April Showers Bring May Flowers

      Hey Ya'll! How's it going? I'm doing well. Can you believe it's almost May? Wow! Time sure does fly! Everything is about a month early here, as I'm sure it is where you live. Our season is quite different this year than it was the past two years. I am getting so much done in the garden. Last year it was a month later before I got the summer garden in. We are having temps in the seventies and mostly eighties. The humidity hasn't been as bad as it will get. Except today is more humid. I think storms may be coming in this weekend. Yesterday was the six year anniversary of those wicked tornadoes that came through Alabama, destroying everything and everyone in it's path! So April is a month for tornadic activity. Really, any month in Alabama is tornado weather. We have such variable weather!

      We got ducklings and goslings the first of April! They are so cute! They are still quite wild. The chicks have grown so much and come right to me! They are not wild like the goslings and ducklings. I've never raised goslings and ducklings. We just purchased them when they were grown. I'm thinking about getting the little swimming pool ready for them. The goslings are definitely big enough for it. Maybe tomorrow will be a good time to do that.

      We celebrated Easter with a family feast! We had ham, chicken and dressing, potato salad, and all kinds of side dishes and desserts! Not much leftovers this time! Then Randy hid eggs for the girls to find. They had a blast! The girls and Gavyn are getting so big! They are so cute, too! I think I have some pictures to share below. Well, just wanted to say hello to ya'll! Have a nice day! Blessings from Bama!
    

Blue Springs State Park, in Alabama.

Way down South where the moss grows on the trees. I think it is lovely!

Yasmine and Lulu growing up!

The ducklings and goslings were so small!

I love this setting I've discovered on my camera!

Cabbage, onions, garlic, and broccoli.

I love this iris!

Baby grapes!

Climbing for some greens!

Chilling out at Blue Springs campground.

Do you know what these are? They are crawdad holes!

Although we were still hours from the beach, this part of Alabama is sandy.

Keeping Busy on the Homestead!

      Usually, September is not that busy for us here on the homestead. Other than pears and muscadines, the harvest is almost done by this time. I could buy some tomatoes to can, but I don't think I'm going to do that. My tomatoes did pretty good, so I have some sauce canned. I have'nt really planted a fall garden in the past. Not so this year! I have been busy lately, planting cold weather crops. The temps have been cooler, but it is so dry! I'm having to water regular, even though it's still so humid! You'd think the humidity would just turn into rain! I'm so glad the temps are not like they were a couple of years ago, never a day under 100 during the whole month of September!

      I'm so thankful for shorter days, too! A body has to rest sometimes! But I work right up until dark, most of the time. I think by the end of the week, I'll have most of my projects done. Especially, have the garden planted. Soon enough, I'll have to resort to inside projects, of which I have plenty of. Then I can get back to writing more often, hopefully. 

      I hope your weather is cooler where you live, but not too cool! Cold weather is not my friend! I will deal with it when I have to, and hopefully that will be a long time from now. Have a great week and thanks for reading! Blessings from Bama!

We went camping. It was fun but really hot and humid.

Randy and his Mom and Dad.

My sister and Randy playing with the girls. 

The pumpkin I grew just coudn't make it til fall. It became chicken food.

Putting cardboard in the garden. The okra is looking good! I hope it makes soon.

I made this rocket stove. It worked good!

Still waiting on the watermelon to get ripe!

The newest members of our homestead.

Camping Trip!

      Yes, we finally got to go camping! We had a great weekend with some great people! The weather was so nice, too! It was on a lake so there were lots of boats and people. At least everyone acted right, no wild parties or anything. Sometimes you don't know if the people around you will be nice or whatever. Our son went with us and had a great time as well. He actually helped take care of a little two-year-old who was with us. Her Mommy is about to give birth to her little sister in three weeks, so we kept a close eye on her. Mommy didn't go into labor or anything and seemed to enjoy herself in spite of herself. Camping is a wonderful way to connect with people and nature and we had a good combination of both. I didn't know my camera card was almost full (imagine that) so I didn't get to take very many pics. I got some good shots, though.


      Well, the weather has finally turned hot again after a week or two of spring-like weather. That's how I'm able to be inside this time of day writing a post. I actually came in at 11:30 burning from the sun with a sweaty forehead. The weather changes so abruptly here that one hardly has a chance to adjust! I don't think I'll ever adjust to that burning sun! It's 87 degrees! We seem to be experiencing a drought for this time of year. I don't like droughts! Our lush green grass quickly turns brown when that happens. There doesn't seem to be very many clouds so I don't think there's much chance of rain for today. At least when it's cloudy, the sun doesn't burn as bad. I'm discouraged about my garden because the green bean seeds and the cucumber seeds are not coming up. Neither are the straight neck squash. I'm concerned it may be too late to replant. I'll have to check with garden center and see if they have any more  of these seeds since WM didn't.


      I was going to post on Friday since that was the one year anniversary of the tornadoes that came through our state, and other states. I posted last year  with photos, so if you'd like to look in the archives under May 2011, you can see what happened just a few short miles from my home. Actually, it was just over that small mountain across the street! When I think about that day, I get really upset because so many people lost their lives and/or everything they owned! We came through that area on the way home from the camping trip and it still looks like a tornado came through! It will take a lifetime for all of those trees to grow back! Some people have built new homes, others chose to move away! Lots of trailers were destroyed and the people moved somewhere else. I can't blame folks for not wanting to live there! We were very fortunate that only a small twister came through our back yard and took down several large Hickory trees. I was so thankful they fell away from the house since it happened right next to our bedroom where I was still in bed! If the tree had fallen in a different direction, I might not be here to write this post! God spared our lives that day, and I want to serve Him and do whatever He has for me to do! Ya'll have a great week! I hope to be posting again this week! Blessings from Bama!

Cooking Ketchup!

One and a half pints of Ketchup.

Delicious Baked Potato Soup!

Can you believe this was growing on the side of the camper? And that I caught a hornet flying up to it!

This is what it looks like in real life.

He found the hornet's nest when he went to wash that side.

Hubs to the rescue!

This was the largest one that fell out. Could it be the queen?

What beautiful smiles!

Happy family!

What a way to start the day!

Second nature!

Look what he caught!

Bass Pros!

You don't expect me to believe that story! (He really didn't catch this fish; only dragged it in at the shore. It had just been released and looks like it's dying!)

She throws them and he picks them up!