Got a lot done

Yesterday was a beautiful, warm day in Rio Vista...temperature got up to around 68. Jim played golf and I got to work in the garden to my heart's content. At the end of the day Jim and I even relaxed in our patio room for the first time. As the evening turned shadowy the tree frogs became vocal - we heard lots of "ribbets" so we probably have a pretty hearty population of the little critters. Both cats were out looking around for frogs and bugs and chewing on the shrubbery. Better the shrubbery than my houseplants! In the winter the patio room was a sheltered spot for visiting smokers, but this is the first time we actually sat out there....pretty nice!


Can't believe the lettuce seeds that I planted a few days ago have already begun to sprout. We'll be eating salads in no time. Last year we grew a cucumber plant on a trellis and had some great cucumbers, so I planted some seeds again this year. Also planted scallions, radishes, and marigolds and transplanted the sweetpea plant we bought. The hanging baskets are ready to plant. They've been soaked in fertilizer water so the soil is soft and moist. We bought purple vinca for the baskets, but haven't planted them yet. First we need to decide on how we're going to hang them. The garden should be in full production by mid-April when Jessica and kids visit.

Yesterday when I was turning over the soil in the planter boxes, I was pleased and surprised to see as many earthworms as I saw. The plants will love that.

Today we're going to see if we can figure out the best way to hang our baskets, taking into consideration the "delta breeze" that howls through here during the summer. We have a sweet little hummingbird feeder that Phyllis and Jack gave us for Christmas that we haven't hung yet because we need to put it in a protected spot, yet accessible to the hummers. The feeder is glass and will shatter if it gets blown down.

We should have the yard in pretty good shape in a couple or three more weeks if the weather holds. We need to sell one table and chairs before we can move our loveseat and chairs to the back. Right now they're in the living room, and while they look ok there, they're really patio furniture.

PICTURE(S) OF THE DAY

In keeping with sharing pictures that we have enjoyed, here are some more...These were scanned from Christmas cards we received.




Here's Jeremy (age 9), Makenzie (age 7) and Elizabeth (2-1/2) Autumn in New Hampshire is really beautiful and makes a great setting for a photo.








Mike, Mikey, and Bev. Cool uniform! I wonder how the team did.











Emily, Jim Jr., Terri, and Molly - looking very festive!





Pretty soon we'll be caught up with the holiday pictures and will move on to more seasonal stuff.

Love to all,
Corrie and Jim
MzCorrie@comcast.net
jmcrhoads@comcast.net