Friday, April 1, 2016

Friday...

To wrap up this week, I'm joining Friday's Hunt, hosted by Teresa at Eden Hills, and also joining Random Five Friday, which after a long hiatus, has been resurrected by Nancy at A Rural Journal.  It's a nice way to do a wrap up of the week.

1.  Starts with "N"...kind of.  Her name is Snickers, but often I call her Nicky for short.  She's our ten year old Yellow Lab, and mother to Murphy, who got her mug shot on here last week.  She's a rather shy, sweet dog who is beginning to show her age.  Both in her actions, and by the white hair on her face.  Even though she's aging, she can still be just as naughty when she puts her mind to it!  She digs a mean hole, and tears strawbales and hay bales apart to make a soft nest to sleep in...


2.  Week's Favorite...Three years ago, my neighbor gave me a tiny start of an old fashioned, dark purple lilac.  This morning I saw this...


...flower buds!  For the first time, and I'm quite excited to see them bloom.  I hope next week's forecasted freezing temps don't hurt them!

3. Vintage...I'm fortunate to have some vintage things to decorate with on my porch.  We have two old milk cans, one from my parents' farm, and one from Jim's parents farm (where we now live).  I enjoy being able to use them year round...


4. To finish out my Random Five...the hutch halves are thrilled to be able to get outside of their hutches and see what's going on in the world.  They are so curious and content...


5.  I found some used railroad ties on craigslist.  They turned out to be only a few miles away, and had been used by the Strasburg Rairoad.  (Thomas the Tank Engine rolled over these ties many times, I'm sure!)  We've used them to make a defining line between my shrubs and my garden.  It will help to keep the weeds from the garden from creeping up under the shrubs, and I like the lines.  I have some ideas about how I want it to look, and it's slowly coming together...


Click on the links to see more posts for both Friday's Hunt and Random Five Friday...


19 comments:

  1. Lilacs budding already? Here in NE Oregon, only the leaf buds are obvious. The forsythia in the old milk can is such a beautiful sight!

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  2. No lilac budding here yet, yours is almost ready to bloom. I love lilacs and Nicky looks beautiful and healthy. She sure pop out in the green grass.
    Your flowerbed is going to look nice and tidy. I used to have railroad ties around my veggie garden but we were told they should not be used in the veggie garden because of creosote on them, so I used some cement stones instead.

    Have a great weekend.
    Hugs,
    JB

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  3. Lilacs??? So soon? awesome.
    those calves are such cuties.

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  4. good job on the rr ties! love the sweet calves! but i LOVE nicky! oh, i miss my old girl, marigold - still after years...

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  5. I adore lilacs and I can't grow them where I live. I look forward to seeing yours bloom! Love the milk cans and don't they look pretty on the porch. Nicky is a beauty. Calves ... love those beautiful brown eyes! Happy Friday!

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  6. We have a cat named Snickers and sometimes I call her, Nicky. She's 16. Your dog is pretty.
    Our lilacs are starting to bud here too. They are pretty but make me sneeze.
    Loved what you are doing with the railroad ties, that makes a great even flower border.

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  7. Nicky looks like my Sammy Jo. She died a few years back and I still miss her.
    Love the forsythia in the old milk can.

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  8. It was lovely seeing your photos- I'm originally from Lancaster County, PA (Akron). Cover that lilac - I hope you'll see it bloom.

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  9. Nicky is beautiful! Love the milk can decorations. I have one in my dining room, but it was from an auction rather than family. I can't believe how tall some of those calves are looking! Thanks so much for joining Friday's Hunt.

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  10. last fall was so mild that many of our lilacs flower then, it's a mixed up world

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  11. i am sure your Liliac will smell lovely. I always remember my Granny had a Liliac tree.Love youor dog and the calves. Have a wonderful weekend.

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  12. Nicky has a look that says 'how can someone as sweet as me ever be bad?' She is beautiful! The lilac looks like Spring, despite snow in CT tonight. Vintage is well represented by the milk can, and the calves are at that age of discovery - and you captured heir innocence so nicely!

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  13. I can feel your excitement for a first year bloom of your lilac, last year a tiny mail order Beauty of Moscow lilac flowered for the first time in my garden after 4 years.
    Your calves peeking through the fence at your camera are adorable.

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  14. Sorry I've been missing for so long. I've enjoyed reading this post so much. Every time I read one of your posts, it takes my mind back to my childhood days and visiting cousins on their farms. I should have a hobby farm because I love animals so much. Your dog looks like a real sweetie too. The Lilac should be okay if it is winter hardy to your area. Depending on how hard the frost, you might lose the blossoms, but it won't kill the entire plant. So pretty. I hope Mother Nature leaves it alone for you.

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  15. I like how your railroad ties contain,your garden beside your shrubs and plantings . . . Sounds like a lovely plan/idea.
    I like your Nicky dog . . . A white face becomes the tell tale sign for aging pups, doesn't It? We have a Snickers too, but she had never been a Nicky. She is turning a light grey/white on her face and on most of her body. Our Snickers will be eleven years this fall. Love your lilac and forsythia signs of spring . . . Thank you for visiting me at the Irish Garden House.

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  16. I'm jealous of your spring! It is exciting to see the buds. I have a couple Miss Kim lilacs and I can't wait to see them starting to do their thing! Have a lovely week. -Jenn

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  17. I really like how your railroad ties look in your garden. I also like seeing the young calves and the milk can. I used to have so many around here because this place used to be a dairy. I think they must have walked off.
    Your dog looks like a sweety. I feel the same way about the white hairs of Sasha's muzzle. Have a wonderful week

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  18. Hi Alicia ~~ Nicky is a nice dog, I can tell. But she doesn't like to have her picture taken, I can tell that also. We can't have lilacs down here in our part of Texas. I think because it doesn't get cold enough, we didn't have a freeze this year. Had lots for us growing up in Nebraska.
    I have one of Dad's old cream cans. It has the lid but is quite rusty. I wouldn't leave it over night one the porch as it might get taken.
    Your BIL should like his John Deere when he is finished with it. The "B" was in the Tractor Museum T the College of the Ozarks which is near Branson, Missouri. Your BIL, and you, I think, would like to visit there. Mrs. Jim and I sure did. Did you know that there were John Deere bicycles? The had several.
    ..

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  19. Congrats on the rr ties -- they are expensive if you buy them new. So happy you could join in Alica... have an awesome week! xo

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I enjoy hearing what you have to say! Thanks for your comments!