more focused on reading. The wet dampness makes me ache so haven't had much energy to do much else. 
But here are 4 more of the quilt tops I finished.
This one is redwork kitty twins.
Another sunbonnet sue
Precious moments Noah's ark
Precious moments angels
**************
VBS is coming up soon for our church. We usually average around 90 children every night. We serve them supper as well. I've not helped out much due to my bum hip and back but I talked to our preacher's wife and she will put me to work in something I can do sitting down. I have a couple of friends around my age that do this each year so will have someone to fellowship with as well. Sonny has always gone up and helped in the kitchen a few days each year so it will be nice for us both to be there together. 
*************
Keep me in your prayers as I have cataract surgery this coming Tuesday. I'm hoping it will help me be able to drive again. I've not trusted myself with my eyesight the way it has been so we will see.
*************
And as always....

Saturday, June 1, 2019

baby quilts and yard shots

I've been busy lately working on putting together some baby quilt tops from redwork blocks I've worked on over the years. I've just mainly stored the sets of blocks into themes as I've finished them and decided that I needed to go ahead and set them into a top. This way I will have some finished tops to grab when I need a baby gift and put together with batting and backing and then tie. Quick and easy. As I finish each set, I've folded them and store in gallon ziplocks and all into a bin. I plan to show photos of all I've managed to finish and will post a few here each time I post. So here are my first few. 
This one is a duckling and I used a plaid seersucker I had in my stash. I used this same fabric in the next one that is a sunbonnet sue standing on hills.

I will show a few each time I post so this is all for today.
***************
A few shots around our place....
We have had so much rain that the toadstools have popped up. These were so strange looking. This was the largest and is large as a salad plate and flat. It looks like a purple ring around the edge.

We have a catalpa tree that I bought for Sonny for a father's day present years ago. It has gotten huge and sadly no worms. Sonny loves to catfish using the worms but we have only had the worms the trees are known for 2 years. This tree leans terribly but is gorgeous. It is in full bloom and the blooms look almost like a cross between an orchid and a trumpet. They smell heavenly and draw tiny white butterflies. 



The blooms look like snow and that is what draws the butterflies.
*****************
More photos coming later.
And as always.....


Monday, May 20, 2019

more flowers

My other clematis have been blooming. I only have one that hasn't bloomed and not sure it is even alive anymore.


The rain doesn't seem to have affected them as much.
This is my oldest clematis and is an heirloom called a Jackmani
The blooms on it are smaller and only has 4 to 5 petals instead of the 6. I really like it the best. It is a deep purple ...almost blue purple.
***************
We cut down an old tree a couple of years ago. It had gotten rotten on the inside and was leaning towards the house. We knew it was rotten when a mushroom grew from it's side. When we cut it, we left a tall stump thinking to eventually make it into a gnome house. A wild trumpet vine has grown up on it as well. But surprisingly the mushroom continues to pop out in spring after much rain. I did research it and it is a lions mane mushroom and is edible though we are too chicken to try it. 
It is really big...about 15inches long and about 8 inches wide.
**************
I went out this morning to check on our baby hawk. With the storms we have had, I'm not sure it is still alive or there. The nest looks pretty worn. I could not see the baby but will try again another time. 
************
My usual internet finds of terrific photos.
I love sunset and sunrise photos and also love the old water windmills. They are becoming fewer as people now go to electric well pumps. I have noticed now that people are using the old blades from these windmills for decorating. 
*************
As usual....

Just around the homestead

It's amazing how much can change in a few years. And seems time speeds up as you age. I promised to put up photos of the beginning of o...