pictures... at long last

Good news! There was a problem with blogger, well not so much with blogger, but with too many pictures. Google (I am thankful they offer blogger with photo storage for free to all of us humble wannabe writers who couldn't hold down a true writers job with a hammer and nails) has prescribed a certain amount (1026 mb) of photo storage per blogger. This would be a very proper amount if you didn't want to post more than 1026 mb of pictures. However, the photo glutton that I am, I have already posted more than that. So I had to do the fun job of deleting pictures from old posts to clear up room for this and future posts. (not fence posts like you see below, but blog posts) You can also buy more storage, but since I would rather spend that money on a new fence or maybe plants that will look nice next to a new fence, I decided not to do this. 

Well, this is not my "lets all feel bad and tell our problems" time, I will tell you the good news. The photo storage locker it nearly empty and I have more photos to put in it. These are the latest pictures of our yard. The workmen will be back Monday morning and these will be out of date, but I'll put more on then. 

In other news, I filled in the large hole that had been a blotch on the landscape for about 3 months now. All that is left is a shallow area (why is that when putting the dirt back, there is never enough?) and three dead spots in the grass. Soon, well after spring anyway, this will all be right as rain and I'll forgive and forget that it was there. 

Last, but not least, I am planning some improvements to the back walkway. I used to have roses bordering the gravel walk, but as they died and turned wild, I am going to change it. My idea right now is to use clematis and climbing roses to form a tunnel over the walk. This is about a 4' or 5' wide and 9' long path and (unless I am mistaken, which happens quite a bit) should easily happen by building a structure with wire and pressure treated 4X4 posts to give the roses and clematis a framework to climb and cover with softly scented blooms. A place where as you stroll you can wander across the pale parabola of joy or perhaps to sniff the sibilant scented silence. In fact a 4' X 9' haven of happiness. Well, the project is already completed and beautiful in my minds eye, but I will now have to get down to the easy parts of clearing, buying, building, planting, fertilizing, watering, and watching.

post thanksgiving digestion...

“After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one's own relations.” 
― Oscar Wilde, A Woman of No Importance

“If more of us valued food, [wine] and cheer above hoarded gold, it would be a much merrier world.” 
― J.R.R. Tolkien

“The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook.” 
― Julia Child


Well, well, well...well, well, well, well, well... Post thanksgiving, post abismal black friday (you may not have noticed, but I am not a big fan of crowding into a store with 5 million other people at 5 am), and pre weekend chores leaves us all (hopefully) in that wonderful state of mind where peace reigns and happiness shines from every pore. Your nearest and dearest relatives that you don't see but once every year at holidays may even notice! You may say that God is in the heavens and all is best in this best of all worlds.
For those of you on a diet, I applaud you. If you can resist the moist, juicy turkey; sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, beets, honeyed ham, rolls, sweet rolls, wheat rolls, asparagus, stuffing, chicken, and salad your will is as of iron. Then to pass up the pumpkin pie, chocolate cake, cherry pie, apple pie and ice cream; well it is beyond me. For all of those people who can resist, I had two portions to make up for it. This is one day when we should all set aside our diferences to show that all men, regardless of race, color, gender, and creed love a good meal (with lots of calories!)
So now we get to enjoy leftover turkey, turkey soup, turkey sandwiches, and all of the myriad of turkey combinations until the corpse is picked clean. By monday I'll be ready to not have turkey for another year. Until then, I'll continue to gorge!

But, this a gardening blog, not a food one, so now for the yard update. Most of the winter plantings are slowly progressing. Someone planted them a month late so they are behind where I wanted them to be, but should be ready for eating by the end of December.
The fence and front yard are progressing, but due to very windy, rainy weather it is progressing a little slower than foretold. It should be wrapped up next weekish or there abouts. Every year I forget how little I enjoy looking out the window that the almost dead and leafless plants and rain and clouds and dreariness. Oh well, spring is coming!

Another Wet Weekend...

There is not much to report from this end. It has been getting dark before I get home from work and raining pretty hard all weekend. This makes for an indoor gardener.
On the good side, our fencing plans are working out. The project begins tomorrow morning. I moved the pots and planters, fence posts and rocks. The rest of the destruction will be done by others with big equipment. Then we'll begin the rebuilding. I'l have something to post then!
Thanksgiving is just around the corner and our beets are ready. I am looking for a good beet green salad recipe if you have any ideas or else we may just settle for pickled and baked beets. Either way it will be delicious and I'll probably put on a few stone in weight.

Enjoy your week!

another weekend gone by

 Well, another weekend has gone by. We are quickly closing in on the end of the year. Each day seems the normal length, but this year seems to have gone extra quick. (Possibly someone stole a couple days?) More projects are afoot here on the Phares Homestead. My wife has long plagued me to get the front yard fenced in and I’ve long thought our front yard needed a face-lift. So with tow hearts that beat as one, we are getting them both done.

In preparation for this, I had to take down our old split rail fence (which may be used to make more garden beds like the last ones - or perhaps not – only father time knows that one) and also to remove the flowers and shrubs and bulbs and roses that I thought were nice enough to spare from the wrath that is to come.

Most things that have been around for 20 odd years don’t like to be changed. Others just fall apart if you look at them the wrong way. This fence couldn’t decide which it was to be. Some parts looked like they were etched into the landscape for the rest of time and some was so rotted, that it sort of fell apart in your hands. All of it was removed though and is piled in a not so neat heap on the side of the yard.

Then I picked the plants that were removable and that I wanted to save. Some glads, some lilliums, some roses, some black eyed susans, some daisies, and a couple more. One hydrangea was acting rather difficult and it appeared that America was on the verge of being short one hydrangea, but time and patience prevailed and it is now residing in a large pot amidst the other refugees. As I was digging, a mole looked out of a hole and had a definite look of awe at how quickly I dug, but I hardly even noticed. There is still one rhododendron I am going to try to save, but it appears to have roots down to about the earths core. I will give it one shot and hopefully not kill it. I guess I can buy another if I really need another one.

Below are some pictures of the yard as is, and I’ll post more as the project begins to begin.

Radishes up front, beets and lettuce in the back

winter carrots (poor things were planted a little late and may not make it to fruition)

These were a small sucker early this summer, but now are taking over

Shasta Daisy

The seeds sprouted on the old flowers due to the nasty rainy weahter

Some one forgot to tell the honeysuckle that it's winter time