Homesteader Update: Sigh June 28, 2014

Sigh.

Sadly, I must confess that all semblance of freedom has been lost. And it didn't even take a full month. Whichever room I'm in, she's in. There is no quiet if I am not up at the proper time--her morning breakfast time. To sit in the green chair is to offer up my services as a lap. Reading is allowed as long as it doesn't interfere with her comfort. When I escape out into The Acres for a walk or work, she meets me at the door when I return==petting is required; demanded, not asked for. If I go upstairs, she precedes me, two or three steps ahead. I am not allowed passage until I have petted her on each step. If I'm sitting at the computer, she sits next to me and gives me a lecture on ignoring cats. Earth has no fury like a cat scorned.

This Week at Iten's Acres: Trespassing June 25, 2014

I have seen my neighbor Mr. Muskrat twice this week--in the middle of the day. Not very muskraty of him. He quickly retreats to his lair under the flower bed by the pond. As far as I can tell he's not doing much if any damage though I'm told they are fans of water lilies. Mine are still there and thriving. If his eating habits change, so will his life expectancy. Plenty of room for a muskrat blind. I don't know why he's coming out in the daytime. Maybe with all the rain his home is inundated, and not being able to hold his breath for twenty-four hours, he comes out for a breath of air. So far, I will tolerate his trespassing. So far.

This Week at Iten's Acres: Miscellany June 14, 2014

A week of rainy days and good books. And rainy walks as well, of course. Why do misty rains turn into downpours when I'm all the way at the back of The Acres? Ahh well, storms always seem their worst when your farthest from home. I did get to actually Feed the Swallows this week, A pair of them joined me as I mowed the pasture and wild area. A pair now means a family later. Can't wait. Shouldn't a family of swallows be called a Gulp?
Rose-breasted grosbeak are here. They stay for a little while and then move on. The catbird is back. He'll be here all summer. When the Homesteader is sitting in the window and hears its mew--drives her insane. I should get a tape recording. The real avian highlight of the week was the Baltimore Oriole. He shows up every spring for a day or two. Exquisite. Wish I could convince him to hang around all summer. I wonder if changing his name to Morrow County Oriole would work? All in all, a gloriously fowl week.
Kind of in a transition week flower-wise. A few Japanese iris have yet to bloom--a few being four. Not sure they'll all bloom--two are loaded with buds. The last Siberian iris bloomed--blue ruffles is its official name--a perfect fit. First time it's bloomed for me here at The Acres. Lots of spiderwort, as I mentioned earlier--and showed you in the pictures. Some dark blue, some paler, some more purplish than blue--all gorgeous. The wild area is a sea of greens with islands of blue, yellow, and white. Spiderwort, poppies, daisies. Not much on the lily front yet, but they're getting ready. And the future looks bright for the hibiscus and morning glory. I was a little paranoid about the hibiscus, but they are flourishing! Everywhere! Going to be a colorful August! Especially with the morning glories coming up everywhere as well. Nice little annuals that seed themselves magnificently. Oh, one triteleia finally bloomed--little purple and white beauty. Six weeks late!!!--But bloomed; so all is forgiven. No detention.
I think I may be cured from pathitis. I love the new configuration of the highways and byways in the wild area. I can't imagine changing it. Hey, don't raise your eyebrows at me! Really. I love it this way. I may cut a little path here or there just to have some daisy stripes next spring. But nothing permanent. I promise--sort of. Honeybees on the clover, too! Not many, but some. I still need to get that bumper sticker for my mower--"This vehicle stops for honey bees."
One last addendum and I'll let you go off and pout because you don't have an Acres. I found a backroad route from my place all the way to 36-37. Doesn't go anywhere near the freeway! Winding route right through farm country. Ooooh, nice. Very nice.

Okay, go and pout now!

Backroads of Morrow County Update: Mystery June 9, 2014

It's great to have the time to just wander the back roads again. No need to be anywhere--let alone anywhere on time. The roads, of course, are more patch than pavement in many places. The wet spring has created some new potholes of its own to add to winter's destruction. I don't mind. As always, "go slow" is my favorite motto for wilderness meanderings. The fields are quite a patchwork themselves this spring. For some reason winter wheat is the favorite of my Morrow County neighbors. Must be a run on it on the commodities' exchange. Easily twice as much as usual. I am patiently waiting for amber waves of grain. Corn and soybean fields as well, but they are just starting to grow. Wet spring made for late planting. A lot of fields are still unplowed, and some farmers have resorted to night time plowing. Huge bright-eyed green monsters stalking the fields under starlit skies has been a regular occurrence this spring. There should be several hay crops! The grass in some fields is already deep and luscious. Can't wait for the haying to begin. I love those round bales decorating the hillsides on a sky blue canvas. The old cemetery across from my favorite little white-steepled Methodist church has been spruced up--even more inviting for a stroll. Several sheep "farms"--ranches?--dot the county. One has a llama guard; one has a mule. Cattle herds in places as well. One has black angus. One has black and white cows--I can never remember their name. Not many independent thinkers in a meadow of cows. They do like to hang out together. A few calves as well. One herd--the biggest--has a mixture of breeds, and a beautiful hillside pasture to wander. There's a copse of trees on one hill for loitering under on hot, sunny days. A stream runs down from the woods at the top of one of the hills. Huge red barn way at the top of another hill. Postcardish.
I have a few new roads picked out to wander later on this summer. But I do love those old ones I've grown accustomed to. And there's still the mystery road. Will the old man ever have the nerve to take it. It looks like a path trailing off to someone's house hidden behind the trees. Just one lane. Traveled. Has a stop sign though. That's the mystery. It must be a "real road." Who puts a stop sign on a driveway--even a long one to nowhere you can see? I've never actually seen a car on it. There's no mailbox at the end to signify a homestead. No street sign either. Mystery. Do I dare? Eh, Prufrock? Do I dare? If I disappear some day, and you can't find me at a dive drinking Pepsi and eating a fried bologna sandwich look for me on
the mystery "highway" of Morrow County. If you can find it . . .

