DH has been working too hard around the homesite lately. With his bad back and painful gut he doesn't need to be laying rocks! But he's doing it, because he loves to play with rocks and is good at it. The muddy morass between the back of the house and the old rock wall which contains the flower bed will be all ROCK. Spring is trying to be here..the dogwoods are just coming into bloom. The daffodils are all gone, the creeping phlox is going wild, the rhubarb is up (pie, soon) and maybe..just maybe..the berries will do something this year if we get enough rain. The peonies are full of buds. I hope we've had our last freeze. I need to mow the grass. That's my job, by my choice, because I don't like the way DH does it; and he's hard on MY lawnmower! I love driving the mower around, with the suicide knob on the steering wheel, and amazing all onlookers with my sophisticated pattern which leaves no blade unmowed without ever stopping and backing up. Tomato and pepper starts are living under the fiberglass leanto outside now, getting strong before moving to the garden. We've had too much wet in the past few days, so the garden area is untillable, and it's still really too early to plant. I planted two rows of Swiss Chard in the middle of the newly-cleaned out strawberry bed, with a row of radishes between the berries and the edging. Why not combine? It's close to the house, and I might even water it. I have rhubarb in the front flower bed, with the butterfly bushes and forsythia. The weather has been weird! A couple of warm, dry days..then two or three days of rain. The plants love it, that's for sure..but it cramps my style when I have to work on the only days that are sunny and dry. Planning a trip in August to the west coast to see kids, grandkids, and old friends. Haven't checked on prices yet, and am prepared for sticker shock. Haven't told DH I'm going, either, but he will support me in my need to connect with family and friends. It will be a busy, busy, trip; I dare not stay with DS and family for more than a week, or we would certainly NOT stay friends! Just too different! I just walked around the yard, and some asparagus is up! Spears the size of my thumb..but not enough to make a meal. I hope they do better this year than they have done in years past. I am getting creative urges..so it SURELY is spring! Replaced a wicker seat in a bench for a friend, and have been looking at my old basket books. Another friend wants me to paint an old window for her for her exercise area, so she has something to look at besides a blank wall. I have the window, and the paint, now all I have to do is do it!

Good morning.... Delightful to see photos of Miss Mae and company this morning! Everyone is looking so happy! All that waiting rewarded. Really nice to see the light in the eyes and the beaming smiles after the year that you all have had. The little one is so serious! lol Reminds me of our DD when she was born who had a serious look on her face in many photos. She looks like she is deep in thought. Look forward to hearing about your homecoming when you are rested Gardenbug. :-) Julie...glad to hear you are getting busy with the garden. Sounds like you are going to have a great vegetable garden this year. Sorry to hear DD has knotweed to deal with. I guess I will think of that next time I am complaining about the minor weeds in my garden. Mary, what cuties! lol Very enjoyable story about Betty and Henny. My favorite is the amber colored one. .... Congrats to Annie on having her braces removed. I bet she is gorgeous! Marian...your Tommy is just so funny. I can just imagine the conversation he had with you. I wonder where cats have developed this dislike of water? The big cats in the wild have to put up with rain and I've seen some photos of tigers swimming. [g] A fox sighting! No chance of me seeing any of those in my semi-urban location. Lucky you! Saucy...that was the name of the book I was trying to come up with! No, I haven't read it. I have seen the title at the library and left it on the shelf thinking I might have to face the reality of how much my home grown vegetable crops actually cost me. I prefer fantasy over reality much of the time. lol You're having a vegetable garden this year, aren't you? ..... I discovered a patch of Poison Ivy the other day too. I thought we got rid of it last year. I continue to try to get rid of a weedy Campanula that is in the garden too and it just keeps coming back. .... We can't work fast enough here either. I was out looking around yesterday and I'm falling behind. .... Congrats on another new swarm of bees! I think you are really good at this bee keeping thing. :-) Woody...I was just checking the brick edge around our sitting area and it is disappearing under the grass. I have tried to cut corners I guess and in the end my efforts have been wasted. So you can consider that as you work hard installing your edging right. :-) Kathy...I love that Penstemon. I bought a similar one last year called 'Pike's Peak Purple'. It is coming up looking fine and can't wait to see it bloom. Your blue is so pretty, I will have to look for that one too. As far as I'm concerned, you don't have to ration the photos you post. I love to see some every time you post. I'm in a lull in our garden right now and not caught up with mulching and cleaning so photos are in short supply. When you have as successful a garden season as you are having, it would be such a waste not to take a gazillion photos!! .... Oh, and so sorry to hear about Dodger's disappointing news about Manny. I am hoping that the rest of the team can rise to the occasion. It would serve Manny right, for them to get along fine without him! Woody and Kathy....I have the same kind of soaker hoses. Sears from recycled tires, I think. Plus the quick connect on all my hoses. What did we do before those were invented!? It sounds like you both are doing about what I have been doing with mine. I leave mine on for hours though Kathy in the heat of summer. Could I really get away with less? It never looks like they are getting enough water. I wish I could fill 100ft at a time Woody, that would cut my efforts in half. Chelone...Hurry it up willya! I'm waiting for work on the curtains to begin, so the tables have to get finished tout de suite! Gee, if 12 hour days would just stop interfering. :-) Ok...I need to cut this short too. I'm missing the FB defectors too. :-) Drema...very sorry to hear about dreaded deer in the garden and a woodchuck too? Horrible! Looking for a visit from Sue with news of how the renovating is going. Will check back later I'm sure... pm2 'Avalanche' Lilac, chose a rainy day to open and I took a photo between drops....

I just wonder how Samantha's lease specifically addresses the issue. In my apartment complex, the music teacher's activities would be in violation of no less than three different lease provisions: 1) "Resident shall not conduct any business... on the Leased Premisis. 2) "Resident shall not permit... musical instruments on the Leased Premisis to disturb the neighborhood or occupants of the building containing the Leased Premisis at any time." 3) "A musical instrument, typewriter, radio, television, or stereo shall not be operated in a manner that is disturbing or annoying to other residents. Blummy is right that giving music lessons for pay may not be strictly interpreted as "running a business" by a court, but it really wouldn't make any difference in this case. In my complex, I can tell you for sure that if these two parties were not able to reach a mutually-satisfactory arrangement on their own, there is no doubt that the music lessons would be shut down by management. I know for a fact that some people in my complex run businesses out of their apartments. As long as no one is disturbed in the process, everyone looks the other way. But let one person complain, and management will put that resident "out of business" in a quick hurry. People that live in apartments need to accept that a certain level of noise from their neighbors is inevitable. It is normal for people to make noise in going about their lives. But those neighbors need to understand that there are just certain kinds of activities that may not available to people that live in apartments, and accept it. Glad to hear that the problem has been solved, Samantha! Paula

...Ah the 'Pipes with drums and brass....a rousing start to the day. My ancestors would be pleased - The Russell Clan from Scotland and the Rooney's from Ireland. Must be in my blood.