Rain, rain, rain

start praying it starts landing in this neighborhood --- less than an inch in may and well it's clouding up as i type ......

just can't happen soon enough

moved the tomato's and peppers down to the little garden this morning so they could get in on the "irrigation system" --- also did a bit of tree prunning -- wrong time of year but it was getting a little shaggy around here . . . really opened things up -- my dead pussy willow is now leveled -- saved the lilac before the chainsaw operator got to close -- not sure why but that man hates lilacs --

i even mowed lawn on 3rd street -- and got the leftover treasures hauled to the garage at the office so I have my garage at home free at last ....

i should go wash the car -- bet that would make it rain!!!!

happy sunday
m

Sale Day (treasures)

well, sale day came and went, it was quiet and that's okay. a hundred here a hundred there -- now i know what's where and can start working on the ebay / craigslist selling, depending on how that goes ---

i may try a booth at the flea market when it comes to town -- if i need peddlers permit i'll be skipping it -- i already have all the other pertainent #'s and stuff

jane was the lucky winner of the pyrex mixing bowls -- a nesting set of 4 in really good shape -- we expect great cakes and hotdishes from her !!!!


ah well, win some lose some, but always learning more
Diva

more treasures

the last of the pix -- we have 25 tubs, boxes and bushel baskets of stuff ..... no clothes, rugs or bedding (too smelly) --- a little bit of jewelry -- just a couple of pieces, no handbags -- 6 stoneware bowls like below only bigger and all slate brown...

Estate Sale Treasures

okay saturday 8:00 to noon at Jean's Stamping House is the big sale -- this is a sampling of the treasures before mom went to work and cleaned them all up nice and spiffy -- there are at least 4 sets of pyrex mixing bowls -- the nesting colored ones --- a lot of red/white enamelware, mixed cut glass bowls, some misc pyrex bakingware ... no silverware and only one set of dishes -- Franciscan Desert Rose stoneware -- an 8 place setting set...with some serving pieces....

the house is now totally empty and dad/nick and i finished the garage tonight -- there were boxes and boxes of cookbooks but they smelled way to musty to keep....

Nick (the cat) and the Mouse (the really deal)

So, I walk in and Nick, did his job!

Yesterday, Joy and I had an attitude adjustment moment and drove out to Earthworks Gardens to see the iris.....it's cool! Of course it was windy, bustery and trying to rain -- but I'll go back sometime this week and make some selections!

I planted the tomato's, peppers and eggplants and zuchini last night -- hopefully another row of watermelon tonight and then it's on to the famous estate sale. And another two hours of cleaning at the infamous trailer house project.

Toodles
M

Attitude Adjustment

this Diva really needs it

Back to work .... short week, gotta love it

so back to work, thank goodness. less work at work than at home!

i did manage to get the canteloupe and weird stuff planted over the weekend. i even hoe'd a bit will hoe some more tonight, the pumpkins and squash are coming up nicely, can't wait for the blooms --- huge yellow blossoms that dance in the breeze -- and buzz with the sound of the bees.

mom/dad planted the balance of the little garden -- and immediately set up the sprinkler system.

we managed to fill dumpster #1 on our trailerhouse project. lots of labor and lots of trash. not a lot of treasures but will attempt to document some of them before they get sold. all of them are washed and packed up for the "estate" sale on Saturday -- details to follow later in the week.

so it flows
m

And I thought I lived in the country . . .

so Joe was replanting corn -- notice how close st p's newest housing addition is coming --- no wonder I hear kids playing and dogs barking while I weed away . . .

Toodles

M

Diva be tired.....

so we've been emptying out the junk next door --- i have aches in bizarre locations....not done yet but the trash bin is overflowing and will be emptied on Tuesday

the trash bin is a 30yard roll off dumpster....

sucks to be us

Thursday -- re run, additional, more

dr lee brought my server back and ---- ta da i think it's working --- i'm going to spend a week or so beating on it, trying to crash and do wacky things but so far so good..... :) :) i'm not techy enough to add smiley faces but it's something to smile about ......

check out the article on cousin(s) Jim and Verda on the front page of the St. P Herald -- Jim was an hospice patient and they were a blessing for him and him for them and the rest of us.

m

Thursday . . .

the wind stopped blowing but we have drifts of sand....just like the beach -- most of the big garden survived -- the seeds were just popping in spots and the rest could use a shower to clean them up

dad sprayed this morning for cut worms again....had left over spray so he just went and did it

we're gearing up for cleaning out the trailer house --- the rolloff dumpster is ordered -- the masks, gloves and old clothes are out and ready to go at it....

big news ahead for next saturday -- stay tuned --- and if you want to help with the trailer house project feel free to drop in ..... i'm sure there is a treasure for everyone within all the trash!

diva marie

So

pretty much sums up my Wednesday . . . .

