The Old Lady Might Just Be Getting A Little Too Tired And Cranky

I’m having visions of flowers springing up all over! Yes, the tulips I planted last fall came through amazingly! I am quite happy at the crop that sprouted this spring and at how well they have lasted throughout the ups and downs of temperatures. (See some pictures of my tulips, above). First, we had a weekend of 80 degree weather in late April that got every bulb revved up for the countdown to bloom time. Then, as usual, we slid into some unsightly weather after that. But undaunted by the extreme temperature fluctuations, the variations of tulips and muscari proved to rally against all odds. The alliums are up but haven’t bloomed yet, so that will be lovely to see, also. And my daylilies have grown and are showing they are ready to start stretching their wings, too.

A couple weekends ago I also got out and did my first lawn mowing of the season. I followed that up by trying to use up some of the mulch from last year and spread it around the Spring bulbs that came up in those beds that had not yet been mulched. Now that I can see where everything is planted, it is time to mulch. So I had Bob order 15 yards of mulch today. He thought that might be too much since last year we didn’t quite use everything, but then I reminded him I had three beds that I didn’t mulch at all last year because I was going to dig them up in the Fall and replant them. I’m assuming he just didn’t want that big of a pile staring him in the face again. As I am also sure, he remembers quite well from last year when we grabbed the skidloader, wheelbarrow, some rakes, pitchforks and gloves and set out to mulch, that we (errr, me) had a bit of a problem in keeping my blood sugars under control. It was such physical work that it kept sending me into lows every half hour. So he tried to take the brunt of it (and I am sure he will remind me of that again this year when we start putting down that mulch again).

In the past I have usually used lots of cocoa bean mulch. If it wasn’t so expensive and/or could have gotten it in bigger bulk than just bags, didn’t bio-degrade so fast, wasn’t bad for the dogs (if they eat it), then I would love to continue using it. It smells so good after it has been put down and it looks marvelous! But since after using it for just a couple beds, I can turn my pocketbook upside down and nary a single coin will fall out – I think is better to stick to a $400-500 40-yard load of shredded/colored wood mulch.

The dilemma I have this year is my rose bed. We are supposed to be putting in a new septic system – that is, if we (hmmmm....more like, Bob) ever decide on the final project contractor, etc. (I suppose I have to start throwing out a “honey-do” list again.) The plans that were drawn up puts the line from the house to the holding tank going right through my rose bed. Nonetheless, what I should be doing right now is digging up that rose bed and replanting them – so I guess I have to put that on my “honey-do” list and Bob’s “helper-honey-do” list.

When I mowed that first time this year, I cleared out some areas that I hadn’t mowed in years up above the “white heifer barn.” It is quite hilly so there were a lot of trips up and down a slope that is not meant to be mowed sideways. By doing these areas, I added a couple more hours to my mowing time so I am now looking at being out there for a good 6-7 hours at least.

This past weekend was a little bit harder to time the mowing because it had been drizzling on Friday and Saturday. But by Sunday I knew I had to mow what was now looking like a hayfield because it couldn’t wait any longer. The nice warm weather from last weekend combined with some rain made everything grown expeditiously. Yes, I do mean everything. The weeds sprouted like crazy, too. I started mowing and only got the front yard done had just started on the back yard when I was having problems shifting the mower. I shut her down and went and got Bob who crawled under her to get a peek at what she was being so cranky about. That is when he noticed all the oil that was covering a lot of her underbelly. Then we noticed that streak of grass that I had just mowed had a shiny shimmer to it (oil!!). We pushed her to the front of the house and took the cover off to see her oil-slicked guts. Bob then started her back up again and a spray of oil came off one of the hydraulic hoses. Initially, when I first explained what was happening and he first came out, he told me he thought the hydrostat had gone and she was done. I was beginning to get sick thinking about it. But now he thought, hopefully with either a new hose or alternatively soldering or welding the hose that was on there, we might be able to get by. So we were going to have to wait no matter what until something could be done with that hose.

Nevertheless, I desperately need to mow and have nothing to do it with at the moment. Hopefully, Bob will pick up the part today, be able to put it in and I can mow tomorrow. If the welding on the part doesn’t work, to put it bluntly, we’re screwed; the next step will be getting a new lawn mower.

My baby (Cub Cadet lawn mower) has certainly served her purpose well. We bought her (you will note that yes I am referring to her in the female sense as she has been a workhorse – hence it is a she) . . . anyway, Bob bought her about 17-18 years ago. I remember the day he got her from Studer’s in Monroe. I was appalled that he/we paid $2,000 for her at the time. She was used then – we figure she must now be about 30 years old – not sure what that makes her in human years – does this count like “dog years”???? hmmmm . . . but she has given us very little problems. She came with her own tiller and she has definitely paid her “rent” by the work that she has done.

The problems now are that she leaks hydraulic oil a little (a lot more after she blew a hose last weekend), and she might be a little cranky to start once in awhile, but heck what woman isn’t!!!! hahaha!!! What she likes is that she gets a good workout in the Spring, Summer and Fall months and she gets to vacation all Winter. (I’m thinking I like her job already!!) Yes, I might have accidentally rammed her into a few trees once in awhile just because I was trying to get too close, but a good headbutt every once in awhile hasn’t knocked any significant screws loose – or at least any that she has shown me cause to be concerned about.

