Wonderful Spring

The temperature is in the 60's and the sun is out. What a great day to do yard work. It's time to rake all yard and get all the leaves and thatch out of it. That way we can assess any damage the boys or other critters did over the winter.

The bushes we planted last fall all have buds on them so maybe our bad luck luck streak has ended.

Our first flower of the year bloomed . It's a lenten rose. The plant stayed green all winter. It's so nice that we are going to get a bunch because if one is good, more are better, especially when it comes to plants we can't kill.

We made our first spring visit to Home Depot. We were only going for some grass seed, really we were. What we got was 5 boxwoods, a cherry tree, a flowering pear tree, a concrete benck, two really cool pots, and three more rabbits to drive the boys crazy.

We also put out some more lawn ornatemtation that we picked up at the Cleveland garden show. Well we have to get this all planted before the weekend. The forcast is for snow. Ah! Cleveland in the early spring. You gotta love it.

Latest pics of the boys

All that's left

I found the last of the snow hiding in the shadows like a Chicago Republican. The only people thinking about snow right now are our neighbors in the great white north: Hardrock, Coco, and Joe. I know that I was just lamenting our latest snow fall. Well, welcome to spring in Cleveland. Once the snow melts we enter mud season. The people at the garden center tell us that the clay that passes for topsoil in these parts is what we get for being at the bottom of the last glacier. I nod my head in agreement and silently wonder what thats all about. There are pools of water in the shape of my boots all over the back yard.

The boys love this kind of weather. All the new fresh smells in the yard that need investigating keep them busy for hours. Fred thinks about squirrels like the John Birch society thinks about communists. They are everywhere and a threat to his way of life. He has never met a squirrel he hasn't wanted to chase. He just can't figure out how to climb trees. Bob just wants to hang out on the picnic table playing king of the hill.

It's back!

Like a bad penny, winter showed up again yesterday. Just when I thought it was over, six inches of snow greeted me and the boys Saturday morning. Fred took one look at it and hightailed it back into the house. Bob looks at new snow as a blank canvas which he needs to leave his mark on. He left as soon as I started the snow blower. That's why dogs will never take over the world. They can't stand snow blowers, lawn mowers and vacuum cleaners. But I digress.

Just when I was all set to clean the yard, it got covered with snow again. The yard does look pretty in a cover of snow, but enough is enough. One of the neighbor kids spotted six or so deer in our back yard. Now that is really cool. Our efforts at a back yard habitat seem to be paying off.

No Snow

It is over 60 out and what's left of the snow is hiding in the shadows. It's time to get to work on the yard. I know, I know that it's supposed to be 30 on Saturday. That's Saturday, today we can do yard work and see what we need. The path needs freshining. We've put 24 tons of river rock on the paths over the last 4 years. Every spring we need to put more on it. There's probably somebody in China who can't figure out where all the rocks in his yard are coming from. Take that Mao. The best time to weed the path is when the ground is wet. The day lily's are showing and all the bushes we planted have buds. It's time to start trolling the garden centers for stuff. There's never enough stuff for the yard.

The sun is out!

The sun's out. Time to take the dogs out and stare at it. I'm an ex-pat Chicagoan who still has not gotten used to being on the wrong side of the lake. The dogs don't share my delight in the winter sun. Fred's interested in guarding the back yard from marauding squirrels. Bob wants to troll for food.

Having two dogs and a wildlife friendly yard is a juggling act. There are a dozen plus mallards and assorted other wildlife that have a steady food and water source all year round. All the wildlife drive the boys crazy.

Still no sun

Woke up this morning at 0530. It was snowing. It had been thawing for a couple of days, but nature has a sense of humor. Just when you think springs almost here, the temp drops and it snows. Sun came out for a minute yesterday. I took the boys out and stared at it. Fred hates the snow and the cold. Bob loves the snow but keeps falling through it. There's a garden show in Canton next weekend. Can't wait to go and look for yard ornamentation. Wonder how early I can transplant bushes?

Thanks Katie and Sean for welcoming me to the blog. I can show the world our garden, if the snow would only melt.

Day 1: It begins

Well this is day one of my blog. Here I sit in Cleveland Ohio. Can't remember the last time I saw the sun. The backyard's got three feet of melting snow and I want to garden. When is this snow going to melt? There is raking to be done and plants to be bought.