She's Back!!!

 I'm not sure why...maybe because we are just getting out of winter and there hasn't been much yard work of late...but our old friend Towanda hasn't been around for awhile. She made an unexpected visit yesterday and, while I was very excited to see her, she had to say good-bye before her visit was officially over.

As promised, I headed back out to the gardens yesterday afternoon but I guess I didn't wait for shade because it was hot! I got going on raking up all of the stuff I had previously pulled from the gardens and then got back to using the small hand rake to pull the accumulation of leaves in the garden that were pushed up against the fence. And then out of NOWHERE-at least nowhere visible-I was in a fire ant hill. Oh my gosh-those things HURT! But, at least their sting didn't last as long as the ground yellow jacket. 

I went and got some ant spray and then some Amdro for good measure but neither of those were the fire ant variety so I was a bit afraid to go back to the same spot. I thought maybe I would give it until tomorrow so, as long as I was already drenched, I looked for my next job.

I am still waiting for the handyman to come cut off the extra 2' of fence post and the lattice from the fence that runs the 308' across the back of my yard. That is a job that I just can't do unless I either buy or rent the right kind of saw and even then, I would be dealing with some really heavy wood and just not sure my shoulders would let me do that any more.

But, the lattice was hanging off of some of the posts so I started on those. Mission accomplished so I moved on to the ones where the lattice was still attached but some of the staples and nails had worked loose. Mission accomplished. 

This one area actually has both the lattice and its supports off and this is what the whole 8' fence will eventually look like. It will still be 6' high and since there will probably never be anything behind my house, that is plenty tall enough. 

I got down to the last three on one side of the gate back in the far corner and that darn lattice is holding on for dear life. I was using a claw hammer and a crow bar but still couldn't pry it loose. Believe me, Towanda was right in there helping but try as we might, nothing budged. But, I'm not giving up. I'm going to wait until early in the day when my muscles are not quite as tired as they are now and I shall try again-and drag in my old friend as well if I need a hand! Lol

While I was out there I went in search of some blooms that definitely should have been here by now-and, not one single penta plant anywhere. I have resorted to more and more of these every year because they are pretty and give a nice show for most of the year. This year, even though our temperatures didn't get down as low as they have in the past, all of my pentas get frost bitten. And, I thought I waited long enough to trim them but it doesn't look like any are coming back. Guess I'll wait a little bit longer and if I don't see any growth, yet another trip to the garden center will be in my future. But, I did find a few blooms scattered around the yard.

I love the mock orange. I grew up in south Florida in orange grove territory and always loved the smell of the trees in blossom. Every time I pass these bushes, I stop and take a sniff even though I know-regretfully-that they have no fragrance.

I found some of what I call wild violets in the yard-not sure that's what they really are. I wish they would grow in my gardens instead of in the lawn areas.

The Gerber daisies are still happy. Once our temperatures get even hotter, they will no longer be so.

The "old" roses on the trellis also prefer colder temps but a few blooms have been brave enough to make an appearance. I cut these bushes waayyy back last year because they were just getting ugly and not doing well. I honestly wasn't sure if they would even survive my attack so I was happy to see this. I will say that I will be sad if I lose these because none of the new roses have a fragrance that can compare with the "old" rose-although, none of the new ones need the love and care that these do and I just don't take care of them as I should anymore.

The African irises and day lilies are just beginning to pop out.

There is still so much to do to bring the yard up to springtime standards but I enjoy doing it so it will get done. At least I won't have to come up with things to keep me busy for awhile. Lol

So I am now a day later than when I started this post. I was almost ready to hit "publish" when I got a phone call from an old friend and she wanted to drop in for a quick visit-which lasted all day. Lol

So, I am just now getting around to it today...after this happened.

I have wanted to redo this table in the sunroom for a long time but it seems as if every time I mention it, one of the grandchildren objects. Their reasoning is that this table holds a lifetime of their memories...and they are right. So much crafting and game playing has happened here and this table has all of the scars to show for it. If you really search, you can find the indentation of words written on thin paper without anything under it or remnants of all sorts of colors of paint where the painter was a bit haphazard-lol-or even bits of leftover glue with glitter.

I treasure all of those things as well but this table is just getting really shabby looking so I found some old-very old-stain and I think I am going to leave it exactly as it is but just give it a new coat of stain. It won't take away any of the scars but it might just give the table top just a bit of a darker color and for that, I will be happy and I don't think any of my grands will disown me.

This table has actually had a few different lives. We bought it at Disharoon Valley many years ago. It is pine and it was a walnut stain color. My husband, my three girls, family and friends used it for eating and game play in at least two different areas of the house.

Then, one day, I was looking for a large coffee table in the family room and couldn't find what I liked so I cut a bit off of the base of this table and reattached the top for a very large, round coffee table. And, I loved it...until I didn't. I honestly don't remember what precipitated the change back. I think I found a slate coffee table that I liked so now I didn't need this any more.

Thankfully I never threw away that piece I cut off so I somehow reattached the base and then decided to paint the chairs-which had also been walnut-black to "modernize" a bit and then decided to to the same to the table base.

And that table found its way into the sunroom and has served us so well ever since-until today when it was just looking a bit sad to me.

I'll let you know how it goes. I honestly don't care what it comes out like as long as we can still see all of the kids' "handywork" and it is a bit darker-no high end, fancy furniture finish needed here,

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SO that's it for now. We have an away lacrosse game tomorrow and I have a doctor's appointment-that I actually had no idea I had but I'll keep-on Thursday plus a bunch of errands so not quite sure when I'll be back. Until then, stay safe and stay tuned.