Intruder

This is who was draining my suet and seed feeders each night. I’ll remove him today. I will have to carry him 7 miles the computer said. I sometimes think I create many of my problems but I so enjoy feeding the birds. The squirrels will be a problem soon. They are eating buds now. I should be thankful I guess as it’s not a bear! 
 

Racing

Astrid raced her dirt bike, but Ingrid’s and Justin’s race looked like fun. This is the first year they’ve had extra money. Now, both work and aren’t paying for school. They moved to a bigger, nicer, and safer apartment. Last weekend they went to Hot Springs to the horse races. I don’t gamble, but taking 20 bucks and picking horses to win would be fun. I’ve never been but I can imagine watching them whirl down the track.

The wood ducks are guarding their nest at Pop’s Pond. 

I’m busy push mowing as it’s too wet to mow my lane with the rider. I’m mowed for an hour today. It’s good exercise but I can’t do it long.
 

Racer

Well, Astrid did it. She raced her bike today. Logan loves racing and he bought her a bike long ago. Logan does all the things Astrid loves and he wanted her to race! The race was at Kirby, AR. She said she crashed three times. Oh, my heart crashed too. Astrid said at least she wasn’t last !

Ada played dress up. She has a big group of imaginary friends to play with. She’s always the star. She also plays “school”. Erin bought her a clipboard at dollar tree and she….how did you know I needed this. Every teacher needs a clipboard.  She put her stuffed animals in a semicircle and she sat in a little chair and instructed her class.  Erin has convinced her to put some toys away as their house is small.

 

Honeysuckle

Long ago picture of Astrid and ingrid enjoying honeysuckle just like a honeybee. Saw this Coral Honeysuckle at Lake  Dardanelle yesterday. Have you tried it?

I burned more vines from the fence row. Astrid had broken down boxes and put them in the trash. I used them to get my pile going. After it burned I went to the Lake and picked up a lot of the driftwood the big rain washed up. One was big but it finally burned into the ring. I needed to pick it up because I mow down there and I couldn’t with all these wood chunks.. I will still have to pick up more. I am thankful for a sunny day.

 

Mowing Time

I mowed for the first time. I’m going to try to just most to the garden posts and to the new barn. I will let that back grow. Logan said they’d bale it. I’ll mow around my chicken pen and shed and then a path on to Galla Lake so I can walk there! I’m a little obsessive about the yard so I hope I can stand to not mow that piece in the back. Every year it gets harder to do it all!

My friend Kay brought me a bouquet from her yard.  They’re really pretty. 

 

Chicken Stratch

 I worked on my chicken pen most of yesterday.  One side had holes rotted in side boards. I covered it with some old signs. I put up a little tarp so they’d have some shade this summer. I took down a piece of fence beside the pen so I can get around it with my riding mower. I mowed those tall grasses. There’s a big armadillo hole there I need to fill. I cut lots of vines hanging from the fence. Today I need to mow my yard. Eric has mowed twice.

Lantanas

Laura and I went to Alpena yesterday. She fixed a new bouquet for her Dad. My precious Sister Helen had put new flowers on several of my folks’ markers. Richard’s daughters always puts new flowers on Brother Clayton’s stone when the adorn their Richard’s. I am thankful for my family—flowers in my heart. 

The flowers Laura chose are Lantanas. It’s one of my favorite flowers. They are native to Australia and can stand the heat of summer. I hope your day is as bright as a Lantana 🌸🌼🌸

 

Wood Sorrel and a Star

Two new pixie flowers in the grass—Star of Bethlehem and Wood Sorrel. They are both so beautiful. 

Star of Bethlehem flowers is native to Northern Africa.  They are also grown in many parts of the United States. They didn’t appear here until the 1940’s. When you see the Star remember the Biblical history of the birth of Jesus Christ and the star in the east.  This plant is toxic to animals. 

Pink Wood Sorrel is full of ascorbic acid and is eaten as a vegetable in India.  It can be used as ground cover to stop the growth of weeds and alleviate the need for herbicide. This is due to the allelopathic leachates in the leaves and exudates from the roots.  Oxalate extracts from the leaves have been shown to exhibit anti-fungal properties. Wow, what a mighty little flower.

 

I’m Vetched

 After the good rains, I have Vetch all over my yard. I have not mowed but will in a few days. I thought the bees needed the little blooms so I have waited. In Arkansas Vetch grows from March to August along roadsides and in unplowed fields.  It’s a fast-growing, thick, knee-high vine covered with reddish-purple flowers. The flowers are worked readily by honeybees. Vetch honey is similar in color to clover honey, but it has a somewhat stronger flavor. 

Even though Vetch is true friend to the beekeeper, in the Arkansas it is often considered a weed to grain farmers and to those who tend to the highways. The seed of Vetch is a pea the same size as a grain of wheat. Vetch grows so rapidly and makes such a thick mass of vegetation that it is difficult to mow from highway shoulders. Since vetch is of the pea family, it returns nitrogen to the soil making it beneficial to pasture lands. All parts of Vetch is edible and was one of the first plants cultivated by humans.

Astrid is 25

Wishing Astrid happy birthday as she is 25 today. We celebrated her day with a surprise pizza party. Laura said we’ll just celebrate your birthday with Easter. I think she figured out her surprise before the event. Laura and Eric bought her two trees— a pink dog wood and a redbud. They’ll be pretty each year for her special day. My world is better because Astrid is in it.

 

Ada is 6!

Happy Birthday to Ada. I surprised her and attended church with her at Elmwood Baptist this morning.  We had a great party afterwards. Aunt Helen and Fleta sent gifts too. 💕💕💕

 

Navigating this World

I have learned this well in my almost 75 years.  Folks that rely on the tv for their knowledge can’t be reasoned with because most of the time their beliefs are tainted by source. Let them be. 

Fire ants are coming alive. I wondered do fire ants have a purpose? If I step on a hill they attack in unison.  I’m not a fan. Their hills are mountains.  What good do they do? My sisters don’t have them at Coin…yet!🐜🐜🐜 I have granules I sprinkle on the huge hills as I walk, but each year there are more. They a winning the battle not me.