Beautiful blooms from Indiana
My mother-in-law always has the prettiest flowers in her gardens and pretty pots full of spillers, fillers and thrillers!
I love to see Lantana — a Texas staple — growing happily here in Indiana.
Farms and Fairs
We’re having a big time at the farm in Indiana. We enjoyed an outing yesterday to the little county Fair where sweetie girl got to ride on the Moon Jump and to ride on a pony.
We also ate some delicious sweet corn and some (not so delicious) chili cheese fries (which I knew was a mistake when I ordered them).
Today we’re having a quite day on the farm, feeding horses and watering plants.
I love that everything is green here – they are wondering where the heck summer is.
I know.
It’s STUCK in Texas!
This was my favorite exotic chicken at the fair. I really like them — when they are someone else’s!
And then below, sweetie pie is checking out the goats with her uncle.
A fine Spring day for hauling manure…
It’s another beautiful Spring day here in Indiana. After a morning of browsing the antique and gift shops along the square in Noblesville, I came back to the farm to see what’s peeking out of the ground. My DH and his brother, on the other hand, cleaned out the horse barns and hauled and spread manure on the fields.
I think I got the better job!
There are many little daylilies popping up in my mother-in-law’s gardens.
And there are the fabulous orange ditch lilies teasing me along the ditch by the creek. I am so lucky to have some at home in Austin, thanks to my good friend, Lori, The Gardener of Good and Evil, who so kindly brought me some back from Wisconsin ditches last year. I am so tempted to dig some of these up, but they aren’t on our side of the road, so I’d better not raid the neighor’s ditch — that wouldn’t be very nice!
Here my mother-in-law’s stunning collection of sedums have survived the winter and the snow and are ready to grow some more.
See the pretty blue sky and all the birds who’ve come to sing for us today?
Back home in Indiana
We arrived in Indiana for a family visit on Friday evening, where the weather was cold and in the 40’s, just like back at home in Austin, albeit dry.
Today, it was 58 and sunny and beautiful. We had some fun on the farm doing some chores, cutting down trees (I say we, I really mean the guys – I only watched from afar!), burning wood, taking horse photos (they breed and show Belgian Draft Horses) and watching my sister and brother-in-law’s dogs run amok around the farm. This is Chief in the photo above, who came out for an improptu photo op!
As terriers, these little dogs are always looking for something, and it was a hoot watching them try to dig their way to China in search of a mole. Here they were convinced that they had someone cornered in this hollow tree!
Not much garden news to report. I’m seeing some bulbs peeking up in the yard and grass is starting to turn green.
I’ll have a full report on Tuesday, when I’ll get a private nursery and greenhouse tour from a family friend who works there. I am hoping to get some photos to share with you.
We’ll be here until Wednesday. The rain was supposed to stop in Austin today or tomorrow — I am eager to get home and see all the growth that came as a result. I know that the radish leaves in the garden went from a few inches tall to the size of leaf lettuce in the three days of rain we had before we left — shoot, I might even be able to eat one when we get back.
Frost on the pumpkin … I mean window!
My DH took this beautiful photo of frost on the windshield of the car this morning here in the beautiful heartland of Indiana.
Really cold mornings give way to sunny, cold days, but throughout our time here, it was bright and crisp and delightful. I love Texas, and the Texas sunshine, but it’s good to get a few extra seasons besides summer and almost summer!
We hit the air again tomorrow as we head for home. But it’s been good to be home and spend time with family and to give thanks for all the blessings in our lives.
Clear and crisp…
It was 19 degrees and clear this morning. No snow, but a little bit of frost on the ground made for a pretty sight on the farm as the sun was coming up in Indiana.
Turkey day preparations are well underway — they have been for days as my MIL prepares for the wonderful feast she makes us every holiday we are lucky enough to share together.
We wish you many blessings and peace on this day – the day of giving thanks.