We're Back!!

Hey! We're back from our grandparenting break. I was excited to stay with Katherine and Collin for a week after they brought Olive home. During that time it was such a treat to have my Alabama sister came over to visit.

 I have since been back with my parents and Dallas sister.

Four Generations!!

Olive is doing so well and is such a cutie pie!! She has amazing parents, too!!

Since we last talked, we lived through the Great Flood of 2016. There were no flooding issues here at Turkey Creek Garden, but many North Louisianians have suffered tremendous loss. We lost one pine tree and I was amazed at how considerate the tree was as it fell. It curved right around my little camelia bush, missing it by inches.

I couldn't have handled losing another bush since just before the flood, our yard caught on fire!! We lost six thorny eleagnus that were part of a hedge we had been nursing along for a couple of years.

The fire started in a neighbor's yard and, by the grace of God, James saw it when he went out on the porch to eat cinnamon rolls with the dogs. The owners of the home where the fire started, as well as both backyard neighbors, were gone. Had James not been there the fire would have burned unnoticed for Heaven knows how long!!

Can you see James partially hidden behind the fence?  He's got the water hose trying to keep the flames down until the firetrucks arrive.

Flood! Fire! I was beginning to feel like an Egyptian and was waiting for hordes of locusts, but things have settled down.

Dolly, Patsy, and Tanya are fine although during the flood their coop was surrounded by a lake of water. James, bless his heart, dug a ditch which quickly drained their chicken yard. In this picture I have removed their feed container from the coop so that I can clean it. Just by seeing their food in a new location, they think it is some new treat and stand there gobbling it up. I want to call them "dumb clucks", but can't bring myself to do it.

Fred and Ethel hated the flood, but LOVED the fire!!! Five firetrucks and strange men running around in the yard was more excitement than they dared dream of; not to mention those wonderful sirens!!!

The gardens have been planted. The circle garden (aka pallet garden, fall garden) has been transformed into a cutting garden. More on it later. Everything in the big garden is coming up - cucumbers, beans, squash, corn, okra, tomatoes, potatoes, and onions. I smell tomato pies on the horizon!

Love ya'll,

Shelli

There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort. 

~Jane Austen