Whats for Dinner...Meal Plan Monday

Happy Memorial Day!! Remembering those who served their country with bravery and honor and who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom

I must say its been lovely having MrD home for a long weekend. We do so love working together in the garden... going out to grab a coffee in the middle of the day... even going umpteem times to Home Depot so we can "get things done"

next Saturday we have been invited to a Graduation Party at our neighbours house. But apart from that, we have no major plans for the coming week... So.. when MrD goes back to work tomorrow..I would to start making the vegetable garden look tidier. Everything is growing well..so now I want to make the area "prettier".

Also... I have managed to buy some delicious strawberries at a really good price...so I want to make this years suppy of strawberry jam

What are your plans for the week?

Here's the last dinner menu for May

Weekly Plan - 29th May 2023

Monday               Teriyaki Chicken Kebabs, Stir Fry Vegetables

Tuesday                Carne Asada, Spanish Rice

Wednesday          Turkey Pot Pie

Thursday             Spicy Sausage Pasta

Friday                  Spinach and Feta Pizza

Saturday              Graduation Party

Sunday                 Barbeque Chicken Sandwich, Coleslaw

Sunday Thought ~ Proverbs 10:7

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Just Another Saturday...

Quite a busy day.. most of it spent outdoors..

This morning we grabbed some coffees and headed to our neighbors house and helped her build a metal arbor for her grapevines.

The rest of the day was spent.. of course.. in the garden. It seems that the damage Prince did to the vegetable garden hasn’t been too catastrophic. The beans he dug up have regrown.. and tiny pods are appearing. 

We are also still harvesting potatoes from the plants he destroyed.. so I guess he’s not that bad!

Besides.. who couldn’t love that face!

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

He's Leaving Home...Bye Bye..

He thought about it..

he was all alone now...

so he thought about it..long and hard...

Then he was gone…

I guess we are now officially empty nesters….

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

And Then There Was One...

And with a little kiss.. he was all alone…

 So then there was one ….

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

And Then There Were Two...

So...When I checked the birds nest this morning.. I could only see four birds..  I thought number five was hidden underneath

They have grown so fast.. and are now covered in feathers. They are so big they are easily visible. I was so afraid they would fall out  of the nest.

This afternoon I was standing at the kitchen window... and had the fright of my life as I saw a fluttering of wings and saw one of the chicks fall. Or so I thought. Before he hit the ground he flapped his wings quickly and like a baby taking its first step... clumsily circled the lawn..landing under the garden bench

I rushed outside to see if it was ok.. and he seemed fine... but I know there are a lot of stray cats around. Wondering what I should do and if it needed rescuing.. I went back into the house and grabbed a box and some gloves...hoping to but it back into the nest before its mother noticed. But... it had disappeared!

I checked the bird cam...and discovered that there were only two chicks left in the nest. I guess without realizing it ... the birds are now fledglings... and ready to 'flee the nest'

Mummy Bird is still feeding the remaining two... but I have a feeling that by tomorrow... all the birds will be gone. Its quite sad really as they brought me such joy...

Its the little things....

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Fresh Growth...

A hot afternoon was spent working in the veggie garden. The rain that has been promised for the last couple of days still hasn’t materialized.. but the veggies don’t seem to care..

Tiny zucchini.. 

summer squash 

and cucumbers are starting to grow.. 

with more strawberry flowers appearing in the hanging basket.. 

and pepper plants are flowering too.

It’s so satisfying to see them. 

The garden really is my happy place

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Sunday Thought ~ Hebrews 12:1-2

 Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Farmer Boy Loves Tractors...

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Garden Visitor...

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Checking the Critters...

So.. yesterday we took Prince to the vets for a check up. He was very skittish on the leash.. travelled well in the car.. and was very nervous of the vet at first but she was so lovely he soon settled.

She thinks that Prince is younger than two years.. he’s probably a year.. to a year and a half and is very healthy.. so we have an 80lb playful puppy on our hands. Which is one of the reasons we built a fence around the veggie garden. If you had seen me driving in those T posts you would have been so proud.

He’s a very intelligent pup too. MrD put in a doggie door this afternoon.. and his shadow watched intently.. A couple of days he will be using it like a trooper.. Prince that is.. not MrD

Oh.. and the hanging basket chicks are getting bigger. The plants are totally dead now so there’s no coverage.

You can see their little heads popping up and down as they chirp for food

I’m not being mean.. but right now.. they have a face only a mother could love 

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Sunday Thought ~ James 1:5

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Changes...

Sometimes.. plans don’t pan out quite as you wanted and you have to change course slightly.. and have a rethink..

So it is with the veggie garden.. and a wrench that’s been thrown into the works. In this case.. the wrench is called Prince

The garden was looking pretty good. Everything growing nicely and we have built an archway between the beds which hopefully our cucumbers will cling to and cover.
But then Prince discovered he likes eating potato leaves.. climbing beans.. and the canes they grow up. He also thinks that turnip plants make a comfortable bed!

So he has been banished from the veggie garden .. which is now wrapped in chicken wire til MrD can build a proper… but temporary fence around it. Prince can’t help it .. he’s never had a good home .. never been trained.. and is still destressing from his ordeal .. He will learn.

So the canes have been removed.. bean seeds replanted.. and although two tubs of potatoes are ruined .. we still managed to get some potatoes to eat. It could be worse.. at least he left the tomatoes alone

By the way.. Prince has found himself a new hiding place… 

did you spot him..?

Oh my poor roses

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Balls of Fluff...

More photos from the nest in the hanging basket

Just look at those little balls of fluff.. they are baby birds honest!

And Mummy Bird is taking excellent care of them…. although.. 

she does look a bit angry …

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

New Life...

It’s very hard to see.. but five little eggs have hatched in the hanging basket nest.. 

I hope they will survive

Mummy bird is still sitting on them.. disappearing now and again .. 

presumably for food…

I’m tempted to take a closer look but I don’t want to scare her away. 

So.. fuzzy photos will have to do

The hanging basket may be dead .. 

but it’s a blessing that it’s still full of life

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x