"A morning Coffee Clutch Stroll"

Howdy Folks,

 

The past few mornings have been quite humid, hot and still, so the fan in the barn had whirred along, doing its best to move the heavy air. While Kessy's fan is great for that, its steady whir tends to drown out the bird song, and since this morning's air was bit lighter I switched it off. On my way to the barn I'd heard a Mockingbird singing variations of at least half a dozen song-bird-solos and wanted to listen to his entire show. So the fan needed a break.

As I puttered around doing my morning's this-and-thats, tending to the chickens, Saturday and Kessy the Mockingbird's soliloquy floated deftly on the air accompanying me. Others joined in too. For the first morning in a while I heard a Scarlet Tanager, he was some distance in the woods, but his notes filled the tree tops. Mr Wren darted here and there chirping his delightfully busy chatter, and several Phoebes called their names as if to make certain they were recognized as part of the ensemble. A special treat was Mr. Bluebird's solo from somewhere high in the big Oak.

Kessy, Saturday, Miss Kitty, Tigger and me

 Settled in my chair next to Kessy it was delightful to take in all the birdsong, and Kessy's slow, sleepy, hay munching. Other birds joined in as Saturday, Tigger and Miss Kitty reclined with me. The squeaking of Chipping Sparrows, trilling of a Robin and even the call of a passing Crow filled out the bill. Then as if by request, the air rumbled gently with the low vibrations of a distant train. And then the whistle blew.

I tipped my hat to the Creator, gave thanks for the splendor of it all, and decided to stroll about before heading in for my morning ration of boiled oatmeal. Ravishin' Robbie had spent last afternoon and evening touching up her gardens and everything looks lovely. First stop the wild looking patch next to Kessy's bedroom just bursting with color from Brown Eyed Susans, Lilies and Daisies. A brief pause at the back porch steps to say good morning to Mrs. Phoebe who settled on our porch light as the most perfect spot for her second nest of the summer. Any day now tiny peeps will be peering over the nest edge.

Saturday, Miss Kitty and Tigger trailed along single file as I moseyed to our campfire area where Robbie has 2 tranquil shade gardens. I must admit to not knowing all the plant varieties there, but the border of Coleus is brilliantly red and orange.

Off we trekked to the front of the house where Robbie's vegetable garden fence is sporting the greenery and brilliant reds of Cardinal Climber. If you've never planted this delightful climbing plant, do yourself, and your Hummingbirds a favor, and plant some, the flowers are tiny cups of velvet red. The interior of the vegetable garden is looking great too, but I'm a flower kind of guy, and since this year Robbie decided to forgo the Marigold boarders, well it's boring to me.

Robbie's Herb Garden

Her Kitchen herb bed is jam-packed with all sorts of hearty, happy herbs, many of them blooming now too. Hummingbirds and butterflies love this garden and so many were there it looked like a convention! The Clary Sage has a  lovely light blue flower and the Yellow Swallowtails were loving it. I checked the Blue Bird nest there and it looks like they are starting their next nest, too!

Robbie's Flower Jungle

I lead our little troupe to the big flower jungle next. This is a big bed where 7 summers ago we had planted full of Zinnias and Cosmos. It was our first flower bed when we moved here. Each summer plants reseed themselves in it, and it's been expanding annually. The flowers are so thick it never requires weeding! This morning the Larkspur was in charge creating a dense bouquet of sky blue. The Cosmos are just beginning to open, and the Zinnias too, adding just the right touch of red, yellow and orange.

Thanks for joining the Coffee Clutch family on our morning tour. Hope you had fun!

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

"Happy Spring!"

Howdy Folks,

Ah yes, today is the first day of Spring! According to the fellow in charge of telling us all about the weather on TV, it arrived here at Appomattox, VA at precisely 7:02 this morning. Equinox they call it. That means literally, equal night; from the Latin, aequus (equal) and nox (night), because around the equinox, night and day are about equal length.