Blow blow blow

The wind continues.....we had to keep the windows shut -- the bean field/melon patch was on the move all night long. I'm guessing it will be a week of mopping up the grit when it finally blows on . . . .

Tree branches are everywhere -- the roosters were crowing all night long . . .

Ugh

But I made it thru an 8 hour web seminar yesterday --- that was 8 hours of watching some guy speak via a web cam from Colorado and then answering the pop up questions to prove I was indeed watching. The best part of the deal. Not having to drive the Mpls and back and deal with traffic -- the view from the home office window is much much nicer!

Diva

More of God's Creatures

Okay, deer, racoons, dogs I can handle. But now I've been invaded by cutworms. Or so I was told. Dad and Joe (after checking out the nearby corn field) found cutworms in the patch. Off to the elevator for spray -- loaded up the atv and sprayer and well, sprayed the patch. Joe had sprayed the corn field on Friday so. . . the buggers must have been on the move.

Hoping for heat to drive them deeper into the soil. So -- will be spraying again today. Still need to finish planting. Maybe tonight.

Toodles
Diva

Here comes trouble

okay these lovelies are already licking their chops waiting for the cantelope. hopefully I'll have the last laugh -- the canteloupe are going to be a mile away from the rest of the patch.

m

Dodged the frost bullet . ..

here's the patch looking east --- like a giant sandbox eh! that's okay, watermelons like sand...

here's a pumpking peeking out .. they be popping up everywhere ... along with the carryover soybeans and the weeds (never ends does it)

Frost Frost Frost

who'd a thunk it .....

since we are freezing our tush's off this spring -- gonna need the shorts in december.



i'm wearing my favorite eb sweatshirt (complete with age spots) sweat pants, heavy socks and a turtle neck and i'm NOT SWEATING!!!!


the girls sold $ 700 of perenials as a fundraiser for their relay for life team out of my old shack's garage this morning . . . in 3 hours.... they sold out. it was a nice idea ----


Diva

RIP Mr. Pidgeon

mr p is gone -- mama coyote arrived in the yard and thought he was an appetizer -- she also got brownie .... so the hunt is on .... the other roosters were left in the "run" and then shut into their building last night - - -

the livetraps (useless) and the other traps have been set and baited --- the wait is on



on a lighter note -- the morels were pretty darn tasty!

M

THE MORELS THE MORELS THE MORELS

nick called --- they found 'em --- lot's of 'em. bring on the frying pan and the butter -- these are the large "blonde" ones ....

Ah ... Jean & Grandma Dranttel

I took these pictures with my cell phone on Saturday night -- Jean and I were up visiting Grandma -- and watch the Twins WIN . . and working on a project or two....
then they played it up for the camera ....

it took a trip to the cell phone store (gotta love small town Mn) to figure out how to email them to myself and then share with the rest of the world. . . . I've sent a text message in my entire life and now I email myself pictures! Movin' Up ! Progress is good.

M

Nasty day on the Prairie

So with the nasty south winds today -- elder #1 spent the day trying to hold a corn crop and well sounds like the battle was lost.....

flying sand cuts off the corn at ground level -- and it was flying --- he spent the day in the rotoryhoe and well -- 2 years of beans - not a lot of rough stuff on top to hold the sand from blowing ....

thankfully the melons aren't up yet...although they are protected by the fenceline that over the last 30 years is really a giant ridge of sand dune . . .

it's never dull...

Diva & the bunny . .

So mama rabbit has babies at the office ---- evidently I picked one off with the lawnmower on Friday afternoon and well, one is now up and hopping around the yard and hanging out behind the air conditioning unit. Mama however sits outside my office window and looks in at me --- with those large brown eyes.

Then last night when muscling the trash to the street another rabbit showed up --- 3 will soon turn into 6 and I will have NO plants left.

Kay & Cindi are having plant sale here on Saturday morning -- raising funds for their Relay for Life Team --- perenials only ..... sounds good to me!


