ROSEMARY BY THE FRONT DOOR

Empty planter on the porch

One of my weekend projects, albeit a small one, was to do something with this empty urn/planter we had.  I had just put it on the corner of the porch a couple of months ago so it was safely out of the way as we came and went.  I also had a big pile of soil on the side of the house that "Ma" had used for some old planters she had.  We saved it because it was still dark, rich, and useful.

I figured that I could get rid of most of the soil by filling this up and planting flowers or a perennial of some sort.  Then my thoughts turned to herbs and I finally decided on a rosemary bush.  Rosemary is a great perennial herb and best of all, it's very drought tolerant which is a nice plus.

Rosemary and Portulaca in a planter

So I put some broken up bricks in the bottom of the planter, filled the rest up with the extra soil we had, and put a rosemary plant in the top, surrounded by some portulaca.  I like the portulaca because it not only added color to the spot, but the leaves sort of remind me of the rosemary.

Rosemary by the front door

The flowers are trailing, so they will eventually cascade down the side a bit and the rosemary should last for a long time.  It gives a lovely scent right by the front door, we can snip a few pieces as needed for cooking, and as part of its lore, it is said to bring good luck and ward off negative energy.  Heck, sounds like the perfect plant by the front door of a house if you ask me!

This is the first plant I've put on the porch, which is still a work in progress of course, but it's amazing how much life and color they add to a space.  One small project down, lots more to do! 

BERRIES, THUNDERSTORMS AND SNAKES, OH MY

So I get to the farm today.

Forgot my gloves for the berries, so I have stained fingers which by itself isn't the end of the world except we were meeting friends for dinner...strike one.

Then the weather started getting dark and it began thundering...strike two.

Then I almost stepped on this 5 foot long snake that was slithering into the underbrush...strike three.

I decided it was best to call it a day...I did however get a lot of things done this weekend and I'll share those in posts later in the week.  Check out yesterday's post of the weekend plans for the update on what I was able to check off my list.

OH, and if anyone can identify the snake, it would be appreciated.


Update:

It's apparently a "Rat Snake" as they call them in these parts.  Also known as "Gopher Snake" (thanks Granny!) and "Chicken Snake", probably based on what they eat.  As long as it's not "People Snake", I'm ok.

VINTAGE POSTER SUNDAY, HAVE A VICTORY GARDEN

I like the image on this poster.  Very simple and basic (and SO 1940's).  The message is perfect for then and for now; "Eat what you can, and can what you can't eat"...makes sense to me!

In other words, don't be wasteful!

Now, the smiling Mom and Dad, sure I could get with that, but not sure little "Bobby" and "Jane" would be so excited to be out there working in the garden, LOL!  But actually, if more kids today were exposed to gardening, and canning for that matter, it might just BE more fun for them.  We have to not think of it as work but as doing something productive for ourselves and our families.

Enjoy!

THIS WEEKEND'S TO DO LIST

Off to the farm today (and tomorrow) for a LOT of yard work.  More time on the big green machine too, which might be a nice respite in between the other stuff.

 This weekend's agenda:

Till up and dig flower beds around front and one side of house

Mow

Weed eat areas mower can't get to

Mow a little more

Do something with pile of dirt on side of house

Start clearing debris in tall grass along fence line (old bricks, limbs, rocks, etc)

See if I can now mow the debris free areas

Get fruit tree holes dug
Do something with large urn / planter on corner of porch

Start clearing under and around the party/picnic tree (long term project)

Put grass seed in barren spots & water before leaving (Mon/Tues rain forecast)

If I can get the majority of this done this weekend, next weekend I can start planting the fruit trees and bushes, and start planting stuff in the flower beds around the house.

Ripples on a pond!

SATURDAY NIGHT UPDATE IN RED
SUNDAY UPDATE IN BLUE

HUISACHE TREE BEFORE AND AFTER

Huisache tree before

Remember when I blogged about the Huisache trees a couple of weeks ago?  They were filled with yellow flowers.  Above is how one tree in particular looked just about three weeks ago...

