This Week at Iten's Acres: Summer Responsilities. May 21, 2018

My responsibilities for the summer:


Hide.
Get up in the morning and fix breakfast.
Feed the Boss....
Walk. Walk again. Walk again. Walk . . .
Sit on the hill and listen to and watch the beauty that will be all around me.
Read--inside on rainy days; outside on sunny days.
Take pictures of the flowers.
Build new beds; re-do old beds.
Mulch.
Feed my feathered friends.
Eat. Slip out to the Pizza Hut buffet once in awhile.
Pretend to weed.
Go to Baker's Acres. And try not to buy everything.
Post something on Facebook once in awhile.
Drink Pepsi.
Oh, and walk.
 

Going to be a rough summer. Whew.

This Week at Iten's Acres: An Evening at The Acres May 9, 2018

An evening at The Acres:
Rushed home after school to do the first mowing of 2018. (If you need work on your mower, call Matt Gnade) Started in the back simply because the grass there was really high. Had to mow in the raindrops from time to time, but I love mowing. Got the meadow and wild area back to "park" status. A few daffodils still blooming--a couple haven't bloomed yet. Mostly miniature ones--yellows, whites--a few others. The green-eyed daffodils are always las...t. They should bloom this week. And it's pink, blue, and white bells time.
The flowering trees are in full array. Redbuds everywhere. Crab apples--red, pink. white--everywhere. Flowering almonds, apple and pear trees, a magnolia or two. The old dogwood should be a white cloud by the weekend. Have to keep your eyes up as you walk The Acres this time of year. The allium have started too--make a nice purple presence in the midst of the tulips. Tons of dwarf iris this year. They usually start in mid-March; this year they are just starting. The "real" iris will be along in about 7 to 10 days. As you know, I am anxiously watching them in search of buds. I caught the iris-lovers disease from Mom as a kid and have yet to be cured--or even seek a cure. The late spring will lead to a dash of color for the rest of the spring and summer. Should be marvelous. Never get tired of the beautiful--and He supplies such an array. Sun, shade, part-shade, He has beauty for everyplace. And not just at The Acres.

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."