Saturday, May 14, 2011

Summertime Summertime SumSumSummertime

Chocolate cake, from scratch


























Today's warm and sunny, so we've been outside quite a bit -- except for Scott, who has a cold or flu again and is lying about, groaning. I hauled the plant pots from the brooderhouse to the hill of black soil, where they'll be filled, and transplanted perky little violas from the garden into pots under the oak trees out front. Emil walked around the yard for several hours and Everett and I lugged the garden swing from the barn to the shady spot where we hope to spend many leisurely hours this summer. He has swept out the camper and made up a bed out there, where the air will be drier than in his basement bedroom. And Skip-to-my-Lu, who spent last night with us, headed down the road toward Flin Flon around 1 o'clock, so should be safely home by now after her whirlwind tour of Winnipeg, Yorkton and Wadena.


I won't tell you how many engorged woodticks the kids picked off the dogs. It was a bloody killing field, I will say.


Two new species of ducks on the dugout this morning: a lesser scaup pair, and another we haven't identified yet.


Tomorrow, out comes the horseshoe hoe. I will be spending the day in the garden, liberating my perennials from the hordes of dandelions.