Spring time - a time for renewal

Well, its starting to feel more like summer than spring - but my youngest and I have basically been living outside each day and enjoying every minute of it.  

In front of our house, hubby planted winter wheat.  I love wheat.  Its such a pretty crop.  Wheat, soybeans and corn are my favorites- very nice to watch grow.  Watermelons....not so much.  Delicious to eat, but not really a "pretty" crop. Pumpkins too.  I  really don't like the years that they rotate to the field in front of the house.  

After we have a good rain, sometimes I sit in my rocker on the front porch with my coffee.  I honestly believe that it grows right before your eyes and the color turns an amazing "Crayola" crayon green.

Here is one of the farm cats, Max.  He thinks he's hiding and tries to sneak up on our other cat / birds / the boys - guess he doesn't realize he's neon white against green.  Oh well, he is a great hunter, so he must be doing something right. 

The bees are loving my lavender this year.  I sat near the bushes for a long time - there must have been about 50 bees just buzzing around.  Really neat to watch. My four year old was really amazed by it and sat perfectly still - and if you have a four year old boy - you know that they don't do that too often!!

The garden has been started.  Here is my youngest and my father in law working in it.  I can almost taste the cucumbers, field peas, potatoes, tomatoes, squash and zucchini already.  Confession:  I have all of my canning supplies already laid out on my dining room table ready to go.  Another farm down the road grows strawberries and they'll be ready in just a few weeks.  Jam, jam and more jam!!!

So nice to be outside, despite the pollen.  Good to air out the house, yourself and the kids.  "Soak up that vitamin D" I tell them.

My favorite crab apple tree in the front of the house - always so pretty :)  I hope the Japanese beetles stay away this year - uuuggghhh!

We have many birdhouses / owl boxes on our land.  This one is full of bluebirds (and babies coming soon - I hope!)

I love watching bluebirds "pick" out a house.  One of them sits on top of the birdhouse while the other goes in to check it out. I can just imagine.... "Oh honey, look at the lovely color....it has a walk in closet.....and a garden tub!" Then they switch and the other one goes in to see it as well.  Pretty soon, they start picking pine needles and such and moving in :)

Hope you are enjoying the season where you live!!