I’m hoping that with this new little minor transplant we have for her, that she won’t give up and want to take a permanent vacation. If so, I don’t blame her entirely – especially since now she has to put up with Wolfie who likes to run around in front of her, taunting her, when she is trying to get some work done. She hasn’t had to put up with a young, pesky (outside) dog before, so maybe she might be thinking it is too late to teach old dogs new tricks.

Frankly, girlie, I’m hoping not.

Fall, Football and, yep, Christmas

Well, the air is getting a little crisper and cooler in the mornings and evenings. Fall must certainly be settling in. Hmmm...that means the hot, humid, dog days of summer have flown by, football season is upon us, the vegetable gardens are waning and the flower beds are wanting some attention. My flower beds have certainly been calling for me the last couple weeks. And it has been easier to stay outside working in them, too. I’ve dug up one big bed and am waiting the arrival of plants and bulbs shortly. The estimated shipping dates are starting next week on the 21st. Waiting for the arrival of plants is like waiting for the stork to drop in with arrival of a new baby – a much anticipated day-by-day waiting game. But, I’ve transplanted the plants that I had there and the tiller is sitting waiting for the day to be put back into use. I’ve also got quite a pile of mulch leftover from the spring planting. The only thing I will have to engage once the plants arrive is my husband, Bob. He will do the tilling, I’ll do the planting and then together we will put down the mulch. Next, I'll have to do my planting layout. That is always the fun part.

I’ve decided to change up my beds in the back of the house and am going to color code them. The big long oblong one is going to contain 3-season pink, lavender, and white plants. My round one by the clothesline is going to be the hub of the red, yellow and blue. And, finally, the smaller oblong one is going to contain the orange, yellow, salmon hues.

I am currently awaiting shipments for the big oblong one. So far, for tulips I’ve ordered the following: First Cherry Blossom (pink/white), Mayflowering Tulip Survivor (pink), Purple Flag (purple), and Rembrandt tulip mix. I absolutely love the Rembrandt tulips so that will be a nice mix in this bed. These will bloom in March - May.

Next, I’ve added the Tango Lily Cappuccino (white lily with a purplish-maroon throat; June-Sept.), the daylily Rosy Returns (big rosy flowers which are 3" across and have a darker pinkish-purple eye-zone and yellow-green throats; June-Sept.), a Bi-Color Blue Grape Hyacinth (which is a bluish-purple; April-May), Allium Roseum (pink; Mar-April), Allium Purple Sensation (purple; March-April), Dutch Iris Mix (purple, pink, white, yellow; May-June), Fox’s Grape (purple-yellow; April-May), Grape Hyacinth White Magic (white; April-May). My plan is to pick up a few more plants and/or flowering shrubs that are on sale now around local nurseries to fill in. I may order some more day lilies or pick up some roses to complete this bed.

To add to my round red, blue and yellow bed I’ve ordered the following: Apeldoorn Elite Tulips (yellow-red; March-May); Candy Apple Delight Tulips (red-white), and Sky-Blue Lillies (blue; May-June).

In all, so far I’ve ordered around 125 tulips to add to my gardens this year. But, knowing me, if I make it into any nurseries now, I’ll be picking up more fill-in tulips. Nevertheless, I still always like to have the “show-stopping” ones, some of which I have in my “save for later” lists with different plant companies, just waiting for a sale so I can hit the “ORDER” button. I’m still getting more Fall catalogs every day, so the weekends are fun to do my wish lists from each catalog. Then when I get an email telling me there is a sale, I can quickly go to those lists and do my ordering, carefully making sure I haven’t already ordered each plant or bulb somewhere else.

With all the Fall plant and bulb ordering I have been doing, I’ve also simultaneously been doing some on-line Christmas shopping, too. This has been somewhat confusing to me, as now I’m not sure what season we are really in. Seems like we get to this time of year, when a few weeks ago the Halloween stuff was appearing on the shelves, signaling that Fall was fast approaching. But sometimes it seems like Fall never arrives because by the time the calendar hits that 21st or 22nd day of September, official first day of Fall, the Christmas decorations are on the store shelves and we have officially bypassed Fall and gone straight into Pre-Christmas season. Unfortunately, for Fall, he is now short-changed, becoming the smallest of his bigger triplet clan who have taken over to dominate this time of year. What do I mean? Well, the better known family tree of Four Seasons have now turned into the Three Seasons and their cousins, a three-headed Cerberus fourth season, named Fall/Football/Pre-Christmas – never quite knowing who got the bigger, broader shoulders in that family but it is definitely a fight between Football and Pre-Christmas. Fall is now just the runt of the bunch.

Nevertheless, Fall has brought about the color changes in the trees above and those leaves have started falling softly from the trees, Football is now conclusively dominating the TV sets and, yes, Pre-Christmas is also here. I wouldn’t doubt that once I go to the stores tonight in search of blinds for my kitchen, that I will see Christmas decorations starting to go up. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit, since I have already begun my Christmas shopping. This must, though, undoubtedly mean it is going to be a cold, hard Winter, because I never start shopping this early. And, as my sweet little sister Suzi pointed out, I’ll hit the stores on Black Friday and yet won’t even be done then and will continue to shop until a couple days before. It is always hard for me to stop.

Yes, I’ll admit that Christmas is definitely my best holiday of the year. So, right now while my hubby might enjoy Fall’s triplet brother, Football, I’m definitely much more fonder of their triplet sister, Pre-Christmas.