Friday Mutterings

 

In its happy place. 

This cute little deer and its friends spent most of yesterday afternoon relaxing near the shady fence area near the woods in our Pasture No. 1.  

As Bill has often said over the past several months, these deer have claimed the Lovestead and the neighbors' places as their home. 

First, they felt really at home last fall when we were gone to Europe for 18 days.  Then, with the light winter, there was no reason to leave, so they appear to have established roots here. 

And, we don't really mind----at least until the veggies and flowers start growing and providing them dinner plates.

On this Friday morning, it's another glorious day in what has been an unbelievable spring. 

My only complaint:  the dandelions are already messing up my lawn-mowing jobs IN APRIL, no less.  

Dandelions are supposed to wait until May and allow us at least two or three full mowings before it's their turn to diminish the beauty of a newly mown lawn. 

When dandelions are growing, I tend to mow lawn more often than is necessary.  

I suppose that if the dandelions are here now, the messy and ticklish cottonwood storms won't be far behind. 

Then, comes the white clover which is not pretty in the lawn. 

Speaking of other irritations, since it is the time of the year when the leaves bud out and other allergens start filling the air, I have noticed that "the itch" has started a little earlier than usual also. 

I never had "the itch" until I moved to Selle, and when it started, I even went to the doctor to see what could be causing it.  She suggested the dogs, but over the years, I've learned that it has more to do with mowing or handling spring grass that anything. 

Two days ago I awakened with the telltale irritation around the bottom of my hairline on my neck. 

In past years, this has usually begun almost without fail on April 27, lasting until late June. 

It was usually most noticeable on the mornings after I've mowed the lawn.  

I eventually learned that if I took a bath, washed my hair and did a complete clothes change immediately after mowing, the itch stayed under control. 

BUT, during the past couple of years, for some unknown reason, I almost forgot about the annual nuisance, experiencing just fleeting occurrences. 

So, I'm thinking this could be a bad year, itch-wise. 

We'll see.  

It's a good morning here around the Lovestead cuz Annie's home.  She'll be working remotely today, but we'll be going to Friday-night dinner tonight and doing whatever fun stuff is on the agenda. 

Looks like a great weekend ahead. 

Happy Friday. 

This little guy is especially happy because his Annie is home for the weekend. 

I must now speak of the resident deer with disdain because  several weeks ago, they gathered in my periwinkle patch and gobbled up most of the starts.  

So pretty little periwinkle buds are few and far between this spring. 

As trees and snags continue to fall when wind storms blow through our woods, Bill's firewood supply increases.  

BTW:  this neighborhood has become chain saw alley with at least four sawyers using their various saws, sometimes as many as three saws going at any one time.  

Lots of clean-up and wood cutting going on in the neighborhood.