Lunchboxes and Irises

So, I know what you're thinking. "Boy, those wrestler action figures sure looked sharp up on that decorative railing. What would visually compliment them best?" Well, if your guess is my lunch box collection, you are absolutely correct.

And yes, those wrestlers do look sharp. But someone needs to tell the Bret Hart twins and the British Bulldog to stop jumping off. That ledge is not a turnbuckle, and no is getting clotheslined today.

Anyway, my lunchbox collection is now lining one wall of the former sewing room/current play room. Except that it was never intentionally a collection, Karl and I just had some cool lunchboxes growing up. Plus a great Dark Crystal lunchbox we found in high school. And later some awesome Muppet ones, and it's hard for me to pass up Muppet merchandise. And I got a great Beatles one as a gift. (Don't tell Karl I took his lunchbox. He might not actually know. I don't really want to give it back.) (Don't tell him that, either.)

One Garden Done!

After working two more days on the driveway garden, it's all clear! Here's a look at the before and after.



 These are "before". I should have had Emmy or Gwen stand in there to show how deep it was. Very, very deep.










 These are "after". You can see there's still a little junk in there, but not nearly as much. Look at all that green stuff! And dirt!




 

New Gloves! And New Work......

After an evening of hauling away more corn husks, it's starting to look less like my uncle's corn field threw up in our yard and more like a real lawn.

I had to relocate my dumping site tonight, having made the first pile entirely too big. Anyone need husks for anything? Anyone at all?

Before coming over, we made a trip into Seward for tools. There were no pruning shears or cutters of any kind in the garage. (Why would there be? It's full of mops.) So I bought a three pack of varying sized shears. I think I dulled all of them today. And here's the frustrating part: after cutting out hundreds of volunteer trees and very thick weeds, I don't feel like I made any progress. I just keep noticing the ones I missed, and resisting the urge to get get the cutters out again for a second round.

Easter Gardening Attempt 2: Sore Hands

The storm passed, I picked up everyone else from home, we picked up some supper in town, and now back to work.

Yesterday, by the way, we stopped to help Dad move the fridge back into place and there was much crying from the girls because:
A. We weren't staying to play.
B. We weren't staying to see Grandma and Grandpa.
And this is the most important, apparently:
C. We hadn't gotten food at McDonalds to eat at the new house, which we had done ONE time a couple weeks ago, but it's now the thing we "always" do.

After yesterday's mini-break down, we made plans to do a special fun meal tonight. Here are Emmy and Gweny, using a table set up that Adam came up with. Box table, tub lid table cloth, paint can chairs.

The girls love eating like this, and Agatha laughs when someone leans on the table top and knocks everything down. We don't really think it's funny, but we're also the ones cleaning up crumbs. Well, mostly Adam picks up. Okay, fine. Just Adam.

I've been just clearing away husks today. I'll load them up and haul them away tomorrow. After several hours of raking, it looks a little like I've parted the corn husk river. Let my garden go!

  

Easter Gardening Attempt 1: Storm Interruption

Happy Easter! While the girls nap (it was a very busy day between church, donuts after church, egg hunting at my parents' house, and eating primarily candy for lunch), I thought I'd get a head start on working at the new house. But I only got to work an hour or so before I was forced to take a break, which included going home to check the weather on TV and picking up everyone for supper.



First, look at these plants!

This is why I haven't spent much time in the iris bed yet. When I get such good plant feedback on the work I've done, I can't help but keep going in the same space.


Second, I know I've caused a lot of invertebrates to relocate with all of this gardening, but now I've caused a rabbit to move, too.

There's a hole under these husks that was full of fur and strands of grass. I covered the hole with a pile of husks and some of the fur, but I'm pretty sure this mama rabbit is going to make herself a new den now. No babies inside - I did check. It's not a great hiding place, anyway, considering it's proximity to the back/front door and the garage.

 This, though, is the highlight of the afternoon. See what I watched move in as I worked on the driveway flower bed?

Facing south while raking, I could see the storm gradually move in. And I could feel the wind shift, pick up, and cool down. Seriously, it was amazing. A little freaky and intense (especially being alone), but very amazing.

Different Day, Different Garden

Believe it or not, there are iris flowers somewhere here, under all these corn stalks and dead leaves, among the volunteer trees whose days are numbered. (Unless anyone wants to transplant and adopt some.....?) (No idea what they are. Unless "Obnoxious" is a new tree type.)

I took a break from the driveway to work on this tonight. I didn't have much time, so I cleared a little bit by the front/back door and then got to work on this.

Beginning the Yard Work

Until I can do more inside, I'm moving outside. I'm also doing this because I hear it's spring now, and plants apparently start sprouting at this alleged time of year.

Grandma loves flowers (as evidenced by the things she painted) and had extensive garden spaces going all summer long. The flower beds have been neglected the last couple years as the house has stood empty and the last year Grandma was out here when she was having more and more trouble with endurance and mobility. My mission is to get these beds uncovered and see what comes up this year. Next year we can make changes, but with everything else going on, we'll just see what we've got for now.

The biggest problem is corn husks. There is nearly a foot deep of husks in many places around the farm, but most of those places are gardens. And under the corn husks are another two or three inches of leaves and what I assume used to be leaves before they decomposed into a dark goo. This is going to take a very long time!

On a side note, many of the fields around here are completely devoid of corn husks and stalks. Hey neighbors, I know where your husks went! Feel free to come get them at any time. Seriously.