Things are stirring on Oak Hill

What a beautiful day today! Dry, breezy, mid-70s, beautiful sun shine; does it get any better?

We're getting company this weekend. Sheri is driving down from Willard. Since she'll be bringing Jasmine and Ziggy with her, we had to get the grass cut so those two little Yorkies don't get lost! Russ is putting a new tile floor in their kitchen and wisely decided it would be easier without questions to answer and two little dogs running around.

As I said, it was breezy today so the smell of fresh cut grass was stirred into the mixture of honeysuckle and wild rose already in the air. Wild flowers are in bloom everywhere and their perfume scents every breath.

The dogs and I went for a walk down the new path Keith mowed through the north meadow. About half way through our walk we spooked a young deer out of the tall grass and I thought the dogs were going to drag me to kingdom come. Fortunately I managed to hang on to them and convince them they couldn't jump the fence like the deer did. We also discovered one of the big oaks on the property line lost yet another huge branch. Many of the oaks are more than 100-years old; massive trees. It is sad, somehow, to see one crippled this way. This same tree has two other large scars where branches have fallen before.

I've draped some netting over our little apple tree and the magnolia bush. Something has eaten nearly every leaf on the apple, and last year the Japanese Beetles stripped the Magnolia bare. I want to be ready for them this time around.

It's fun to see the vegetable garden mature. I have white onions, three kinds of tomatoes, zucchini, cabbage, green peppers, broccoli, spinach, sweet basil, parsley, lettuce, cucumbers, green, yellow and pole beans, canteloupe and honey dew melons.
There's still a little space for overflow but so far, things are under control.

Poison Ivy, ticks, tornadoes and all, I really love it here!