This Week at The Acres: The Mystery May 1, 2018

Strange happenings at The Acres: What you say? I have found several items in The Wild Area. The Wild Area, by the way, is at the very back of the property--removed from any humans other than one chubby old bald guy who wanders there daily. What have I found in the proverbial "middle of nowhere"? A baseball. A plastic football--orange. A stuffed animal--turtle. Are my Gardening Angels playing games in The Acres? Are there child Gardening Angels? Mysterious things--you have to admit. Maybe I should set up a remote camera . . .? Nah, the mystery is more fun.

Today at Iten's Acres: A Busy Day April 15, 2018

Busy day at The Acres. Re-did one bed from morning to about one-thirty. Wanted to make sure I beat the horrific storms that were coming. (Have yet to see anything near horrific--just gentle showers that make May flowers. Lots of iris I hope) Three more beds to go. Think I'll start one tomorrow afternoon. Manual labor is tiring--but invigorating as well.
It's amazing what two warm days in April can do for your flowers. Hundreds of daffodils everywhere. Hyacinths everywhere. Tons of other stuff coming up. I took advantage of the rain and warmth and planted and moved a bunch of stuff. Just a nice full day outdoors. Lovely. Such a marvelous gift is a day in Creation.

This Week at Iten's Acres: Maybe April 11, 2018

Will there be a spring?


Peepers are back--lots of them.
Some trees are actually getting leaves.
More daffodils blooming every day....
Kingfisher is back enjoying his goldfish snacks. (He sings even worse than I do!)
Rodents are sharing Shadow's morning meal.
The forsythia are blooming--one of them anyway.
Goldfinch have finished blooming!!!
I saw the sun two days in a row.
Baseball is here--except for the snow outs.

Maybe . . ?

This Week at Iten's Acres: It's Coming March 31, 2018

Bluebird. Towhee. Meadowlark. Goldfinch are turning. Red-wing blackbirds scold me when I walk by the pond. Robins and cardinals are pairing up and defending their "territory."  Daffodils are starting in earnest. Hyacinths. Grape hyacinths. Yep. Spring may actually get here.


Of course, still have snowbirds and the forsythia haven't bloomed yet . . .

This Week at Iten's Acres: Spring Break March 26th, 2018

This is the first official day of spring break. Sunshine--though the rain is coming. I get in as many walks as I can. Do a little planting. Will try to build or re-do a few beds--weather permitting. This has been a slow spring. New crocus are still popping up. The Lenten roses are struggling to bloom. Today, I finally had my first daffodil--a dwarf yellow under the Ancient Red Maple. I will also be "feeding the iris" this week. And maybe some chain saw work. I have... enough of that to last a couple thousand years. The most beautiful thing to "bloom" on today's walk was my first bluebird--hanging out in the meadow. Stunning. Hope he is impressed with The Acres and starts a family in the neighbor.
I know I say this often, but beauty surrounds us. No one can deny that our God is a lover of beauty--and that He will in His timing make all things beautiful. His eternal "masterpiece" will not be denied. And He uses us as his "paint brushes" to reveal His beauty in the world--His world. Each day. I intend to bask in the emerging beauty of The Acres this week. (I may not be on here too much this week.) I will be coming to the garden alone--enjoying the conversation--doing the listening with a thankful heart. "It is glory just to walk with Him."

This Week at Iten's Acres: March Madness March 19, 2018

March has refused to give up its right to 21 days of winter. Spring at The Acres has been put on hold. Oh, a crocus or two has bloomed this week. And an orchard iris. But everything else is just biding its time waiting for a little warmth. The tulips are testing the air. The daffodils--some of them--have buds. A few more goldfish bloom every day. Some other things are thinking about coming out to celebrate. But not yet. Every day but this morning I woke up to a dust...ing of snow on the ground. The snow birds are still hanging around as well. No blooms on the forsythia--so at least three more snows to come. The good news? They will bloom when they're ready. Beauty is coming. Patience, old man. Patience. 

 (For you cat lovers, Psyche dropped by yesterday. Hadn't seen her in a long time. Looks like another family is on the way. Hope she decides to have the little ones somewhere else, honestly. Shadow is still hanging about. Got in a fight with something--a little ragged at the moment. Doesn't seem to bother him any. Cats will be cats. And they never ask permission.)

This Week at Iten's Acres: Spring Begins March 5th, 2018

Well, it has begun. Despite the monsoon last week, the snow on Thursday evening and Friday morning, the flowers of spring have begun to show off. Mostly just crocus so far--an orchard iris or two, snowdrops. The aconite and Lenten rose are budding so they should be along soon. Here's a first peek.