More Adventures Around the Homestead

We had a frost warning (or advisory or whatever they call it) for two nights this week. It's not unusual to have a cold night or so in April, but we've had such a warm winter that I had hoped we were done. Not quite!

So, what do you do with tomato plants that have been in the ground a mere few days? You cover them with anything you can find--half bushel baskets, buckets and sand castle building forms. I think we saved the plants, but time will tell.

Also, Timmy (the new baby goat) is doing well. He and his mother joined the rest of the goats on Thursday. He's discovered the salt block.

And he hasn't learned to escape the arms of a little girl who thinks he's the cutest thing EVER.
Anything new at your place?

April already?!

How did it get to be April already? I've still got so much to get caught up on from winter--there's still wool to be spun and crocheted, there's a quilt started that needs work, even herbs dried last fall that need to be put into jars.

No matter! The days are getting longer, my porch has been cleaned (though it could use another rinse to get rid of the rest of the pollen), the hummingbird feeder is hung up and the new herbs are planted in the herb garden. The vegetable patch has been tilled (thanks, sweetie!) and there are container tomato plants already on the patio.

This week I plan to take a sample from the pool for testing. The water looks good, but I'm sure it needs something to keep it that way. The children are already asking when they can go swimming. We stalled them today by hooking up the sprinkler. April 1 and we're expecting 91 degrees tomorrow!

The strawberry farm is open for picking already and I have plans to go there this week with friends. We'll pick in the morning and then we'll head back to the house to make jelly and jam.

Whew. I'm tired already. Maybe I should sit on the porch for a while and watch for hummingbirds.

Wordless Wednesday--Herb Garden

Adventures Around the Homestead

Yesterday was a pretty good day around here. The children and I finished reading their history book for this year. We still have some other subjects to complete, but we're almost ready for summer vacation.

Yesterday was also warm, as in 90 degrees. Oh, sure, by the end of July we'll be longing for the chill of a 90 degree day, but right now, it seems pretty hot. So, after working in the vegetable garden for a bit, mostly digging up weeds, I was ready for a dip in the pool.

I got myself and my children all set to get in the water, bathing suits on, slathered with sunscreen, a cooler filled with drinks and my radio on the little table between lounge chairs. Only thing left was to check the pool's filter basket for creepy crawlies. I found one.

It was a scarlet snake, a red, black and white snake that lives in our area. The are not venomous and are small, no bigger around than my finger. Last year, I encountered my first one in the pool, but it was, umm, deceased. This one was very much alive. (The photo is from UGA's website.)


I use a gizmo that we got from the pool supply store to check the filter basket. It has a hook on one end to lift the cover and a little basket on the other end to scoop up frogs and such that I don't want to pick up with my hand. I used the hook end to grab the snake and then tossed it into the woods. It tried to coil up and look fierce, but I wasn't fooled.


I felt so brave. It's the first time I've had to cope with a live snake on my own, although I'm not sure that little guy counts. He (or she) was kind of cute.

Miscellaneous Goings On

The above birdbath was created by my daughter at spring break camp. She loved putting it in our butterfly garden, where we've planted loads of flowers that butterflies and hummingbirds like--such as lantana, butterfly bush and clematis. The birdbath is decorated with a flower (not a dragonfly-don't ask me how I know that).

The vegetable garden is tilled and ready to plant, if we can just find the time to get the seeds in the ground. That's probably a project for my son and me later this week.

And, this time of year, Frodo the Wonder Yorkie becomes Frodo the Mighty Lizard Hunter. He's hot on the trail of ...something.