2017JAN1

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Can anyone believe that it is already 2017? What happened to 2016?  For that matter, what happened to the 1950's, the sixties, the seventies....well, you get the idea.

My advice to all, and I seem to repeat myself advocating this sentiment quite frequently...ENJOY EVERY MOMENT!

Today, was a splendid day - sunny, mild and the perfect day to garden.  That's right...garden.  Yep, right here in Virginia.  The forecast is set to turn cold in a few days, so I thought I would take advantage of this sweatshirt weather to work on cleaning up my garden beds.  This is an on going process throughout the year, but having the weather to enjoy this task in January is a gift.

The dogs were a bit dubious, but soon took up their 'normal' place...by my side.

As the sun was setting, I took a quick inventory and realized I have a whole lot more cleaning up to do.  If not now, then later.  There is always later. 

I walked over to the white pine (planted by me about 20 years ago) growing at the edge between the lawn and the woods and filled my arms with the largest white pine cones I had ever seen. They were scattered on the ground under the tree.  I do not know what I am going to do with them, but if not in crafts, then as a pure natural decoration - sweet!

At dusk, I drove off to pick Glenn up at the new farm where he had been digging out an old pond.  He had drained the pond earlier in the previous year, as in 2016, with the hopes of it drying out enough to be able to dig out the slime and sediment that had been filling in the pond over the years and to get the bottom back to a deeper depth.  He got his track loader stuck in the slime yesterday and had to call a friend (Becky was not answering his SOS) to help pull him out with the farm tractor.  He was more careful today.  Now, the pond is ready to fill with runoff again.  Glenn will fence the pond off from the cattle.  After all, they have their brand spanking new waterers from which to drink. They do not have to muddy the waters.  The pond will be a wonderful wildlife magnet.  Coyotes are not allowed!

WISHING YOU ALL GOOD HEALTH,
MUCH HAPPINESS AND CONTENTMENT
THROUGHOUT 2017!

not exactly the Bluebird of Happiness, but it is a bird and it is blue....close enough!