MEET STEVIE------MY BABY MUSCOVY HEN!

Stevie, Stevie, Stevie----She is my youngest Muscovy Duck Hen! Hatched out by Cocoa, Muscovy Hen, who also hatched out the baby geese last year, cause Claire (goose) layed her goose eggs and left the nest. Put her goose eggs and the one duck egg under Cocoa and she finished the job! Stevie is so so so personable, kinda lives in a world of her own, not quite 'part of the group' but has personality PLUS!!! She is in her own little world, does her 'duck walk' with an ATTITUDE and I just love her to pieces!!! Hopefully, she is not planning on moving into that little house she is perched on, cause then we will have to have a 'heart to heart' talk and I will just have to tell her she ain't going to have room for furnishings!!!

Did the 'R' word AGAIN today----did not just Rain but it also hailed, or ---- as I refer to it--------it HELLED!!! Had a wonderful phone conversation with Baby Sister last evening! Always come away from those chats with a 'smile on my face.' THEN---had a surprise call from a Grandson, telling me about his day of branding (calves) and how much he enjoyed it! Not a lot of branding going on now days, will soon be one of those 'things of the past' but thank you to those of you that still brand and invite the young to observe the wonderful way things where done 'yesteryear' and thank you for serving up the Rocky Mountain Oysters!!! That experience is a Memory that will never be forgotten!!! Thank you for including my grandsons!!!

TODAY I PLANTED MY LATTICE GARDEN!!!

And-------how much lattice did I plant??? you ask! Several different varieties, along with some spinach, some chard, salad onions, some lattices and radishes! 74 degrees today!! Could not help but be outside this wonderful sunny day! Did I say 'sunny?' YES!!! The sun was out!!! ALL DAY! It was soooooooooo pleasant--feel as though I may have awakened some 'unused' muscles. OH WAIT----Actually----it's even hard to type cause of the 'gripping and ripping' the unwanted grasses and weeds in the two raised beds that I worked on, my hands are screaming PAIN! Well worth it!!! Can't wait to have a bbqued chicken, ribs, steak with those wonderful greens from the Lattice Garden!!! Yummm! Soooooooooo- you may ask why I call this my 'Lattice Garden?' With 4 cats, and another cat that has 'dropped in at meal time' I prefer not to call this the 'Litter Box Garden!!!'

MARCH IN A NUTSHELL!!!

March in a nutshell----March started out- 60 degrees, do not believe we have seen that since. Probably have only seen the sun a TOTAL of, maybe, 3 hrs.!!! (all month) Had ---- snow, rain, hail, thunder & lightening, freeze, freeze, and more freeze-- did I say RAIN!!! Oh, yeah---some wind, also. Not just WIND---but really COLD wind!! Let's mooooove on----Happy Birthday to Son and Mother! Cancer free daughter---OH---did I mention that daughter is going to be a Grandmother and have many many happy years with her grandSON??? GrandSON will moving to another state so think that maybe some 'frequent flyer miles' will be in the future!!! Thoughts and Prayers still going out to the people of Japan. Animals-----Ducks are laying like crazeeee, have a couple of chickens that want to set on eggs, and we say 'GO FOR IT'!!! Geese and turkeys are laying and soon should be setting! Goats just wanna hang out INSIDE cause they are not BAD WEATHER goats!!! Lotsa mud around, but 2 days of the wind blowing will take care of that! Baby Javas are doing GRAND! Waiting for warmer nights and the Javas will graduate to the great 'protected' outer area with a heat lamp til they get used to the BIG OUTSIDE WORLD!!! All in All----that is March in a nutshell!! March totally FLEW by and there was NOT a dull moment---would have liked more SUN!!! Hear that APRIL???

THE 'R' WORD, AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN---

These words will be typed in gray letters, cause that is still the way the weather is here. GRAY, GRAY, grEy!! Rains during the day, freezes at night, the plants are still going back and forth daily to Butt Ugly greenhouse! Feel as thought I am living on the Oregon Coast instead of sunny Rural Ideeeeeho!! Why, I can almost feel the ocean touching my toes, I can almost taste clam chowder and salt water taffy! Speaking of salt water----I can almost feel salt spray on my face-----HEY-----is that a Starfish over there??? Pleeez, SUNSHINE, I am missing you sooooo much, come back to me!!

Hey----Forget the rain---- this is much more important and I am going to quote my daughter--------2 shots $$$$$, 1 radiation pill $$$$$, 1 ct scan $$$$$, 1 phone call saying 'Cancer Free' --- PRICELESS!!! Could not have said it any better! Thank You ALL for your prayers, Thank You God for answering all those prayers!!! Life is GOOD, who cares if it rains all the time???

G'MAS HOUSE---THE STOP BEFORE THE DUMP!!!

I recently heard my Grandaughter say that "G'mas house was the stop before the dump!" I had to LAFF OUT LOUD! It is sooooo true, my grandkids know me toooooo well! Hence, this beautiful fountain was destined for dumpville and saved by the grandsons----it just looked like something that would work at G'mas house and it DID! We love it to pieces and can't wait for it to be flowing again, SOON, love that bubbling, gurgling (sp) sound of water, not to mention the plants that surround it! My hope for my grandchildren is that they learn as much from me as I learn from them!!! Kinda dark in the house-----have recently learned to TURN OFF THE LIGHTS if I leave a room!!! Thanx------2 u no who!!!

EARLY MORNING UPDATE-----

45 degrees in 'Butt Ugly' greenhouse at 6 am this morning!!! Think the plants slept snuggly------------------even if I didn't!!! Later------------------

THE CHILDREN ARE NESTLED AND SNUG IN THEIR WEE LITTLE BEDS----

Sunny day today---so-- once again packed all plants out to the greenhouse to 'soak up the RARE sun that we have had. FINALLY-----it is not supposed to freeze tonite, soooooooo---should I or shouldn't I? Should I or shouldn't I? Finally made the ultimate decision to leave plants in the greenhouse overnight, totally covered with blankets over the plastic covers (really not blankets---just old curtains, sheets, pieces of fabric that have been around for years and years just for 'plant covering' purposes wheather it be in the Spring or in the Fall---whenever our friendly weatherman reports that it may FREEZE!!! Sooooo-the 'green children' are spending their first night OUT in the greenhouse! Do have a heater out there, but with big hole in roof thought it would be a waste of precious $$$$$ to turn it on and have $$$$$ go out the roof!!! We shall see what happens in the morning!!! Will I get any sleep tonight? Will I give in and go pack the plants all back inside? Will I have to start planting all over again? Well--------will let you know tomorrow----OH, BY THE WAY--------------after I got through covering all plants feeling confident that with a bit of protection they would NOT freeze--------------I went over to the water hook-up and UNhooked the hose----------------just in case it froze!!! Go Figure!!!