On Saturday, we woke up to sobering news that we are involved in another conflict in the Middle East. It was difficult to process, so I did what I had to do to survive. I turned off the news and enjoyed the beautiful day we had here.
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| Amidst the tragedies of the world, there are still signs of hope and things to smile about. |
As the day was warming from the 30s F to the 60s F, Wally and Theo came over for a visit. While Wally and Ward processed yard waste, Theo and I made a big pot of chili. I always enjoy our cooking sessions and the cooking tips I learn from Theo as he tries to make each dish have a good depth of flavor. He is much better with seasoning than I am. The chili turned out to be some of the best I've had.
After lunch, the sun was shining, and the temperature was rising. Wally and Theo made their way home, and Ward and I sat on the porch and read in the warm sunshine. It was wonderful.
Later, we worked in the yard, pruning and cleaning up the beds. I usually don't do much fall cleanup, except in the vegetable garden, so there's a lot to do. My excuse is that the dead growth on top is a layer of protection against the winter cold. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. :)
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| We saw more signs that life goes on when we found that bluebirds are building a nest in one of the nest boxes. |
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| However, to protect the birds, we need to narrow the box hole that a squirrel enlarged this winter. |
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| During our cleanup, we found several branches that came down with last weekend's snow. This cleanup is going to involve some chainsaws. |
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| We also found that voles had been active in several places in our yard. We're still in the research process, but it looks like they won't be easy to get rid of. |
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| I uncovered some daffodils that were trying to grow under a flower pot. |
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| And it looks like the spinach from last fall is coming back. Another thing to smile about. |
We're back to colder weather today, but spring is on its way.
Spring seems to be on the way, let's hope.
ReplyDeleteWe're supposed to have a couple days of rain and snow before it warms back up later in the week. But I guess that's spring weather for this transitions season.
DeleteI also find that I need occasional breaks from the news . Looking at signs of spring are a good mental reset.
ReplyDeleteI think being outdoors is good for all kinds of things including stress. Especially when the weather is nice.
DeleteSounds like you had a lovely day, spending time in the garden and with yoursons and Ward.
ReplyDeleteIt was a lovely day and a good antidote to the morning's news.
DeleteYour bluebird house holes look exactly like ours. We need to put new fronts on ours as well.
ReplyDeleteNot sure yet if we're going to put metal around the hole or another piece of wood. We've usually just put another piece of wood over the top.
DeleteGood luck with you fixing your houses.
Birds are in condo building season, lol! Good luck with the voles -I am counting down to spring, just want to see more sunshine and longer days!
ReplyDeleteVoles can also do a lot of damage to shrubs and trees, so I'm kind of worried about them.
DeleteNext Sunday, we change our clocks again, so we'll be getting longer evenings. That will be nice.
There's nothing like cleaning to get your mind off hard to digest things. It's nice you find signs of spring, makes things seem hopeful.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely day.
We're back to snow and freezing rain today, but it won't last long. Another sign that spring is on its way. :)
DeleteI don't do much fall cleanup any more, after i read that the birds can benefit from the seeds on the dead staljs in my garden. So I too have a lot to do out there, but haven't yet felt motivated to do it--- i am still too focused on inside chores!
ReplyDeleteAnother good point for not doing fall cleanup. :)
DeleteWe are beginning a major overhaul of our yard this spring. I look forward to getting started . . .maybe.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your overhaul. We want to redo the landscaping in front of our house, but it hasn't made it to the top of the list yet. So this year, are plan is just to do some major pruning.
DeleteOh thats so nice...
ReplyDeleteSometimes stepping away from the news for a day is the best thing we can do.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know spinach came back like that. That's exciting that your garden is already growing.
I was surprised to see the spinach, especially because we had a colder than normal winter.
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