Tennessee ~ A walk in the woods

A couple of years ago our cousins decided to leave the Pacific Northwest and move to Tennessee. They have been keeping us updated on the progress they have made in making a beautiful, rural area their home. The property has an established woodland and the Dogwood trees are starting to bloom as well as the wild violets. A few ferns have started shooting up their delicate fronds; a sure sign of spring.

Australia ~ Secret Rainforest

A friend of ours recently moved to a very rural area of Australia and in his travels around the new place found a spot that hasn't been seen by man for many years. What he found was a hidden gem of native plants that are as beautiful as they are unique. He has graciously shared a few pictures for us to enjoy.

Easter Sunday ~ Birds along the back roads

We enjoyed a wonderful Easter buffet at our favorite restaurant followed by a leisurely drive to the nearby wildlife area. An abundance of hawks on the lookout for a meal as well as Canada geese and several varieties of ducks bobbing around the wetlands were great to see but hard to photograph. We spotted a couple of rooster pheasants who quickly ducked under cover and two owls, a Great Horned and a Barn Owl. As we passed the area where the Sandhill Cranes usually are this time of year we were disappointed to find not a one however, we decided to take a back road that we hadn't traveled since last summer and to our delight found the Cranes in a farmer's field. They were a bit hard to count as they were quite far out but it looked like about 30 of them were busy making a meal of whatever the plowed field had to offer. (Remember, you can click on the pictures for a better look!)

Barn Owl also called a Night Owl~ 13 to 15 inches tall 
with a 31 to 37 inch wingspan

Sandhill Cranes ~ 2 ft 7 in to 4 ft tall
with a 5 ft to 7 ft wingspan

Pretty little pansies

Something to brighten up any day and just the thing for a cloudy day! I love pansies, big and small and these are just gorgeous! These are the first of the season offerings at a local store and they just needed to come live at my house.

April Fool!

Well, well... we start the day with a little snow. Not so unusual for us this time of year but not what I was hoping for today it's just too cold to be out doing yard work. Outdoor plans get changed to indoor activities. Guess I'll just have some coffee and relax with a couple of seed catalogs!

Plum pretty!

The Plum tree is really showing off it’s blooms today in hopes of attracting some bees. It’s such a beautiful morning how can they resist being out doing their work?

What can you do with all those limbs?

You're all done with the tree pruning but what can you do with all the debris? Depending on how much space you have or the needs you have you can put all of those limbs to various uses. We have a very small yard so some will be chipped and the chips composted or put in pathways, some will become Bean or Pea trellises and if I were crafty some could become baskets, wreaths or furniture. After debarking the larger pieces can be used to smoke meats and fish.

Some ideas that may be work for you!

1. Hugelkultur raised garden beds - there really isn't a good place in my yard for utilizing this idea, but I would love to hear from any on my readers who plan to or have already put one in. The bonus is that you can scale this to your own use. I keep this up and I’ll have to find a place to put one! Here is a link to one of the many sites that explain Hugelkulture:
 http://www.agrowingculture.org/2013/04/hugelkultur-the-composting-raised-beds/

2. Wattle Fencing - It's not a long lived fence, lasting just 2-5 years, but what a great way to use up those smaller limbs. Will make a post in the near future of my attempt at making a wattle fence.

My first attempt at a wattle fence ~ to support the peas 

3. Wreaths and small projects - We all like doing crafts and one of my daughters created this little twig frame with a few additions of flowers and a stuffed bear it will make a cute gift, from the heart.

4. Furniture - Have to get back to you on that... I've seen wonderful twig furniture but have never tried making any.

5. Smoking meats/fish - The bark must be removed or you will get a bitter flavor. More on that in future post!