Things are silly here in the country! We have had the chickens almost a year now. They have been an entertainment and a delight. We started out with 6 Aracauna hens, lost one to a cruising neighbor dog, and have maintained 5 free ranging chickens over the fall and winter.
Of course, our daughter had to name them: Sophie, Audrey, Gwendlyn, Danielle de Barbaraqe... I'm forgetting one, hmmm.

So the other day I came home from work and was standing on the driveway talking to David. I noticed the dog was laying on the grass , licking something round and light colored..... an egg! with a crack! I snatched it up, looking around to see where he could have found this egg. The girls were supposed to be laying in the hen house, in their nice nesting boxes. No more running off to the woods to lay. No more climbing over the fence to the woods to collect the egg, no sir.
"well, I saw the Dumb Chicken up in the tree" says the husband. ( sometimes we call the chickens by their characteristics as we can't remember their names) So I look up, and there in a crook of our dark old fir tree shines another egg. She was laying in the tree, and apparently one fell out, bounced down where the dog was sitting, and he thought " I am a good dog , aren't I!"
Sigh.
So David being the awesome chicken owner that he is, put the extra nesting box up in the tree, so she wouldn't just lay on a branch. And put a ladder there so he could climb up and get the eggs. So now we have at least 4 chickens going up into the tree, using the ladder as well, to lay their eggs up where the view is fantastic.

How did it get to be the end of April?
Well, altho it snowed on my daffodils 10 days ago, and is still around 36 degrees in the morning at 0615, Spring is officially here.After all, Easter is over! I have already planted 3 trays of perennials, and potted up 18 hanging baskets. Also I planted half a dozen mosses, creeping phlox and creeping thyme between stones on a path out to the arbor area. Then I got David to put a picket fence in around a new rose bed I started in February, so have started to "white wash" it, and am planning to plant morning glory vine over the arch at the gate. I need ideas for the actual gate as well. Maybe a twig gate, or Mabel suggested an old headboard to a twin bed. We will have to see. There are many more projects to go! The reason for this frenzy, is that some friends of the family want to have their wedding here in June, on Davids birthday. so I am determined to have it flowery and pretty. Really,it gives me an excuse to push to get projects actually done, that have been on the drawing board. Did I mention that I love spring?

Its Christmas time and a white Christmas it is. We are staying home this weekend,tucked in and finishing those little projects and surprises for Christmas Day. Grandpa David is working on a dolly cradle for a certain someone, and Grandma has purchased the baby dolly, Great grandma has been woking on dolly quilts and blankets. Of course if it keeps snowing, our little one won't make it down from Portland with her parents. We will not get ahead of ourselves and will merely check the weather online every hour or so.

What a gorgeous Fall we have had! I have enjoyed the colors so much this year. Lately, have tried to get the garden beds cleaned out and ready for winter- cutting back perennials, planting iris, daffodils,peonies, day lilies for next spring. Just since these pictures have been taken, all the oak leaves have fallen and David is busy mowing over them, raking and composting as much as possible. I have sprayed the shrubbery for deer repellent, but found the deer have still been munching on the hydrangeas, Japanese maples and other delicacies .I cut the lavender and hung it in bunches on the porch for color and fragrance. David picked 3- 5 gallon buckets of apples from one of the trees- much more than last year. I did get him to help me start the twig fence around the "Secret Garden", will have to finish it in the spring.
Our neighbor felled a large tree and let David get the wood for his Dad and Mom. they were so grateful, and the wood was so huge! We are still heating with pellets, David hasn't installed the wood stove in the shop yet. Maybe next year. Now it's time to put away the oak and wicker benches, the hickory porch swing and the porch chairs. The rainy season is setting in. Too soon for me, I was still trying to plant more gardens!

Happy Mothers Day! I am content now having heard from all 3 of my children! Just to hear their voices and know they are well reassures me. I know the Lord has His hand on their lives, but one of the hardest things for me to do, is leave them in God's hands. I have a compulsion to try and fix everything for them! However, their lives are their own and I can just provide love and support.
We actually have sun amidst the cool Oregon showers,today. I am blessed with flowers today, roses from my daughter and rhododendrons from my husband. The husband helped me plant four rhodies and two azaleas this afternoon. I have my hanging baskets planted and even tho we had temperatures into the 30's this past week, I think they are starting to fill in. I will hang them along the porch, and wait for the spill of flowers to signal the start of summer.
Now the planning intensifies for the graduation time. We have 2 graduating from college, and now trying to find jobs and their niche in life. Weddings and graduations abound, What joy to see the young ones stepping into their futures! Joy and adventure awaits!

