CAN I COME IN?

Not the absolute best picture but imagine my surprise when I looked up from the computer this mornign to see this pretty head peeking in the screen.

This is probably Queenie or one of the second year black snakes that roam the property. I went out the back door and around to the front deck to check her out. She had come down off the screen and was just hangin' out on the deck railing. I encouraged her to go elsewhere.

This is my second snake sighting in the 'yard' in the past couple of weeks. King, my 8'+ monster who's lived on this property probably longer than we have, was stretched out in the wood trailer last week when I went to check the live trap. We've had a real timber rat problem of late. Bob didn't tell me how bad the trailer was until I went out to get something one day. Ugh! I won't say how many rats we've trapped but I will tell you I'm just glad they've stayed out there and not ventured into the house. I haven't caught any in a couple weeks. Maybe between the live trap and King, we are finally rid of them.

Next task is to totally clean out that wood trailer, pressure wash everything then start from scratch. with Bob's breathing issues, I'll be the one on the inside handing him the lengths of timber through the window to the outside. Fun times!

How's your summer kicking off?

GUARDING PRIVACY

Good morning!  

This is a quick post written (Monday) as today is all about phone calls to Social Security. I'm not sure what has happened, nor am I going to speculate. I just know something isn't right. The only thing I can do is figure out the issue then move forward.

 With that in mind, I'm not sure there will be any other posts this week. I'd planned to be back to work full force, though that  may not happen this week.

What I do want to point out is that I've done everything in my power to guardd my personal information. I don't do business on my phone, I don't bank on-line and I have one credit card to my name for business and hotel confirmations.

Sadly, the same precautions do not appear to have been take with the U. S. Government.

I have blog posts ready to roll... with a few changes in format for the remainder of the year. With the first half of the year winding down, this seemed like a good time to make those changes.

Hang with me - we'll get this straightened out!

Be Safe!

~Kelly

MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTE!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

 TO THOSE WHO SERVE IN THE OUR ARMED FORCES

 AND

 THE FAMILIES WHO SACRIFICE SO MUCH

FOR OUR

FREEDOM

UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

As you can see from the picture, my living room is a disaster. My dining room looks the same way – like someone just unloaded a large U-Haul. This is only one of 5 areas of the living room/ dining room:

When we moved me into the studio four years ago, nothing went as planned. Bob was anxious to turn my old office into his man cave. That meant nothing got put away in the studio the way I wanted… more dumped wherever it would fit.

Since then I’ve also added more things – mostly planner and Mixed Media items – that I’ve had to find room for. Instead, those items just got added to the already disorganized mess.

I’ve been trying since January to get my office/ studio in order – all while trying to carry on with my daily work routine, write a book and keep the house presentable. I finally came to the conclusion that plan of attack wasn’t working.

First off, I have OCD. I can’t work on something unless everything is in order. Just makes my life more complicated.

Last week, after writing all my blog posts for the week, I emptied the studio into those two rooms. I’ve worked all weekend with the cleaning part. Washing windows, shampooing carpet, detailing furniture… you know what a deep clean entails.

This week I HAVE to get stuff back in place so that office work can resume as usual. Bob comes home on Wednesday. He’d really like to be able to sit at the dining room table in the morning with coffee or sit in his recliner in the evening to watch TV. To add insult to injury, his best friend is planning a visit for the coming weekend. Kevin helped us move in thirteen years ago. He hasn’t seen the house with the addition of my studio. So yeah…. This room HAS TO GET DONE.

With that, I’m taking this week off of all of my blogs, no book writing and only the 1 crafting deadline I have for Wednesday.

Blog post should resume next week – Monday May 4th or Tuesday May 5th. If Kevin shows up, I’ll have all weekend to hide in the studio and get ahead of the week. Otherwise, that’s what I’ll be doing on Monday. I always devote Bob’s first weekend home to him. He’s been gone for twenty-one days, after all.

Thank you for your patience and I’ll see you next week!

