Saturday Slight

Could a woolly worm interpreter tell me what this means for winter and why am I seeing woolly worms in May?

           Interesting factoid I read this morning.  

 If Memorial Day is the unofficial beginning of summer and Labor Day the unofficial end, then I am pleased to inform you that we are embarking on the longest unofficial summer: From Monday, May 25 to Monday, Sept. 7, this year delivers the earliest and latest possible dates for both holidays.

So, I guess we have a looooong summer ahead.

I am wondering, however, if the early Memorial Day date is going to cause problems with putting out garden starts prematurely. 

Guess we'll just have to gamble with the holiday weekend and stick those 'maters in the ground. 

Actually, I've had a tomato plant (a tester) out in my garden for two weeks, and it's doing just fine.

In other news, Bill, Laurie and I went to Friday-night dinner last night.  Seems that everyone else in the family is on some sort of vacation. 

Annie is in Kansas for a geocaching event.  Willie and Debbie headed for Southern Idaho, and my sister Barbara is competing at a regional horse show in Eugene, Ore.   

So, we had a comparatively quiet and quick dinner. We noticed the usually bustling restaurant had tables available when we walked inside. 

Seems like a lot of folks have left town for the holiday weekend. 

The fact that they all left us is okay cuz it's mighty pretty outside and plenty out there to do. 

Part of today will be spent visiting graves at the cemeteries and the other time will involve the usual stuff around the place, including leading horses back and forth to pasture and lots of watering. 

We have an area south of the house and yard where I dumped leaves and lawn residue for about 20 years.  A beautiful spruce has grown up in the middle of it, so this spring Bill started the process of removing all the piles of stuff. 

It involved bonfires and hauling downed branches further into the woods. 

Most of the area has been cleared out so that we can enjoy the beauty of the spruce tree.  

Yesterday I mowed clumps of tall grass, raked and then planted grass seed.  It needs watering so that project has added to the usual hose dragging. 

Work, yes, but all good work that I enjoy, so it should be a good and productive weekend.  

✈🚙🚙🚙🚙🚗🚗🚗✈

Below:  My sister-in-law Joyce created this beaded butterfly, and it was particularly stunning with the late afternoon sun. 

   

Thank you, Lynne Thompson, for the painted cone idea which you posted on Facebook. 

Lynne paints hers, puts stems on them and makes beautiful pine-cone bouquets.

I just paint and find neat containers for the loose cones. 

A nice way to add color and not have to water. 

When I snap photos of scenes like this, I get a little sad because after the Fourth of July those trees will come down because they are dying and becoming dangerous to the house. .

  Just hoping we can save the periwinkle patch. 

The squirrels are going to have to find other places to play. 

I'll miss the trees but won't miss picking up their millions of leaves. 

For now, the trees are pretty, as always.