Gardenin' Fever

Yesterday was so nice, almost 40 here. I saw the first robin of the year, he was awfully skinny and boy was he digging worms up. The kids at school didn't seem nearly as happy to see him as I was, but I love to see them. It tells me God is fixin' to bring spring to our desert.

Spring here consists of snow storms, warm days, wind and more snow storms. SO.......my green thumb is ithcin' to get into the dirt - I still can't see most of it, because of the blankets of snow - but I know it's there. I have been saving my veggie and fruits scraps all winter, they're in a plastic garbage can in the garden. Figured the deer would munch on them, but so far we had too much snow and the deer have all stayed in the lower elevations.

I ordered one of those fancy compost makers, that gives "sweet, nutrient rich, compost in just 14 days......". Our garden and flower beds need help, as do the trees. The dirt here is lacking.....uh, well....everything. Weeds and sagebrush grow really well, as does rabbit brush. So......being that I really didn't inherit the farmers genes from my mom, I will try this. It hasn't arrived yet, much to my sorrow, but alas, after further reading I can't even use it until the days are over 40. Oh well, I have gotten used to the short growing season here.

I have one flower bed that stays beautiful all summer. It has crocus, tulips, daffodils, roses, snapdragons, and pinks. The snap dragons and pinks reseed each year. My other beds get too much desert sun, even the "drought hardy" plants soon wither and die. We usually run out of water in July, when it starts hitting 100+ and the animals need what little we have so the plants lose out.

If the dogs, horses, and ground squirrels can be kept out - the front one facing the Rubies does fair, in spring full of bloom, butterflies and soon hummingbirds. The ground squirrels think it's their gourmet shopping outpost - darn their little hides. The mare is pretty good, she'll only eat around the flowers trying to get to the grass that may be hiding behind a bud. The dogs, well of course, they are sniffing out the ground squirrels. Two years ago, voles moved in. What a sight! Dogs' rears and waggin' tails high in the air, all my pretty flowers were flying almost as high as the tails. They just made holes everywhere! Chipmunks tried moving in too but didn't fare so well. That was before the coyotes got our kitties.

Anyway, as I sit here watching snow softly cover the few bare spots in pasture - I guess I will just be very, very thankful that we are getting moisture. Thank you Lord for the snow, next July when we start haying please help us all to be thankful then too. Remind me, Lord, when I am admiring Your handiwork in my gardens or watching the hummingbirds zip around, to always be grateful!