Huisache tree after

...and here is that same tree a couple of days ago, back to just green leaves!  The funny thing is, those yellow flowers are gone, they aren't laying all over the ground, they are just gone...scattered into the wind I presume.

Beauty in nature is indeed often fleeting...

GOOD MORNING VIEW

View out the bedroom window

I snapped this random picture when I was waiting on the tractor delivery the other day.  This is the view out of the bedroom window.  I think it's a pretty great view to wake up to.


On the other side of that fence (behind the glare) there are about 200 acres of grazing land (alas not ours, LOL!).  That means the only neighbors behind us are cattle.  I can guarantee that it will beat the heck out of the current view in the city of the neighbors driveway and wall of their house
(however our city neighbors ARE awesome people)!

So, this got me to thinking...Do you have a favorite view out a window in your house?  Maybe it's the kitchen window you stand in front of when cooking?  Or a bedroom window like this that you wake up to?  Or perhaps the back door looking into the yard?  Do share your favorite view!

GARDENING, FRIDAY FUNNY

Yes, I practice free range gardening...sometimes against my will, ha.  But yeah, I think we often do this huh?  A little here, a little there, I think it makes for a more eclectic landscape.


Just never thought to call myself a free range gardener, ha.

INSPIRATION THURSDAY, OUTDOOR DINING TABLE

Outdoor dining table area, photo courtesy of: gardenweb.com

OK, those who have followed the blog for awhile, know that we have an area under a great old Mesquite tree, and our plan is to create an awesome outdoor dining area.  Ironically, I just mowed under there the other day in preparation for clearing the area and starting to work on it.  So I started researching ideas and stumbled across this photo.

It's very inspiring and, other than the length of the table (no room for something this big under our tree), it looks almost exactly like what I've wanted to do out there. I like the gravel, the table, the chairs, the rustic nature of the decor, all of it.  In fact, this is such an inspiration, I've printed out a copy and taken it to the farm to put on a bulletin board as a reminder.

Today is blog day off, see you back here tomorrow morning!

EASY AND UNIQUE CERAMIC STRING / TWINE HOLDER

This is something I did a couple years ago and I had to recreate it for the farm.  Now that I have the blog, I can share it all with you!  What is this you ask?  It's a ceramic drink holder from Benihana turned into a kitchen/utility twine holder.
It couldn't be any easier.  Here's how I did it:

First of all, you need a Benihana of Tokyo drink cup.  I got this one (and a few other styles) at a thrift store a few years ago for about a dollar.  You can also find them all the time on eBay for not much more.  Then, get a package of twine/jute/string, whatever you'd like to use.  By the way, that hole in the front was for the straw when they served it at the restaurant.

Here it is from the back and you can see the Benihana of Tokyo mark.  It's open, which I assume, is where the drink was poured.  This opening makes it perfect for...

...inserting the twine!  Just feed the free end through the straw hole in the front and then you are ready to...

...push the ball of twine into the opening on the back.  Just  make sure it's not too tight so that you can easily pull it through the front...

...voila!  You're done!  The perfect little twine holder, with a whole lot of character, just ready for you to pull out what you need.

Here he is in his new home in the pantry.  He'll probably be moved around as we arrange things, but he'll stay on a shelf somewhere in the pantry / mudroom.  Hope you try something like this.  It's one of the easiest instant projects you can do and the end result is a definite conversation piece!

FINALLY FOUND A DESK CHAIR

Chair for the desk

I found someone in our neighborhood who was getting rid of a chair and as soon as I saw this, I KNEW I had to have it for the farm.  Hard to tell in a picture but in person, it looks perfect, not a flaw on it.  In fact, they said the bought it, put it in a guest room that was newly decorated in a black and white Toile fabric motif, and then they got a job transfer and have to move.

