Bitter Cold

I'm sad because the pretty blooming trees were damaged by this recent cold spell. We had two hard freezes in a row, and some of the most full and beautiful trees now look as though it were fall, covered in brown, withering blooms. The daffodils seem to be enduring well. Most tulips were not even blooming yet or just beginning. They appear to be ok too. I don't want my spring spoiled by this freak weather. Where is that global warming when you need it?

I haven't done a thing to my garden since I planted those bulbs. Many are doing very well, and the little grape hyacinths are even flowering. One has already fallen victim to a dog stomp. My answer to that is to ban the dog from the front yard. It should have been done a long time ago. We've been lazy, as if that comes as a surprise. Rather than put on a jacket, put the dog on leash, open two doors and walk her to her bathroom area in the yard, we've been clipping her to a tie-line strapped to the front porch railing and letting her go out there. Originally, it was necessary, because of the snow and then swampland that was our back yard, but now there's no excuse. Part of our grass in the front yard is now dead, which gives me another project to do. Unless I want more, like redoing flowerbeds and filling in holes from digging, we need to be taking her in back again.

This prompted me to look up information on invisible fencing. We planned to attach some kind of mesh fence to our already existing rail fence in the back yard to keep the dog in. Then we found out she digs, which would mean burying part of the fence to keep her from getting out of the yard. Being lazy, that didn't seem like lots of fun, and the option of paying someone to do it seemed a bit steep for our laziness. That's why the invisible fence became an option. We certainly couldn't install one of those ourselves, so we could justify hiring someone to do that. It can also be set up to keep the dog out of my flowers. Even better.

I have all kinds of hopes for gardening around my house. We should know next month whether the house will be ours or not, and if it is as I suspect, I will want to plant tons of things. If it is bad, I will be digging up bulbs and hydrangeas, because I'll be damned if I'm leaving them. I spent at least a couple hundred dollars on those things, and they're mine. I get a little selfish and territorial about my plants, only because I'm so new with this.

This weekend appears to be bringing the right weather and some free time for me to do some weeding and seeding and planning. John will be away tonight through tomorrow night for a band gig. Hammy is gone tomorrow for a school picnic at the amusement park. It will just be Booie, the animals and me. Maybe we'll try to start some redbud trees from the seeds my mom gave me. I would sure love to have a slew of redbud trees all over the yard. I have to find those seeds. That will be a project in itself. I've had them since summer.

I do have to get back on the exercise track this weekend too. I didn't do anything while away because we were always on the go, and I didn't do anything when we got back unless you count running back and forth from the bathroom. I'm still not 100%, but I'm well enough that I can manage a Tae-bo tape. I don't think I'll try walking or running just yet. I think I still need to stay within a certain range of the house.

This could very well be the night I finally catch up on some writing too. I sure have high hopes for this weekend. Let's hope it all works out, and I get things done this time.