The Garden Lady

The Garden Lady - Old Thoughts 2003 Image of Bleeding Hearts

December 26, 2003 - All is calm...
Another Christmas has come and gone. This year was much nicer than last, when we had so much snow that no one went anywhere! We went to my sister's house for dinner, and spent a few nice hours there. She and my brother-in-law do a wonderful job decorating, she is much better at tree decorating than I am. Well, she has more patience, I'm sure, and no cats to help undeck the halls. Our little trees will stay on the porches until "Little Christmas", and then away they go for another year.

Now, on to New Years, and then settle in for a "long winters' nap", so to speak. And dream of plants and gardening, and begin plans.

December 23, 2003 - Last minute rush....
Finally finishing wrapping my Christmas presents, and today I made some fudge for my brother-in-law as part of his gift. Lots of "homemades" this year. I think my printer is on the verge of collapse, and I burned two fingers with my hot glue gun. But - I'm getting over a slight bronchial problem, and things are looking up. Even went shopping today. I want to be off the roads tomorrow when all the "last minute" shoppers are out there.

Hane a safe and Merry Christmas, and a happy and healthy New Year!

December 17, 2003 - Early Christmas Present....
We got some news on Monday that we have a new nephew! Paula and Dan, our niece and nephew, welcomed Daniel George, their firstborn, into the world about 10 days early. The family is doing fine, and we got some great shots, including one that will be a keeper for when he grows up and we can embarass him. All the best to you, kids....

December 15, 2003 - Preparing....
Well, we got some more snow, about a foot, to add to our winter display. Good thing - rain had washed quite a bit away from the first storm. Worked on the kitchen floor (out with the old, in with the new) and I have a special card-page just for you here.

December 10, 2003 - Bummed beyond Belief
As I sit at my desk, I hear the sound of chainsaws. I look out the window, and sure enough, another neighbor is cutting down another tree. Pretty soon, there will be no trees left :-( .

I took a picture, but I'm too darned depressed to put it on site.

On a cheerier note, or funnier one, the day before yesterday I went hiking in Saratoga Spa State Park . It was a lovely day, and soon I will have a page listed. However, when uploading my pictures to my computer, I heard a "thud" and looked out to see a sparrow had flown into the sunroom window. I ran outside, and picked the poor little thing up, brought him inside, and figured a little warming in a towel would revive him. It did. He was soon flying through the house! Luckily, I caught him (in a dishtowel) and brought him back outside before the cat could realize it was a bird. She was totally confused ....and it made for a great laugh in the house for the rest of the day!

December 5, 2003
I went hiking in Plotterkill today, and pictures have been added to the Winter page which is here. Thought I would get down to the falls before the Nor'easter arrives - it is due to hit us starting tonight. The falls were about 70% frozen, beautiful and the going was dicey. Undoubtedly my last trip into the gorge this season.

December 3, 2003
Well! We certainly have been plunged into winter these past few days. First a snowsquall on Tuesday Morning, and now, this morning (Wednesday) we had frost on the sunroom windows that just never melted away. As of 5:30 PM they are still much as they were this morning, despite a sunny day. Time to get out the heavy socks. The Mitts. The scarves.. oh, the heck with it. Just put on everything you own - that should do it.

November 28, 2003
Thanksgiving has come and gone, and now we prepare for Christmas! The dinner was a success (we did get to eat out in the sunroom) and today, Black Friday, has been dark and rainy. Typical November weather for these parts.

You'll notice a different look to the left side of the Gardenlady page. A suggestion by a friend to make the pages a little easier to navigate (I'll work on the other pages later) and some help and suggestions on how best to do this from another online friend. Seems I'm learning all the time.

I put our Christmas Tree in the sunroom so the cat would not eat it. I don't think she needs fake pine-needle roughage in her diet. Translation: I dont want to pick up the redeposits. I'm printing the last of my Christmas cards and starting to pull out the decorations. Tonight's rain is supposed to turn to snow (not much) and many people have their lights up and operating. My decorating tastes are rather simple. A few lights or candles, and I'm content to drive around and see what others have done. Easier on my NiMo (Niagara Mohawk) bill as well.

November 25, 2003
In two days, it will be Thanksgiving. Although we have only a very small gathering, the house is clean, I think I have everything I need to make dinner, I remembered to take the turkey out of the freezer on time, and I now settle back a bit before bed.

So many things we have to be thankful for. For shelter, enough to eat, family or memories of family, the splendid sunrises and sunsets that are so resplendant as the weather gets colder. The song of birds in the yard and the antics of the wildlife. Most of all, the freedom to enjoy these things in relative peace.