M

Diva is cold......

tree moving day --- the elder moved out a pine tree to the windbreak and the other elder was supervising -- notice the wintercoat, hood and gloves. evidently 50' is cold.
not too cold for my white lilac --- buds are just starting to pop open

the eldest apple tree is loaded with blooms -- for the second year in a row -- it should have been it's "off" year....

unfortunately you can't smell the scent but it was divine...i stood underneath and enjoyed it. once the wind picks up it will start to snow blossoms . . . .

ah spring on the farm. i did find one morel mushroom yesterday -- the mosquitoes drove me out of the woods -- forgot the bug spray and it was really buzzing in there.

The melons, the melons, the melons

the melons be planted -- at least the watermelons. if the rain holds off tonight, i toss in the canteloupes -- only have room for 4 rows so.....

need to find room for the weird stuff -- lots of seed leftover

the little garden was tilled last night so -- time for the fun stuff.

time to build some heavy duty tomato cages


more projects than time.

diva

Grass

the grass at the "old shack" is mowed

no need for sheep this week


did surgery to make the lawn mower start
(actually I kicked it) (truly - asked Cindy she is my witness)

Diva

The LOST is FOUND

my missing tape measure

has re-surfaced

in my desk

after 2 months



now if i can only find my mind

DQ Wednesday

here is a happy well behaved chicken -- trust me they change in a flash

the day was so awful, i and two of the upstairs gang had an afternoon DQ break and well frankly, it really didn't help very much

had a haircut, cleaned up, changed clothes and went back to work -- came home via the field road -- the corn is up and papa pheasant was checking it out -- they are pretty birds.

still need some attitude adjustment!!!! lots of adjustment!!!!

The Garage Sale of the Year!!!!

KATIE & MANDIE’S

GARAGE SALE EXTRAORDINAIRE!!!!


APPLIANCES, NICK NACKS, HOUSEHOLD AND LOTS OF COOL STUFF!!!!



409 2ND STREET – CLEVELAND, MN

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
(IT’S CITY WIDE GARAGE SALE WEEKEND IN CLEVELAND)


ALL PROCEEDS TO SPONSOR KATIE & MANDIE’S TEAM in
THE TWIN CITIES 3 DAY BREAST CANCER WALK

CHECK OUT TEAM DMT --- http://www.the3day.org

Aaah rain, green grass,

smells like spring

now if the rooster with the attitude would quit crowing at 4:30 am life would be really good.


m


ps. Bella, the german shepard mother, lives up the street, green house with the white fence on the corner!

Monday....

"Whew -- I had a rough time playing in the grass -- I"m pooped!"
"but mom I want to play some more"

These are Bella and family -- all total there are 7? puppies. Bella is such a good mom!

After planting pumpkins last night -- I watched the news and then went back out and planted the squash -- it looks like after today it's going to rain all week and I thought it prudent to at least get the seed in the ground. My space is going to be full. Will need to wipe out some corn to make room for the wacky squash & gourds.

It was a full Sunday, Nick's Confirmation, lunch out at Famous Dave's, lots of gardening and a little bit of cleaning!

Happy Monday.

M

Planting

Pumpkins are in the ground

Next are the squash (after supper)

Then the watermelons

Then the weird stuff. . . .

I hope I have enough room


M

Morning Chickens....

this is why these boys need to be locked up at night. i spent 1/2 hour trying to swoosh them out of the machine shed last night -- finally gave up and then they had the nerve to hop on the deck rails at 5:30 this morning and start crowing..... and well, leaving other deposits. enough!!!!

this is the ringmaster and he's going first

More May Day

This Mr. Pidgeon -- he finds it necessary to crow from the top of this fence rail. He's the fiesty rooster in the bunch -- the lean mean fighting machine. One of the black and whites cleaning up in the yard.

Here is part of the 2009 patch -- looking west to the hill -- the patch goes about 3/4 of the way -- not far enough. So I was out scouting additional acreage -- and found some. The gourds and fancy squash and pumpkins will be up on top of the hill closer to the cell tower -- the boys haven't planted up there yet so....I'm taking over some of it.

May Day.....

So since it is May Day --- why do I have the furnace running...... I'm still cold.

I went to the patch last night and stepped it off. I don't think I have enough room. Not a good thing. So, will have to decide on the options over the weekend.

M