Amazing Stormy Skies

With all the rain lately, we've had some amazing views just from our back deck.

Jammin

I have been lucky enough so far to get about 20# of strawberries out of our little bed thus far this June. I've made a fair amount of rhubarb strawberry & plain strawberry jam, and we've enjoyed fresh strawberry pie and lots upon lots of fresh berry eating. This makes me look forward to years ahead when the raspberries begin to produce!

The house finches that took up residence in our hanging fern are now empty nesters; just in time for a third family of birds to begin nest building in our little orange birdhouse. I believe they are house sparrows. It won't be easy to keep up with those babies since we can't seen inside the house to look into the nest. But I'm happy they are pleased with the sunny digs.

We were bummed last week to find out that our application to the Dallas County board overseeing funding for homeowners wishing to do soil quality restoration through native plantings was denied. We have a really great plan to replace the backyard with native turf, then line the fence with native landscaping that attracts butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds (and the deep roots keep run-off from heading into the pond, thus the watershed protection). It's costly to get the work done and we were the first to ever apply to Dallas County for this, though Polk county has been funding homeowners for this type of work a whole lot. We were told there was up to $6,600 available for our project. We asked for $3,500. They had some sticker shock and said no. The response was, "Please understand this is a board made up of rural farmers. They get paid much less per acre in subsidies for their land than you are asking for for your 1/10 of an acre. They didn't say no, just no for this year until they have additional explanation."   So... now we have to decide if we apply again next year and just swallow our pride and kill off the clover with traditional chems this year, and continue in our holding pattern, or pay for some of it out of pocket. Yards. Phooey.

Addicted

After becoming fed up with the extreme surly behavior we've been seen from our boys lately, we decided to have no screen time for a week. The t.v. plug got put away, as well as the old ipod touch they often seek out as their "play phone."

This morning, Day #1 of no screen week, Jack actually sat down at 6am and drew a picture of our television. Entitled, "My TV," he adds details such as the name at the bottom of the screen (which reads, "SamSome."

Addicted much?

Little by little

I'm still trying to figure out the finch nest. The birds I saw the first time I took a photo must have grown and fledged already, and this must be a new one. There are still eggs under this bird, too. So perhaps since she kept adding an egg every couple days, they hatch and have time to grow before the other eggs are ready? It's fun to take down the plant for watering and see the nest progress. They aren't exactly cute at this stage, although they are tiny and sweet.

Jack in his 2nd year of playing baseball

Team Cardinals

Now that my Master Conservationist class is done

I'm on to trying a new activity. I just signed on as a novice for the Des Moines rowing club. 13 weeks of learning to row! Should be a nice new hobby, and an active one at that. Looks like this will be my new reality on Wednesday evenings:

Good thing I was warned

by a very wise gardener that everbearing strawberries are only everbearing the first season. After that they like to act like June-bearing strawberries. I would otherwise not have expected this:

Now, who wants to come help me make jam?!  My mom is bringing me some of her garden rhubarb tonight, so if you feel inspired to help me can some jam, we might have enough leftover for a homemade strawberry rhubarb pie.... hint,  hint :)

Spring eating

is heaven.

Here goes nothing....

Go, raspberries, GO!

And I am reminded why I never keep my promise...

of keeping the kids away from the t.v. in the summertime. It's because after several hours of them being home, each room of the house starts to look like this:

As much as I love unstructured, "let them be bored" time, my borderline OCD kicks in and screams, "FOR GOD'S SAKE, WOMAN, PUT THEM IN FRONT OF THE T.V. AND CLEAN UP THIS HELL HOLE SO YOU CAN BREATHE AGAIN."

Yes, that happens.