We enjoyed seeing Violet and her parents last Sunday. She is getting to be a big girl! So much fun to see her growing and developing personality, expressing her likes and dislikes. She loves to have a book read to her, and studies the page with such interest. I know she will be an early reader! If you can believe it, we arose on that morning, the 20th of April, to find it snowing and at least 2 inches covering the fields and hills. It was winter wonderland in spring! What is funny is that it was 84 degrees the week before!
Just today I have planted my hanging pots with white wave petunias, purple verbania, white allysum and verigated creeping jenny. I am getting ready to put in some day lilies, in a sunny bed which needs more flowers, and have plans for at least 4 more flower beds! Ah spring! Now if it will just not snow any more this season! Of course it is spring in Oregon.

I just realized I had not added an entry for awhile. Its hard to believe we had this snow only a month ago! Now my daffodils and primroses are coming up and showing color and soon Easter will be here!

I already have plans to add more flower beds as soon as the weather cooperates. I have the beds all marked out surrounding the fire pit area, with lilacs which were planted last fall, budding, a baby hedge so to speak, on each side. Also the rhodies we bought at the Small Woodland Tree sale. I plan to put a large quantity of perennials in those beds as well.
In the works are an arbor at the far end, the day lily bed, the Secret Garden, the cut flower bed. All which look, in my head,exactly like the pictures on Martha Stewart magazine! I also plan to put in a drip irragation system as we go, there is too much area to drag sprinklers around.
I have been busy pouring over the gardening magazines for even more ideas!

As you can see, our little Violet is growing! She just had her first birthday Dec.17, with lots of great grandparents,grandparents, 2nd cousins and aunts and uncles. The child does not lack for anything! I haven't posted for a while, and need to get some wintery pictures. This Christmas is very low key for me, so I don't even have a picture of the tree! Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and happy New Year!

We have been having such warm lovely days- up in the 70-80's! David finally got us started on the fenced vegtable garden, and is getting the tomatoes going. We have strawberries in pots and his raspberries are doing well, the deer haven't noticed them yet. Mabel and Curley helped me get my birdhouses on posts, and an old mailbox to put hand tools in. I do have roses blooming on the porch and the porch swing is up.

On the monday after Easter, Rachael was headed back to OSU for classes driving up thru the hills, when she hit a slick spot on the rural 2 lane road. She lost control of her car and ended up hitting a power pole on the drivers side, thereby breaking the pole and the live wire setting the trees on fire! She couldn't get out of the car, but passersby stopped and got her out and sat her in a car untill the paramedics and firetrucks, county sheriff could get there.

We know that Jesus was right there, standing in front of that power pole, and inside the car to cradle her. She has numerous bruises and bumps along her entire left side, from the skull above her ear, her cheekbone, her hand, thigh and knees, ankles. Right now she has no frctures which show up on the x-rays, but is still very painful to bear weight. We are so thankful for her life being spared.

Thank you, Jesus.

I can't believe it is almost Easter! I am seriously getting Spring fever, and have been pouring the garden catologs and magazines. After working on one of the flower beds with a new garden tool, I decided I am not as young as I used to be! I love the daffidils, and finally got some bleeding heart to put in. Lots of work to do!

Snow, snow and more snow! We had about 6 more inches of snow today, and 3 inches of packed snow on the road. This is western Oregon! We don't know what to do with it all, except have lots of car accidents. We are so thankful for a nice warm house! And that we don't have to shovel out the road.

These days, it's all about Violet! I have her only hours old as my computer backgroud at work, and all the pictures of Violet as my screensaver. It is very much fun having a little granddaughter, I must say! She has already made her demands known to her poor sleepy parents, and you can see possibilities and much strength of will in only a 3 week old sweet baby.
We only have delights to come, I'm sure.

We are having a cold snap! About 6 inches of snow fell last night, which put a lovely frosting over the landscape. Biscuit didn't seem to mind, but Max the cat preferred to stay on the porch or come in for a nice warm nap.

Nathan and Naomi have welcomed a sweet Christmas gift into their lives! Violet Christine Levin-Greenhaw came into the world on Dec.17th at 1038. She weighed 8# 13 oz and was 20 inches long. We are all thrilled and thankful to the Lord for his Blessings in this new member of our family. Keep Naomi in your thoughts as she has had a hard birth and is still recuperating. They are both delightful new parents, and a joy to watch. Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!