Puttering Outside...

 

I spent most of the day outdoors yesterday. I started (after coffee and breakfast, of course), by driving to town to our local Fleet Farm. They had plants marked 75% off!!! How could I not get some? I also needed soil, so I purchased bags of raised bed soil and some cow manure (I know. I could have probably driven up the road for that!)

Of course, that wasn't all I needed this my trip. I went inside and purchased nine large cinder blocks, and three flat "cap" pavers for the project I'd envisioned. We had scrap lumber in the barn, so Handsome cut the 2 x 4s into six foot lengths for me, and I set about building my outdoor shelf for plants. The nice thing about this setup is that it's temporary. I can plan my new raised bed garden over the winter, and next year, move this if I need to to accommodate the design I have in mind.

I took some of my empty plastic pots from previous years and planted eight jalapeño pepper plants. I'll use them as the base for canned Cowboy Candy this fall! I cleaned up the two sad-looking geranium plants I also bought on sale, and made sure they got lots of water. 

Once the manure was in a galvanized tote (under my herb planters) and the soil left from one of the bags I bought was put into the white bucket, I called today "done" and shot this picture for you. I went inside, sat a bit to catch my wind, took a shower, and then took a short nap before dinner. I was wiped out, but feeling much better now. It's a good thing we had an overcast day and a nice breeze. It made for a more comfortable day to work outside.

I'm planning to sit and stitch today. The week got away from me in the studio, but I feel like we'll slide into the holiday weekend with a sense of accomplishment. This holiday is most difficult for me now, as Dad left us on the 3rd of July. I know I'll spend this weekend thinking about him and wishing we'd had more time together. It never is enough, is it?

I hope you're planning a nice weekend with loved ones. There are still so many things to celebrate about our great country. I'll be counting my blessings - you among them. Happy Independence Weekend!