Friday, February 12, 2016

Valentine Verse








I recently took on the challenge of penning a poem
for each significant holiday.

I'm enjoying stretching my wings a bit.



Reservations
by daisy

Roses are red,
Daisies are white.
Will you be my valentine
On this special night?

I'll offer you biscuits,
I'll offer you grits.
I'll give you red cherries
Without any pits.

Your tank will be filled
With two-dollar gas.
I'll stuff every freezer 
With large-mouthed bass.

Your house will be cleaned
From the roof to the floor.
I'll launder your uniforms
Need I say more?

We'll visit the ocean,
We'll go to the hills.
I promise to make sure
And pay all the bills.

What else can I do
To please you, my pet?
On second thought,
You don't deserve me just yet.
~daisy~

Have a sweetheart of a weekend, y'all!

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

The Maple Hill Hop 119



Maple Hill Hop


Welcome to 
The Maple Hill Hop.
This is a hop for folks who love the outdoors.
Feel free to post about anything that's going on
OUTSIDE
in your neck of the woods,
no matter the season.
(Please share only outdoor posts.)
*Grab the button above to link back to Maple Hill 101.*


On Saturday,
we took a trip back to Apollo Beach to visit the manatees.
They return to this area each year when the weather turns colder.
The waters around the power plant are warmer,
so it is here that they choose to spend some of their time.
Sister is visiting and some close friends joined us.
It was a memorable field trip.


Our visit in 2013
Here's the Center as it looked on our last trip.
That was a beautiful, sunny day.



This year's trek was a bit different.
The weather was cold and wet.
We were ill-prepared for the weather,
but we made the best of it.





We weren't disappointed.
There must have been at least 100 manatees 
enjoying the warm waters.


source

This is similar to what we saw this time around.
Folks must have heard they were in the area because there were quite a few human visitors.



source


The center has an education building where guests can learn more about these fascinating creatures. 
It was a great place to tuck in during the rain.
There is even a webcam that can give you a bird's eye view!
On sunnier days, it's a fabulous hangout to study nature
in their extensive butterfly gardens.
Even when the weather doesn't cooperate, 
it's a great place to explore.

What have you been up to outside?
Let's HOP!

  


   


Friday, February 5, 2016

Feed Sacks, Organized







 


For the last few months,
I've been selling daisy totes.
They are upcycled tote bags made from used feed sacks.
It's been a fun and educational undertaking.
There were a few people who were able to supply me with sacks.
Once things started taking off,
I knew that I'd need to find more resources.
Enter Craig's List.
I placed an ad under the "Farm & Garden" section,
stating that I was looking for feed sacks that were no longer needed.




The call was answered.
Overwhelmingly.
Seems there are a lot of folks in our area who love animals.
Horses, birds, cows, pigs, rabbits, and a multitude of poultry
all need to be fed.
Most people I meet up with say that if we didn't take the sacks,
they would be burned or thrown away.
It's a good feeling to know that they will be collected
for something useful.


Storing them in a systematic way makes sense.
I call myself "chronically organized" because I don't do well with anything less.
Last weekend was the perfect opportunity to tackle this task. 
The weather was cool and I had the garage all to myself.




As with any organizing project,
it's best to sort like objects.
Sacks were laid in piles according to type of feed.



 Some, like these Egg Maker sacks, were so numerous,
that I decided to use one bag to hold some of them.
Many were received this way from contributors.
This takes up less space than if they were all stored separately.


Needless to say,
we'll have sacks to keep me busy for quite some time.
The ad was promptly taken off of Craig's List.
There are still some folks who call me as repeat customers,
to come and collect their excess sacks.



We happen to have quite a few moving boxes,
so they were used to corral the sacks.
Of course, labeling always helps one to find what is needed.


Even when we sell our house and move,
these will be taken with us so that I can get right to work
at whatever Farmers' Markets or local events might serve as a good venue for the daisy totes.

I think we'll be ready.



circa 2011 The ORIGINAL Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop



Simple Saturdays Blog Hop #90



Our Simple Homestead Blog Hop



OPAAT Link Party



Tuesday, February 2, 2016

The Maple Hill Hop 118



Maple Hill Hop


Welcome to 
The Maple Hill Hop.
This is a hop for folks who love the outdoors.
Feel free to post about anything that's going on
OUTSIDE
in your neck of the woods,
no matter the season.
(Please share only outdoor posts.)
*Grab the button above to link back to Maple Hill 101.*




With our unusually warm winter,
we decided to host a plant giveaway.
We do this a few times a year,
and it was the perfect time to share the wealth.
Folks are asked to bring their own shovel, 
and a container for the plants they choose.
This time, we also requested some canned food for our local
Meals on Wheels program.
Everyone wins!
Here are some of the lovelies that found new homes:


lemongrass


African Iris


Flax lily


Native salvia


Bulbine



Bulbine bloom


Crape Myrtle

All of our giveaways are either native or Florida-friendly,
meaning that the new owners will be able to enjoy their beauty
without a lot of work.
(You can search our plant profiles for these and other Florida-friendly plants using the search engine or our tab under the header.)
It feels good knowing that we are encouraging new gardeners
while supporting more experienced  ones.
We still have plenty of plants for our local pollinators to employ.
God's bounty never ceases.








What's going on outside where you are?
Let's HOP!