Breezes

There are a lot of things wrong with the hood I live in but one thing that's right about it, are the soft breezes that come off the Fox River in the Spring and Summer. The breezes make up for a lot. Of course the other reason I would hate to leave here is the sound of the trains at night. I love that sound, works better than a sleeping pill. Another great thing is that children still play kick ball in the street. People still grill out with charcoal and sit on their stoop in the evening and greet the people walking by. Sometimes this seems like the best place on earth.

Did a walk around

The yard today. There is a darker Crocus in bloom now too and the Daffodils and tulips are budding nicely. My peach tree that I thought was dead has buds on it but time will tell if it will be okay after the hungry rabbits ate most of the trunk. Rhubarb not quite ready to pick and no dandelions for salad or wine yet. No buds on the apple trees or the grapes or the dogwoods yet.
I picked up all the garbage the blew into my yard over the weekend. I'm deciding if I want to rake the yard or not. I hate to lose the dead leaves but I can always put them in the compost bin for later. I'm going to get a bigger pool this year and a swing set or a climbing structure might be better. They are climbing the big Maple tree as I used to do at my friends hous when I was a kid. We ordered a tree to plant for Arbor Day this month. It's a white pine...another lunch for the rabbits next year I guess. Walter is doing pretty good. Some of his trunk is falling off. But strong otherwise and still putting out little branches.
Kids not here Sunday so the Easter egg hunt this year with be on Thursday or Monday. I think Monday is better, a little extra action after the big event.

First Flower of Spring Woo Hoo!!

This year the light lavender crocus has won!

The Best Sandwich Ever

Total time: 20 minutes
Servings 1

3-4 thick slices of bacon
2 slices monterey Jack cheese
2 slices rustic country bread, toasted
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
4 slices tomato
2 leaves butter lettuce
1 teaspoon butter
1 egg

1. Cook the bacon until crisp
drain on paper towels and set aside

2. Place the slices of cheese on one slice of the toasted bread
and place in a toaster oven or under a broiler to melt the cheese.

3. Spread the other slice of toast with the mayonnaise,
top with cooked bacon, the sliced tomato and the lettuce.

4. In a nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
Fry the egg, turning over briefly when the bottom is set (keep the yoke runny)

5. Slide the finished egg on top of the lettuce.
top with the other slice of toast, melted cheese side down.
place the sandwich on a plate and slice in half, letting the yoke run down the sandwich.

Little Pine Care

Today I coated the little pines, the lilacs, and the Peach tree with tree Kote to see if I can save them. The rabbits must have all come here for food. A lot of snow makes food scarce so I was happy to provide but I will miss my little trees if they die. I have located some privacy fencing that I can put on the chain link fence if the little pines don't make it. Then putting on vines to make it green. Looking around the yard today I see a lot of little green and growing things. The rhubarb is up about two inches or so. Snow is coming tomorrow, maybe a lot and maybe not. I filled the feeders and left the Christmas tree for another week for shelter. The March winds blew a lot of trash into the yard so I picked that all up. I picked up the empty corn husks as well. That's about all the gardening I did today.

Spring

DOGWOOD BLOSSOMS
by: George Marion McClellan
O dreamy languors and the violet mistOf early Spring,
the deep sequestered vale
Gives first her paling-blue Miamimist,
Where blithely pours the cuckoo's annual tale
Of Summer promises and tender green,
Of a new life and beauty yet unseen.
The forest trees have yet a sighing mouth,
Where dying winds of March their branches swing,
While upward from the dreamy, sunny South,
A hand invisible leads on the Spring.

His rounds from bloom to bloom the bee begins
With flying song, and cowslip wine he sups,
Where to the warm and passing southern winds,
Azaleas gently swing their yellow cups.
Soon everywhere, with glory through and through,
The fields will spread with every brilliant hue.
But high o'er all the early floral train,
Where softness all the arching sky resumes,
The dogwood dancing to the winds' refrain,
In stainless glory spreads its snowy blooms.

Almost Spring

I saw a nice fat robin today and the bright sunshine. Also saw a flock of seagulls. The Maples are ready for sugaring and the sun is still shining after 6 pm with daylight savings time here again.
I made it through another winter, I always think I won't.