For all of our problems, it's still a beautiful world. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

November 9, 2003
We had a real hard frost last night, so much so that when I went out this morning to fill the bird feeders, the ground was hard and crunchy underfoot. Plus, the water froze in the birdbath. AND, to my great dismay, I remembered to bring in my geranium from the front door, but forgot the one in the sunroom. It is now in "intensive care", but things dont look too good *sigh*. Otherwise, I will be working on my pages as I can, and hopefully make navigation a bit easier (a suggestion from a "Gardenlady" friend.) Stay tuned for updates.
BTW, last night, we ran outside a few times to catch the total eclipse of the moon. It was cold, and clear, and a perfect view. Sooooooo cool!

October 31, 2003
The long awaited sunroom is just about complete. Only waiting for the electrician, and spring for plantings, but it's now a real room. And, there are still flowers to see in the garden. What a bonus.

October 28, 2003
Finally, some Autumn pictures are up! I've been out almost every day, except for a couple of days where we had heavy rain. In other news, I think the skunk has vacated..I have had to "mark" our backyard with *gasp* Fox Urine. Honest. $15.00 a bottle at the friendly Garden Center. The sunroom is moving along, electrician should be here on Nov. 5.

October 23, 2003
Bummer.. So what's going on? My neighbors in back are cutting down a majestic maple tree (it WAS a glorious specimen), it's too cold in the sunroom to finish laying the floor edges, and we surprised a skunk in the garage this morning. Sigh. I do have to remember to close that garage door earlier than I did last night. What a mess! Meanwhile, I'm getting some more finishing pictures ready, and my autumn pictures. Promise.

October 12, 2003
The ladies invade Auger Falls! As if Thursday night wasn't enough, 5 out of 7 of us piled back into 2 cars and headed up to Auger Falls, between Wells and Speculator, NY. What a beautiful day it was. We enjoyed the sights and smells of the area, and enjoyed taking pictures of everything in sight.

October 10, 2003
Wow..a few days since the last entry. Last weekend, I went on my annual retreat - a weekend totally alone. Believe it or not! Pictures of the place, the Windmill, are here. This is a page on an old site of mine, and are from last year, but the place is the same. Except for things like a new furnace. We now have the decking finished for the sunroom, and are waiting for the room itself. Shall I take bets on how long this is delayed? That being said, we also bought the floor tile today for the room and the kitchen. 16 boxes!!! Holey moley, you can smell the checkbook smoking already. And last night, I spent some time with a great group of women friends as we cut up in our little village with our cameras. But I promised them there would be no pictures on site. Sorry, folks (happy, ladies? *grin*). We plan on terrorizing the wildlife up north around Sacandaga Reservoir and Wells tomorrow. Perhaps I'll post some of those, though.

October 1, 2003
Newest pictures as the work begins.

September 30, 2003
We have holes in the yard! Finally!! The work on the sunroom begins, with 6 holes that are 4 feet deep. If all goes along well, maybe by the end of next week, we will have a sunroom. I will be getting a page up on the changes in the yard and the addition. Now we have to go and make sure we can get the flooring we wanted. Solarian tiles - something the gardenlady can install herself.

September 27, 2003
Tonight, I finally organized my pictures of one selected part of the garden into a month-by-month pictoral "progress" diary of sorts. You can see it here. I thought it would be interesting to watch the progress of the garden, and I'm only sorry I did not think of it sooner. Nonetheless, it's interesting to watch the blossoming of the plants, and the changing colors.

September 24, 2003
I know, it's been awhile since the last entry. Something unexpected that sidelined the gardenlady. Like pneumonia. But, I'm getting better, and getting ready to take fall pictures. This morning, it was cold enough at 7:15 AM to see your breath. All of the petals have fallen off of the black eyed susans, leaving a mass of black buttons. Mums are opening. Leaves are falling. Battan the hatches, the Farmer's Almanac is apparently calling for a winter more challenging than LAST year. And that was 105" of snow.

September 7, 2003
The Central Park Duck Pond and Rose Garden trip!

The day was sunny, warm and just beautiful. There were still many people out with their families enjoying the many activities offered. We took pictures, went out for lunch, and came back and took more pictures.

September 5, 2003
Made an unexpected trip to Central Park (not THE Central Park) today, and got a picture of a wonderful Great Blue Heron at the Duck Pond. Tomorrow, Shirl & I are going back to catch him and the other water residents in pictures, plus the Rose Garden. This time, we're bringing our tripods. Stay tuned.

August 31, 2003
Middle day of the Holiday Weekend! For all those who waited for the heat to break, it has. Last night, I closed some windows as it went into the 40's, and one of my friends said his heat actually kicked on. You can feel the difference in the air, there is that certain "something" that tells you that autumn is just around the corner. Some of the flowers are fading, the mums are near to opening and a few trees look as if leaves are getting ready to start turning. My tomato plant looks about ready to collapse from exhaustion. Soon it will be crisp MacIntosh Apples, fresh cider, leaf piles and the outstanding colors of fall. The mosquitoes, however, are STILL out there. I look like I have measles.

August 22, 2003
We made it! Got to all three attractions! We had a wonderful time. It was really hot, and we ended up using my cooler to store cameras that were not in use. It's always nice to have an outing like we had.