Walking Iten's Acres: Bad News, Good News June 8, 2014

It was another wet, sloppy day at The Acres. Some reflections from my misty, at times, soaked excursions.
First the bad news: My most gorgeous red bud has ceased to exist. I kept holding on to the hope that since most of them weren't blooming this spring, it was just delaying getting its leaves. But, alas, still no leaves, and all the others are quite green. So long my beauty. And it looked so magnificent right next to the huge white crab apple every spring. More bad news: my friends from Future Venison of Morrow County have been eating some buds off the lilies. Deer season cannot come too soon. May they rest in piece--in someone's crock pot. And, of course, my beautiful pine tree by the house has taken a major blow. I console myself in the truth that that is a better scenario than having a tree grace my living room and upstairs.
The good news: The water lilies survived the frozen pond. They look marvelous. The flag, Siberian, Japanese, and Louisiana iris have survived being in the frozen bog as well. Wild hyacinth, too. In fact, all except the Louisiana have bloomed profusely. And since this is the first season for the Louisiana iris, maybe they bloom later. Or it could be they just need another year to settle in. But for something from "Louisiana" to survive the vortex winter--obviously, they have been misnamed.
And my Gardening Angels have been busy--and it's still spring! They "revived" the tiny golden bell daffodils in the wild area, some mountain bells along the edge of the bog, a dwarf iris that I brought up from Mom's--all returned to blooming even though I had given them up for lost. Especially pleased to have Mom's iris back! I even had a lilac bush come "back to life"--and bloom. And I was sure the roses and daffodil shrub had been slain by the evil vortex, but they have all revived and look as if they, too, will bloom and add their beauty to The Acres again this year. The last thing the GAs have been up to is spreading the spiderwort, bachelor's buttons, and the dianthus in the wild area. Several new batches of spiderwort--how can you not love that blue? And several patches of dianthus--everyone a different shade and pattern of red are displayed in the wild too. White and red bachelor's button in a couple of small spots as well. (No, I don't know the difference between a "patch" and a "batch." It just is.) Hats off--halos off?--to my friendly Gardening Angels. Great year for the peonies as well--three bloomed for the first time.
Yes, beauty everywhere and it's not even summer yet. Sure, the last iris has bloomed. Sure, the lilies are budding--deer not withstanding. But spring is heading into its final two weeks. Can't wait for summer's showcase!

Walking Iten's Acres: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh June 5, 2014

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. It's hermit time.A cool, wet walk to start the morning. I need to mow the back, but it's way too wet for that today. We got even more rain yesterday than I imagined. The flower of the hour in the wild area is the daisy. Not a lot of them so far. They always give away the paths I let grow back into wildness. White stripes in a sea of green And there was one miniscule patch of dianthus. Deep red or I wouldn't have even noticed them. The lilies have started--an orange Asian one in the bed by the house, and a small yellow one in the rock garden out back. Buds are appearing on others. Buds on the roses. A few German iris hanging on. Lots of Japanese and Siberian iris. And the blue flag iris have just started to bloom; their yellow cousins are still around as well. The bog of all places is the most colorful here in early June--lots of deep dark yellow, a few purples, some pale yellow with white flags, soft lilacs, yellow mountain bells. (I hope the mosquitoes appreciate the decorations.) A couple peonies have started to bloom, and pink in The Acres is provided by the sweet pea on the edge of the bog and the plethora of pink columbine in several of the beds. If I could view The Acres from the sky, I think it would look like an artist's palate with his or her dabs of paint ready for the completion of the masterpiece. The planters by the house and around the pond and in the trees would only add to the vast variety of paint colors to choose from.
I do have "work" to do. The Feeding the Swallows that I already alluded to, wild flowers to plant, Lots of weeding to do. I don't really "weed" anymore--hands won't allow it--but I do try to "trim" some of them back. Takes a lot of time!!! But I enjoy being outside. I will miss Bonnie's help and supervision this year. School work to do as well this summer; it will be nice, though, to have my own class so to speak. To have the time to prepare and to teach the literature I enjoy the most. Anyway, hermit time is officially here. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.