Just when I thought it was okay to go into the water...

 

The dogwoods are the last spring flowering trees to bloom and my favorite.

Or, to say it another way, just when I thought it was okay to put out sensitive plants, we had a freeze. Technically, our last freeze date is not until May 15, so this was not unheard of, but I got fooled. February was warm instead of snowy, and last week we had temperatures in the 80s F. Some plants were covered for the frost and did okay, and some were uncovered and had damage. Oh, well. However, the grass is happy and growing like crazy. It's definitely a busy mowing time of year.

As far as vegetables go, I bought broccoli plants this year. I have always had better success with plants from a nursery than those I have started from seed. We shall see how these do. Also, I've planted radishes, beets, and carrots using old seeds. I sewed them liberally, hoping for enough germination to make it worth the effort. I'm also nursing along some volunteer tomato plants. In a few weeks, after our last freeze date, I will plant the warmer-weather veggies. Some years, I start seeds ahead of time, but not this year. However, if truth be told, I usually wait for extras from friends who start a lot of seeds and have more than they can use. It's a win-win situation. They like to see their plants get used, and I am happy to get them.

And speaking of starting seeds, I will be doing a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) program in May on plants. As part of that, the kids will start bean seeds in plastic bags. Prepping for that, I've been starting seeds every week, so I can have examples at various stages for them to see. I am having fun watching the details of the emerging plants. The beans came from the grocery store, and so far, great northern beans sprout faster than the pinto ones. And the pinto beans' stems twist more, causing problems sometimes. This exercise is meant to see how seeds germinate and plants develop, but starting the seeds in the dirt would probably be better for growing them to harvest. The transplanting has not gone very well so far.

Otherwise, April seems to have evaporated. I'm not sure where all of the time has gone, but Easter and Wally's birthday celebration took up the first part of the month. Also, April is the time for several annual/semi-annual appointments, such as the dentist. Perhaps I need to better organize them and spread the appointments over the year. And let me just mention again I am very blessed to have good insurance. My job doesn't pay much, but it has good benefits. I do not take this for granted.

We took a hike on a local rail trail as part of Wally's birthday celebration.

And when the weather is not cooperating for outdoor work, I am continuing to work on the tribute/this-is-your-life for my father-in-law. And as these projects go, I spend more time than I would like with computer issues than with actual content. The latest has been trying to get PDF files into another format so they can be used by another program. That is, trying to do that without paying for the expensive ADOBE software.

Anyway, we just keep plugging along here with everyday stuff.

Until next time...

Thankful Sunday--July 30, 2017

I am thankful for new discoveries.

You have probably figured out by now that I like to take hikes. Yesterday, Ward and I discovered another place close by to do this. It was at a park that we had driven by many times but never noticed until a friend told us about it.

We found a restored caboose at the end of the trail.

In the morning when there was a break in the rain, Ward and I took off to explore the park. It was an all purpose park with paved walking paths, a dog park, sports fields, and tennis courts. But the best part of it for us was the Rail to Trail trail that ran through it. In case you haven't heard of them, rail trails are old, unused railroad tracks that have been converted into trails for walking, biking, and sometimes horseback riding.

The trail ran through steep, rocky hills with lush vegetation and was very peaceful. We didn't have a map, so we just hiked along wondering where the trail was going to go. And guess what? It ended at an old railroad depot. If either of us had been thinking, we might have figured that out. But I'm glad we didn't because our Ah-ha moment was fun even though we felt a little silly.

Not surprisingly, the old depot was in the middle of the historic part of town and presented all kinds of future possibilities. Walking into town to get spots for the town's parades and fireworks. Taking a walk into town for browsing old shops or having lunch. A pleasant hike, then exploring the town's historic buildings.

So for this new discovery and all of the possibilities it holds, I am thankful.

Below are a few pictures for our walk.

Some places you could see the old rails still in place.

There were benches along the way, as well as, plenty of outcroppings of rock. 

With ferns growing out of some of them.

There were several kinds of wildflowers blooming.

And a rabbit who was not very afraid of us.

At the end of the trail was this railroad depot and caboose. Today the depot houses several shops.

And there were historic signs where we learned a little more about our new community.