Monday, April 29, 2013

A little bit of rain, and a lot of sunshine!

      I wrote this post and while I was typing in a caption under a photo, the whole thing including all the photos disappeared! Where did it go? Oh well, guess I'll start over! We've had family, especially little great-nieces, here a lot lately! They've moved only ten minutes away! I'll have to learn how to balance blogging and children, along with my other chores. Each new season has it's trials and difficulties but as the season progresses, everything gets balanced out, hopefully! Longer days, more work outside! Shorter days, more work inside! 

      The weather has been rainy lately, but today it's beautiful and sunny! The garden is growing nicely! There are beans coming up and green strawberries! I can hardly wait to harvest them! The squash and cucumbers haven't come up, but the nights have been a little cool. They will probably come up next week. Summer will show up just as quickly as Spring did! We'll have a nice day, then the next it will be eighty-something! I hope to get the mulch and landscape fabric down before it gets much hotter! Skylar has been helping, but today he is working! Guess I'll have to get out there and get it done! I love being outside! The flowers are blooming and the weather feels good! It just gets really hot around all that concrete!

      I've been in the kitchen as usual, cooking all kinds of things! I'm also experimenting with different techniques of cooking. I tried a cook box and found that it really works! I cooked soup on the stove for about ten minutes, then put it in the box. It stayed there for a couple hours, and walla, it's done! Good for saving on electricity or whatever you use to cook with! I'm still trying the solar shield cooking and the next sunny day, I'm going to cook potatoes! I think it will work! Tonight I'm using the pressure cooker, as that uses much less electricity, and gets the job done quickly! Have you tried different ways to cook in order to save on gas or electricity? Let me know in the comments. Ya'll have a nice week! Blessings from Bama!
Ran, my Dad, Winterlynn, Yasmine and Layla.


The blackberries are blooming! That's what all those white blooms are.

I'm having to cook on my induction burner. After only seven years of cooking on the stove, one of the eyes have gone out.

Ta-da! Our new Berkey! I've been wanting one of these for about three years, so we finally got one! The water tastes great; actually, it has no taste!


 This beautiful bird was on the bird feeder the other day! I don't know what kind it is!


                  Isn't it beautiful?
The cook-box. Wrap the pot in blankets then place in the box.

Skylar working on the mulch.

Aren't these irises gorgeous?

These look almost black!

The clematis is the same color.

A peony bud.

I love this shade of yellow!

The Lady Banks in full bloom.

Riley enjoyed watching me dig.

Such a dainty little rose!

She already loves to swing!


Win likes the see-saw!


Nanny pushing her. Riley looks like she's smiling!

Riley slept here for three hours! I didn't know she would sleep that long! She usually only sleeps for thirty minutes! I guess the swing wore her out!


The wisteria has really grown this year!

Aren't these red roses pretty?

The flower bed is coming along!

More dainty roses.

The refrigerator is not the theme of this photo! The fig tree is! The fridge is on its way out! The hubs was going to turn it into a solar oven but has decided it would be too much work.

The bees are busy about the hive!

The small hive is doing good too!

Green strawberries!

The rattlesnake beans are emerging!

The almost black irises and clematis.

14 comments:

  1. You have a beautiful place! Family adds a new dimension to ones life when they live close. I am sorry you lost your blog the first time. I did the same thing today. Almost done with it and lost it! So is a cook box just two cardboard boxes? I have a one gallon Berkey and love it!! Love the purple and white iris! Nancy

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    1. Hi Nancy! Yes, you are absolutely right about 'new dimensions'! That was so aggravating when the post disappeared! There are many ways to make a cookbox. This is just my version. The easiest way is to use a laundry basket and line it with blankets. The Berkey is nice! Thanks, Nancy!

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  2. Your flowers are so pretty! The flower bed with Skylar working on the mulch - that is going to be sooo nice. Love the arbor. The girls are so cute - as usual. Nice that the your parents can enjoy them too. Cooking in a box - never heard of it. I have heard of people making smokers out of old refrigerators; even root cellars (only you bury it in the ground). Have a great day. Blessings from Wisconsin.

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    1. Hi Jacky! Oh, it gets prettier each day we work on it! I just pray the grass underneath never finds its way to the top! The cookbox is something used in countries where they don't have much fuel for cooking. It extends their use of cooking fuel. I've watched some tutorials on this and found how easy it is, and it works! Now I like that idea! I will run that by the hubs! But who's going to dig the hole? Thanks, Jacky, you too!

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  3. I'm pea green with envy over the Berkey! Let's get together soon!

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    1. Hi Leanne! I would love to share a glass of cold Berkey water with you while discussing the garden!

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  4. Such a wonderful place you have. You are so talented and quite the cook. I love seeing your beautiful flowers. Your family is beautiful. Thank you for your lovely visit and encouraging thoughts and prayers. Hugs and Love, Linda

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    1. Thank you Linda, we really are enjoying living here! Thank you! Your very welcome! Hugs and love to you too!

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  5. Hello Bama Girl,
    your flowers are so pretty.I love it all.My strawberries have little blossom,i hope of fruits in the next weeks.Cooking in a box sounds very interesting.
    I wish you a wonderful time,
    Blessings Regina

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    1. Hi Regina! Thanks for stopping by! Thanks for the nice comments! I'll visit your blog soon!

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  6. I feel behind as somehow I've missed this post of yours with the beautiful Rose-breasted Grosbeak at your feeder! Skylar is working hard on the mulch and that is going to be beautiful when done. Okay, still have fig tree envy too!! My birthday present from last year (my very own fig tree) is growing well and we may have figs this year..... though it is not in any way near the size of yours. Nice your family all lives so close to be able to enjoy each other so. Your new Berkey looks neat! The stainless steel looks great in your kitchen. We have a filtered water system through our refrigerator door - thankfully - as I like my water to taste like water too.... like 'no taste'! Your cookbox is interesting and thinking about the question you asked - sometimes I use a crockpot, but it's more because of how it cooks the meat, than saving electricity. We have 'grill night' once a week, but again, it's more for the diverse flavor. Thank you for all the things you share with us!

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    1. It was one of those breathless moments for me when I saw him at the feeder! He is so pretty! Skylar could have it finished already! Maybe today? Your fig tree will take off in two-three years. I'm debating whether to prune mine or not. We are really enjoying the Berkey! The cookbox is an interesting experiment! I will try it again! Thank you! I love sharing!

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    2. so enjoy dropping in and seeing your many projects!!! was hoping someone would identify the bird at the feeder for you...and, yes, it was Lisa!! I have never seen a Rose-breasted Grosbeak...wonder if we have them in NC??? I will have to look it up.

      I have some iris with half purple and white as well..

      Kathy

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    3. Hi Kathryn! Thanks for stopping in! I'm not sure, but Lisa might know, she is so informative! I love those irises!

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