Lovely Spring We're Having This Winter!

Okay, so, it's been a while since I've posted to this blog.   Last year was taken up with Bill getting his knee replaced, and it took a very long time before he was able to get back to his normal self.  We both are very happy that this entire experience is behind us.  Just to give you an idea of how difficult this surgery was for him, his doctor (the same doctor that replaced my hip three years ago) told him that he won't do his other knee.  He said Bill took 10 years off his life with all the complications. So, I think we both have decided not to go down that road again.

Plum Tree

I don't know where you live, but here in Southwest North Carolina, in the Piedmont area, we have been having a winter to beat records, warm winter that is.  I thought I'd take a few pictures so you could see how faked out nature is here.  This is February, supposedly the middle of winter.  I'm fairly certain we're going to have another frost or two, so, there goes all our fruit harvest again.  This will be the second or third year this has happened.  It is so disappointing.

Cherry Tree

So, here are our fruit trees in the middle of what is supposed to be winter.  The plum tree is just gorgeous with it's white blossoms bursting out all over.  I don't believe we've enjoyed a plum from it yet.  Maybe this year, forever hopeful!  The Cherry trees are beginning to bloom as well.  Last year we did get a bountiful harvest of tiny little cherries called Nanking Cherries, enough to make a nice batch of cherry jam.  I'm hoping they're not going to be frost bitten this year.

Peach Tree

The Peach tree is budding out pretty much, and the Pear tree is right behind.  I hope all our fruit harvest expectations aren't dashed by Mother Nature again.  

Bartlett Pear Tree

And here is a photo of a Forsythia bush I've had for two years that has never bloomed until now. These are supposed to be the heralds of Spring!  Another fake-out.

Forsythia

And here is our adorable Ziggy looking so cute and sweet.  He's an old man now, and likes to stay away from the pack for the most part, they're too rambunctious for his liking.  He pretty much likes to eat and sleep during the cold months, we have to work at getting him outside for some exercise. Kinda like me.  But during the warm weather, he gets back out there and does a fair amount of walking and running. Right now, he's in between, perhaps thinking about it, or not, for now.

Ziggy being a cutie pie!

The rest of us here on the farm, Gracie, our Shelty mix rescue, Kehli and Kahn, our livestock guard dogs who are still waiting for a job to do.  No, we still don't have our pasture fence done, therefore, there are no cows, sheep, goats, or pigs.  So much still to be done, but we have such great ideas.  "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."  There's Bill over there trimming up his favorite fruit trees, the cherry trees.

Our Pack keeping eyes on Bill

Kehli and Kahn, well, they pretty much lay around and sleep during the day.  That is unless something comes by that they aren't familiar with, or just plain don't like, then they go from zero to sixty, (well, maybe thirty) in three seconds or less.  Don't let that sleepy eyed look fool you.  

Kehli and Kahn 

So, Springtime is definitely lovely this Winter!  Hoping and praying for the best come harvest time!

Carpe Diem! Lil and Bill