I took the day off Sunday from the fence. I had planned to anyway but the weather cooperated and it rained lightly off and on all day, thunder rolling in the distance keeping me in while I got an extreme weather alert on the iPad every two hours. I didn't do my yoga routine either. Saturday after I finished the section of fence, about 12 feet worth, and as I was finishing lunch, I could barely hold my arms up to finish my sandwich. And the arthritis in my hands zinged me all night. And the poison ivy itched.
I did kitchen duty all day instead. Made a peach dewberry pie
looks funky, I forgot the edge shields so they burned and I used frozen store bought pie crust that had been in the freezer for too long that I transferred over to my glass pie pan but it tasted great
and made shepherd's pie for dinner (another labor intensive and time consuming dish). We had everything but the mushrooms and peas from the recipe which I'm happy enough to leave out. Especially the peas which I substituted green beans for. Certainly wasn't making a special trip to the grocery store for mushrooms.
And washed the mountain of dishes (no picture but take my word for it).
Another hour on the fence today, another (less than) 10' but by the time I got out there it was already warming up and humid and I was sweating buckets. My cap was so wet it was just about dripping. Gonna have to start getting up earlier to get these last sections done. And I know you are just anxious to see another picture of another cleared section but tough titty kids, I didn't take one.
It's been a couple of days since I picked dewberries and the rain yesterday just plumped them right up and I got a full bowl just from the patch on the corner of the shop, big fat juicy sweet ones from the rain yesterday, didn't even check the fence or ditch. I'm thinking this is the best harvest we've ever had.
I scared up a little snake yesterday when I was pulling evening primrose and mistflower out of an area right next to the small pond that I put the parrot feather in having given up on water lilies. It couldn't have been more than about 16” long, black with very narrow vertical yellow stripes about an inch apart. I think it might have been a baby eastern kingsnake. Didn't have my phone on me though so no picture. But here's a picture of the area where I saw it.
The evening primrose are about done so I'll be trimming the big backyard soon. The pansies are stubbornly refusing to stop blooming even though I quit deadheading them and picked all the good blooms.
The easter lilies are blooming and their fragrance fills the house in the evenings.
that sweet little carved stone bird is another of my birthday presents to myself from UK artist Jennifer Tetlow (I love her aesthetic)
The indigofera and lizard tail are blooming.
And now it's time for my evening cocktail.
What do you mean, no picture of the fence???? I was expecting one and now this. Crestfallen.
ReplyDeleteBut your shepherd's pie picture is more than enough compensation, something to consider for dinner now.
Well, dinner & dessert look fabulous. I might have had to (make Mike) run to the store for the mushrooms though :) LOVE your flowers - especially the little vases of pansies.
ReplyDeleteAren't pansies the most precious? I do love them but can't plant them here as the chickens eat them with gusto.
ReplyDeleteDammit-why don't our dewberries produce like yours?
I envy you the berries. Oh, to be able to pick and make crumbles, smoothies, pies.
ReplyDeleteAbout the fence pix: you could repeat the same pic, assuring us that it's the next section, yes it is. We might get suspicious when the same building keeps appearing, but we can't sue!
I love pansies and their sweet faces. They are in their prime here now and I do love looking at them. They should last till late June.
ReplyDeleteI have so little energy now and I applaud yours.
I wish I could get some of the pie. I bet that rascal smelled something awful good. I've been going out early in the morning to pull weeds before the sun comes up over the trees. It's getting hot now in the mid morning so I just go out where the sun isn't shining in the courtyard to tend to my plants. David helped me move the lemon trees Sunday but then we gave up because the sun came out and we had to move the last one yesterday. I also had to find a better place for my Japanese Hydrangea Serrata"Shirofuji". I'm hoping it won't be too hot in the new area I moved it to so it will bloom this year.
ReplyDeleteStay safe and healthy.
At least there's more than one of you to eat all that goodness. I'm sticking to the likes of cornbread, though I may not get through August without a peach praline pie.
ReplyDeletePansies are pretty in salads you know, and good too, though we once had a young visitor who ran away crying and would not come to the table until dessert, because there were pansies in the salad.
How beautiful you have made your world. I was moved by your sharing on Sabine's post today. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteA dewberry pie sounds pretty amazing right about now. Our berries are still months away from being ready. That's a whole lotta pansies!
ReplyDeleteI am trying to console myself with the fact that, when our pansies are actually blooming, it will be hot as hell in Texas. It's not much, but I'm clinging to it. Spitting snow here - again.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, green beans instead of peas! I do love shepherd's pie; it's always been a good comfort food. But I'm pretty casual about my recipe. Heck, I've even been known to use instant mashed potatoes. Still, it's good. I just can't believe how many berries you get. I have dewberry envy! Of course, having a bit of property to let them ramble helps!
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