Moving right along

The first 

The Ice is almost all gone

Only a little strip left at the back of the pond.

Snowdrops and hellebore buds have appeared.

He stopped by.  We have named him Pasha.

We think that he might stay, 

no one wants to claim him. 

He is welcome.  

And I'm moving right along with my new project. 

Have a great remainder of the week my dear friends. 

Thank you for stopping by.  It means a lot.  

Gina

Knee Deep in Alligators

Again 
(knee deep in Alligators) 
Taking a short break from blogging.

I have accepted a large project which will take about two months for me to complete. 

Many more to paint. 

Each hand painted tile has to be different. 

I will miss you (a lot). 

Gina 

A gentle reminder

Sweet Peas

We live in zone 3.  My seeds will be planted in the middle of March.

In warmer climates, Sweet Peas should be planted in February. 

At least 2 to 3 weeks before planting start germinating seeds in a plastic bag.

  Place moistened paper towel and seeds into plastic bag.  Keep top open and place by window.

Besides collecting my own seeds I will be ordering these "Wiltshire Ripples" from Thompson and Morgan.

Check seeds a few times and rinse them in cold water  (to prevent  mildew) and return to plastic bag.  After  about 2 weeks your seeds will have sprouted and they are ready to be planted.  Sprouts look very tender but they are sturdy and are easily handled. 

It is the "odoratus"  and "fragantissima" varieties which have the most heavenly scent.  
Among the most fragrant Sweet Peas are the blue varieties such as "Chatsworth",  

"Molly Rilestone"  maybe my most favorite Sweet Pea.

Have a wonderful weekend my dear Friends.

Gina

Happy Valentine's Day

"Stories from a time when food, love and music were the essential parts of life ..."
 (Foreword Keith Floyd)

A rich collection of scandalous stories of love and passion

by

Carol Payne

"Doreen dreamt she lay in the Brassicas with her Gypsy Lover..."

"But today she was excited for she was meeting Bertie Floyd and they were going for a walk down by the Tidefork river.  He was going to show her how to tickle a trout..."

"Shortly after this event Betty was packed off to London to stay with her aunt..."

"Queenie grew up to be a smashing looking girl, a bit wild like her mother, a lover of life and men..."

"She came from a poor Cornish family, so poor that Amy was made to wear underwear made out of flour sacks, which were printed with red, bold letters 'THE FINEST FLOUR'..."

"She was a proud plump woman, well respected in the village..."

Have a most wonderful and special day

my dear Friends,

Gina

Book available from Amazon

Partial re-post , February 9, 2011

It's a guessing game

What is it?

If you are the first to get it right,

You will be rewarded.

With 6 hand printed cotton drawstring bags.

Your choice, black and white, bright colors or 

Sepia Tones.

Here's one more look.

Good luck my dear Friends. 



And the winner is Rosemary 

You can't fool Rosemary of Where Five Valleys Meet.  Rosemary gets it right every time.  Yes, it is my Oleander tree, the one I have to schlep inside every Fall and take back out when Spring is just around the corner.  

Celia and Kirk you also came up with the correct answer.  Thank you for joining in.  

Thank you my friends for letting me have a little fun. I always enjoy reading your answers.   

Gina

White as Snow

Hansel and Gretel

White as Snow.

We promised to take good care of them.
They had been abandoned.

That was last Summer.

They greet us every morning.

A portion of our pond always stays open, it is where the water comes from deep within.  

I wonder if they are a pair. 
Will there be little ones this Spring? 
We will soon know. 

It may be minus 7 degrees outside but my greenhouse is waking up.
The days are getting longer 

Have a great weekend my dear friends.

Gina

A Talisman

What do you think?  

A horseshoe is said to bring good luck? 

We built our new house on property that was an old farm a hundred years ago. 

When we take our dogs across the fields we find all kinds of treasures. 

So, here is the question.

Should we hang the horseshoe with the ends pointing up?

So it will trap good luck within?  

 Or hang it with the ends pointing down so that it will release its luck to everyone who comes near.

What do you think?

Until I hear from you,  I will hang them both ways. 

(Just to make sure, for I want my team to win).   

Have a great Superbowl Sunday, my dear

Blogging Friends.

Gina

http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/

http://betweennapsontheporch.net/