August 19, 2003
It's been pretty busy here in the garden. Now that the heat has backed off to a reasonable level, some weeding got done. Today, I got 4 new mum plants. They look like they will be a deep red. Tomorrow will be a "play day". 6 of us women (and our cameras) will be heading back to Magic Wings , then to Yankee Candle , billed as "This 80,000-square-foot space is the world's largest candle store and factory." THEN to the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls. Will we actually get to SEE everything? We'll see....

August 10, 2003
The end of the weekend. And it remains hot and humid, with intermittant downpours. We had a real old fashioned winter this past winter, now is a tropical summer. Hubby said the weather reminds him of when he was stationed in the Phillipines (in the late 60's). Normally, the lawns are turning brown by now, but at present they are lush and green. Oh...that's the crabgrass...
Does that count on my list?

August 5, 2003
Yesterday, we went to Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory in South Deerfield MA. We were just blown away by the sight of 3,000 butterflies in flight, landing on everyone in sight. We toured the Conservatory, stopped in the learning center, the gift shop, and had lunch in their restaurant. I also bought 3 Joe Pye Weed plants for the garden. (Just what I need...more plants...) They grow well over 6 feet tall. The weather was overcast, hot and humid, but we didnt care. Drove through some heavy thunderstorms in the Berkshires, and got back a little after 6 PM. A trip well worth taking if you get the chance.

July 31, 2003
Today I went to Plotter Kill Nature Preserve to take advantage of the last sunny day we are supposed to have for a few days. With the dry weather lately, for once I wasn't trudging through the mud. Muddy or not, it's a nice way to spend a couple of hours with or without your camera. On the home front, the radiator has been moved, and I'm STILL waiting to hear from the electrician. No word yet from the Atrium Doorman, or any further developments on the sunroom. An online friend of mine says "Welcome to remodeling" He should know.

July 28, 2003
Pictures are up on "Home Highlights" page. More to come. What a time tweaking the picture sizes to get them to match. Cool and breezy out today. I'm goin' OUTSIDE!!!
Addendum: Some new pictures of my garden are up for you to see. Taken about 6PM EDT, you can see the spectrum of color that we are now enjoying!

July 27, 2003
I cleaned out my computer room today. There IS a desk in here. Are you impressed? You should be....

July 26,2003
I worked out in the garden today, weeding again. It's hot in the sun, but it IS July, after all. I bought some premium birdseed at the local Checkerhills Farm, and I'm pleased to report that the squirrels LOVE it. On the upside, I had a cardinal at the feeder - that's new. Must be the sunflower seeds mixed in. It looks like a preschool out in the yard...lots of frantic activity as everyone jostles for position.

July 23,2003
We got a call Monday from the sunroom people, and our order has been put in. Still waiting to hear about the building permit. Still a lot to do, we've agreed on a tile for the floor (whoohoo!) Also, we stumbled into a great deal on some furniture for the room, someone else remodeling and looking to sell their old (but mint) furniture. And we're looking to buy... Couldn't resist. It's been raining off and on, with scattered T-storms, none as bad as Monday night. Humid as all get-out.

July 23,2003
Today, I have added a "Past Thoughts" link at the end of the main page entries. There is so much starting to happen around here, that many entries would really clog one page. I dug up some of my hostas that are planted where the addition is supposed to go. Trimmed the yews. The Plumber and the Atrium door installer have been here. We have picked out our floor tile, I believe. Now I have to also get an electrician. $$$$$$ (sigh)

July 20,2003
Another day doing some weeding, and a forsythia bush got a very, VERY radical haircut. All dead wood in the middle. Gardenlady's hubby, Puzzle Man, came back from a walk and stopped short. "OK - what did it do to tick you off?" A fly in the room tonight. Reminds me of a poem: "God in His wisdom made the fly. And then forgot to tell us why". The same goes for mosquitos.

July 15,2003
Things are changing fast around this New York garden. We signed a contract to have a sunroom added onto the back of the house. The cat should love it. Now, we also have a plumber coming to move our radiator, a local contractor coming to set up installation of an atrium door, and we have a lot of plant moving and remove two yews. And, I will be drawing up a plan for landscaping around the area. Will have to get a page up on this. Stay tuned!

July 10,2003
Today, the humidity is finally lower, it is finally cooler, and I'm getting to some tasks like scraping and repainting the side garage door, more weeding, and maybe some window washing on the front porch (all 14 of them). Anyone out there bored and looking for something to do?

July 5, 2003
It's hot and humid out on this second day of the holiday weekend. Great weather for all those swimmers, boaters, campers and gardeners who had cold weather on Memorial Day weekend. However, it's a bit hot for weed pulling, and VERY buggy. Upside: the fireflies are now out! The nights may be hot, but they shine.

July 4, 2003
Today, we took a break from our own garden, and went and visited my sister's much larger garden, about 25 miles north. She has an impressive 4+ acres that is always in a state of change.

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