G'Day everyone, Dutch here! Welcome to my little place in the Universe!

Getting ready to get the day started so thought I would post a short blog so you folks didn’t think I got lost or something.. going to have Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong start the show with “Summer Time”, a laid back easy listening song that’s pleasant to listen to in the evenings of summer..

Sooooooooooooooooo put your troubles aside, pull up a chair and visit a spell…

Have been busy these past few days with the pleasant weather slowly helping bring the yard and garden back to life… this will explain why I’m not on here as much.. that and walking and fishing.. Here is a picture of the tulip bed that is coming to life…

and here is a close up picture of some early tulips.. There are a number of different varieties there….

I dig them up about every 3 years, thin and replant… there is 1 ornamental goldfish pond and 3 “bog” ponds.. The fish pond it between 1 foot and 3 feet deep and has live fish in it (as you have seen in previous blogs) the bog ponds are around 10 to 12 inches deep overall with a 18 inch hole for the water lilies… here is a picture of one starting to come up.. these are hardy lilies and stay in the pond year around..

going over to the veggie garden briefly here is a before and after picture of the onion bed that I have been working on for the past couple of days…

I use raised beds in all my gardening because it is easier for me to maintain and I can get a better soil mixture… here is a before and after picture of the potato bed.. You can see the little green stakes that mark the locations of the “hills” so I don’t happen to pull one while weeding when the plant is quite small…

pressing on here is a update photo of the tomato plants I started from seed..

been getting the plants use to the great outdoors before planting them.. That plus the weather we have been having the last 3 days or so is warming than normal… and it will get cold again, after this weekend.. People get in a big hurry to plant because it is warm only for it to get cold and then they have to go to great lengths to protect delicate plants until the warm weather comes back and stays.. There are more plants than I will use so I usually give the left over plants to Shirley, John or someone who wants them… will plant cucumbers and green peppers in about a week, green beans in May.. I will also plant cayenne peppers where I plant my beans, potatoes and tomatoes and the peppers while help keep harmful insects and other creatures away and I don’t have to use pesticides.. I never eat them, too hot for this ole Marine…

here is a picture of a pair of yellow finches at the feeder.. they just showed up the other day..

here is a picture of a cardinal taking it’s turn at the feeder.. There is a red finch and another yellow finch waiting for their turn…

and of course the ground feeders doves, sparrows and other birds right below waiting for the spilled seed to fall to the ground..

Well, I had better scoot.. have things to do before 4 PM when my day is over, all is quiet and I can entertain thoughts and ideas about the past, present and future… Soooooooooooooo everyone have a smilin' gooooooooooooooooood day full of Peace Love and Happiness and I'll see you next time if the good Lord's willing and the creeks don't rise....

and I disagree with Pat Boone that April Love is for the very young.... I think love is ageless and for anyone… but it is April and love is in the air…