Simply Practical: seedlings

There were hamburgers and hotdogs cooked on the grill, baked beans, deviled eggs, chips, and our favorite, HOMEMADE ICE CREAM! Oh yea, and a strawberry pie with strawberry pie filling I made last year. Talking about 'piggin out,' well, I don't eat like that everyday or I would be a pig! The girls were here and had a blast! They got in the pool for the first time and LOVED it! The water was a bit cool, but they didn't mind! Win didn't get out of the pool until 7! She spent the night and kept talking in her sleep, "Help me Randy, help!" It was so funny cause I know she was dreaming about the pool! The next day she took a two-hour nap! I couldn't believe it since she only takes an hour or less nap, usually.

I didn't get my hair hennaed yet, but hopefully that's the plan for tomorrow. Win will probably spend the night again, so maybe Saturday, I'll get to get in the pool! We just have to avoid the heat of the day since she is so fair complected. There's plenty to do inside anyway, with all these toys! We could go to Riverfest this weekend, but I don't like large crowds of people. Kenny Rogers is supposed to be there Saturday. I really liked him, back in the day! Friday night, Styx is performing! It's really a nice festival, but somewhat costly with only vendors of food during the day. The concerts are included in the ticket price, but you have to wait all day for the concert. One year, we went out on a pontoon and took it all in from the river that runs next to the festival. That was fun! But it was cold going back late at night, and scary in the dark!

It's funny how the celebrations seem to come in a row! Next week we celebrate Yasmine's birthday and my Mom's too! Yasmine's is the third, my Mom's the fifth. We will go to a pizza place for Yasmine's birthday, and Red Lobster for my Mom's. That's why I'm drinking so much green juice lately! It fills me up and is so good for me! Hopefully, I'll loose some weight, since we are eating more than usual. Or at least, I hope not to gain any weight! I'm trying to use self control! But if there's a bag of something crunchy and salty in my sight, look out! I'm on it! Therefore, I DON'T buy chips and such! Except this week, we have Nacho chips for the guys taco salad. I just eat the chips, that's healthier, right?

Well, my seedlings didn't make it. Not because of the weather or rain, no! I made some organic chicken feed for the chickens. Turned out, the geese liked it and kept the chickens from eating it. That would be all well and good, but the geese don't lay eggs! So, we put the geese in the garden. Their water pail was right next to where the seedlings were hardening off. Have you ever watched geese drink water? For some reason, they like to scoop up dirt in their mouth and go to the pail. When I looked at my seedlings the other day, they were all scattered, like something had dug into them! The water in the pail was full of the dirt, seedlings, and peat pots! The geese had scooped up the dirt, seedlings and all, and put them into the pail of water! I managed to save two seedlings! Thank goodness I got two nice sized tomato plants and one pepper plant at Whole Foods, this past weekend, for only $1.99 each! I wished I'd known they were going to sell those; I'd just saved my time and bought a bunch! I already sowed seeds in the beds, but it's too soon to know if they are going to make it! I still love gardening, in spite of setbacks! I hope your garden is coming along nicely! Ya'll have a good weekend! Oh, sorry I had to turn on the word verification! I was having constant spammers! Maybe I can turn it off soon. Blessings from Bama!

Two of my sweet babies!

Win and her Mom.

Getting ready to add on the super! That's where our honey will go. The neighbor's horses are curious.

Rubi on guard in the background.

Our bees are calm bees compared to some bees. I'm standing pretty close and they don't ever bother me!

Carefully placing the box on so as not to squish a bee.

Now all they have to do is fill it with honey!

Delicious baked beans!

Yasmine, Layla, and Amber.

Eden is looking over the side.

My Dad with his metal detector.

The girls love to hold Riley!

My uncle scooping out some delicious ice cream!

The sun makes this photo white. Randy and all the girls!

The first daylily of the season about to open.

The clematis almost doesn't look real!

I was so excited to find this bloom yesterday and today it's turned brown!

Here's a bloom that will open tomorrow. You need to smell this thing! This is a magnolia tree, if you don't know. All Southerners should have one of these in their yard!

The Easter Lily is almost as tall as me! It will open soon.

Some more about to open.

I was so excited to walk out to the garden and find the seeds that I planted eight days ago are coming up! They didn't come up like that before! The spinach seeds are the only ones that didn't come up yet, but I'm sure they will. I will sprinkle more seeds into the beds, as I didn't plant the whole bed yet. That way we will get progressive plants as the season advances. I am so happy with this progress! I want to pickle my own beets; and how neat it will be to use the beets from my own garden! I love pickled beets and just finished up the last jar from the grocery store, today! The more I read about pesticides and gmo's, the more I want to grow everything we eat! It will take time to get to that point, however.

I don't know if this is the right time of year to obtain a doeling, but I read on Craigslist where we can get one. I can't get her just yet; and I'm afraid that she won't last until I can get her. That's OK. though, because I'm always reading where to get a goat. The problem is, they are usually billies. I am really excited to keep goats, and hopefully it won't be too far in the future! This one is a Dwarf Nigerian. That way we won't get too much milk at a time. I look forward to this adventure! It may not happen until Spring, but I think that will give us more time to prepare the area.

Isaac hasn't been too bad on us, just a little rain and a lot of humidity! I am glad the sun isn't shining because it would be even hotter! I am so ready for some 'cool down'! I wonder if we will see cooler temps in September? Hope ya'll have a great weekend! Blessings from Bama!