Well,well. Since my last post here, I've been pretty busy moving the dairygoats forum from it's old place onto the far more reliable server that I use for my other websites. Want to see it? Here. My son has just gone square dancing for the evening, and prior to that we went to town and had a grand shopping spree. I'm kidding, of course. We bought a weeks worth of goat and duck feed, dark Dove chocolate, groceries, and a variety of flowerbulbs. Lets see: Tulips- 16 Apricot Beauty, and 8 Mickey Mouse (which is red streaked with yellow), 5 pink pearl hyacinths (love the smell), and 8 each of Misty Glen and Thalia narcissus. the latter is simply superb- it has multiple frangrant, pendant blooms on each stem, and they're pure white. I went to some lengths to procure and plant some last fall, and was so pleased (come spring) that I jumped at the chance to buy a few more.

It doesn't make a whole lot of sense since I'm thinking of leaving; why sink more time, money, and love into this place? But on the other hand, I love it here. I'll have been here 7 years in the spring, which is longer than I've ever lived anywhere else, and I've never loved another place the way I do this one (though my childhood home in Harvard, IL would run a close second. My childhood effectively ended when I left that place.) Besides, whether or not I'm here won't matter. Someone will enjoy the flowers, I hope. The point of planting is partly to enjoy the results personally, but mostly it's to beautify the world and leave something pleasant and lasting in your wake. I wish I could plant more; I'd like to put in frittilaria meleagris, some scilla, some grape muscari (grape hyacinths), maybe a few more crocuses, and I'd wanted to try the arums, which look like jack in the pulpits. Also- more hyacinths! Some deep, ultramarine blue water irises around the edge of the pond, as a counterpoint to the yellow ones (already there). A water lily or two. Lavendar and various plants that like dry sun, for the SW corner of the house. Hardy cyclamens and others that tolerate dry shade (few do) for the western side of the house.

Then there is the chestnut tree. I think it's an American chestnut, which means that if chestnut blight ever comes our way, it's done for. This tree is so stately and tall, so regal. I swear it has a personality, and out of all the trees on the place, I may well love it the best. Every year, this fine tree flowers profusely, advertises it's mating urges, so full of hope. In vain, for there isn't a pollinator here for it. I've tried planting one for it, but it died. There are heartnut trees, and english and black walnuts but I don't think they pollinate chestnuts. So here is this tree, so lonely, trying year after year to produce nuts, and yielding empty husks every fall. :-( It makes me sad and wistful every time I see it. I'd like to find and plant a mate for it. I can just see that it'll produce loads of nuts as soon as it gets the chance.