Another year . . .

This evening was the final CCD class of the year.

2013-2014 school year marked my fifth year of instructing third graders. The last two years have been especially good insofar as the kids have been interested and not too cheeky. Naturally, we have good days and bad -- but by and large it's a positive experience. I don't know who benefits more . . . the kids or me.

  
This year I was paid a compliment by several of the kids. They asked me to instruct them next year. I thanked them. And, I kidded that next year -- when they're 4th graders -- they won't even say "Hi" to me. They laughed, not the least bit aware of what it means to grow older.

G_d willing, I'll be able to continue doing this next year.

Seedlings

It doesn't take skill to drop a few seeds into earth . . .

The trick of course is to nuture them to fruition.

Easter Monday

Home from work today, as was Arianna. Although I had an itinerary planned, Sharon wondered if everybody wouldn't like to see Heaven Is Real at the movie theater. So, after Sharon returned home from teaching we drove to Elgin, where we had the theater all to ourselves. 

We all enjoyed the movie. And, it was nice to spend the day together.

Happy Easter

Quiet day spent with family. 

It took Arianna more than 30 minutes to find her Easter basket, which I hid outside, on the front porch, when I went for the paper.

Since Arianna and I attend the Easter Vigil Mass, Easter morning is joyful but relaxed until we travel to visit Sharon's family.

Light fare: eggs, fresh fruit, and apple coffee cake . . .

Easter Eggs

Holy Saturday is an odd day. The sadness of the Passion continues to resonate within, but there's definitely anticipation.

As has been our custom for a number of years, we dye eggs on Holy Saturday. With Arianna entering high school next year I wondered if she was at all interested. She was . . .

Thank goodness!

Spring snow

Poor Narcissus . . .

Snow!

I'm not surprised . . . not really. Last year it snowed in April too, but not as much as this afternoon. 

As of supper time, it was still coming down . . .

Signs of Life

Unpleasant weather persists. Nevertheless, I walked around the yard today after Mass. --Just to see if anything was waking up.

Daffodils on the northeast side of the 'major' berm in the as of yet named bed with two berms . . .  

The feather reed grass hedge at the west edge of the side yard . . . two rows now, instead of one . . .

Walking above the retaining wall into the backyard, one of my favorites - Golden Glow Rudbeckia - is lovely in its infancy. It's hard to imagine that this plant typically grows 6, 7' tall . . .

Cup Plant: A strong performer, but susceptible to deers' appetites . . .

Across the way, in the new Berry Bed, the new currant bushes are greening up . . .

Volatile

Arianna attended an American Red Cross First Aid class at the C'ville Firehouse this morning with other AHG members. Midway through the class, we heard the roar the stormy weather. Rain. Hail. Wind.

Blech.

At home, a mile or so south of the firehouse, Sharon and Bruno watched the darkening sky.

 

At least it didn't snow, right?

Seeds

Spent about 2.5 hours outside today. 

54 degrees. Mostly cloudy.

The new -- as yet to be named -- bed in the southwest corner of the front yard is now cleared of debris. Helenium, geranium, aster, daisy, spiderwort, beard tongue, daylily, dutch iris, and of course crocus and daffodils are are all coming to life. 

Most of the leaves collected at the berms, so it was not too difficult to gather together four piles of debris, which I carried to the pumpkin patch and the main vegetable plot. My plan is to "mow" the leaves in place and then turn the soil in these two beds. I think it's a viable option for amending the soil.

After I finished with the leaves, I decided to sow more flower seeds in the Cottage Garden. I rarely have luck with flower seeds, so -- based on past performance -- I don't have a lot of confidence that these will take and bloom. But, it's worth the effort.

Wild Purple Foxglove  

Maltese Cross

Tiger Eye Marigold

Get a move on . . .

AHG day . . . so that means if I'm going outside, I've got to get a move on because we need to be out the door by 12:40 pm.

Chilly but sunny and I committed to interring Pepper today. I had thought about a distinct location for Pepper, but both Arianna and Sharon recommended I bury her near Miss Kitty. And so . . . near the Blue Beech, just at the edge of a weeping branch of Forsythia. Like Miss Kitty's grave, Pepper's too is topped with rocks, some of which pulled from her grave site.

Since I was already huffing and puffing, and had th spade in hand . . . .

Removed the yarrow and helenium from the "Triangle Bed". It's here I plan to install Mountain Mint. And, as the plan is to fill out the Cottage Bed . . . and, since the colors of the yarrow and helenium are more suited to the front yard . . . .

I may be pushing it, but am willing to take the risk of beginning the season in earnest. In addition to dropping these eight plants into their new home, I moved the clematis away from the rugosa rose bush to the post that now supports a bird feeder. The vine will look much better trailing up the post than tangled in with the rose. 

I think.

We'll see.

Wild Purple Foxglove seed awaits for tomorrow.

Maybe.

Sleepy Head

A week's vacation is hard to recover from . . .

In order . . .

From left to right and in alphabetical order:

Broccoli,

Cabbage,

Cauliflower,

Thai Hot Pepper,

Tomato (yellow, plum).

Let's see what actually gets in the ground next month.

April Fools Day

Blustery. Rain during the night. More crocuses up (as a result of the rain, perhaps).

50 degrees.

When Raintree wrote and confirmed my current bushes would arrive in April, I never expected they would arrive on the first day of the month. Since these were a replacement the order I placed last year, I imagine they wanted to get this out of the way as quickly as possible. 

The bushes were considerably different in appearance than what I received last year. These were larger and already sprouting. Last year they were brown twigs.

So, out I went, spade in hand. The old twigs marked the spot on the berm I built especially for these plants. Light duty. Got the job done well in advance of dinner.

Naturally, I'm concerned about frost . . . but even more concerned about deer. If I find these chomped on or -- even worse -- pulled from the ground, I'll be the fool for thinking I can grow fruit here.

Fingers crossed . . . .

Currents . . . mmm!

Nuisance

Nuisance?

Or enemy?