Still Weeding After All These Weeks!

I have been spending the last couple of weeks getting the gardens in shape

in anticipation of an "Open Farm" day we are having this Saturday.

We have invited Hubbs' co-workers for a day of picnicking, farm tours,

hay rides, fishing, etc...

just in case you were wondering why I have been painting and weeding

and planting like a mad woman.

I spent a little time in the garden yesterday...

more weeding...

more planting.

I have all but finished the vegetable garden

and am working on containers of flowers

and finishing up the flowering vines around the perimeter.

I am so happy with how it looks!

Yesterday I picked up an Ebay auction find...

a pair of 1950's metal lawn chairs.

I will be sanding and painting these to match the rest of the garden

sometime later this week.

While I was planting, TomTom climbed the garden fence

and parked himself on the bluebird house.

See the smug look on his face?

He was just sticking his little paw inside...

looking for tasty sparrow babies.

I suppose turn about is fair play in this case.

Sparrows move into bluebird houses and kill the baby bluebirds

while evicting the bluebird family.

Can you believe that I actually call this little boy

"Bad Sammy"....

he is so angelic, isn't he?

Don't let this act fool you.

He just returned from several hours of hunting in the woods.

He is what you would call "dog tired"!

On a sadder note,

it seems we have had an attack at the duck pond.

I found Mrs. Waddles limping this morning,

and wounded on her back.

She lost a bit of feathers and skin,

but all in all, I think she will heal just fine.

Mrs. Duckles remains on her nest...

in the safety of the duck hut.

Hopefully she will see these eggs through to hatching.

It would be such fun to have ducklings on the pond this summer.

And last but not least....

a sampling of yesterday's garden harvest...

Not pictured is more rhubarb and some fresh young lettuce.

In answer to a question about yesterday's rhubarb sauce....

I cooked down chunks of rhubarb and chunks of apple to make an apple rhubarb sauce.

(The rhubarb was beneath the apples in that picture.)

Yesterday I cooked more rhubarb with a couple of pears to make pear rhubarb sauce.

Oh, it's so good to be eating from the garden once again!