Updates

I took all of these pictures yesterday. The tulips have been making progress, despite the 40-something degree temperatures all week!

The rhubarb is growing, too:

The stalks are getting big enough that a person could find enough for a pie, surely.

The asparagus is coming, but very slowly. The purple color indicates that it's cold.

Here's my favorite update:

They're growing beautifully. Three males and three females.

PINK - noses, ears, toes...

(Click to enlarge.)

... SWEET!!!

Little things

I took a few photos of some very little things the other day. This is the first installment.

Know what this is?

Nope... it's not a tomato. You need to consider the plant it's next to. That's purslane, which grows close to the ground and doesn't get very big.

Here's another perspective... next to my fingers:

Yep, VERY little! Now do you know what it is?

Here's another one, on its plant of origin:

If you guessed an asparagus seed pod, you are correct. Here's another one:

Rather pretty, aren't they?

While I was taking those pics, I noticed something else that was very small and similar-looking:

That's a spotted asparagus beetle. I think it's a bit late in the season for them. I should've picked him off and smooshed him, but I never even gave it a thought at the time. He made for a nice photo, though, didn't he?

Sights of spring

These photos are getting outdated fast. I took them last Saturday, and things have grown and changed a lot since then. But here's what it was like 'then'.

Asparagus:

If any of you local friends would like some, give me a shout. I have more than I know what to do with!

Rhubarb:

Same deal on the rhubarb, although everybody around here probably has their own.

New maple leaves:

Field of dreams dandelions... weeds, but they make for pretty pics:

Same deal as on the asparagus. Heheh.

Hostas:

Come to think of it, if anybody wants hostas, same deal there! I've divided a few, but many more need it.

Waiting.....

The tulips have made fast progress this spring! These outside my sewing room window were just waiting for the fog to lift yesterday morning so they could open up.

The grass is waiting for me to cut it off, too. Like I said, Dale, I'm procrastinating as long as possible! As long as it doesn't rain a bunch, I'll be okay.

Did you notice the fog in the background? We sure have had a lot of that lately. How can there be so much fog when it's so dry?

Later in the day, the sun did come out, and the tulips were happy!

And guess what we had for supper last night?!

YUM!!

Actually, when I think about it, "Waiting" is not a good title for this spring. Nothing has "waited", but instead everything's popped out way EARLY!!

More after-rain prettiness

Remember these sad-looking tomato plants? They're still hangin' in there (and still well-supported by the awesome E Z Tomato Cages, even though the plants got to nearly 7 feet tall) but looking sadder than ever these days:

BUT... did you notice that there are tomatoes hangin' in there, too? The poor plants are still valiantly producing!

And every few days, I pick some more nearly-ripe ones.

The asparagus certainly produced this year! It LOVED the wet weather we had during the first half of the summer.

It has its own fall prettiness. Click on the pic below to see it larger and note the raindrops decorating it.

More asparagus loveliness:

And even more:

(Click any photo to enlarge. They're better bigger!)

Fall colors and rain go 'pretty' well together!

A sneak peek

In case you've missed me (I hope you have), I've been busily working on my latest project. It's a biggie, time-wise. Lots of hours into it already. It needs to be in the mail to Jess tomorrow (today would've been better, but it ain't gonna happen, I'm afraid)... but I'm not sure if I'm gonna make it or not... long ways to go yet. But I don't have my little pin-helper today, so despite not having pins handed to me, I just might be able to make a little better progress than if she were here. I MISS HER, THOUGH! Doesn't seem like a Tuesday at all!

Here's part of the early stages of the project:

That's one of two types of interfacing going into it... some really heavy stuff. Not a very exciting "peek", is it? Well, Josie, my ever-present helper, thought it was a good place to sneak in and peek out from. Silly kitty. She gets very sad and lonely, though, when I spend hours in my sewing room and she's shut out of there. Poor kitty.

Sorry, but that's all the peeks you get.... mainly due to lack of time, but also due to not wanting to give away the surprise.

You can peek at what we've been eating lately, though. This is the first picking, which I enjoyed all by myself (sorry, Grandpa, there wasn't enough for two). We've both had a couple meals since, though.

Yum!

Bye for now... I must get back at it!!

I love spring!

Our weather lately has almost been making up for our miserable fall and winter. Almost.

(Click to enlarge and enjoy!)

Here are some spring sightings from this morning. Gotta love those persistent little violas.

The rhubarb is making progress.

And yup, even the asparagus is peeking out. Surprisingly early!

There's another asparagus shoot in the pic below... but I bet that's not what catches your eye. :-)

Yeah, I need to get the Roundup out there, too. TODAY, before the asparagus gets going any farther.

Spring progress

"Spring"? According to the calendar, anyway. But you gotta admit, it's a little confusing this year! From a high in the 60's on Thursday and tornado warnings all over the place that night, to a chance of SNOW again last night (which, thankfully, didn't materialize)... it's crazy!!

But anyway, the spring plants seem to think it's time to grow, so it must be spring. Here's the rhubarb... making more progress, but you can see the freezing temps of a week ago damaged it a little. Rhubarb doesn't care, though... it's tough and keeps coming, anyway. Pie size isn't too far off.

The tulips haven't progressed much (what are left after the deer munched on them, that is), but this one is developing a little color. Looks kinda wimpy, but can you blame it? Okay, so all my tulips need to be thinned out a bit. This coming fall, hopefully.

I also noticed this violet blooming, too. A woodchuck usually eats off all the blooms every summer, but he must be still hibernating! (Can't say as I blame him.)

On the north side of the house are many hostas, which are making their appearance, too.

And look what I found in the garden! Can you see what it is?

Try this one... look a little closer.

Yeah, you're right... dandelions which need to be sprayed, but NOW can you tell?

Yep, asparagus! Yum! As cold as it's been, I was surprised to find them coming up. Obviously I need to get the old stalks from last year out of there. I always leave them over the winter, simply because they're much easier to get out of there in the spring after they've had a chance to rot down a little (and I have a LOT to get out!). This year I haven't removed them yet, thinking they're maybe a bit of protection from the cold and snow that keeps returning. But as soon as it's fit to work outside again, they've got to go. Can't wait for that first taste of fresh asparagus!