GARDEN TOUR

Good morning, everyone!

The temperatures are starting to climb back up to normal averages. Rain in the forecast for tonight as well as on and off throughout the weekend. Wet and cold sure make wanting to get into the garden difficult. 

I have rhubarb to plant. As soon as I purchased the rhizomes, the temps plummeted to freeze/ frost warnings! Hoping I can get those in Sunday. On the plus side, nothing seems to have been damaged by the cold temps. I did cover up the butterfly garden and the two clemitis a couple of nights just in case. The peach trees and the apple had already started leafing so they were spared.

Here's a walk-through of what everything looked like a week ago. Mind you, all the rain has me behind in everything outside. I'm hoping to get into gear first of the week. 

I'll have a new video next week. I've gotten the greenhouse someone cleaned up but have been negligent about getting the seeds started as I've found a mama wren. She chose to build her nest in one of my baskets. I don't want to disturb her. She is fine when I first go in but if I hang around too long, she leaves the nest and flutters around encouraging me to leave. We only have about another 8-10 days I figure before those 5 little eggs should hatch. So for now, the green house is hers.  I monitor to make sure the temp doesn't go over 70*F in there. If they do, then I open the windows to get a cross ventilation but not so that any critters can get in.

Until this shelter-in-place thing is lifted, there won't be any travel posts. I've been making a list and planning how to arrange my hatch back for over-night/ camping adventures.

Everyone seems so disturbed by their overseas/ cruise plans being derailed through this. While I'd love to visit Ireland, Scotland, France, Spain there is so much more in our Great America I'll never see all of as it is. 

When I do travel, I'll take you with me. 

In the mean time, stay smart, stay safe, stay home. 

SPRING IS COMING!!!

Welcome back to the Ozarks!

I am so ready to get out and do stuff. I have a list of places I want to visit, to learn more about and share with you.

I'm anxious to get in the garden. The critters have all nested in my garden shed and the wood storage trailer over the winter. I fear we'll lose a good portion of the wood there thanks to a rat or two.

After potential thunder storms tonight, rain on and off through Tuesday I should have a stretch of at least four sunny, relatively warm days to dig out the garden shed and the green house. I want to prep the green house for seed trays and I'll be starting seeds in the house in the next couple of weeks while we wait for consistent warm temperatures in the green house to move everything out there.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Last October I got in 28 straw bales and I've been conditioning them throughout the winter.  Once a month when they've called for rain, I've gone out and fed the bales with lawn fertilizer. I figure this will give them a head start on the 21-day conditioning process, allowing me to put plants in them a bit earlier than I have in the past.

I still need eight more bales but my local MFA hasn't had any. I'd be happy with just two more or I'll be moving my cucumber trellis - where I plan to plant squah but I'm pretty sure Bob wouldn't be happy with that idea considering he's the one who pounded the 8' T-posts in.

I'm letting this blog slide through the month of March. I have a book to finish writing and one to get off to a potential publisher. The 'day job' has to take presidence. Then I'll be back more regular with travel posts as well as prepping for the lovely weather spring brings.

In the mean time, take stock of your pantry, check the dates on things in your Emergency First Aid pack and I'll see you back here end of the month or first of April. 

ON HIATUS

I had hoped to continue the blog on a regular basis this week but I've had a couple of issues I can't get past.

I'd decided to go on hiatus this week as I'm busy prepping for a writer's conference. I leave tomorrow. So much to do, so little time.

This morning, I received news that my oldest sister has passed on unexpectedly. Has been a soul-shattering time for me today. Thankfully, I have Bob here to process my thoughts into coherency while I try to pack. I still have to leave tomorrow.

Bob. He leaves on the 22nd. When I get back next week I'll be spending every minute possible with him. I'm not going to even think about blogging. Just spending time with him.

You just never know.

Hug the ones you love, tell them you love them, call them - not a text or a facebook message but call and talk. I promise you'll make their day.

Blessings
Kelly