I love Spring, the rebirth. Ravishin' Robbie says it is her favorite time of year. I don't really have a favorite. I love the changing of the seasons. Each season brings its own blessings and excitement. From the Spring's bursting forth of wildflowers, Robbie diving into her gardens, birds singing in the tree tops, the return of our Hummingbirds, the tall Maple trees boasting red buds. To the Summer's heat, baby Blue Birds and Phoebes in the nests, dozens of Hummingbirds at the feeders, fresh vegetables and flowers from Robbie's gardens. Then Autumn brings us Fall flowers, the Fall Equinox, majestically painted tree foliage, scores of fledgling birds flying about, pumpkins and squash from Robbie's gardens. Of course some of our Spring and Summer birds leave us but the Juncos come and add their unique fun to the coming of Winter. Winter, here in Appomattox we get just a taste of snow, every few weeks during Winter we have just enough snow to paint beautiful scenes all around us, pine boughs dusted in white, our snow covered dirt road with just a single set of car tracks down the middle ... And of course there are those delightful Winter evenings snuggled in our cozy little house with Ravishin' Robbie enjoying her world famous hot cocoa and ginger snap cookies.

So you can see how it might be hard for a fellow like me to have a favorite season when all seasons have so very much to offer. I must admit though, I'm ready to hang the Hummingbird feeders, they should be here in just a few weeks now. The Phoebes have started their first nest in the barn, I've been watching them gather mud and dried grass and carefully tapping the little adobe balls in place on their shelf in the barn rafters for a few days already. The Blue Birds haven't started nests yet, but are singing and Robbie has seen them flying in and out of the nest boxes.

Robbie has already planted peas, lettuce, chard and spinach. But, as has become a custom around here, the chickens have pretty much … unplanted them. Eventually Robbie will prevail and her garden will be beautiful and abundant.

Kessy and I heading out for a First Day Of Spring ride … even though our high today is predicted to be 20 degrees below normal at a windy 40! We rode on Friday and had already seen Trout Lilies blooming under the Mountain Laurel and the Myrtle (periwinkle) in the ancient cemetery was starting to offer its pale blue flowers too. Who knows perhaps today we'll see our first Rufus Sided Towhee or Indigo Bunting.

We send you wishes for a wonderful Spring day!

God Bless & Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

Gardens of Fall

Ravishin' Robbie's gardens have donned their fall colors and decorations. The vegetable garden has been stripped of its spent tomato, bean and squash plants. The boarders are in full color though as the Marigolds planted there to help deter insects quickly expanded to capture the new found space and burst forth with a thick mat of orange. Morning glory and Brown Eyed Susan vines cover the corner posts in thick lush greenery, liberally decorated with blue and yellow flowers.

The plants of Robbie's herb garden, or as we called it in PA, the Kitchen Garden, are tall, dense and mostly flowerless. The Basil looks like a small hedge with leaves of shiny green, and being just a foot off the front porch, its sweet smell drifts in to greet us each time we open our front door. The Sage having weeks ago lost its last delicate scarlet red flower stands as a stately bush waist high and thick as a bramble. Several varieties of Tyme have spread out to carpet the floor with dainty leaves and a spattering of  tiny white flowers. The Oregano plants have fallen and began pushing up shoots creating artwork that looks like so much driftwood on the beach.

Mums of many colors, orange, white, russet and red are in their glory now and crowd the flowerbeds that earlier were packed tight with a dozen different summer flowers. Mixed in between the Mums are a few struggling, but gracious blue and pink Cosmos, the last of the deep red Love Lies Bleeding and a few brilliant Daisies.

The Zinnias, perhaps my favorite garden flower, have had a rebirth in the cooler weather and are celebrating with flowers galore. Whether Robbie had strategically planted the Zinnias in locations to define, accent and glorify the flowerbeds, or they had migrated on their own, the patches of Zinnias exploding in red, blue, yellow, orange and pink bring broad smiles like so many exploding fireworks at the county fair.

Take a few moments today to stroll through your gardens of fall and enjoy their gifts.

Kessy and I are heading out to explore a few wild fall gardens. You all have a wonderful day and God Bless ~ Dutch