The black and white is a perfect compliment for the flooring in the foyer and we love the floral and leaf pattern since it seems so appropriate for the farm.  Very "nature" inspired.  Originally, I had thought of a chair with arms, maybe even something that rotated, but the desk was a bit too low to find the right chair with arms that would fit.  Plus I kind of wanted something soft and fabric instead of just getting more wood.  I'm sure it's more of a dining table type chair, but I like the look with the desk.  I always say, don't be afraid to use furniture that might be intended for use as one thing or in one room, in another use or another room.  It can definitely add a unique look wherever you put it.

The best part of all?  This was FREE.  Yep!  They were just happy it was going to a good home because they didn't have a need for it in their new house.  They said I could just have it if I put it someplace perfect.  I explained about our little farmhouse, sort of starting it all from scratch, and they were happy.

Their loss/trash, is our gain/treasure!

HAPPY AS CAN BE IN JOHN DEERE GREEN

I cannot tell you how much fun I had with my new lawn tractor from
John Deere.  I totally felt like this:

GEICO pig

I rode that thing all over the place yesterday.  It was the most fun I've had in ages. Who knew mowing could be so much fun?

John Deere X320 Mower/Tractor

Here it is!  In all it's glory.

Dirty of course after mowing!

John Deere X320 mower closeup

We got the 54" mowing deck so it makes a wide swath and it actually cuts
(no pun intended) the mowing time by over 1/3.  It's got cruise control, mows in reverse, even has a place for my iPod.  This is the best purchase, and a necessary one, that we've made for the farm so far.  Now I just need to name it.
Not sure yet if the big green machine is a guy or a gal but when I decide, I'll work on a name.  It seems a bit burly for a female name but we'll see.  
I mean, people name their cars, why not their lawn tractors??

Mowing the driveway

Wish I had a "before" picture of the driveway, but this was so high, when I drove in yesterday, I had to drive off to the side where the grass was the lowest so that the car muffler wouldn't set the grass on fire, LOL!  This mower is so fast, and the mowing width so wide, I did this LONG driveway in about 25 mins.

Mowing and clearing the back yard

This is a shot of the side/back of the house, and it was ALL as tall as what you see close to the fence.  I mowed as close as I could, but there are some old bricks in that part of the tall grass and I didn't want to take a chance on hitting them.  But you can see how much I mowed down.  It's this way all over the property immediately around the house.  Gosh it was SO much fun*.  Seriously.  I set it on cruise and wanted to yell "wheee!" just like the little pig above, ha.


*Remind me of this though about the middle of August, ha.


As I left, 2nd Family's horse stopped to see what all the fuss was about...

Artax the horse

I'm sitting here typing this post and have the biggest grin on my face.  I could go out there today and mow it all over again and be as happy as can be.


Thanks for letting me share this with you...
so, any name suggestions???

UPDATE:  The name has been decided.  I am calling it, THE BIG GREEN ZEN MACHINE...or to make it a bit more simple... 
THE ZEN MACHINE

So it is written, so it shall be!

GUESS WHAT COMES TODAY?

As you read this, I will be at the farm...taking delivery of my

birthday gift...

A new John Deere lawn tractor.

Pictures of my new "baby" coming tonight when I get home, it I'm not too worn out from mowing all afternoon!

DEWBERRIES ARE RIPENING

This past weekend, 2nd Family said that some of the dewberries have started to ripen.   It's still a little early, but we decided to roam around and see what we could find.  As you can see in this picture, some are ripe, some are almost ripe and yet more are still a couple weeks away.

One of our dear friends was out there to visit us and see the house in person, so we took one of these buckets and she and I went to gather some berries.

About 20 minutes (and some red stained fingers) later, we had gathered this bucket full of fresh dewberries.

We brought them home, rinsed them off and put them in a bowl in the fridge.  We ended up with about 6 cups total.  Not sure what we'll do with them yet, but I'll keep you posted.  And there are more, lots more, to come.

PASTURE OF WHITE FLOWERS

This is 2nd Family's back pasture, which we can see from our front porch.  Went out there this weekend and it was covered in these little white flowers...so pretty.  Hope everyone had a great Easter!

