While It Has Been Raining We've Had Plenty To Do!

Let's face it, this has been more than a "cats and dogs" rainy season. In fact, we'll go so far as to say it's raining frogs. This eye-catching couple represented the massive population which thoroughly enjoys the rain and our pond in the back yard. They have brought in all their relatives. In the evenings there is frog choir practice and we truly enjoy the mixture of voices! During the day, as you see, they are keenly aware of what is going on around their established residence. Ruby and Megan, all the guys, and our dogs have to watch their steps.

We learn by doing but we do not learn by doing a job for the first time at your home! Although there has been a fire pit and a "surround" for years here, we decided to upgrade and update, oddly at just about the time we would be reviewing techniques and polishing skills at pre-season gathering (work). We keep up with trends, ideas, improvements, methods, and materials. We strive to keep our designs current while also maintaining a sense of longevity. Here's a look at our new fire pit area. Come see it in person! Zsa-Zsa will be there to greet you and show you around. (Olive may be working in the nursery or the office. In our new setup you see we have plenty of room for seating: at a children's picnic table, on a nearby bench, and along the wall built as multi-purpose. That wall also can be used as a serving area. We may end up putting a plant or two on the pillars. Who knows?


Then there is our greenhouse.

Can you say, "good to go"? We are! There little space left and we are awaiting a semi-truck delivery, once the roads are clear enough for heavy loads to travel on safely. We're pretty certain it will be today. But look at the inside already. Then there's the rock; we have a new one called bark rock - G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S, along with the more familiar shades of nature in everything from moss-loaded and lichen-covered boulders to flagstone of varying shapes/sizes, down to pea gravel. We'll be loading up daily to do some catching up. The two-hour a day work schedule we have managed will be changing soon.

As always, we appreciate your calls and notes. We gladly share our photos with you as inspiration as well as a little insight into who we are and what goes on around here.

Thank you.

We remain, 

Don't look now...OH! Go ahead!!!!

Duck? Duck? Goose?

We thought our spring surprises were over when we found the dove's nest a couple of days ago. However, we have learned never to second guess Mother Nature - she always has a comeback and this time we came upon another nest with bigger eggs in it. The picture was captured after Mama confronted one of the crew but then stalked away temporarily, expressing her displeasure with our arrival, invading her territory.

Worry not, we moved away quickly and she returned to care for the soon-to-be brood. This is quite a supply of eggs coming from one bird. And, that one bird is a...wait for it...DUCK!

Which Came First?



as we started working



as we finished working



We have to admit there are times when it seems all we do is move dirt around but there are days we are reminded just how fortunate it is to be doing that. We discover parts of nature we would otherwise miss seeing, such as this nest. Mama dove had carefully laid one egg in her domain prior to our arrival. In the process of walking the property and finalizing the days activities for the crew her labor was noted. We left well-enough alone!  There's plenty of space on every job site to allow those who first owned the land to use it.

Off we went to implement the plan and, yes, move dirt. But before we left we couldn't help but stop by for a quick look at the next, one more time. Imagine our joyful surprise when we found that she'd returned and continued her family's expansion. 

We won't be back there to see them hatch but that's fine; we're content knowing we were fortunate enough to be a part of these lives at their beginning. It's a marvelous reminder of what really matters most. We hope you will be able to get out and enjoy the world we have all been given the privilege to care for, and that you will do it soon and often.

(Earth Day is ON THE WAY!)