~Back To Normal~

Just when you're not looking, things seem to roll right back to normal, well, as normal as our busy weekends usually go.    There is always something breaking down or needing repair or replacing.  So it goes up here, where we have, long ago, learned to fend for ourselves and become very self sufficient...

 unless we want to pay a small fortune from our shallow pockets.
This weekend was no different.  The car got hoisted up so a new strut could be replaced.  The car is finally ' sounding ' like it's going to ' maybe ' make it another 100 thousand miles.  Hmmm.

 While I crawled on top of the neighbor's rock pile to pick out some ' new,' yes, new rocks, Bill popped out the old cedar logs that once edged a flower bed by the kitchen door.  Pretty sad looking, they were.  
Now, back to those ' new ' rocks.  Dad always said that ' new ' rock was always better than the ' old ' ones.  Huh?  What he explained was that the rocks that were ' fresh picked,' like off a freshly plowed field that had lay under the ground, were far better to use for any stone work, whether to  build a fireplace, ( of which he built a beauty for the farm ), or to edge a flowerbed, like we are doing.   Be picky, he'd say, cause you are the one who will be enjoying them the most.  
Oh, the ' new ' ones are best ' because ' they have not yet been exposed to the elements, especially the sun, which can, over time, make them brittle.  The colors are not as brilliant either.  The 'old' rock usually has moss or just ugly black and white marks all over them.  Note:  Take a picture and show my blogging pals.
There are exceptions, like the beautiful smooth rocks of Lake Superior that have eons of years of wave effect beauty to them...
Note:  Show them! ... someday!  
But, what ' we '  have are field stone...some can be gorgeous, but this project got stuck with some pretty ugly ducks...we use what we have...we are resourceful, all will be ok in the end.

 So, after an afternoon hour of picking out a few rocks, stones, what ever you want to call them, uglies, we managed to re-purpose the field stones into a ' free,' ( I love free ), border for a broken down edge of rotted cedar poles.  It will work for now, tho  I already see I am going to be making some changes.  I know, never satisfied, but, like Dad said, we are the one's that will be seeing them every day.    ( I think I'm getting sick of rocks. )  
SO MUCH HARD WORK~~~:(

 Time for a fruit break before the ' next ' project.  Apple, Please;)

 I thought I'd see what my better half was up to, and    HEY,
                              Where's the boat trailer?

 Apparently, he thought he would paint the trailer and fix the tires while he was getting the boat ready for the opener of fishing season coming up in a couple weekends....so he and Andy rigged up a hoist for the boat....well, what else is he going to do when the nearest water is WAYYYYYYY to far and no place to dock...we do not live on water.....yet!

 While he's playing with his big toys, I transplanted a few more of my perennials from here to there and there to here.  I am anxious to see this lil' fella.  It's called Blue Mouse Ears Hosta., tiny like an ear of a mouse, but blue in color.  Rarely have I seen it as it went un-noticed and forgotten under the low branches of the Quince Tree.  Bring on the spring garden rains...you know, the all day long, gentle, warm rains.  Nothing over-rated and flooding.

 What is this huge May Beetle, alias, June Bug, doing?  Is he injured or just resting...

 Is he dead? or alive?   He sure is a curious-looking  fella and 

 so very large.  Average size for them is 1.1 inches~~~He's Big!

 He must have hit the house and landed on the step.  Later in the day he lay dead, so I scooped him up and saved him for my GrandLove.  I do believe he has to make an Insect Board for school next fall, and Mr. June Bug  will make an awesome specimen.  Do you remember doing those boards?  It was one of the school projects that got me interested in identifying every living thing in sight, including plant life.

 Speaking of plants, Look who decided to grow out of the stump.  I think he's either shy or a loner.   I have given up on his family.  There are many generations invading this corner, in hopes it doesn't go any further....one can hope.  I'm still not certain as to the name of this bugger.  Anyone know for sure?  I've heard Snow on the Mt., Snow of Summer, just not sure.  Click on the picture for a closer look.  They are just coming but will mature three times the size shown and develop tiny white flowers.
Note to self:  Research!

One of the days this past weekend, I looked up just in time to snap this gorgeous sunset.   Here's wishing you as bright a week.


                                    BlessYourHeart