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With temperatures soaring upward last weekend to highs of 85 degrees, the temptation to move outdoors was almost irresistible for everyone here.
A lovely summer's day
Saturday was the perfect day to take note of the outdoor landscape needs still requiring attention, and reviewing our plans recently contracted out to an actual landscaping firm. With three acres of land, it’s almost overwhelming to decide just where to begin, however we have the greatest desire to upgrade and raise the flower beds already in existence, reconstruct the one in the center of the front yard by using limestone around the outer edges and realigning it to the front center of the house, rather than off to one side and silly looking as it is now. As well, we’ll freshen up the back beds, move one tree to align with the matching two near the barn, and construct a new bed near the garden patch using many bushes, annuals and another oak tree around the yard already. We also selected a weeping willow tree to grace that particular area, along with other flowering bushes to attract specific birds, butterflies, and even those sweet colorful hummingbirds hovering around our back deck. The goal is to create a natural environment for the many birds we observe at our feeder, and then install all our bird feeders still in the garage on their shepherd hook steel holders. As well, the wild bunnies/hare and the timid squirrels hanging out next door, may love to visit a little closer for our observations.
Bulbs bursting everywhere, but in the grass?
The maintenance factor itself has been huge with so many ground creepers in all the flowerbeds, as they reach out and grow over the sidewalks and into other bushes choking them out until they whither away. Truth be known, we’d prefer “simple” for the future, something we strived for in all our houses thus far. The telephone call came today, and it was verified that the landscaping crew will begin next week. As well, all beds will utilize what we already have existing in them, and a few more we chose in their greenhouses, but when all is assembled and in place, a complete topping of bark mulch will complete the job.
After spending the afternoon snipping and trimming off some of the lower bushes and tree branches, the result was a terrific fire pile for the next day when everyone was home and not off doing one of their activities.
Sunday came, and wahoo!, there was no hockey to drive off to in the later afternoon as per the entire year thus far since September, so we were all eagerly looking forward to having a nice cookout for our dinnertime.
Preparing for our Sunday evening cookout
A lovely warm and gentle breeze blew around us while we listened to the wieners sizzle and the marshmallows pop when they had sudden fireballs engulf them. The children insisted on having s’mores for dessert, mother insisted on veggies first. It was the perfect day to sit and enjoy time standing still, and certainly we all remembered our last cookout over the fire, observing the icy frost gathering rapidly under our feet as the evening wore on. Even with blankets and warm boots, the fire was lovely then too, just so very cold! Brrrrrr
Here’s the more moments and memories around the fire!
The dogs were thrilled with the mini carrot treats, the company giving them much attention, and afterwards they were keeping their eyes on the puck as all four children played a game of hockey together, while hubby and I took a slow stroll around the back of the property, and then into the farm fields, watching a few golfers shooting balls to their next hole with their game in progress at the local golf course a short distance from our home.
Hockey action, in preparation for Canuck fever
As the sun set, we were all in no hurry to head indoors again, enjoying the promise of better weather and summer fast approaching.
Looking from the farmer's field toward our land
