Farm Photos From The Memorial Day Weekend

I returned home from hiking the Wolf Lake Loop Trail and got the dogs comfortable. Then I took my camera and walked out to the south hay field to see what was blooming. Mostly I had lots of Buttercups and Ragged Robin, though there was some Cow Vetch and other flowers scattered throughout. The yellow and pink made for a nice picture:

A bumblebee collected nectar from Ragged Robin flowers, and the whole scene was pleasant and calming:

My newly sided barn was looking good nearby:

I walked to the gardens around the house and was surprised to find a pink Columbine in bloom. I knew the former owners had grown them because I'd found a tin of home grown seeds in the kitchen. But I've never seen one growing on the property until now. I was happy to see it:

And the Mock Orange, which had previously been chopped down to the ground, was rebounding nicely and just coming into bloom:

The Bleeding Hearts were blooming beside the pond and the strawberries had already formed, looking like they were going to be tasty:

Inside my farm apartment, the dogs all snoozed comfortably:

Clover, Daphne and Fergus hopped right up on the bed but the other dogs used the floor pillows:

Just out the side door, purple and yellow Iris was blooming:

And they were quite lovely:

These pale yellow Iris looked good next to the weather beaten old beams used as edging:

Old fashioned Spirea was blooming in front of the house. Yes, everything was feeling comfortable, healthy and welcoming. But I'd have to leave for home the next morning so it was all just a visit for me. Some day I'll retire and live there permanently:

A Beautiful May Day On The Farm

When we arrived at the farm, I began by putting the dogs into their fenced yard while I unloaded the groceries, laundry, etc. from the car. I turned on my water supply and enjoyed the views:

I checked out the progress of the barn restoration and, sadly, there hadn't been any. The rafter braces were right where they'd left them:

The apple trees were blooming nicely:

And the buds were especially lovely, reminding me of picking bouquets of them as a child for my mother and teacher:

The house looked wonderful seen through apple blossoms:

The pear tree had finished blooming and I could see tiny baby pears just beginning to form:

The barn sure looked better even if the contractors hadn't accomplished anything recently:

The lilacs were sort of blooming but it wasn't going to be a good year for them. Perhaps the warm winter and early summer had not been to their liking:

The flowering crabs, likewise, were blooming - but not spectacularly:

The old fashioned Bleeding Heart, however, was blossoming nicely:

Strawberries, Dandelions and Bleeding Hearts bloomed in profusion just below the dog run. The dogs watched my every move as I walked around taking photos:

Old fashioned white Daffodils were also blooming - rather late, it seemed to me, but I was happy to see them:

Arriving At The Farm

It had been a long drive, but the dogs and I arrived at the farm and found it looking marvelous, the apple and pear trees all decked out in their flowery finery:

The little goldfish pond was encircled with flowers and the new tenants had a feeder out to attract hummingbirds:

The Bleeding Hearts were in full bloom:

One of the Flowering Crabs was covered with spherical pink buds:

And the other Flowering Crab's flowers were fully opened, already past their prime:

I put the dogs inside their fenced run and little Clover immediately began finding escape holes which I blocked with concrete blocks:

A Baltimore Oriole seemed to be accompanying me on my inspection tour, flying from apple tree to apple tree and singing. He and his mate had a nest in one of the giant, rotten old maple trees I'd had cut down. I suppose they were shocked to return this spring and find their home tree vanished, but apparently they've built a new nest and are doing just fine:

Strawberry plants were growing rapidly around the goldfish pond:

We went indoors, into my little apartment and the dogs made themselves comfortable. Winky fell asleep on a floor pillow:

Clover and Fergus snoozed on my bed:

Seamus just sprawled out on the floor:

Daphne found herself a nice, soft pillow also. Well, we'd arrived and this time I planned to stay for two nights instead of just one. I'll post more tomorrow: