Friday

The dwarf fruit trees set out about three weeks ago are showing leaves.

The Yellow Simplicity roses [ordered with a Jackson and Perkins gift certificate from a dear friend] have been a bit slow to break dormancy. This is the more vigorous of the two and has spent the week developing leafy shoots. The second one is less branched, but is showing encouraging signs of life.

We set up the huge lodgepole bed this week and in lieu of hooks in the bathroom I've been tossing my robe over the bedpost.  An errand took me into the bedroom at midmorning and I discovered Charlie nested in the trailing folds of the robe. 

And yes, there's still masking paper here and there along the baseboards.  The application of "Cinnamon Swirl" paint is temporarily abandoned while we work in the garden.

Plan B suggests that we will remove the interior shutters from their mountings, take them outside and give them a good scrubbing, then spray paint them using aerosol cans of white enamel.

Pebbles has shown some lameness in her right foreleg these past two days.  We've kept careful watch but there are no signs of the laminitis which has been a problem for her in the past.  She has been tearing around the pasture like a colt ever since she arrived in Kentucky.  J. thinks she may have slipped in the wet grass and pulled a muscle.  She delights in giving him her hoof to hold and inspect.

Her gimpiness didn't prevent her taking advantage today when J. let down the electric wire in front of the barn while he moved out his tractor.

"Where", I said a few minutes later, "has that horse gotten to?"

"Oh, I didn't put the wire back up!"

Sure enough, Pebbles had gone through the center aisle of the barn and out to the lush green field beyond.

J. went after her, put his belt around her neck and led her back.  She was not pleased and while he tinkered with the fence she marched back through.

This time I was directed to hold her until the fence was repositioned.

We think she is feeling much better today. She spent most of the day on her feet--eating grass--and although the limp is still evident, she gets where she has a mind to go!

It has been a day of gardening.  A day of wind and flower-scented sunshine. The tawny iris has started to open, but the only photo I took of it was blurred as the flower stem tossed in the breeze.

Some tomato plants set out, as well as cabbage, peppers and melons. Cucumber seed, cantaloupe seed and zuchinni planted in "hills." 

Two rows of Stuttgarter onions set out, two long rows of bush Blue Lake beans planted, and just before dark, four clumps of dianthus dis-interred from their nursery pots and set into the flower border to be.

I am tired; witless; pleased with my day.