Forever Weekend Farm: February's Rose Garden

This keeping up with the blog takes time. I have a million stories-non as interesting or exciting as the flotilla's, but I want no one to forget us at FWF. This will be a shortie as it is the last day of February and I want to celebrate something tonight,
( LAST DAY OF FEB)
so I need to hit Walmart after work for provisions.

I planted a rose garden! It is a mini rose garden. When I first met Megs she arrived at the farm with a tiny tea rose bush--a table decoration from Katie's wedding, I believe. I planted it out front with many other small flowers over the last few years and it is the only plant that has not only survived, but flourished in the the full direct sun and heat-other than the palms and cacti. Its flowers have been the subject of many of my watercolors. I decided to give it some company. I now have dotted both mulched slopes along side of the stone steps with the romantic colors of love.
I also decided to seed the front lawn inside the picket fence. After spending the weekend raking out the weeds, softening the soil, scattering the seed and spending hours holding a hose, I awoke Monday morning to check out my hard work and was greeted by a very large Dove Picnic. This weekend I decided to splurge and buy Bermuda/golf course seed and try again. This seed is very expensive, but I was told it is covered in a fertilizer and two coats of a material that holds moisture, so the birds won't even recognize the tiny white specks as seeds.
I was pretty proud of myself--worked hard again, but out smarted those dang dove.
Saturday night was APPY /Oh Hell card game night and Keara, Courtney and I decided to concoct the best appetizers we could drum up while playing cards. We had a great time--Will and Keara spent the night. We had beautiful weather and great fun! Time to add some pictures--more stories later.

I hope this gives you an idea of how beautiful these slopes will look in a couple of months. I have tea roses cascading down the slopes on each side of the steps.

"Dingo does not like the screen porch"
Unfortunately for Dingo, Dad came home first. When I came home, I thought a rabid raccoon decided to break in after the fish food on the porch. But when I walked into the kitchen, I found a guilty Dingo dog cowering on the tile wearing nothing but a necklace of screen (designed and wrapped around her neck by Joe). He had gone on to band practice leaving a note,
"Dingo's a Bad Dog".

I out smarted the birds, but not the ants. Dad pointed out this industrious little colony gathering up my Bermuda seed for later summer feasts.

Dingo--still guilty about her anxiety attack to get back in the porch. Mom removed the necklace.

Will tore a leg ligament playing basketball. He is very good on crutches-never spilled a drop of rum!

This does not do the injury justice--He had just soaked it in ice water-
Propped up on a table it looked as if it needed a toe tag.

I could get some grief on this picture of Lotte'. Yes, we were watching her. No, it was not loaded. This was a rusty BB gun (Dad used it for killing pond snakes but left it the rain too many times- does Dad throw anything away?) Lotte' had no idea what it was-she decided to drag it behind her like an old wagon wheel.

Lotte' playing hide and seek with Keara. If you don't find Lotte' in about 60 seconds, she can't stand the suspense and jumps out declaring, "I found you!"