VINTAGE POSTER SUNDAY, GROW YOUR OWN FOOD

British "Grow Your Own Food" Vintage Poster

Here is another vintage poster, this time from Britain.  The stylized image of the table over the garden with pitchfork and shovel as the table legs, is really cool.  Almost looks like something that would have come out today.

They remind everyone to grown their own food and supply their own cookhouse (is that a kitchen?).  True words it wouldn't hurt us all to live by.

Enjoy!

BABY LLAMA, RANDOM FARM CUTENESS

Photo courtesy of:  www.acuteaday.com

I realized I hadn't posted a cute farm animal picture in a while.  I used to randomly post pictures of baby animals that you might find being raised on farms and felt it was time for another.


I know Llamas are increasingly common farm animals, so I searched to find just the right one and came up with this little guy or gal.  Just too cute!


Off to the farm today, going to do some yard work before it gets too hot, and get all the windows cleaned, install a storage rack, and take out some more stuff we've had in storage.  Basically, doing some more random things that just need to be done.

Enjoy your day.

FUTURE DIY PROJECT WITH SHUTTERS

Shhhh...this is a secret.  Don't want to have one of those "why do we need this?" speeches conversations.  Yeah, yeah, I know I'm publishing it on a blog for the world to see, but 2nd Man never reads this, I think he's afraid of reading about himself, LOL! Anyway, I was driving home from work the other night and I saw this lonely set of shutters on the curb, calling my name.

I immediately pulled over, snatched it up and put it in the back of the car (I felt like I was doing something wrong but hey, it was on the curb where they pick up  trash, what could I do?).  It just had the "look" that told me I could turn it into something we could use. I need to google it and see what others do with old shutters so I can have a "plan" in case it's found. There's bound to be something fun I can create!!

EASTER SAY WHAT, FRIDAY FUNNY

HAPPY EASTER!!

Thought this might be a funny start to the weekend, and some of us have to deal with rabbits in our gardens.  Of course, chocolate bunnies would be a good problem to have, LOL!

Enjoy!

INSPIRATION THURSDAY, AMAZING TOOL AND POTTING SHED

Amazing Tool / Potting shed.  Photo courtesy of: Fine Gardening

 OK, before you ask, NO, there is no way this is my potting shed, LOL.  If you want to see the very humble beginnings and progress of that, CLICK HERE.  These are photos that I saw on the Fine Gardening website last year that inspired me to WANT to create an awesome tool/potting shed.  Isn't this just amazing?  Oh to be this organized, I can only imagine.  It would actually be fun to walk in here and get stuff out for gardening (as long as you put it back exactly where it came from after, haha).  And yes, this is a shed at an actual working estate.  Key word being estate.

It's just beautiful and while ours might will never end up looking like this, we can take inspiration from it and at least try to come up with something similar.

Potting / Tool Shed organized.  Photo courtesy of: Fine Gardening

Today is my blog day off, so I'll see you back here tomorrow!

Feel free to comment away!

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FOOD HOLIDAYS POSTS?

Several of you eagle eyed readers have noticed I missed the last few
"This Week in Food" posts.  Well, I've been trying to figure out how to create a calendar to put on the side bar and sort of put that aside while I figured it out.  Yesterday, I finally did it.

UPDATE: It's been brought to my attention that it may still not be working correctly.  I'm going to see if I can tweak it over the weekend.

Look over to the right of your screen and just below the TOTAL PAGE VIEWS icon, there is a Google calendar that will show you what "Food Day" is going on each day for the month. So far, I have updated for the month of April.  I will gradually add all of them for the rest of the year, but for now, you can see each one by scrolling down through the month. Now, if we all know in advance, we can plan a meal sometime and tell our friends and family,
"Oh I made this because it's National whatever Day".


Sadly I can't put pictures on each one, but maybe that's for the better.  I can't tell you how hungry I got every week looking for photos for all those wonderful food items, ha.


Happy Eating!