Midnight Munchers and Other Happenings

Yesterday morning I sat down on the front steps to tie up my walking shoes and suddenly stopped... where there had been abundant Geranium blooms only the afternoon before, now there were only chewed-off bare stems!  Groan. The midnight munchers (deer) have been at it again. I use a product that works well in the perennial garden but hadn't even considered our front steps! I've never known them to eat Geraniums before either. I mixed up a batch of "I Must Garden" after our early morning walk was concluded and discovered the Hosta blossoms and the entire Clematis vine climbing up the lampost just behind it had been torn apart as well. Time to be proactive and spray around everything. The product is linked above; I've been using it for a few years now and find it to be highly effective. I just need to remember to be diligent in its use.  

So, while I am trying to repel some living creatures from our yard...

...I'm also determined to bring others back! The Goldfinch had been conspicuously absent this year; until a neighbor told me about feeding Sunflower Hearts & Chips. Well, what do you know? Slowly, a few more each day, they have returned. They absolutely love this seed... maybe a little too much! $$$!! My plan is to switch them back to Thistle seed, which I already have on hand but now I'm worried that they may leave again if I do that. I just don't know.

The Bluebirds have returned to raise a second family already.

And this, from the orchard. Our first ever apple. But, on the entire apple tree, only the one! Why? Maybe it's the same old story as I started with... perhaps it's the midnight munchers; they're particularly fond of our peaches out there too. It's hard to keep up.

Meanwhile, back inside the house... is there a quilter in this country who's not working on a R,W & B quilt in celebration of America 250 this year? Count me in with all the rest. 

Even the trimmings are patriotic!

Work on my version of the Sarah Barker sampler continues in the evenings; seemingly with no end in sight. When I embarked upon this project I had no idea it would take forever; however, it is actually larger than I had envisioned as well as a labor of love; I must say that I am truly enjoying the slow pace and the results. It's a pleasure to return to night after night. Undoubtedly, I will be sad when it's completed, she and I have become a good friends. 

I've got a surprise (WITH ATTITUDE!) loaded onto the longarm right now (speaking of projects that have dragged on for an eternity) and am eager to reveal it soon (I hope)! Someone is keeping an eye on me while I work, it's good to be held accountable. 

SEW... what's new with you?

Life is Good!

Dropping Weight

We've had a time with our peach trees. It's been an uphill battle. A few years ago, when the trees were quite young, we harvested a few beautiful peaches that were every bit as juicy and sweet as they looked. Since then, though, killing frosts have taken a toll; despite Mr. G. staying up all night long to mist the trees with the garden hose. Last year we had, what appeared to be, a bumper crop ripening to perfection; apparently the deer thought so too. They wiped out every. single. one. just before they were ready for picking! This year we decided to get the jump on any of that activity and purchased a net to cover the tree and the countless baby peaches adorning every branch.  

It was a bit of a task actually placing the net over the tree but we managed. All was well, or so we thought. A few weeks ago, when I was walking out to the mailbox I noticed that the peach tree was GONE, it had dropped out of sight! I stepped around the hedge along the side of the driveway to discover that the tree had actually broken off! The trunk was lying at a right angle, about a foot and a half off the ground, and the remainder of the tree, wrapped securely in its netting was resting on the grass. It was a sad and shocking sight. We don't know if it was the weight of the fruit on the tree or if the saturated netting from a rainstorm the night before was simply too much or if it was a combination of the two. But, whatever occurred, the tree had given up. While the tree's trunk wasn't completely severed, the fruit is continuing to ripen while on the ground-level branches and I'm picking out what I can. We're beginning to enjoy the peaches now, they're small, but good. I'd dare to say that our days as fruit farmers are over; however, wasn't Martin Luther credited with the following: "even if I knew that tomorrow the world would fall to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree"? So, who knows? Hope springs eternal! Maybe we’ll give it another go. 

Life is Good!

...and oh, so sweet...

 🍑