The Lone "BIG" Squash

William came into the kitchen this afternoon and told me that he had picked a "big" squash. I checked the squash out expecting it to be at least twelve inches long. Not quite. Not even six inches long. Maybe, four inches at most.


The "BIG" squash


While it's not as large as he made it out to be we can collect two or three more "big" squash and have them for dinner one night.

Now if he'd just find some "big" green beans to go with those "big" squash I would be a happy cook/wife/gardener.

Squash Are Blooming And Other Pretty Blossoms

I took a little walk around the yard today with camera in hand, of course! William had just finished hoeing the peas and okra again so I stopped by the garden to take a little peek.

The squash are a very pale green but I have never seen so many blooms on our squash since we started gardening. Not all blossoms have squash but there are a lot of baby squash on that row of plants.

I can't decide how to use these little delicacies first. Should I cook them with butter and onion loaded down with fresh cracked pepper or should I slice some of them to add to a salad or should I slice them and dip them in ranch dressing. Maybe, I should do all three and make a meal from squash. That's sounds like a winner to me.

Picture of squash plant with blooms:


Imagine a twenty-five foot row of plants just like this one. We should have some squash to preserve this summer.

Two more gladioli are blooming. One is a cheerful yellow and the other is a deep red-purple. Sure I made pictures of these also.

The yellow gladiola has two stalks twisted together.


This is such a showy color. Most of the colors in my flower garden are pastels. There's only a few deeper colors which makes this gladiola special to me along with being given to me by Jason.


Several years ago I planted some Calla Lily Bulb/corms/whatever. It's been so long that I don't remember what I planted. The foliage came up each year but never bloomed until this year. So far there are two of the plants blooming. Notice the varigated foliage on the plants. Callas are some of my favorite plants. I was thrilled to see this blossom.



A Burgundy Canna with the sunlight hitting it just right. This is in what William calls the "holding pen". This is where we put plants that we don't have time to find another place to set them when we first receive them. This canna is going in my little hideway that William is going to help me build.



Last but certainly not least is a Althea/Rose Of Sharon that is supposed to be a bush but has grown into a slim tree. It's covered in beautiful purple blossoms.



I love to walk in my yard. While it's not manicured as some fancy yards are it's mine and it changes daily. So each morning or late afternoon stroll through the yard is an entirely different trip for me.

Pots and Pans Pantry Started

William is removing the cabinets beside the stove. This is where the cabinet for all those pots and pans hanging against the walls and the canisters cluttering the counter tops will go.

Someday soon I will have the counter tops clear. I, then, can work without having to move "stuff" out of my way. Soon, I hope. It was almost three years before I got the food pantry finished. However, William didn't start on the pantry until six months ago. LOL

I am going to sand and refinish the cabinets by painting them a bright white. They will be put in my sewing/computer room for storing fabrics.

As we take each cabinet off the wall I want to refinish it and put it up in "my" room. I will have plenty of storage for all my fabrics and for computer supplies.

There's a closet in "my" room that we are going to install shelves in giving me more storage area.

I will make and post pictures once he gets the cabinets down and gets started on the pots pantry. It's a mess in there at the moment and I would just as soon not have permanent evidence of the mess he's made for me.

One day, we will have this house just the way "I" want it. O' Happy Day! Someday!

A Lazy Day Here At Hunny Bunny Haven

I have been lazier than usual today. I made the bed, folded a load of clothes, dried the dish towels, washed the dishes and cooked a concotion for dinner. Other than than I have done absolutely nothing.

I have days, usually once a week, where I just don't want to do anything constructive. Destructive either. I sit around drinking coffee and noshing on everything I can find that will stand still long enough for me to eat it.

This morning when I awoke I knew today was one of those days.

A Rainy, Rainy Thursday

A couple of days ago we put rabbit manure tea around all the veggies. We had gotten everything hoed and dirt pulled up around the veggies. This afternoon we got a good rain. I'm hoping that the rain will soak the manure tea in around the roots of the vegetables and they will start to produce. I'm getting ready for fresh tomatoes, okra, butter beans and cucumbers. Not to mention some fresh green beans and squash will be good, too.

The water was standing in between the rows for a while. Since it's been hot this week it didn't take long for the water to soak into the ground. I didn't make pictures of the water standing this time. I figure that a couple of pictures on a couple different days people will get the idea.

But I did make some pictures of some flowers a day or two ago that I'd love to share.

I hope you enjoy walking through our yard with me.

Beautiful pink zinnia that came up volunteer in the greens patch:




A daylily growing by William's goldfish pond



The yellow canna brightens up a shady area



This purple leafed plum has been cut down to the ground time and again. It's determined to live so I think we should let it be. It's burgundy leaves are beautiful in the shady backyard.



The elephant ears get as big as a wash tub before summer ends.


A couple of North Carolina Cherokee rose blossoms. This rose has some serious thorns.


Last is a single bloom from one of the gardenia bushes. These blooms smell heavenly.



Thank you for taking a stroll in our backyard. It's been a pleasure.

It's Finally Finished!

The pantry that is...Well, to be truthful it's almost finished. We still have to paint the doors and stain the sides and front.

Even so, I have moved the food items into the new pantry. I am so happy to finally have a pantry where I can put any canned goods that I am able to put up each summer.

William is checking the cabinet that has to be removed before starting on the pantry for the pots and pans. I will be happy to get this built also. It will give me much more counter space with which to work.

A picture of the pantry:


We have room to build more storage if we find we need it. We plan to put shelves up for our dishes and can build a storage cabinet under it if we need it.

That's all for the day.

Then And Now : Up-date on Chicks And More...

We got our new chicks on March 31st this year. They have feathered out and have been moved from the brooder to the chicken tractor. The roos are beginning to look like roos so we can tell the pullets from the roosters. The Easter Eggers are different colors. Some of them look like the Buttercup pullets then some are black speckled but all the Easter Eggs roos are whitish.

March 31st at a day old



Today at two months old:


The pullets should start laying around five months old. I hope they won't wait until next spring like our Barred Rocks did. We had the Barred Rocks for a year before we got any benefits from them.

We have to build two pens so as to keep the breeds seperate. I would like to raise some of each breed next spring.

We had twenty Barred Rock hens. Only one showed any interest in being friendly. I call her Henny Penny. She follows me around the pasture when I go out to visit with the animals.

Today I went to the pasture gate and Henny came running. She even posed to have her picture taken. Doesn't she look cute?

Miss Henny Penny Barredrock


I'm thinking Henny Penny came to that gate because she wanted to hear the latest gossip about the new young chicks that have moved into the chicken tractor just across the fence from her. She has that look on her face, don't you think?

I found these Blackeyed Susans growning on the west side of the yard. They sure brighten up that dark corner. Don't you agree?



We did give the veggies a good drink of manure tea this morning. Some of the plants aren't looking too good. I think all the rain and then hot and dry is telling on the plants. We have more rain forecast for Wednesday through Friday. Maybe we will get a good shower without standing water in the between the rows. I can only hope.

That's about it for today.